U.S. Army Garrison Hessen Public Affairs Office
Hunting horns sound, dogs sing, men and women in dark green felt coats breathe out steam in the early morning chill as they prepare to head into the forest near Hanau.
As forestry officials divide up the some 40 hunters into small groups and assign sections of the woods and assignments, Dr. Dieter Müller, forest director with the Hessen Forestry Office Wolfgang, describes the rules of the hunt, the game to be flushed out of the bush and how the hunt will be conducted.
Today’s hunt includes foxes, wild boar and deer.
“The hunt begins when safety has been ensured,” said Müller. “Hunters assigned to the shooting stands (Hochsitzen) are not permitted to leave the stands during the hunt, and every shot is checked to ensure an animal isn’t left wounded to roam through the forest.”
After the traditional tones are blown on the horns — a tribute to each of the animals to be hunted that day — the forest director wishes the hunters “Gute Anlauf, Fette Beute und Waidmanns Heil” (a good approach, a fat haul and hail to the hunters).
As they move deeper into the forest to their assigned areas, the hunters check their equipment, put on blaze orange vests, jackets or hats, and hunters assigned to the stands climb the wooden ladders up to the high seats. Those assigned to walk through the forest and brambles intent on flushing out game spread out in even rows and begin calling out as they keep their eyes peeled for any movement in the bush.
“In the past many more Americans participated,” said local hunter Otto Grünewald, who has been hunting for some 35 years. Grünewald described how German and American hunters frequently got together at the Rod and Gun Club to share the experience. He also pointed out that in Germany hunting is much more than simply heading into the woods and bagging game. Part of the experience of being a hunter is also being responsible for helping maintain forest paths and saplings, ensuring the animals stay healthy and providing food during harsher winter months.
“I’m in the woods every day,” said Grünewald.
With a detailed training and licensing program, scores of age-old traditions and a close-knit relationship between local foresters and hunters, the sport of hunting is much more about maintaining a balanced eco-system with healthy plants and animals rather than bringing home the biggest trophy specimen, according to local German and American hunters.
“Hunters learn vastly more information than they would in the United States,” said Harold Toft, director of the Hunting, Fishing and Sports Shooting Program for the U.S. Army Garrison Hessen Hanau Community.
Individuals learn about everything from animal husbandry to land management, German traditions and customs to veterinary care, Toft said, while studying to earn their German Hunting License Certification.
A misconception is that it takes a year or longer to earn German Hunting Certification, Toft said. “It’s different in different communities due to the ever changing schedules of our community members, but I would estimate the longest it should take is about three months and the shortest is about six weeks. You need approximately 90 hours to earn German Hunting Certification and a minimum of 30 hours for the German Fishing Course. In Hanau the German Fishing Course is held over the space of two weekends, four times a year. The U.S. Army Garrison Hessen Hanau Community also offers Basic Fly Fishing Courses which last one weekend.
“Safety is also a maximum priority in Germany,” he said, explaining that there has never been an American killed during a legal hunt in Germany since its beginnings in 1947.
“Hunters are more familiar with their environment here. They do a lot of things other than just hunt,” said Toft. “German hunters are known as ‘Heger and Pfleger’ — protectors and caretakers. They put out feed and ensure a safe habitat for wild game. They continually observe the game throughout the year for signs of distress, numbers and condition … they’re caretaking and protecting. Without German hunters there would be no wild game in Germany.
That’s one of the purposes of land management, to cull the herd. When you reap the weak and inferior animals each year, the next year you’ll have stronger animals. It is a cycle of game improvement. In Germany the object isn’t to shoot the most game but rather to shoot the sick, weak and the inferior first. Most American hunters would like to have a nice trophy to take home, and there is ample opportunity to do just that in Germany, thanks to excellent game management and education.”
As forester Volker Ahrend spots several wild boar rustling in a bramble of blackberry bushes near the banks of a branch of the Kinzig River, he signals to a fellow hunter to be prepared. A shot rings out, several wild pigs race away into the woods and then Ahrend sights a wounded boar crossing the river. He takes aim and the animal drops, later to be field dressed and claimed by the hunters after the hunt is finished for the day.
While many hunters today use mobile phones to stay in contact, in the past the horns played a significant role providing directions and signals during a hunt.
Several hours after the first boar is killed, the hunters gather back at the Forestry House to lay out the game, accept branches awarded for each animal taken and worn on the hunter’s hat, and to hear the horns blown in tribute to the animals felled that day. “After the hunt a different horn sound is blown for each animal to honor the animal,” said Ahrend.
The forester thanks the hunters for their participation, congratulates them on their success and the horn players blow the final “Jagd vorbei” (the hunt is over) and “Kleine Halali” signaling the official end and time to retire to a nearby guesthouse for a meal, to swap stories and to enjoy one another’s company. That’s when the real “Jägerlatein” (hunter’s Latin) comes into play, said Ahrend, with participants swapping tall tales and describing past exploits on the hunt.
“Usually after the last bugle sounds then you have a big feast,” said Toft.
A store at the Forestry Center in the woods off of B-8 Rodenbacher Schausee (between Hanau’s Wolfgang Shopping Center and Rodenbach) sells wild game from the hunt.
People interested in learning more about hunting in Germany should contact their local Outdoor Recreation Center or Rod and Gun Club, said Toft. The German Hunting Course is offered periodically.
Toft said fishing is even more popular among Americans in the USAG Hessen Hanau Community with some 175 active anglers in the Hanau area alone.
“I’ve had people come from as far away as Bad Aibling to attend classes,” he said, adding that fishing is a “great family oriented activity and it’s inexpensive.”
Many Americans who like to fish are members of his Creel Basket Anglers Group.
A Basic Fly Fishing Course will be offered Jan. 14-15 in Hanau. Cost is $30 per person, or $25 each for two or more people in the same family. Minimum age to participate is 7. People interested should register by Jan. 13 at Hanau’s Outdoor Recreation Center in Building 459 on Old Argonner Kaserne. Call mil 322-8891.
For more information about hunting and fishing opportunities in your area call the Baumholder Rod and Gun Club at mil 485-6309 or Baumholder Outdoor Recreation at mil 485-7182, Dexheim Outdoor Recreation at mil 334-5818, Friedberg Outdoor Recreation at mil 324-3158, Giessen Outdoor Recreation at mil 343-8207, Hanau Outdoor Recreation at mil 322-8891 or Wiesbaden Outdoor Recreation at mil 337-5760.