From Hildburg Bruns
In Berlin’s forests, half of all young oaks and one in five young beech trees are eaten by deer. Now the Senate is planning drastic measures.
Deer are gourmets. They love tender shoots and buds. But the foresters don’t like that!
In the Berlin forests, half of all young oaks and one in five young beech trees are severely damaged by browsing.
That’s why politicians and hunters are now targeting Bambi more!
“Currently it is being examined whether an extension of the hunting season for roe deer is indicated in order to be able to effectively reduce browsing damage when building climate-stable mixed forests,” says Jan Thomsen, spokesman for the environmental administration. Because the Berlin forests want to convert pine stands to mixed forests.
Deer have gnawed the bark off this spruce. However, this type of deer is more common in Brandenburg Photo: dpa/picture alliance
In Berlin, the hunting season for roe deer begins on May 1st – for bucks it ends on October 15th. In other federal states it ends in male and female animals in late winter. Last season 438 fawns, does and bucks were shot.
“You should extend the hunting season from April 1st to January 31st,” says MP Antonin Brousek (60). The hunter and AfD politician, who has leased two areas himself, also calls for a switch to more effective society hunts, where more game is tracked down in autumn by at least five beaters and dogs.
In 2021/22 there were only two in Pankow and five in Grunewald. Around 130 hunters took part in the south of Berlin. Ten to 30 deer (and 50-70 wild boar) were shot. There are a total of around 270 hunters in the capital, and 40 of the forest workers go hunting as part of their service.
Young trees in Berlin have to be expensively protected by expensive fences to prevent them from being bitten. In the case of Pankow forest areas in Brandenburg, the damage is less even without a fence – because roe deer are hunted more intensively there. Last season, 58,151 deer were shot in the neighboring country.
In principle, trophies must remain in the forestry office. However, in order to increase the incentive to shoot deer, the shooter is allowed to keep every second female animal killed free of charge.
The forests themselves earn an average of 105,000 euros a year from the resale of all kinds of game.
DEER
Hunting season e.g.: September to the end of January (Ricken)
killed: 438
Falling wild: 65
It is Berlin’s smallest native deer species with around 1000 specimens. You can see them mostly in the morning and evening at the edge of the forest.
WILD BOARS
Hunting season: all year round
Killed: 2084
Fallen game: 147
Wild boar is the only wild animal in Berlin that does not have a closed season. Since it is often on the move after sunset, an eight-aim device may be used.
Wild boar can be hunted all year round Photo: dpa/picture alliance
WILD RABBIT
Hunting season: January to February 15th
killed: 262
Falling wild: 0
They undermine paths, destroy plants, are hunted with ferrets or hawks, which drive them into nets.
RACCOONS
Hunting season: October to the end of January
killed: 181
Falling wild: 29
The stock in the capital is now estimated at 1000 animals. Wildlife cameras caught them stealing amphibians.
Two raccoons on a fence in Prietzen (archive photo) Photo: dpa picture alliance
FALLOW DEER
Hunting season e.g.: September to the end of February (calves, narrow skewers)
killed: 40
Fallen game: 7
The pack animal lives in Tegel and in Treptow-Köpenick. Some were also lured into the city by flower beds.
MUFFELWILD
Hunting season: August to the end of January
killed: 3
Falling wild: 0
The wild sheep were settled in the Schäferberg and Düppeler Forst in the 1970s in order to shorten the undergrowth.
FOXES
Hunting season e.g.: November to the end of January (old fox)
killed: 86
Falling wild: 33
There were years when over 300 animals were hunted down. It is not clear whether the population will grow – the animals will become more trusting.
A red fox (Vulpes vulpes) stands on a path between brown leaves in a cemetery Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Wolfram Steinberg
DEER
Hunting season e.g.: June to the end of January (deer, adult animals)
killed: 1
Falling wild: 0
An absolute rarity in Berlin. In Brandenburg, on the other hand, exactly 7339 were killed in the 2020/21 season.
STONE MARTEN
Hunting season: October 16th to the end of February
slain: 0
Fallen game: 2
They like to rob from nests, eat berries and fruit. Live all over the city in parks, attics and in sheds.
Young stone marten (Martes foina) Photo: .
BADGER
Hunting season: none
killed: 1
Fallen game: 6
A clever badger will move from Brandenburg to Berlin from August. It’s closed time here, at most
redemptive shot after an accident.
MALLARD
Hunting season: September to January 15th
killed: none
Fallen game: 1
Dogs on the banks and a lack of hiding places on the banks sometimes drive the animals onto balconies and green roofs to hatch.
Ducks are often chased away by dogs Photo: dpa
RACAN DOG
Hunting season: October to the end of January
slain: 0
Fallen game: 1
It was deliberately settled in the former Soviet Union, from where it spread to Europe. Also transmits rabies