New hunting law causes controversy: forest protection or game damage?

New hunting law causes controversy: forest protection or game damage?

A lot is happening in the debate about hunting in Germany. Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger and Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber have introduced a new hunting law, which is of course met with divided opinions. How Mercury reported, there are concerns within the hunting community about the practical implementation. District hunting advisor Wolfgang Kuhn described the time for a final assessment of the law as too early. One issue that concerns many is the possibility that the cancellation of shooting plans could lead to an increase in deer browsing. BUND Nature Conservation also expresses this concern.

The new regulations, which were adopted at the beginning of July 2025, are intended to improve forest protection in the context of climate change. However, the state hunting association complained that the old regulations were sufficient. In this context, there is also the need for forest owners to be given more options for action if hunting tenants do not meet their shooting quotas, as is the case SWR supplemented. In fact, many hunters see themselves reduced to “contract killers” by the new law.

Criticism and concerns from the hunter community

An important aspect of the debate is increasing hunting pressure, as Kuhn notes. More and more people are pursuing a hunting license, which is causing wild animals to retreat from open areas and instead nibble on young trees in the forest. Kuhn therefore calls for hunting to be professionalized and for the creation of stable grazing areas and quiet zones. Hunters’ personal responsibility can only be implemented with adjusted shooting quotas.

In order to get the problem of game browsing under control, other solutions are also referred to. MDR reports that in Thuringia, for example, the closed seasons for roe deer are being shortened in order to support forest conversion. In Brandenburg they are even planning an amendment that will make it easier to shoot deer. However, such measures do not meet with approval everywhere; Critics fear a loss of genetic diversity in wild animals.

The forest in climate change

Efforts to make forests more resilient to climate change are becoming increasingly important. The forestry committee of the state parliament in Thuringia sees the adjustment of hunting rights as a necessary measure to combat massive forest damage. The idea of ​​reducing monocultures of coniferous trees and promoting mixed forests instead is also being increasingly discussed. Saplings of oak and other tree species are considered particularly attractive to wildlife and play an important role in future forest design.

We are in for a lively debate in the coming period. The different perspectives of conservationists, scientists and hunters underline that finding a balance between animal protection, hunting and forest protection is anything but easy. It remains to be seen whether the planned changes to the law will actually have the desired effect. One thing is clear: the discussion about hunting is unlikely to die down any time soon, and there are many challenges ahead of us.