FAQ

Why are foxes hunted in Switzerland?

Hobby hunters justify fox hunting in Switzerland primarily with two arguments: the containment of the fox tapeworm and the protection of ground-nesting birds.

Editorial Team Wild beim Wild — March 19, 2026

Both arguments fail to stand up to scientific scrutiny.

Nevertheless, around 20,000 to 22,000 red foxes are shot in Switzerland every year. This article explains why fox hunting is largely ineffective as a wildlife management tool and what alternatives exist.

How many foxes are killed in Switzerland each year?

According to federal hunting statistics, around 20,000 to 22,000 red foxes are killed annually by recreational hunters. In the canton of Bern alone, approximately 3,180 foxes were shot in 2024. By comparison, the estimated total red fox population in Switzerland ranges from around 40,000 to 60,000 individuals, depending on the season and region. This means that a significant proportion of the population is killed each year by recreational hunting.

In addition, around 7,000 foxes die in road accidents each year. However, the fox population compensates for this high mortality rate through an increased reproduction rate: the more intensively foxes are hunted, the earlier and more frequently they reproduce. This effect is known as compensatory reproduction and is well documented scientifically.

The fox tapeworm argument: What is true and what is not?

The fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) is a true parasite that can cause the dangerous alveolar echinococcosis in humans. It is found in Switzerland. These are the facts. However, the conclusion of the hunting lobby—that fox hunting curbs the spread of the fox tapeworm—is not scientifically tenable.

Culling does not prevent disease: Studies show that the prevalence of the fox tapeworm in fox populations does not decrease significantly when the population is intensively hunted. On the contrary, due to increased reproductive pressure, hunted populations are often younger – and young foxes have a higher infection rate. As soon as a fox territory is thinned out by culling, foxes from neighboring areas migrate into it.

The successful model in the fox tapeworm debate is not hunting, but oral vaccination. Switzerland's nationwide rabies vaccination of foxes using bait has practically eliminated rabies in Switzerland – without a single shot being fired. The Swiss rabies vaccination program, which ran from 1978 into the 2000s, is one of the most successful examples of non-lethal wildlife management in Europe. It demonstrates that the disease prevention argument for hunting simply does not hold water – vaccination is more effective. More on wildlife diseases and hunting can be found in the dossier on hunting and wildlife diseases .

The ground-nesting bird argument: Fact check

The second main argument for fox hunting is the "protection of ground-nesting birds" such as partridge, skylark, lapwing, and other bird species that nest on the ground. The scientific evidence for this is clear: the decline of ground-nesting birds in Switzerland and throughout Europe is primarily due to habitat loss and intensive agriculture – not to foxes.

Pesticides destroy the insects that ground-nesting birds feed their chicks. Monocultures eliminate the diversity of field margins, hedges, and fallow land that ground-nesting birds need for nesting. Early mowing in industrial agriculture directly destroys clutches of eggs. SRF explicitly reported in 2024 that fox hunting is "not effective for population control." Studies from Germany, Great Britain, and France demonstrate that intensive fox hunting in areas with good habitats has little impact on ground-nesting bird populations, while habitat improvements lead to significant population recoveries.

The example of the partridge is particularly illustrative: In Switzerland, the partridge is almost extinct – not because of foxes, but because of intensive agriculture. Our dossier on the partridge documents this in detail.

Compensatory reproduction: Why fox hunting does not reduce the population

A key population biology concept often ignored in the hunting debate is compensatory reproduction. Foxes adjust their reproduction rate to the mortality rate: In intensively hunted areas, vixens give birth earlier and in larger numbers. Litter sizes are larger when the population has been severely depleted. Neighboring groups migrate into the resulting gaps.

The result: Even though 20,000 to 22,000 foxes are shot annually in Switzerland, the population recovers within a few months. Long-term population reductions through hunting are only possible with extremely intensive and widespread hunting – and even then, only temporarily. This is supported by studies from the University of Bern and international population biologists.

In short: Fox hunting in Switzerland kills tens of thousands of animals every year without sustainably reducing the fox population, effectively containing diseases, or effectively protecting ground-nesting birds. It is primarily a recreational activity – supported by myths. Learn more about these myths in our dossier on hunting myths .

Luxembourg as a comparison: What happens without fox hunting?

Luxembourg banned fox hunting in 2015. What happened? Contrary to the fears of the hunting lobby, fox populations did not explode. The prevalence of fox tapeworm did not increase dramatically. And the condition of ground-nesting birds did not measurably deteriorate as a result of the hunting ban.

The Luxembourg example is internationally significant because it represents the first long-term experiment in a Central European country with a complete ban on fox hunting. Experts in Luxembourg and international observers concluded that the fox population regulates itself through intraspecific competition, resource availability, and natural mortality. Switzerland could learn from this model.

Hunting foxes in their dens: A particularly controversial method

A particularly problematic form of fox hunting is den hunting, in which hunting dogs are sent into underground fox dens to drive the fox out. This method is already banned or severely restricted in several cantons: Zurich (banned since 2023), Bern (largely banned since 2024), Vaud (banned since 2021) and Thurgau (severely restricted since 2017).

The Swiss Animal Protection Association (STS) has determined in a legal opinion that hunting in burrows can constitute animal cruelty under animal welfare law. For hunting dogs, burrow hunting represents a significant risk of injury and traumatic stress. More information can be found in the dossier on burrow hunting .

Fox as part of the ecosystem

The red fox is an important part of the Swiss ecosystem. It regulates mouse populations – a function that is particularly important for agriculture. A single fox can eat several thousand voles per year. Without foxes, mouse populations would explode and cause considerable damage to fields and meadows. Foxes are also seed dispersers: they eat fruit and excrete the seeds elsewhere, which contributes to the spread of certain plant species.

What HuntingSwitzerland says – and what science says

JagdSchweiz, the umbrella organization for Swiss recreational hunters, maintains its position on fox hunting as a "necessary regulation." In its publications, the organization repeatedly cites the fox tapeworm and the protection of ground-nesting birds – despite contrary scientific evidence. This is a classic pattern of the hunting lobby: myths are presented as facts to legitimize a leisure activity that would be difficult to defend without this justification.

Independent scientists, veterinary offices, and animal welfare organizations reach different conclusions. Our dossier on hunting myths and the fact check on the Hunting Switzerland brochure provide the details.

Conclusion: Fox hunting is primarily a leisure activity.

Between 20,000 and 22,000 foxes are killed annually in Switzerland – without any effect on the prevalence of fox tapeworm, without proven benefit for ground-nesting birds, and without a sustainable reduction in the fox population. Fox hunting is the prime example of how a leisure activity in Switzerland is legitimized by scientifically untenable myths. The Luxembourg model shows that it can be done without it. And the rabies vaccination program demonstrates that effective disease prevention works without shooting.

Further content can be found at wildbeimwild.com:

You can find more background information on current hunting policy in Switzerland in our dossier on wildbeimwild.com .