Unprofessional Swiss Hunting Authorities | Hunting Statistics, Animal Welfare and Transparency

According to federal hunting statistics, a total of 334 dead wild animals with gunshot wounds were found in 2014, including 30 red deer, 191 roe deer and 15 chamois.

Editorial team Wild beim Wild — 14 September 2016

These dead finds are only the tip of the iceberg.

Far from all dead wild animals are ever found. Swiss Animal Protection STS is calling for legal and hunting-related improvements.

In addition to the approximately 40’000 roe deer, 10’000 red deer and 12’000 chamois shot each hunting year in Switzerland, there are likely several hundred — if not over 1,000 — animals that are merely wounded and flee injured. In hunting, the rule is: the first shot must hit and result in immediate death. Animals that are shot but not fatally hit may survive the shot or die from their injuries. The success rate of searches for wounded game ranges from just 35 to 65% depending on the canton. This means that around half of the animals shot during hunting cannot be relieved of their suffering despite a search being conducted.

It is known from Denmark that around one quarter of all foxes shot there or found dead show signs of a previous gunshot. Comparable figures for Switzerland do not exist, but there is cause for concern, particularly regarding the hunting of roe deer, foxes, hares or waterfowl with shotgun pellets in this country.

As part of the current STS investigation «Graze shots and searches in Swiss hunting», all cantonal hunting authorities were surveyed on the subject of missed shots and follow-up searches. Despite reference to the Freedom of Information Act, the hunting authorities of nine cantons failed to respond to the STS. The survey results show that some cantons neither have a mandatory reporting requirement for follow-up searches nor are aware of their success rates. It is therefore not known how many animals are actually wounded during hunting and how many were able to be relieved of their suffering through a follow-up search.

Hunting policy demands

Based on the STS research, there is reason to suspect that animals wounded during hunts and their suffering are a taboo subject in this country. The lack of transparency shown by some cantonal hunting authorities and the wholly inadequate hunting statistics in this regard are testament to that.

The Swiss Animal Protection STS therefore calls for an explicit legal obligation — regulated under federal hunting law — to conduct follow-up searches for wounded or suspected wounded game, a mandatory reporting requirement for follow-up and check searches that have taken place, and public transparency regarding their success rates. In addition, the STS demands a ban on shotgun fire targeting roe deer and wild boar.

Hobby Hunters: A Natural Disaster

In the chaos in which nature finds itself after decades of management and stewardship by hobby hunters, the proportion of threatened species is higher in no other country in the world than in Switzerland. These hired killers have been creating an ecological imbalance in the cultivated landscape for decades, with sometimes dramatic consequences (protective forests, disease, agricultural damage, and much more). Over a third of plant, wildlife, and fungal species are considered endangered. Switzerland also ranks last in Europe when it comes to designating protected areas for biodiversity. It is precisely these circles of hobby hunters — through their lobbying via politics, media, and legislation — who have been responsible for this for decades. They are the ones who notoriously block timely, ethical improvements to animal welfare and sabotage serious animal and species protection efforts. Hobby hunters regularly oppose more national parks in Switzerland because their concern is not nature, biodiversity, species protection, or animal welfare — but rather the pursuit of their perverse, bloody hobby.

