In the future, the closed seasons for roe deer may only be shortened in rare, exceptional cases. This was announced by the Bavarian Hunting Association (BJV) and the Ministry of Economics and Hunting. At the State Hunters’ Day in Weiden, the association recently made a corresponding request to Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), who, according to the BJV, has now sent an enforcement order to the lower hunting authorities in the Free State.
A BJV spokeswoman said that from now on the authorities would only be asked to accept and process applications for a shortening of the grace period if they were specifically and comprehensively justified. A decision to lift the closed season may only be made in “absolutely exceptional cases”. A general, simple indication of damage caused by game is no longer sufficient. It must be proven that excessive damage from game is to be feared in a specific area or territory and that this can only be prevented by shortening the closed season.
In addition, further hunting and forestry aspects would have to be taken into account. “The argument that the hunting plan was not fulfilled during the regular hunting season is no longer sufficient,” it said. An approval may – if at all – only be granted for a limited period of time and space. In the shooting plans, the lower hunting authorities located at the district offices determine how many deer and, in the mountains, deer and chamois should be shot by the hunters. The most important criterion for this is the so-called game browsing in the forests. This refers to the damage that animals cause to the young trees.
A ministry spokesman explained: Shortening the closed season must be “appropriate, suitable and necessary” in order to prevent excessive damage to game. Individual cases must be examined specifically. “General justifications, such as that the leaves on the trees are sprouting earlier due to a mild spring or that the shooting has not yet been carried out, are not sufficient reasons.”
The current legal situation is summarized in the enforcement instructions that have now been sent. This is intended to support the lower hunting authorities in deciding on shortening the closed season for roe deer and ensure a uniform approach. “In the past, there have been repeated applications for grace period reductions that did not meet the legal requirements and were stopped by the courts,” said the spokesman.
According to the association, the BJV presidium, newly elected in December 2020, has since then campaigned against the shortening of the closed season in numerous court proceedings. BJV President Ernst Weidenbusch said: “You can simply tell that Hubert Aiwanger, a practical person, is now the Minister of Hunting. Because it has also been scientifically proven: Too much hunting pressure increases browsing. That’s why closed seasons make sense.” The BJV spokeswoman explained that deer retreat from meadows into forests when there is too much unrest – be it from walkers, mountain bikers, construction work or hunters. But the loss of meadow areas for residential development or, for example, corn cultivation also pushes deer into the forests, where they then cause even more damage through browsing.