Three-stage model

Hunters react to murders: “task force in green”

After the rampage in Altenfelden, hundreds of police officers guarded the community in the Upper Mühlviertel for days.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

After the double murder in Altenfelden and the act of bloodshed out of jealousy in Oberkappel, the Upper Austrian Hunting Association is trying to cushion such escalations with a three-stage model. And politicians also want to make improvements when it comes to hunting.

The memories of the double murder in Altenfelden and the love tragedy in Oberkappel are still fresh - in both cases, hunters took up arms to "resolve" their conflicts and take their own revenge. The provincial hunting association has now set up Austria's first advice center under the title "Hunting in Dialogue".

This gives local hunters the opportunity to contact the hunting association directly and confidentially with a wide range of concerns.

First step by phone or online
"We have now developed a three-stage model in close cooperation with internal and external experts," says State Hunting Master Herbert Sieghartsleitner: "The first step is for those affected to contact the hunting association online using their own email address or by telephone."

The problem is then "sounded out" and - if necessary - presented to an expert from a dedicated "task force in Lodengrün" made up of lawyers, police officers, hunting experts, psychologists and mediators. The latter decides whether further steps are necessary and also conducts the first consultation with the applicant. If this is not sufficient, the entire task force should then become active and initiate the necessary steps. "We deliberately do not interfere in official matters here and are convinced that we have created a practical tool," says Sieghartsleitner.

More transparency in the issuing of hunting permits, without major bureaucratic hurdles, is an idea that the government should pursue.

Jagd-Landesrätin Michaela Langer-Weninger

Transparency in hunting permits
The authorities also want to make improvements. Hunting State Councillor Michaela Langer-Weninger is calling for nationwide transparency in the issuing of hunting permits. Up to now, knowledge of administrative penalties has virtually dried up at the state border - a dangerous gap in the system.