Fox hunting

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Under fox hunting refers to the hunting of foxes . In Europe, this usually affects the red fox . The fox can be hunted all year round in Germany, although the federal states can specify deviations. An exception, which is subject to punishment, arises from the Federal Hunting Act (BJagdG): According to this, the parent animals necessary for rearing may not be hunted during the setting and breeding times until the young animals become independent. Since the males of foxes also participate in the rearing of the young, it can be assumed that in the period from March 1st to at least June 15th, all adult foxes are necessary parent animals for the rearing of young foxes within the meaning of the law, provided that the whole Hatchback has not been hunted or caught beforehand. In Germany, 380,691 foxes were hunted in 2013/14, and 457,815 in 2014/15.

Types of hunting

Stand hunting

Hunting from a fixed location, e.g. B. from high seats . The prerequisite is patient waiting and taking the wind direction into account . Babe places can be set up to attract people .

Driven or driven hunt

Several hunters team up and position themselves taking the wind direction into account. Hunting assistants then drive the game towards the shooters .

Bait hunting

When decoy hunting, the fox is attracted by imitating the sounds of mice, hares, rabbits or fawns. The noises are either made by the hunter himself without aids or with the help of attracting instruments.

Stalking

Hunting the fox during a “ stalking ”, so slowly approaching the foxes.

Trapping

Painting of a fox caught with a leghold trap. Such traps are now banned in Central Europe.

A distinction is made between traps for live and dead catch. The use of the type of trap used depends on the respective legal situation. Depending on the hunting and animal protection laws of the respective country, snap traps are still used today, which are triggered by pressure (e.g. a kick). Such traps have been banned in Germany since the Reichsjagdgesetz 1934. When hunting the catch, the hunting and closed seasons as well as the country-specific regulations for the use of fishing gear must be observed. Only trigger traps that trigger when pulled are permitted, which ensures that the animal picks up the bait with the catch and triggers the trap by pulling on the bait. The animal is caught behind the head and killed immediately. The design or conversion of the trap must ensure that animals cannot get caught in the trap with other body parts.

In Germany, so-called gooseneck traps are usually used, which are particularly successful with adult foxes, while young foxes are also caught alive in box traps. Like all traps, live traps must be checked at least once a day. The stick and scissors traps that were common in the past are now banned as they cannot be safely caught. The German Hunting Association has successfully tested common dead-trapping devices and live-trap traps according to the standards for humane trapping. The focus was on fishing gear that is preferred in Germany when hunting. Fox hunting in Central Europe is carried out under the aspect that the fox, as a cultural successor, can even endanger the existence of some animal species due to excessive populations in some areas. Also steadily increasing populations of so-called neozoa , such as raccoons, raccoon dogs and mink, but also stray cats, are particularly affecting ground breeders in many places. In order to be able to effectively reduce the mostly nocturnal predators, trapping is used.

Construction hunt

Since the risk of rabies has been reduced by vaccinations and the dogs have also been vaccinated , this traditional type of hunting has found its fans again. It is practiced when the foxes are under construction , i.e. between December and February. If the fox cannot be "blown up" (driven out of the burrow by the dog), a "punch" (dig) is used to help. Where there are few “natural structures”, artificial structures can offer high hunting success.

Parforce hunt

Fox hunt with horse and pack of dogs

A pack of dogs searches for, pursues and kills the fox; the participants of the hunt follow the pack on horseback. Parforce hunting has been banned in Germany since 1934 and in Great Britain since 2005. Hunting races and hunting have developed from parforce hunting . No game is hunted in the riding hunt. The riding hunt without dogs is called fox hunt , with dogs one speaks of drag hunt or pack hunt, whereby the prey is not a living animal but a rider with a “fox tail”.

