“I love the mystical atmosphere of forest hunting”

In conversation with Johannes Maidhof about the reasons why hunting maintains a healthy game population and species diversity and is therefore an important part of nature conservation.

How did you get into hunting?

Ever since I can remember, I have been interested in nature and its habitants, but without any hunting tradition in my family or among my friends I never had any connection to hunting. When I became familiar with hunting practice through a friend, I soon wanted to attend a hunting course myself and thus discovered my passion for hunting.

What do you associate with hunting, what do you particularly appreciate about it?

For me hunting is experiencing nature and understanding its connections. It fulfils me to be able to make my contribution to maintain ecological balances. Furthermore, it is a privilege, from the moment of hunting to the finished meal, not only to know the path of the food, but also to be responsible for it.

Where do you prefer to hunt?

I love the mystical atmosphere of forest hunting, which is so common here in the Spessart. But the scenic charm of a well-structured field and meadow area keeps me just as firmly under its spell. A still unfulfilled dream is hunting in the mountains.

Is there a hunting experience that has particularly impressed you in the past?

Every hunting experience holds a special memory, but especially the rutting season of roe deer inspires me every time anew. The game with the love-crazed bucks, which I conduct with my leaf sounds, is for me the highlight of the hunting year.

What would you give as advice to young people who are interested in hunting?

Stay curious! Hunting license training is only a basic course, true learning begins in practice and probably never ends.

How do you think modern hunting and nature conservation fit together?

For every hunter, proper hunting should be the basis of all his actions. Current wildlife biology research and scientific findings support a contemporary hunting practice which, while retaining its traditional values, must also keep up with the times. Hunting in this way creates and maintains healthy game populations and species diversity and is therefore an important part of nature conservation.

Last but not least: Why are high-quality optics important for you when hunting?

“What you do not know, do not shoot” is a hunting commandment that is very important to me. In order to be able to identify game and to be able to make a correct shot, I rely on the highest quality so that I can live up to this responsibility.