Annual hunt fosters healthy environments in Hohenfels

Photo By David Overson | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Normington, originally from Sedona, Ariz., participates in the German-American Partnership Hunt in the Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, Dec. 14, 2017. The annual hunt is an important part of ecological sustainability in the area and fosters international relationships. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Overson)  

HOHENFELS, BY, GERMANY

12.28.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. David Overson 

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany – Hunting advocates from the U.S. and Germany enjoyed the rich and fertile hunting grounds of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center’s Hohenfels Training Area as they participated in an annual German-American Partnership hunt Dec. 14-15, 2017.

Approximately 100 German, American and British hunters participated in the annual hunt.

The vast Hohenfels Training Area supports two different deer species and wild boar, equaling thousands of animals requiring annual herd culling.

In fact, during this year’s hunt there was no limit; meaning each hunter was allowed to shoot multiple deer and wild boar in hopes of reaching the German Forestry Department’s goal of reducing the population by at least 100 head.

The 2017 annual Abschussplan, which loosely translates to “Shooting Plan” for this area was 1,100 red deer, which unfortunately was not met, according to Dr. Markus Perpeet, the Hohenfels Forestry Department chief.

Deer can cause serious damage to newly planted seedlings and established trees. When deer browse the buds, they reduce growth rates; nipping the trees at the base can create multiple stemmed trees, and when bucks rub their antlers on the stems, they can kill the trees entirely.

Veteran hunter and participant of the annual hunt, Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Normington, pointed out the necessity of culling the herd.

“There’s no natural predators left in Germany, so it’s up to us to thin the herds,” said Normington. “The Germans take hunting very seriously and view it as their responsibility to ecological sustainability.”

To participate in the annual hunt, each hunter was required to have a German hunting license, pay an entrance fee and then pay for the deer shot. How much they paid for each deer was based on the size of the deer’s antler rack. The larger the rack, the higher the fee, sometimes reaching as high as 1,000 euros per rack. On top of that, the hunter was not entitled to the meat; if they wanted it, they had to purchase the meat on-site after it had been weighed. There were no fees required for any wild boar shot.

This was Normington’s 5th hunt in the Hohenfels Training area and with each hunt he gained a more profound perspective.

“It’s truly an honor to be accepted into this tight community of Jaegers (German Hunters),” added Normington. “In this country the history, respect, and honor are critical to this activity and are not taken lightly. I like that.”

Herd management is crucial in the Hohenfels Training Area for many reasons, but one major reason is a rogue sounder of wild boars that enter the garrison area at night, destroying landscaping as they search for roots and other delicacies that appeal to a hog’s snout.

“Because we have no effective deer predators in Germany, hunting is needed to keep the deer population in balance,” said Perpeet. “In the past the red deer population increased, and we had a lot of damage on forest regeneration due to tree tip biting by deer and peeling off the bark on young trees. We need permanent forest regeneration to ensure a stable ecosystem protecting the forest from soil erosion, which we get with a vital root system of trees.”

As tradition had it, the hunters observed special German ceremonies before heading out into the wooded area in search of a deer or wild boar. Several horn blowers gathered and blew specific hunting tunes. One call started the event, followed by detailed instructions for the hunters, and then another tune was blown to officially signal the hunting portion of the event. At the end of the hunt, a tune was blown to let all of the hunters know it’s time to come in.

“The Partnership Hunt was created by us to foster relationships between the U.S. Army and the Bundeswehr (German military),” said Perpeet. “Common hunts may support common missions downrange. Hunting together means international networking.”

During this year’s partnership hunt a total of 63 red deer, six roe deer, and 13 wild boar were harvested.

“It’s an incredibly important way of serving my community,” Normington added. “This isn't just going out and slinging lead at animals. There is a lot of math and science to it. Knowing what animals to target - and why - is how we as hunters assist the local communities and farmers.”

• Date Taken: 12.28.2017
• Date Posted: 12.28.2017 05:44
• Story ID: 260394
• Location: HOHENFELS, BY, DE