Wildlife crime in the Wetterstein: it remains just an administrative offense

The incident made waves in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Now the game crime in the Wetterstein was stopped against a hunter against a fine.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

- There was talk of violating the hunter's honor, a sad incident, last year when an experienced pastoralist from Garmisch-Partenkirchen shot two adult red deer.

The hunter himself spoke of an accident, a misunderstanding that took place in the "Steilen" state hunting area in the Wetterstein.

This matter was now negotiated before the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district court. The 69-year-old had received a penalty warrant for 2000 euros, against which he appealed. The public prosecutor's office accused him of multiple violations of the federal hunting law. However, Andreas Pfisterer saw “no need for punishment” after almost two hours of negotiation. With the approval of the public prosecutor, the judge had the proceedings stopped in return for a payment of 500 euros.

For Pfisterer there was a crucial point: “It is no longer possible to determine whether a young animal was present at the time the shot was fired.” The hunter shot a recognizable leading adult with his second shot on June 19, 2020 - he speaks of one Expert if the animal is carrying a calf, which can be seen from the mother's bulging teats.

However, there is no evidence of the orphaned calf.

One second.

It was a reflex.

The defendant

The defendant stated that he had very little time to react. "One second. That was a reflex. ”He did not see the hind's teats. The accused had previously shot - and also hit. The one-year-old black animal (female deer) ran away and disappeared in the woods. After a short time, the apparently only wounded animal looked through the thicket. "I immediately fired the second shot," reported the defendant. In the mistaken opinion that they are the same animal.

But that wasn't it, as it turned out a little later.

Because the red deer killed first by the rifleman was a monster that is not allowed to be hunted in the spring.

The second doe fled and two days later was found dead by hikers a few hundred meters away in the Schachens area - a mother that had already been gnawed by the fox, whose young was apparently never found.

40 years of professional experience

The hunter dutifully brought the shot to the game room in Farchant - according to his own statement, 40 years of professional experience. The hunted red deer turned out to be an adult animal that he should not have shot because of the current closed season. As a rifleman, he entered his son, also a hunter, in the entry book. “That was pure nonsense, pure mistake,” defended the defendant. He was talking to other hunters and was distracted. "That has no background, there is no benefit from it," he contradicted Pfisterer's and the public prosecutor's inquiries about any shooting bonuses or minimum shooting quotas.

Police officer Anton Berndaner told the court that the hunted adult animal was not so easy to recognize as such in the first case.

"The teats were not pronounced, that could be confused," emphasized the officer who was investigating this case.

And the second shot?

"He said he would shoot the first animal again," said Berndaner.

We have a dynamic animal rights activist here in Garmisch.

That draws circles.

Police officer Anton Berndaner

Pfisterer wanted to know from the official why there was such a stir in the media at the time because of the incident.

“We have a dynamic animal rights activist here in Garmisch.

That pulls circles ”, emphasized the policeman, who is himself a hunting license holder.

He reported on the competition from animal rights activists and forest owners who are not always green.

Pfisterer had heard enough.

The prosecutor also relented.

Defense attorney Arnulf Kowalski mentioned that the Lower Hunting Authority would not renew his client's hunting license if punished.

What remained of the allegations was the violation of the closed season regulation - an administrative offense.

The judge saw the accused's life without criminal record, 40 years of professional experience.

“There was never anything,” mused the judge.

The proceedings were discontinued in exchange for a payment of 500 euros to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue service.

The outcome of the process did not please everyone: Animal and hunting protection associations have announced that they will have Pfisterer's decision examined.