Forest plots in Hildesheim declared hunting-free

The two adjacent woodlands in the Adlum municipal area measure 9’825 sq m and 8’377 sq m.

Following a hearing before the Hannover Administrative Court, the forest plots have officially been hunting-free since 14 March 2022.

The three sisters' father planted these two woodlands in the Hildesheim Börde 40 years ago — as a nature conservation project and out of love for nature and animals. Twenty years ago he transferred the forest plots to his daughters, who applied for a hunting ban in 2018.

«Some years ago, bullets were flying past our ears»

«My two sisters and I form a property community,» recounts Andrea Thoni. «We received the two forest plots from our father about 20 years ago; he still holds what is known as a usufruct. The two plots are situated directly behind our house, bordering our garden and our horse paddock with a riding arena that belongs to the property.» When hunting took place in the two woodlands, it therefore happened right next to the garden, the horse paddocks, and the riding arena. «Some years ago, bullets were flying past our ears. My sister was on horseback at the time. The shots startled the horse and my sister nearly fell off. Afterwards we also saw that bullets had struck the wood at the riding arena,» reports Andrea Thoni.

We then turned to the municipality and — naive as we were — believed that hobby hunting there beside the riding arena would be prohibited. But the answer we received was: No, the hobby hunter is of course permitted to shoot in your forest, just not in your direction!

However, this potential threat posed by hobby hunters was not the reason for the application for a hunting law pacification. “I was born and raised here, and I make no secret of the fact that I am a animal rights advocate — and I have already addressed more than one hobby hunter quite directly. Our reason for the hunting ban on our woodland properties is one of ethics!”

A few years ago, Andrea Thoni had read an article in the Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung about the possibility of having private properties exempted from hunting on ethical grounds. She subsequently informed herself on the website of the Initiative Zwangsbejagung ade and made contact with Thomas Huber, who, together with his wife, runs the Ulmenhof, a sanctuary farm, in northern Lower Saxony. Lawyer Peer Fiesel conducts over 100 pacification proceedings nationwide, approximately 42 of which are pursued through the courts.

Application for a hunting law pacification on ethical grounds

On 22 June 2018, Andrea Thoni and her two sisters filed an application for a hunting law pacification on ethical grounds for the two woodland properties with the competent Lower Hunting Authority of the Hildesheim district. “I drafted it — initially without a lawyer — quite simply, stating that we were applying for a hunting law pacification for these two land parcels. As justification we wrote: We reject the killing of animals on ethical grounds. Animals are, to us, equal beings. We are engaged in animal welfare. We are vegetarians.”

Hunting authority fails to respond for months

The property owners then heard nothing at all for some time. “We did not even receive an acknowledgement of receipt.” On 22 November — five months after the application was filed — the case officer finally called back. At the end of March — a full ten months after the application was filed — he requested more detailed justifications.

The property owners need staying power

The three sisters were required to complete a multi-page form, as a mere assertion of ethical grounds was insufficient, according to the hunting authority. “At that point we really got going!”, Andrea Thoni reports. All neighbouring landowners were consulted. The farmers all came out in favor of hobby hunting. “The only ones who said they saw absolutely no problem with hunting being prohibited there were the police.”

The district declares the woodland properties pacified

On 4 May 2020 – two years after the application was filed – the district of Hildesheim declared the two woodland properties exempt from hunting under hunting law. Shortly thereafter, however, the hunting cooperative filed a lawsuit against the district of Hildesheim before the Hannover Administrative Court.

Hearing before the Hannover Administrative Court

The oral hearing took place on 14 March 2022. “And that is when the hobby hunters rapidly fell apart, and the smile froze on the face of the hobby hunters’ lawyer,” reports Andrea Thoni. The hunting cooperative ultimately withdrew the lawsuit to avoid incurring even greater costs.

The two woodland properties are hunting-free as of now!

Since the hearing on 14 March 2022, the woodland properties have been officially hunting-free. “We had to pay 670 euros to the district for the exemption, plus legal fees – the exemption cost us around 2’500 euros in total,” reports Andrea Thoni. “And that is probably the greatest fear of the recreational hunters: that this becomes public knowledge and other landowners start getting the same idea.”

Further hunting-free properties in Lower Saxony can be found in the districts of Uelzen, Lüneburg, Wesermarsch, as well as in the districts of Aurich and Wittmund in East Frisia.