Earning your Jagdschein

Story and photos by Marcus Fichtl USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs

When hunters arrive in Germany, they quickly realize that they just can’t pick up their rifle and head to local wilderness to bag themselves a deer.

Unfortunately, for many that means during their stay overseas, the rifle’s locked up, and their hunting trips take a three year break. However, all they needed to do was pick up the phone and call outdoor recreation.

“We're here to help people get a German hunting license and hunt in Germany,” said John Taylor the course organizer.

Students take their shot at the clay target range. To earn their German hunting license, students have to attempt to shoot 150 clay targets.

U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s ODR office and a small phalanx of volunteer instructors have made hunting a reality for generations of Americans in Germany ever since setting up shop shortly after World War II.

While regulations have changed over the years, the class has helped thousands navigate the complicated rules for acquiring a license, helped place hunters in local hunting clubs, and provided resources on how to hunt in Germany.

Taylor said the class begins first by hitting the books, meeting three times a week for nine weeks, budding hunters learn everything from the local flora and fauna to weapon safety and shooting techniques.

Soon the hunters transition to the range where they test their abilities on running boar and rabbit targets and even clay target shooting. A shift in technique for many of the military trained candidates, who have spent their time shooting on stationary targets.

A student finishes a round at the running rabbit range. To earn their German hunting license, students must hit the rabbit five times out of ten attempts.

At the end of the course the students test for their license. First they must pass a series of written tests, and then a state hunting representative grades them on their ability to shoot and knowledge of weapon safety. Taylor said total class costs come out to about a thousand dollars – a fraction Germans pay.

While the hours were long and hard during the course, student Ross Covington, who never had a passion for shooting until the class, said he’d do it all over again.

“We had some late nights, but I'm glad that I decided to take the class,” he said.

He added what really interested him as the course progressed was immersing himself in the German hunting subculture with his fellow classmates.

“I made friends that I otherwise wouldn't have by coming out here,” said Covington.

While part of that culture includes learning about the nature and wildlife of Germany, other parts included earning the right to wear the German hunting hat. The traditional green wool hat, popularized as an accessory to traditional fest gear.

An instructor shows his earned decorations for his German hunting hat.

Unlike the hats seen at Wasen in Stuttgart or the Oktoberfest in Munich, a hunter's hat will be adorned by their latest qualification year, and pins of any animal they have successfully killed.

Taylor said that after completing the test and receiving your German hunting license or Jagdschein the journey doesn’t end there, the volunteer instructors help guide the students into exclusive hunting clubs.

A final bonus for those who want to get their hunting license at USAG Stuttgart – the training area near Panzer Kaserne is occasionally open to hunts.

For more information on how you can become a hunter or sports shooter in Germany contact FMWR’s Outdoor Recreation office at DSN: (314) 421-4291