Hunting in the protected area

City had ten geese shot again last year

The city of Salzburg released ten greylag geese at Leopoldskroner Weiher for shooting.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The city geese have already been hunted in the past two years. There are currently only a few wild birds around the Leopoldskroner Weiher (Salzburg). Hunters expect a significant increase in the coming weeks.

The "Krone" story about the city's goose hunt in the middle of the nature reserve around Leopoldskroner Weiher has caused quite a stir. Many readers are puzzled by the city's decision to allow the shooting of ten greylag geese in the Leopoldskron-Moos area. Especially as there is currently no sign of a goose plague around Leopoldskroner Weiher. The animals are only foraging sporadically.

"There are only a few now. But when it gets warm, there will be 150 or more within a week," says hunting manager Franz Wolf in response to this observation. The city has already issued a corresponding notice in the past two years. In the last hunting season, all ten permitted animals were shot. These were all young male animals.

Goose population is not endangered according to hunters
"It's a task that we have to fulfill. It's not something that gives us great pleasure," assures Wolf in an interview with the "Krone". Hunters are also allowed to remove eggs from the nests of geese at the start of the breeding season in order to curb the growth of the population. However, two eggs must remain in each nest.

Nevertheless, the hunters do not see themselves as enemies of the geese. "We're glad that we have such a diverse wildlife population in our city," says Wolf. He does not believe that the measures will significantly weaken the goose population around the pond: "There won't be noticeably fewer geese." The hunting manager is convinced that there will "certainly be an increase".

The reason for the decision is complaints from landowners and farmers. The geese would devour the surrounding meadows in spring. Several fields are also littered with goose droppings, which are significantly larger than the droppings of other birds. A year ago, a nature conservation organization filed a complaint with the provincial administrative court. However, this was withdrawn. Animal rights activists criticize the use of bullets and shot to scare off the birds. The use of silencers is also incomprehensible.