Pass hunting is a form of recreational hunting in which hobby hunters lie in wait for wildlife along its regular trails.
In hunting terminology, the term “pass” does not refer to a mountain pass, but to the route regularly used by wildlife through its territory. Hobby hunters position themselves at such wildlife crossings, often in fixed structures such as small hunting huts, alpine meadow shelters, or barns, and wait until an animal comes within shooting distance.
In Swiss hunting practice, pass hunting is almost exclusively a form of night hunting targeting furred predators. The target species are fox, badger, stone marten, and introduced neozoa such as raccoon and raccoon dog. It takes place in late autumn and winter and continues until the end of February in some cantons.
How it works: bait sites, hunting huts, and night vigils
Typically, hobby hunters set up what is known as a bait or lure site. Cat or dog food, slaughterhouse waste, offal, or dead small animals are laid out to attract foxes, badgers, and martens. The animals become accustomed to the feeding station, use it regularly, and lose their wariness.
The hobby hunter sits in a nearby fixed structure, often with a camouflaged window, and shoots the predators from a distance of generally up to 35 metres. In most cantons, the waiting period is restricted to night-time hours — in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, for example, from 17:00 to 07:00. Dogs and artificial light sources are generally prohibited, while night-vision devices with image intensifiers are now permitted in several cantons.
Legal framework
Pass hunting operates through a legal loophole. Since 1 February 2025, Swiss federal law has prohibited night hunting in forests (Art. 3ter para. 1 JSV). Pass hunting for huntable predators in winter — specifically fox, badger, marten, and raccoon — is expressly exempt from this prohibition. Cantons may also grant additional exemption permits where wildlife damage is claimed.
The canton of Aargau states in a 2025 circular that the ban on night hunting in forests applies generally, but that pass hunting for predators in winter is exempt from this ban. The canton of Graubünden explicitly lists fox, badger, and marten in its hunting regulations as species that may be hunted during pass hunting. In Appenzell Ausserrhoden, foxes, stone martens, and badgers are the only permitted target species for pass hunting. Details on the legal situation and cantonal variations are documented in the Dossier on Hunting Laws and Oversight.
Why pass hunting is problematic from an animal welfare perspective
Several elements make pass hunting a particularly critically assessed form of hunting.
First, it exploits the animals during their time of greatest hardship. In winter, foxes, badgers, and martens are under energetic pressure, young animals from the previous year are still developing, and pregnant vixens are already active in January and February. The shooting frequently targets nursing parent animals, whose cubs subsequently starve in the den.
Second, it operates through deliberate trust-building. Animals are lured with bait, become accustomed to the feeding site, and are then shot while unsuspecting. This violates the principle of fair chase that hobby hunters themselves claim to uphold.
Third, it is ecologically ineffective or even counterproductive. Fox hunting does not reliably reduce rabies or fox tapeworm, destabilizes populations, and increases migratory movements. Background information on this can be found in the article Small Game Hunting and Wildlife Disease.
Fourth, it also burdens wildlife that is not being hunted. Shots fired during the winter rest periods disturb roe deer, chamois, and other species in their energy balance. The Dossier on Hunting and Biodiversity addresses the cumulative effects of this.
Pass hunting and the “back door” principle
The ban on night hunting in forests was politically marketed in 2025 as a protective measure for wildlife. In practice, precisely the form of hunting that generates the most passion in recreational hunting circles remains permitted: nocturnal predator hunting. The article How Switzerland continues to shoot foxes at night shows how this exception is implemented across cantons.
Around 25,000 foxes are killed in Switzerland each year, a significant proportion of them through pass hunting. The animal cruelty analysis of fox hunting describes the concrete procedures at bait sites.
The contrast: Geneva
In the canton of Geneva, no private recreational hunting has existed since 1974. The population voted at that time to abolish militia-style hunting. Since then, any necessary population management has been carried out by professionally trained state wildlife wardens. In the last hunting season, zero foxes were shot for recreational pleasure in Geneva. This demonstrates that a Switzerland without pass hunting is not only conceivable, but has been a reality for over fifty years.
Conclusion
Pass hunting is a nocturnal ambush hunt targeting predators at bait sites. It is problematic from an animal welfare perspective, ecologically ineffective, and legally permissible only thanks to a targeted exemption in the hunting ordinance. The 2025 nighttime hunting restriction, ostensibly framed as a protective measure, leaves entirely untouched the very form of hunting that costs the most predators their lives.
An honest wildlife protection policy would remove the exemption for pass hunting of predatory game from the hunting ordinance. Geneva has shown for decades that it is possible without it.
Sources
- Hunting Ordinance (JSV), SR 922.01, Art. 3ter Para. 1
- Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds (JSG), SR 922.0
- Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Hunting Regulations 2025/2026
- Canton of Graubünden, Hunting Operations Regulations 2022
- Canton of Bern, Hunting Inspectorate, Information on the Nighttime Hunting Ban 2025
- Canton of Aargau, Circular on Hunting 2025