Reasons for fox hunting

Fur use
The earlier economic importance of fox hunting is largely lost today, as fox skins are hardly sold any more (but see paragraph “farm animals” for red fox and red fox fur ).
Foxes as a food source
In ancient times, foxes were also eaten. However, fox meat is not particularly suitable for human consumption, as there is a risk of viruses (e.g. rabies) and parasites (e.g. fox tapeworm) being transmitted when the animals are placed on the market. In Switzerland, the dish known as fox pepper is also made from fox meat and is sometimes considered a delicacy among hunters. Today, however, the food and meat hygiene regulations prohibit consumption. The fox does not play a role as food.
Fear of communicable diseases,
z. B. rabies or fox tapeworm . For the influence of hunting on the spread of rabies, s. u.
Joy in fox hunting,
especially on outsmarting the fox, which is considered to be “clever”: “For the passionate fox hunter, the fact that every Reineke obviously has his own“ character ”is particularly appealing.” During a survey in Switzerland, Seiler (1994) found that building hunting with dogs was especially popular with the Bernese hunters. The main motifs were on the one hand the tension and concentration associated with this hunting method and on the other hand the joy of the work of the ground dogs. In relation to Switzerland as a whole, it became clear that the focus is usually not on the benefit of hunting, but on the personal hunting experience. Ophoven (2005) also describes the lure hunt for the fox as “exciting”, and Maylein (2001) advocates hunting (fox) not only to minimize damage, but also “for pure joy (p. 18).” For more see below under "Experience reports and quotes".
Fox hunting as a social event
The fox as a food and hunting competitor,
to be killed before killing himself. The goal is a higher range of small game, i.e. a higher proportion of animals that the hunter would like to shoot himself and that should not end up in the fox's stomach. For example, B. Kröger (1990) on the justification of the fox hunt: "Even if the main part of the food should only consist of mice, earthworms and bitches , the" modern fox "will also be the few days old rabbits, the brooding partridge , their chicks or that Just as little disdain freshly set fawns as the pheasant hen and their offspring (p. 136). ”Spittler (1990) expresses a similar view.
German foxes hunting route
Preserving the ecological balance
The hunter must hunt in order to maintain or restore the natural ecological balance . Kröger (1990) explains:
"Is this (...) about chasing after a wild species whose population is not endangered, but which must be kept within tolerable limits. (...) Even today it is important for the hunter to create a balance between small game and predatory game . (...) As an example of the disordered nature and the effects on predators and prey, only two cases are presented here that speak for themselves: In Revier A, 1,700  hectares of field and moorland, 206 hares and nine foxes were shot in 1959, in In 1986 there were still 26 hares, but 31 foxes. Revier B is 1,000 ha in size and consists of field trees , intensively used arable land and a larger forest area . 159 hares and seven foxes were hunted here in 1959, but eleven hares and fourteen foxes in 1986. (...) The mere fact that foxes in Central Europe no longer have any natural enemies makes (...) this species of game necessary (p. 136-138). "
Spittler (1990) shows that intensive fox hunts can lead to hare and partridge distances that are up to 400% higher . Ophoven (2005) also thinks that fox hunting is an important contribution to the care of small game populations. For hunters interested in small game, this is an important reason to pursue fox hunting hard. An ecological necessity cannot be derived from this, however, since ecology does not evaluate. - Bergmann et al. (1996) report on predator exclusion experiments (here: complete elimination of foxes, partly due to mange ) in Sweden with regard to the hazel grouse , which led to an increase in the number of young leading hazel hens and overall to a significantly larger number of young per hen . In the course of these investigations it became clear that 1. the density of the vole probably has an indirect influence: in years with a high vole density, the foxes mainly fed on the mice, in other years they also switched to the hazel grouse; 2. The fox plays a key role in regulating small prey (e.g. grouse and hares). On the so-called “predation problem”, that is, the negative influence of the fox on endangered ground-nesters (to which the hazel grouse mentioned above also belongs) cf. Paragraph on species protection for red foxes . It must also be taken into account that many endangered ground-nesting birds (e.g. lapwing , snipe , black-tailed godwit and curlew ) may legally be hunted in Europe during their migrations to their winter quarters (figures from Hirschfeld & Heyd, 2005)

However, it should be noted that, according to some experts, the fox population, which is not hunted in nature reserves, for example, produces fewer offspring and thus regulates itself than hunted populations.