Did you know …

that in Switzerland innocent young wolves are being killed?
that hobby hunters lie when assessing venison quality and that processed game meat is classified as carcinogenic by the WHO — on a par with cigarettes, asbestos, or arsenic?
that according to a study, nowhere is the lead contamination of golden eagles and bearded vultures higher than in the Swiss Alps, due to the ammunition used by hobby hunters?
that the hunting ethics code of hobby hunters directly contradicts the Animal Welfare Act and is nothing but a mirage?
that hunting is war, where animal competitors are simply eliminated?
that there are countless illegal and unmarked hunting stands in our natural environment, some of which are so rotten that they pose a danger to children and can cause people to lose their lives?
that year after year countless people are killed or injured by hunters' weapons, in some cases so severely that they are left in wheelchairs or have limbs amputated?
that in Switzerland approximately 120,000 perfectly healthy roe deer, red deer, foxes, marmots, and chamois are killed every year, mostly needlessly?
that because of hobby hunters it is today barely possible to live in harmony with wildlife or to catch sight of wild animals?
that shotgun blasts cause hares to shriek like small children, and that the entrails of "shot" roe deer and red deer are torn apart so that they leave a trail of blood for tracking parties to follow during the search?
that hobby hunters' claims that these cruel wildlife massacres are necessary to regulate animal populations have been scientifically disproven?
that hobby hunters openly admit that hunting is about the “pleasure of killing” and “the joy of making a kill” — a pathological obsession?
that hobby hunters have no sixth sense, yet regularly claim they only shoot sick and weak animals, which is of course not borne out in practice?
that hobby hunters travel abroad for trophy hunting, far beyond any species protection or hunting regulations, and that there are even Swiss hobby hunter travel agencies catering to such depraved hunting pursuits?
that the vast majority are not licensed professional hunters, but pursue hunting as a hobby, sport, and recreational pastime, which is morally indefensible and in fact contradicts the Animal Welfare Act?
that 99.07% of civilised people in Switzerland are not hobby hunters — meaning only 0.3% of hobby hunters take pleasure in these bloody activities?
that these wildlife killers do not hunt on the basis of any scientific justification?
that protected species do not actually belong under hunting law, because hobby hunters are not equipped to handle species conservation and repeatedly shoot animals listed on the Red List — such as the lynx, wolf, brown hare, grey partridge, quail, and others — for sport?
that hobby hunters deliberately decimate certain animal species in order to eliminate competition for their unnatural behavior — including the fox, lynx, wolf, birds of prey, and others?
that wildlife dies before the hobby hunter can even fire a single shot, that preventing this is the goal, and that this is likely the central idea behind wildlife stewardship, habitat management, and hunting planning?
that with wild boar (and foxes), normally only the lead sow produces young, but as a result of her being shot, all female animals within the sounder reproduce, and this is one of the reasons we have a wild boar population explosion?
that grazing animals — deer, roe deer, etc. — originally lived mainly as diurnal animals in fields and meadows, like goats, sheep, cows, etc., and not in the forest?
that the wolf is vitally important for the long-term health of wild ungulates, because, for example, it preys on sick or weak animals with incredible precision, making it far superior to hobby hunters in this regard?
that foxes, after being pointlessly hunted, usually end up in the rubbish?
that foxes are hunted today mainly so that there are more hares, etc. for hobby hunters to put in the frying pan? Yet the fox feeds on hares in fewer than 10% of cases and would never catch a healthy hare?
that when dealing with hobby hunters on animal welfare issues, one cannot rely solely on gentle approaches, street festivals, prayer chains, etc. — sometimes a firm response is needed to meet a firm challenge?
that hobby hunters, with their hunters’ tall tales, engage in a disrespectful mockery of living beings?
that it is frowned upon to shoot big game at feeding stations or during the mating season, yet the hobby hunter has no scruples about doing exactly this to the fox, a competitor for prey?
that in some cantons, hobby hunters go hunting solely for the tender meat of a young animal?
that hobby hunters shoot pregnant mother animals in front of their young, or target only young animals during the rearing period (post-special hunt)?
that hobby hunters poison the environment, nature, humans, and animals with their ammunition?
that bestiality, barbarism, cruelty, bloodshed, and senseless suffering cannot be considered cultural heritage in a civilised society?
that hobby hunters shoot approximately 10’000 roe deer fawns every year?
that during harsh winters, hobby hunters lure starving animals with food only to shoot them in a treacherous and cowardly manner?
that hobby hunters send trained dogs into burrows to drive out and eliminate foxes and badgers (earth hunting)?
that hobby hunters lure peaceful living creatures into box traps, where they may suffer for days awaiting their killer, or are often subjected to a death struggle lasting hours (trap hunting)?
that hobby hunters cowardly ambush peaceful wild animals while they sleep or bask in the sun, killing or wounding them with state-of-the-art precision weapons?
that hobby hunters support awards, fur markets, prize ceremonies for trophy culture, trophy shows, the fur trade, and so on?
that hobby hunters place firearms into the hands of underage schoolchildren and practice killing with them?
that hobby hunters often carry out their cruel acts in remote isolation, which encourages animal cruelty?
that hobby hunters seriously injure many wild animals, leaving the victims to suffer for hours in tremendous pain and fear until a tracking dog finds them and they are shot?
that hobby hunters (apart from vivisection) inflict the most suffering and abuse on animals, including through the manner in which they kill?
that the hunter’s supposed love of animals and nature takes no pleasure in the existence of the beloved subject, but rather aims to possess the beloved creature body and soul, culminating in turning it into prey through the act of killing?
that hobby hunters actively encourage browsing damage through hunting pressure, particularly on predators such as foxes, lynx, and wolves?
that hobby hunters open the door to antisocial, unethical, and unchristian behavior?
that hobby hunters deprive the public of normal, natural wildlife observation and interaction?
that there is no greater product of suffering — and one more contaminated with ammunition residues — than venison?
that there is no uniform national regulation in Switzerland regarding vision tests, shooting practice, and so on for hobby hunters?
that there is no psychological character assessment for hobby hunters?
that there is no alcohol ban for hobby hunters when they are shooting at animals with their weapons?
that hobby hunters intrude into educational institutions in order to foist their hunters’ tales and culture of violence upon children?
that a court in Bellinzona recently confirmed that hunting associations promote virtually everything that is cruel, unnecessary, and heartless?
that the association «Jagd Schweiz» cultivates above all a culture of disrespect and violence — the exact opposite of what a civilised person in our society should aspire to.
that in the canton of Graubünden alone, over 1’000 complaints and fines are issued against hobby hunters every year?