Andreas S. and his accomplice are said to have stored 22 fallow deer on the loading area of ​​their van when they were checked by the police officer Yasmin B. and the police officer Alexander K.

"This is an extreme case," says Günther Klein, spokesman for the State Hunting Association of Rhineland-Palatinate.

For a night's hunting, that would be unusually large prey: "A reputable hunter wouldn't do it that way." They have the task of ensuring that the game population is healthy - the hunt has to be sustainable.

Anna Schiller

volunteer.

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That Andreas S. hunted fallow deer could be because it is easier to observe in the dark forest: deer are active at night, says Klein.

Wild boars, for example, are much more difficult to hunt.

A hunter reckons with around 20 hours sitting on his hide just to shoot a wild boar.

In addition, the following applies to hunters: "If the animal is not in a good position, they will not shoot." They make sure that animals are not unnecessarily tortured, says Klein.

"Hunting ethics play a major role for us."

A poacher who acts without regard for possible grazing or collateral damage to other animals can take more game in one night.

Andreas S. is also said to have used night vision devices, which are banned for hunting in Germany.

He no longer had a hunting license for a long time.

He has been reported for poaching several times in recent years.

Andreas S. known to hunters

Andreas S. is said to have been poaching in the "Bermuda triangle French border, Kusel, Kaiserslautern" for several years.

The newspaper "Die Rheinpfalz" quotes Dieter Mahr, the President of the State Hunting Association of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In a voice message, he had warned several hunter friends about Andreas S. immediately after Kusel's deadly shots.

He is said to have seriously injured another hunter with a shot during a battue in 2004.

Mahr had suspected that the alleged murderer had also poached in his hunting ground.

"It can be unsettling to know that someone is walking around in the forest with a gun," says his colleague Klein.

As the responsible hunter, you cannot know whether the person was after the game or whether he was an animal abuser.

Klein finds the thought of such a dangerous person roaming his own territory “tragic”.

It is likely that Andreas S. wanted to bring the game he shot as a whole to his sausage kitchen in Sulzbach as quickly as possible.

In his career, Klein has never seen a poacher "pick up" animals right in the forest - as hunters call the dismembering of a dead wild animal.

"That would involve a lot of criminal energy." This work would take a long time, but from his point of view a poacher would rather have the need to leave the scene of the crime quickly.

50 euros for a kilo of venison

Poaching is financially lucrative.

Retailers in particular who sell their venison to major customers and restaurants could make a living from the business, says Klein.

In big cities, a kilo of saddle of venison costs around 50 euros.

So far, there are many indications that Andreas S. has also raised his sales.

The public prosecutor's office in Kaiserslautern announced that wild game worth several thousand euros had been seized in its storage rooms and in a vehicle.

Klein advises paying attention to the regional origin of venison.

If you are not sure where the meat comes from when you buy it, you should ask where the game was hunted.

“Game has to be traceable,” says Klein.

It takes a practiced eye to see from the animals and plants in the forest that a poacher is up to mischief.

Scraped bark on trees could be an indication, says Klein.

Poaching means a lot of stress for animals.

Deer respond by retreating deep into the forest and avoiding open clearings.

However, there will be more to eat there.

In the undergrowth there is only one source of food for the animals: tree bark.

If it is damaged in many places, this is a sign that the game is under stress.

Stress is life threatening for animals

As a hunter, you also have a feeling for the behavior of the animals, says Klein.

An alarm signal is also when they suddenly react shyly to people.

Animals could distinguish the normal walker from a poacher who would go off the path and into the bushes.

But if they were shot at from a car, the animals noticed the danger.

In the future, they would flee from an approaching car.

Now in winter, the stress of illegal hunting can even become life-threatening for the animals.

As their food becomes scarcer during the cold season, they switch their bodies to an energy-saving mode.

A sudden escape puts the animals in a state of alarm.

In the long run, they use up more energy than they can compensate for by eating.

Miscarriages can result in pregnant animals.

Klein still advises against investigating suspicions yourself: "Poaching is a serious crime." Anyone who cannot explain shots in the forest or see strange vehicles in the forest at night should call the police.

"Often there can be banal reasons for this, but you can't know if someone isn't roaming through the forest armed."