Anger over urban foxes,
who, as cultural followers, “dig up” the garden, tear open garbage bags and leave behind disorder. On the possibilities of non-lethal fox eviction cf. Gloor et al. (2006), Williams & Wilson (2000) and Harris & Baker (2001).

rabies

When rabies spread to Western Europe in the 1960s, vaccination of foxes by displaying bait had not yet been developed. Since the probability of transmission is lower in the case of a low fox density, an attempt was made to reduce the fox population. Closed seasons were also suspended during the rearing of the young and the hunters were obliged by the authorities to fumigate the burrows. However, it was not possible to reduce the fox population across the board below the critical value of 0.25 to 1.0 foxes per square kilometer for the spread of rabies. But the badger was almost wiped out. It was only with the introduction of a vaccination method that the spread of rabies could be stopped. Hunting was locally effective, albeit controversial. Today, rabies is considered to be eradicated in large parts of Western Europe.

Effects of fox hunting

For a fox population to decline, more foxes have to die than young foxes are born and migrate from other areas. The death rate must therefore be higher than the population growth rate. However, this is difficult to achieve: natural mortality is high in many wildlife populations, particularly among juveniles. In many mammals, more than half of the young die before they are one year old. Therefore, many (young) foxes killed by the hunt would die anyway. In areas where foxes can only be shot after the end of a closed season (e.g. from June 15, as in Switzerland), hunting compensates for natural mortality and therefore has no regulating effect.

Where foxes live in stable family groups, the failure of the highest-ranking, reproductive female will be occupied by another female vixen in the next year. If, on the other hand, a female is shot that does not reproduce, the shooting has no effect on the number of offspring anyway. If a male is shot, another male quickly fills this "gap".

In addition, hunting can have an impact not only on mortality but also on the number of young animals that are born or survive: Various studies have shown that foxes can have more or fewer young depending on the situation. Heavy losses (also through hunting) can to a certain extent be compensated for by an increase in reproduction. By shooting free areas are quickly occupied by the young foxes that stay on site in autumn or migrate from the outside.

Studies in various countries have shown that high fox populations can only be reduced in small areas and only with very massive interventions, and only as long as the strong hunting pressure is maintained. Müller (1997) was able to show that intensive fox hunting with drastic control methods also resulted in the desired reduction in the fox population.

Hunting has a strong influence on the stability of family groups, migration movements v. a. of the young foxes and their behavior (e.g. shy, avoidance of burrows during intensive construction hunts, no formation of stable family groups).

Baker & Harris (2006) examined the effect of v. a. the construction hunt in wooded areas of England and state that the number of foxes killed basically depended on the size of the local population (the larger the local population, the more foxes were killed and vice versa), but the losses were largely offset by immigration from neighboring populations. Overall, it could not be confirmed that fox hunting has an influence on the fox population in the forest, which was possibly due to the insufficient intensity.

Heydon & Reynolds (2000) examined the importance of fox hunting on a regional level (> 1000 km²) in three different regions in Great Britain: Mid-Wales (A), East Midlands (B) and East Anglia (C). In regions A and C, a high reproduction rate, a low density, a high hunting intensity and a high total mortality of foxes were registered, in region B it was the other way round. The authors conclude that the influence of hunting differs depending on the region, depending on the hunting methods used, the hunting intensity and also the tradition of fox hunting. Under certain conditions, however, the hunt could lead to a strong reduction in the fox population.

Rushton et al. (2006) use a model to indicate that the population density of the fox without hunting was closely related to the habitat capacity and immigration of neighboring populations. Of the hunting methods, construction hunt was most effective in reducing fox density. The authors come to the conclusion that control of fox populations is only possible or useful if immigration can also be controlled from outside.

Consiglio (2001) reports that in Japan a large-scale program to control fox reproduction resulted in a change in the numerical ratio of the sexes and a relative increase in the number of young animals.

