Das Jagdmagazin mit Weitblick

African swine fever has not yet reached Austria—but it is moving closer. The nearest confirmed case in wild boar was recently reported just around 100 kilometers from the Austrian border. For hunters, that means greater responsibility: report carcasses, clean and disinfect equipment, and take extra precautions when hunting abroad.

Ticks are moving higher into Austria’s mountains — and hunters are following them. Once considered a lowland problem, the castor bean tick is now being found above 1,500 meters. Milder temperatures and wildlife hosts are pushing its range uphill, bringing Lyme disease and TBE into places where mountain hunters once felt safe.

Two hunters in Austria’s Gail Valley suddenly find themselves just 20 meters from a large brown bear. The animal keeps coming, rises onto its hind legs, and the hunters ready their rifles. Then, at the last moment, the bear turns away. How close did the encounter come to disaster — and when would shooting a protected bear in Austria be legally justified as self-defense?