Swiss Hobby Hunters Keep the Justice System Busy

An Inner Schwyz hobby hunter was convicted by the public prosecutor's office for violating the Weapons Act.

He had failed to keep an eye on his hunting weapon. 

Another hobby hunter hunted on a closed season day in the canton of Schwyz and was also recently convicted.

Also in the canton of Schwyz, a hobby hunter was recently convicted of animal cruelty.

In the canton of Valais, a hobby hunter forgot his weapon in the forest. Another shot a red deer calf in a protected area. Both also received a penalty order, according to a notice published in May 2025 by pomona.ch.

In the canton of Thurgau a previously convicted hobby hunter is reportedly set to become a judge

Last autumn, the Inner Schwyz hobby hunter was out in the Pfäffikon area ‘putting nature in order at gunpoint’. Back in the car park, he leaned his rifle against his vehicle and drove off. The fortunately unloaded hunting weapon remained on the ground until a passerby noticed it and alerted the Höfe police post. The cantonal police secured the rifle. The following morning, the hobby hunter reported to the police of his own accord.

The man has since been convicted of violating the Weapons Act. He must pay a fine of 600 francs. The public prosecutor charged him with «negligence of duty». 

The Weapons Act states: «Weapons, essential weapon components, weapon accessories, ammunition and ammunition components must be stored with care and protected from access by unauthorised third parties.» The maximum penalty for contraventions is 10’000 francs.

The hobby hunter got off lightly with a fine in the three-digit range. However, a change in the law proved to be his undoing for this resident of Inner Schwyz. Negligent violations of the weapons law were previously punished with a simple administrative fine. Since January 1, 2020, such an offense has entailed proceedings that in this case result not only in a monetary fine but also in an entry in the criminal register. 

Apart from the criminal proceedings, administrative measures are conceivable, such as the revocation of the hunting license. According to the penalty order, it remains open whether the hobby hunter will get his weapon back. This must be reviewed by the police.

Particularly in the case of hobby hunting, it is of utmost importance that the authorities scrutinize matters very carefully. Nowhere else is there so much manipulation through dishonesty. Violence and lies are two sides of the same coin. For decades, hobby hunting has been nothing other than a permanently cost-intensive source of problems and controversy for politics, forestry, agriculture, administrations, the judiciary, health insurers, insurance companies, animal protection organizations, environmental and nature conservation organizations, the police, the federal government, the media, etc. 

The Canton of Geneva as a role model

What hundreds of hobby hunters once did pointlessly in the Canton of Geneva is today handled more exemplarily by a good dozen wildlife wardens who share 3 full-time positions among themselves, alongside many other duties. From the Canton of Geneva, it is also known that not only the supervision and monitoring of hobby hunters was an enormous financial burden. Today, the wildlife wardens cost taxpayers a cup of coffee per year in wage costs, and the added value in biodiversity for the population is gigantic.

There are years when, in the Canton of Geneva for example, not a single red deer, roe deer, red fox, badger, marten, hare, or jay is shot, according to the federal hunting statistics. This is because there are no hunting seasons for hobby hunters, as there are in other cantons. Wildlife in the Canton of Geneva has above all a year-round protection period. Many wild animals are visible and accessible to the public, which is scientifically proven to be valuable for the health of both animals and people.

Sanitary and therapeutic culls by wildlife wardens in Geneva are not the same as decimating hunting based on hunters' jargon or a misguided understanding of nature. According to biologists, hobby hunting does not necessarily mean fewer wildlife, but rather more births. Upon close analysis, hobby hunters do not perform a “public service” for the public, and certainly not for wildlife. Wildlife do not like hobby hunters. Hobby hunters would not perform any “public service” if they were not allowed to kill. 

In the canton of Graubünden alone, there are over 1’000 reports and fines against hobby hunters every year.