Wildlife Reserve; Notification and Application for a Hunting Permit

The establishment, expansion, and operation of game preserves must be reported to the district administrative authority at least one month in advance; commercial game preserve operations must be reported four weeks before the start of operations.

Enclosures in which game is reared for hunting purposes require a hunting permit; for other game enclosures, this requirement applies to those with a minimum size of 10 ha. The permit is issued by the district administrative authority in its capacity as the lower hunting authority.

Game enclosures in which hoofed game is reared for hunting purposes and harvested through hunting activities may be recognized as game parks. The designation “game park” may be used only for such recognized game enclosures. The higher hunting authority (= the state government) is responsible for recognizing game enclosures as wildlife parks.

1. the game reserve does not unduly restrict the habitat of the game species outside the reserve,
2. hunting is not significantly impaired, and
3. the game enclosure is secured in such a way that the animals cannot escape.

Furthermore, the establishment of game enclosures in which game is kept for hunting purposes may only be approved if they are contiguous and cover an area at least the size of a private hunting ground, and if the land is owned by a single person or a group of persons.

Furthermore, requirements under nature conservation law and, where applicable, animal welfare law must be observed.