The hunters in the district of Starnberg killed as many wild boars in 2019/2020 as never before. However, there are differences in the district.
District - In the hunting year 2019/2020, the hunters in the district shot as many wild boars as never before - 1150 pieces. Hartwig Görtler, chairman of the Starnberg district group in the Bavarian Hunting Association, sees an important step against the threat of African swine fever.
Since the wild boar slowly started spreading in the district 20 years ago, the number of kills has increased - however, according to Görtler, there has been a clearly visible zigzag course for five years. A year with high numbers of kills is followed by a weak, then another strong year. Even today, wild boar is not yet at home everywhere, there are not so many wild boars in the southern district. The numbers for 2019/2020 are not yet final because some areas have not yet reported. The hunting year lasts from April 1st to March 31st.
According to Görtler, the hunters already kill young wild boars (youngsters, defectors) in order to prevent uninhibited reproduction. "It is the young that cause the numbers to explode," as brooks (female wild boars) become sexually mature early on. This strategy is also working, since February the number of kills has dropped significantly.
Wild boar hunting is primarily used to prevent the animal disease ASP (African swine fever), which has not yet occurred in Germany, but represents an enormous danger for farmers with pig farming. For the fight, one is "well positioned" with the number of kills, says Hartwig Görtler. A goal of hunting is also to keep wild boars away from areas, to a certain extent to displace them. As soon as sowing begins, the hunters concentrate on the fields and hunt there. Wild boars are "incredibly smart" and immediately notice that it is dangerous there. Luring the animals into the forest and shooting them there has the same purpose. That is why there is a targeted eruption in places - feeding points attract the animals.
Görtler reports that 50 wild boars were killed in traffic accidents in the past hunting year. He would normally have presented it for a review, but it was canceled due to the Corona crisis.
One of the farmers' demands for wild boar hunting was that hunters were allowed to use night vision goggles - this was always prohibited under gun law. In the meantime, the legal situation has changed, but the permits in the district of Starnberg have made slow progress. Görtler had written to the district administrator a few days ago because other circles were brisker there. However, the head of the district hunter does not expect the use of night vision aiming devices to mean that significantly more wild boars will be shot as a result. Experience shows something different.
On request, the district office stated that the applications would be processed from next week and then the notices would be sent or existing exemptions would have to be adapted to the changed legal situation. The district authority is also considering regulating use via a general will, which could save effort. Görtler and the hunters can live with both - the main thing is that they can use the technology under gun and hunting law. ike