Fox hunting and animal welfare

Falling

With regard to the gooseneck trap , Spittler (1990) states that “the vast majority” of the animals caught are found dead. However, it is unclear whether the foxes will be killed immediately when the safety bar is slammed. The animal welfare problems are "to be clarified urgently" if the trap is to be preserved. Spittler assesses the live concrete pipe trap he developed , in which the captured fox is kept quiet until it is killed in the dark, as animal welfare-friendly; It also fulfills the needs of hunting: "The top result so far has been 18 foxes in such a trap in two years." Engel (1990b) believes that "modern, good fishing gear (...) are by no means medieval torture devices, but high-quality hunting tools" .

Preparation of dachshunds on the sleeping facility

A sleeping facility is an artificial foxhole with tame foxes for training hunting dogs. Neumann (1990) initially thinks that fox hunting is necessary and then explains that the mere presence of the dog in the burrow is not a burden for the fox because the fox is tame. However, the fox could suffer serious injuries in two training phases during construction. Neumann makes less dangerous suggestions for the critical phases. Overall, however, the preparation of dachshunds on a sleeping facility makes sense and is necessary for animal welfare reasons towards the dog. Since 1995 the German Teckel Club (DTK) has a new test regulation and a new test mark (BhFK95). During preparation and testing, the dog no longer has direct contact with the fox, but is always separated from it by a slide. Injuries to the fox are excluded. The fox, who has known the work of sleeping since his youth, does not react in any way panic, but rather extremely phlegmatic to the dog's barking.

shoot

Fox et al. (2003) examined the accuracy of inexperienced, semi-skilled and experienced hunters on moving paper silhouettes of a fox. Based on the position of the bullet holes and the calculated penetration depth of the bullets, it was deduced that under normal terrain conditions the number of foxes shot corresponds to at least the same number of wounded foxes that were not found. It was also found that with increasing experience of the hunter, the rate of foxes shot increased while the proportion of silhouettes classified as “wounded” remained unchanged.

