Oaks and firs are the most important tree species for healthy forests in times of climate change. They can also appear without protective fences if the deer population is regulated. The Ried in der Riedmark hunting cooperative has been proving this for more than 30 years. For three generations, the Beyer farming family has been the hunting leader in the impressive 3,300 hectare area in the Perg district. When Karl Beyer took over from his father in 1991, he was faced with a big task. In 1990, a storm swept through the community of 4,000 residents and caused extensive damage to the spruce monocultures. Everyone believed that reforestation might only be successful if the young plants were fenced off over a large area.
Everyone wants to shoot
The hunters wanted to keep the land open for deer and promised the landowners that they would reduce the number of game animals and thus protect the reforestation areas from browsing. “We discussed internally for long evenings,” remembers Beyer. In the first year the deer shooting was increased from 320 to 400, the next to 450, then 500. The approximately 70 hunters were divided into 20 small hunting areas and were responsible for their results. Only two didn’t take part.
The goal was achieved using a points system. If a hunter had killed enough female animals (goats), he was allowed to shoot a buck the following year. Fewer mother animals mean fewer offspring and therefore lower game numbers. “Everyone made sure that they had collected enough points for a few bucks,” says Beyer: “Everyone wants to shoot a good buck. Nobody believes that people don’t hunt for the trophies, as the hunting association claims.” The low game population brought positive side effects: the average weight of the deer increased, for example from 17 to over 20 kilos for perennial bucks. This means that sales revenue for venison increased. At the same time there were magnificent trophies. “I already had this effect in the back of my mind,” says Beyer. When game has less competition, it experiences less stress and performs better. Since then, the rule in Ried has been: If the weight of venison per deer falls, the kill must be increased.
Image: Lehner
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Image: Lehner
Because of climate change, spruce monocultures at low altitudes must be quickly replaced by stable mixed forests. However, excessively high deer populations endanger the emergence of fir and robust deciduous tree species. The young shoots are bitten by game and the trunks are swept away. In Ried, the forest-wildlife problem was successfully solved. This was successful because the hunt leaders are just as enthusiastic foresters as they are hunters. The healthy forest is as important to them as their passion for hunting.
Son Matthias Beyer has now been the hunting director since 2015. The system was retained, and not just because of its positive effects. “We practically only work with natural regeneration in the forest,” says the junior. Only once was a clay pit reforested. The family manages more than 20 hectares of forest, and the young farmer also works as a forestry service provider in the region. The Beyers proudly show off their naturally rejuvenated oak trees. “It was difficult with the oak trees, but we got them through. Today we have beautiful stands,” says the senior.
In Rieder’s forests, even fir trees develop completely independently, without the need to plant plants or erect fences. In many areas in Upper Austria, this natural regeneration does not succeed because the deer population is too high. A lot of money has to be invested in forest plants and tree protection. No wonder that Rieder Jagd has now won awards. There was already the 1st prize from the Chamber of Agriculture for forest-wildlife ecology in 2000, the state prize in 2005 and the state prize for forestry in 2015. Karl Beyer was booked for lectures. The property in Ried became the destination of many excursions – by hunters, forestry workers and technical students. “We already had 70 bus groups here,” says Matthias Beyer. There are successful imitators. Two years ago, not only the area in Ried was selected for a study by the Ministry of Agriculture, but also the organic farm hunt Mörschwang (district Ried i. I.) and a hunting community in Vorderweißenbach. “We took over in Mörschwang with a browsing rate of 30 percent, this year it’s only three percent,” says hunting director Johann Hauer. He is also state chairman of the Öko-Bauernjagd association.
Hunting in Austria must be carried out in such a way that the forest is preserved and its welfare function for the general public is not jeopardized. There has been a state regulation on this for exactly 30 years. A number of small, fenced comparison areas (wisdom areas) must be created in each territory in order to see whether young plants can also develop outside the fences. If the game damage is too high, the number of kills must be increased.
The state hunting association emphasizes that the requirements are met in the majority of hunting areas. State hunting master Herbert Sieghartsleitner wants the hunting industry out of criticism and recently encouraged once more at a district hunters’ day: “Whether we like it or not: In some regions we will have to think regarding adjusting the game population.” As of April 1st, Upper Austria has a new hunting law ; The regulations for its implementation are currently being worked on.
