Hunters horrified

String trap in forest set exactly at head height

The cord had been attached to the game crossing route at exactly head height for roe deer.(Bild: zVg)

Dangerous action with risk of strangulation on a game crossing in Neuhofen an der Krems (Upper Austria): An experienced hunter suspects that poachers were trying to get hold of snares in this way. The scene condemns this action in the strongest possible terms.

Passionate hunter Hanspeter G. (65) from Neuhofen an der Krems was recently out and about on foot in a foreign hunting ground in his home municipality for recreational purposes. "I went for a walk there with my dachshund dog 'Livia'," says the entrepreneur.

Strong line
In the area of a game crossing, his trained eye noticed something that aroused his anger. "There was a strong line stretched between two trees at exactly head height for roe deer. I immediately realized what that meant. Obviously someone wanted to collect dropping sticks here in the most dastardly way," emphasizes G.

Souvenirs, decoration and work material 
Normally, antlers of roe deer shed their antlers once a year - in late fall or early winter - and then new antlers begin to grow. These shed antlers can be used as souvenirs, decorations and materials (e.g. for buttons or jewelry). However, collecting the coveted poles is only permitted for hunting ground owners or their tenants. Infringement falls under criminal law (encroachment on someone else's hunting rights, § 137 StGB): If someone appropriates poles from another hunting ground, they can be held accountable.

In any case, such actions mean nothing good. If wild animals overlook the line when fleeing, this is no longer a prank.

Christopher Böck, Wildbiologe

Bild: Dostal Harald

Cord cut immediately
According to G., the compact cord had been attached at a height of around 1.20 meters. "The perpetrator seems to have deliberately accepted that animals could also be strangled," says an annoyed G. On this stretch in the middle of the forest, roe deer would come running at full speed. "Normally, you just attach a branch to a feeding station, where the deer then strip the pole as they feed." G. cut the cord immediately to prevent animal suffering. It is unclear who had attached it.

Christopher Böck, wildlife biologist at the regional hunting association, is also concerned about the incident: "This is no prank!"