literature

Web links

Commons : Fox Hunt  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hunting and closed seasons ( Memento of the original dated May 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ljv-sachsen.de
  2. ↑ Federal Hunting Act ( Memento of the original from March 16, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ljv-rlp.de
  3. ↑ Hunting statistics for individual game species. accessed on January 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ K. Behrend, F. Labhardt: The fox. Get to know, experience and understand the clever fox. Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 1992.
  5. ↑ a b c d e fox hunting. In: F. Labhardt: Der Rotfuchs. Natural history, ecology and behavior of this amazing game. Paul Parey Verlag, Hamburg 1990, pp. 136-158.
  6. ↑ Claussen: Burrowing and hide hunting. In: C. Commichau, H. Sprankel (Ed.): Fuchs Symposium Koblenz, 2. – 3. March 1990 (= publications of the Wildlife Biology Working Group at the Justus Liebig University Gießen eV, issue 20). 1990, pp. 195-200.
  7. ↑ a b c Detailed in Kröger (1990).
  8. ↑ In detail in Engel (1990a): Lure and stimulus hunt for the fox. In: C. Commichau, H. Sprankel (Ed.): Fuchs Symposium Koblenz, 2. – 3. March 1990 (= publications of the Wildlife Biology Working Group at the Justus Liebig University Gießen eV, issue 20). 1990, pp. 99-105.
  9. ↑ z. B. Hess.JagdVO §§ 37,38,39 https://rp-kassel.hessen.de/sites/rp-kassel.hessen.de/files/content-downloads/Hessische-Jagdverordnung-30-12-15. pdf
  10. ↑ youtube.com
  11. ↑ youtube.com
  12. ↑ youtube.com
  13. ↑ jagdverband.de
  14. ↑ youtube.com
  15. ↑ a b P. Engel: Fox hunting with the trap. In: C. Commichau, H. Sprankel (Ed.): Fuchs Symposium Koblenz, 2. – 3. March 1990. (= publications of the Wildlife Biology Working Group at the Justus Liebig University Gießen eV, issue 20). 1990, pp. 183-187.
  16. ↑ For details see Kröger (1990) and Engel (1990b)
  17. ↑ Behrend
  18. ↑ In order to promote the use of red fox skins, the International German Red Fox Award was presented for the first time in 2011 as part of the International Design Competition of the German furrier trade with the support of a hunter newspaper .
  19. ↑ Cantonal Laboratory Zurich: Annual Report 2004, pp. 79–80 ( Memento of October 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  20. ↑ a b c d e S. Gloor, F. Bontadina, D. Hegglin: Stadtfüchse. A wild animal conquers the settlement area. Haupt-Verlag, Bern 2006.
  21. ↑ JE Seiler: Comparative studies on fox hunting in the cantons of Baselland and Bern. In: Journal for Hunting Science. 40 (2), 1994, pp. 109-121.
  22. ↑ a b E. Ophoven: Kosmos Wildtierkunde. Biology, traits, hunting. Kosmos-Verlag, Stuttgart 2005.
  23. ↑ K. Maylein: Discussion on the amendment proposal of the Ecological Hunting Association to the Federal Hunting Act. In: Eco Hunting. 11/2001, pp. 15-18.
  24. ^ MJ Heydon, JC Reynolds: Fox (Vulpes vulpes) management in three contrasting regions of Britain, in relation to agricultural and sporting interests. In: Journal of Zoology. 251 (2), 2000, pp. 237-252.
  25. ↑ a b c d H. Spittler: On the hunt for the fox from a hunting perspective. In: C. Commichau, H. Sprankel (Ed.): Fuchs Symposium Koblenz, 2. – 3. March 1990. (= publications of the Wildlife Biology Working Group at the Justus Liebig University Gießen eV, issue 20). 1990, pp. 171-182.
  26. ↑ HH Bergmann, S. Klaus, F. Müller, W. Scherzinger, JE Swenson, Wiesner, J .: Die Hazelhühner. (= Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei. Volume 77). Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg 1996.
  27. ↑ A. Hirschfeld, A. Heyd: Hunting-related mortality of migratory birds in Europe : Numbers of routes and demands from the point of view of bird and animal protection. In: Reports on bird protection. 42, 2005, pp. 47-74.
  28. ^ T. Williams, A. Wilson: Unearthing the urban fox. Published by The Fox Project, Tonbridge, England 2000.
  29. ^ S. Harris, P. Baker: Urban Foxes. Whittet Books, Suffolk 2001.
  30. ↑ a b C. Consiglio: On the absurdity of the hunt. Verlag Zweausendeins, Frankfurt am Main 2001.
  31. ↑ orf
  32. ↑ Successful animal disease control in the wild animal sector. ( Memento from January 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: ForschungsReport. 1/2008. of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV)
  33. ↑ please provide evidence
  34. ↑ P. Müller: Risks of a lack of control of fox populations for species and nature conservation. In: Help (for the predators) ?! Verlag Meyer, 1997, pp. 69-103.
  35. ^ PJ Baker, S. Harris: Does culling reduce fox (Vulpes vulpes) density in commercial forests in Wales, UK? In: European Journal of Wildlife Research. 53 (2), 2006, pp. 99-108.
  36. ^ MJ Heydon, JC Reynolds: Demography of rural foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in relation to cull intensity in three contrasting regions of Britain. In: Journal of Zoology. 251 (2), 2000, pp. 265-276.
  37. ^ SP Rushton, MDF Shirley, DW MacDonald, JC Reynolds: Effects of culling fox populations at the landscape scale: a spatially explicit population modeling approach. In: Journal of Wildlife Management. 70 (4), 2006, pp. 1102-1110.
  38. ↑ D. Neumann: Animal welfare aspects in connection with the construction hunt. In: C. Commichau, H. Sprankel (Ed.): Fuchs Symposium Koblenz, 2. – 3. March 1990. (= publications of the Wildlife Biology Working Group at the Justus Liebig University Gießen eV, issue 20). 1990, pp. 201-203.
  39. ^ N. Fox, S. Rivers, N. Blay, AG Greenwood, D. Wise: Welfare Aspects of Shooting Foxes. A study for the All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group by N Fox, S Rivers, N Blay, AG Greenwood and D Wise Published by and available from the All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group, c / o Lembit Öpik MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Similarly in E. Potapov: Wounding rates in shooting foxes (Vulpes vulpes). In: Animal Welfare. 14, 2003.