Public Dumbing-Down in the Canton of Solothurn

Hunting Proficiency Certificate at Waldegg Castle

Two women and 15 men received the coveted hunting proficiency certificate from Regional Councillor Brigit Wyss at Waldegg Castle.

Cantonal Councillor Brigit Wyss presented the hunting proficiency certificates and commended the examination results of the junior hunters: “You have learned the fundamentals of recreational hunting, studied nature, observed wildlife and understood the complex interrelationships of our ecosystem.”

Hunting Proficiency Certificate Possible Without Hunting School

The Swiss Wildlife Foundation runs the Mösli hunting school in Niedergösgen. It is the only hunting school in the Canton of Solothurn. This circumstance is particularly noteworthy in that, under cantonal law, attendance at a hunting school is not legally required in order to sit the hunting examination.

Facts Instead of Hunters' Tales

Hobby hunters struggle when they are called upon to justify themselves in an enlightened society. They are insufficiently, or not at all, educated. Although every competent wildlife biologist knows — and countless studies and case examples point to the fact — that even the senseless fox hunt is nothing but a fabricated myth.

Virtually everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless is promoted by hunting associations, as a court in Bellinzona recently confirmed.

Hobby Hunters Are Harmed by Officials

At the point where violence is unleashed, damage is caused just as much as at the point at which it is directed. Neuropsychologists also confirm: the amygdala, a core region of the brain, is markedly underdeveloped or impaired in perpetrators of violence.

Those who obtain a hunting licence therefore always receive two things: a licence to kill and a licence to become stupefied.

«"Waidgerecht" also has nothing to do with animal welfare to do. The hunting ethics of hobby hunters are diametrically opposed to the Animal Protection Act.

This is why we commend the Canton of Geneva with its professional wildlife management without hobby hunters, but with upstanding game wardens. Safety, expertise, animal protection and ethics are the guiding principles.

Natural disaster: hobby hunters

In the disorder in which nature finds itself after decades of stewardship and management by hobby hunters, the proportion of endangered species is greater in no other country in the world than in Switzerland. For decades, these contract killers have been creating an ecological imbalance in the cultivated landscape with partly dramatic consequences (protective forests, diseases, 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 with their lobbying who have been responsible for decades through politics, media and legislation. They are the ones who notoriously block contemporary, ethical improvements in animal welfare and sabotage serious animal and species protection. 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 about the assessment of game meat quality and that processed game meat is classified as carcinogenic by the WHO, just like 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 of hobby hunters are diametrically opposed to the Animal Protection Act and are nothing but a mirage?
• that hunting is war, where animal competitors are simply eliminated?
• that there are countless illegal and unmarked elevated hides in our countryside, some so rotted that they pose a danger to children and could cause people to lose their lives?
• that year after year countless people are killed or injured by hunters' weapons, some so severely that they end up in wheelchairs or have limbs amputated?
• that in Switzerland around 120,000 perfectly healthy roe deer, red deer, foxes, marmots and chamois are killed each year, mostly without purpose?
• that because of hobby hunters it is now barely possible to live in harmony with wildlife or to observe wild animals?
• that shotgun blasts make hares scream like small children and tear apart the entrails of “shot” roe deer and red deer so that they leave traces while fleeing for hunters to follow?
• that the claim by hobby hunters that the brutal wildlife massacres are necessary to regulate animal populations has been scientifically refuted?
• 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 and yet regularly claim to shoot only sick and weak animals, which in practice is simply not true?
• 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 operators catering to such depraved hunting pursuits?
• that the overwhelming 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 Protection 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 scientific justification?
• that protected species should in fact not fall under hunting law, because hobby hunters are ill-equipped to handle species conservation and repeatedly shoot animals listed on the Red List — such as lynx, wolf, brown hare, grey partridge, quail, etc. — for amusement?
• that hobby hunters deliberately decimate certain animal species in order to eliminate competition for their unnatural behaviour — such as fox, lynx, wolf, birds of prey, etc.?
• that wildlife dies before the hobby hunter can fire even a single shot, that preventing this is the primary concern, and that this is surely the central idea behind wildlife stewardship, habitat management and hunting planning?
• that with wild boar (and foxes), normally only the lead sow produces offspring, but due to her being shot, all female animals within the sounder begin to reproduce — which is also a reason why 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 it preys on sick or weak animals with incredible precision, for example, and is therefore vastly superior to hobby hunters?
• that foxes, after being senselessly hunted, usually end up in the trash?
• that foxes today are hunted mainly so that there are more hares, etc. for hobby hunters to put in the frying pan? That the fox, however, feeds on hares in fewer than 10% of cases and would never catch a healthy hare?
• that in animal protection, one cannot deal with hobby hunters using only gentleness, street festivals, prayer chains, etc. (sometimes you have to fight fire with fire)?
• that hobby hunters use the hunters' yarn to engage in disrespectful mockery of living beings?
• that it is frowned upon to shoot large game at feeding stations or during mating season, yet hobby hunters have no scruples about doing exactly this with their competitor the fox?
• 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 (supplementary special hunt)?
• that hobby hunters poison the environment, nature, humans and animals with their ammunition?
• that bestiality, barbarity, 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 hobby hunters in harsh winters lure starving animals with food only to shoot them in a treacherous and cowardly manner?
• that hobby hunters set trained dogs on burrows to eliminate foxes and badgers (den hunting)?
• that hobby hunters lure peaceful living beings into box traps, where they may suffer for days awaiting their killer, or subject animals to an often hours-long death struggle (trap hunting)?
• that hobby hunters cowardly ambush and kill or injure peaceful wild animals while they sleep or bask in the sun, using state-of-the-art precision weapons?
• that hobby hunters support awards, fur markets, trophy cult prize-givings, trophy shows, fur trading, etc.?
• that hobby hunters put firearms into the hands of underage schoolchildren and practise killing with them?
• that hobby hunters often carry out their cruel acts in solitude, which encourages animal cruelty?
• that hobby hunters frequently only severely injure wild animals and the victims often suffer for hours under enormous pain and fear, until a blood-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 of killing?
• that the hunters’ supposed love of animals and nature does not take joy in the existence of the beloved object, 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 promote browsing damage through hunting pressure, particularly on predators such as fox, lynx and wolf?
• that hobby hunters open the door to antisocial, unethical and unchristian behaviour?
• that hobby hunters deprive the public of normal, natural wildlife observation and interaction?
• that there is no greater product of suffering — and one contaminated with ammunition — than venison?
• that there is no uniform national regulation in Switzerland regarding vision tests, shooting practice, etc. 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 their culture of violence upon children?
• that a court in Bellinzona recently confirmed that hunting associations promote practically everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless?
• that the association «Jagd Schweiz» cultivates above all disrespect and a culture of violence — the exact opposite of what a civilised person in our society should aspire to.
• that in the canton of Graubünden alone, over 1’1000 reports and fines are issued against hobby hunters every year?

IG Wild beim Wild

IG Wild beim Wild is a non-profit advocacy organization committed to the sustainable and non-violent improvement of the human-animal relationship, with a specialization in the legal aspects of wildlife protection. One of our primary concerns is to introduce a contemporary and serious wildlife management system in the cultivated landscape, modeled on the Canton of Geneva — without hobby hunters, but with upright wildlife wardens who genuinely merit the title and act in accordance with a code of honor. The state's monopoly on the use of force must remain in the hands of the state. IG Wild beim Wild supports scientific methods ofimmunocontraceptionfor wildlife.