Hunting matters

The aim of hunting is, among other things:

• to maintain a species-rich and healthy game population and to develop it in a ratio adapted to its natural habitats and to the land cultural conditions,
• to secure and improve the natural livelihood of the game,
• to protect endangered game species, to secure and increase their population,
• To avoid interference by game with proper agricultural, forestry, and fisheries use,
• to preserve the diversity of wild animal species as an essential component of biological diversity and the natural balance,
• To ensure a near-natural sustainable form of use.

The right to hunt is the exclusive right to keep, hunt and acquire wild animals subject to hunting rights in a certain area. The right to hunt is connected with the duty to keep the animals.
 

Game management includes all measures aimed at the development and maintenance of a species-rich and healthy game population adapted to the landscape and landscape-cultural conditions as well as the care and protection of its natural resources. Impairments of a proper agricultural, forestry and fishery use, especially game damage, are to be avoided.

The right to hunt is the right to seek out, pursue, kill and catch game. The right to appropriate game also includes the exclusive right to appropriate diseased or dead game, fallen game and dropped sticks, as well as the eggs of feathered game.
 

The shooting of game shall be regulated in such a way that the justified claims of agriculture, forestry and fishery for protection against damage caused by game as well as the interests of nature conservation, landscape management and the control of animal diseases are safeguarded. The shooting regulations shall contribute to maintaining a healthy game population of all native game species in appropriate numbers and, in particular, to ensuring the protection of game species whose population is threatened.
 

The requirements of silviculture and the prevention of game damage shall be given priority over the numerical management of a game species.
 

When hunting, the principles of hunting justice, which serve in particular the protection of animals, are to be observed.