The selection of lead-free and traditional lead-core ammunition is now almost evenly matched. For decades, lead was nearly the perfect material for hunting bullets: heavy, soft, inexpensive, and easy to shape. But times are changing. Europe is moving toward a ban on lead shotshell ammunition, although a proposed EU-wide ban on lead rifle bullets has been dropped for now. Meanwhile, manufacturers such as RWS, Norma, Lapua, Sako, Brenneke, Sellier & Bellot, and Fiocchi—along with American heavyweights Hornady, Barnes, Federal, and Winchester—are investing heavily in lead-free ammunition. Our own Schuss & Stille team has also made the switch, choosing the new Norma ODIN. But what does this technological revolution really mean for hunters and the ammunition industry? Anyone who thinks replacing lead with copper or brass is a simple matter of swapping materials is in for a surprise. Developing lead-free ammunition involves far more than changing what a bullet is made of. Bullet length, weight, barrel friction, twist-rate requirements, chamber pressure, velocity, expansion, penetration, and even manufacturing processes can all change. In other words, a lead-free bullet needs to be engineered from the ground up. And that's exactly what nearly every major ammunition manufacturer in the world is doing. Europe's Lead Ban Isn't Quite What Hunters Expected Just a few years ago, it looked as though the European Union might introduce sweeping restrictions on lead ammunition, including conventional lead-core rifle bullets. The European Chemicals Agency's original proposal under the REACH regulation was ambitious, covering lead shot as well as rifle projectiles. But the proposed legislation has changed considerably. Following years of negotiations, rifle bullets and shotgun slugs were removed entirely from the current restriction proposal. The remaining measures primarily target lead shot, with a proposed seven-year transition period. For rifle hunters, that's a major distinction. An EU-wide ban on conventional lead-core rifle ammunition is no longer imminent. Still, ammunition manufacturers can see where the industry is heading. National regulations, public land management policies, concerns about lead contamination in game meat, environmental considerations, and changing consumer expectations have already pushed lead-free ammunition from a specialty product into the mainstream. Why Lead Is So Difficult to Replace From a bullet designer's perspective, lead has several remarkable advantages. It's dense, relatively soft, highly malleable, and suitable for a wide variety of bullet constructions. Copper, on the other hand, is harder and less dense. Copper has a density of approximately 8.96 grams per cubic centimeter, compared with roughly 11.3 grams for lead. That difference matters. A copper bullet of comparable weight generally requires more volume and is therefore often longer than a traditional lead-core projectile. German ammunition manufacturer RWS points out that this additional length can create stabilization challenges, particularly in older rifles with slower twist rates. Conventional monolithic copper bullets may also require higher impact velocities to expand reliably. That's why lead-free bullets are often designed with lighter weights. And it's also why a 150-grain copper bullet isn't necessarily inferior to a 180-grain lead-core bullet of the same caliber. They're different designs operating on different principles. RWS: Three Different Approaches to Lead-Free Bullets Few manufacturers illustrate the complexity of lead-free bullet design as clearly as RWS. The German company has developed several distinct solutions. The RWS HIT is a monolithic copper bullet designed for high weight retention and deep penetration. The EVOLUTION GREEN takes a completely different approach. It uses two tin cores and is engineered as a fragmenting bullet. The front section is designed to break apart rapidly, transferring energy into the target, while the remaining rear section continues penetrating. Then there's the RWS DRIVEN HUNT, manufactured from annealed copper and specifically developed for shorter shooting distances, including driven hunts and woodland hunting. The manufacturing side is equally fascinating. An RWS representative told Schuss & Stille that producing a finished centerfire rifle cartridge involves approximately 100 manufacturing steps. The company reportedly also maintains a collection of more than 2,400 representative firearms for testing purposes. Developing a new bullet therefore involves considerably more than producing a different projectile. New tooling, modified manufacturing processes, revised loads, chamber-pressure testing, accuracy evaluations, functional testing, and extensive terminal-ballistics research all come into play. And all of that costs money. Costs that, ultimately, will be reflected in the ammunition hunters purchase. The Lead Restrictions Hit Another Part of RWS Even Harder There's an important distinction here. RWS, GECO, and ROTTWEIL operate under RWS GmbH, which belongs to Beretta Holding. ROTTWEIL is the group's traditional shotshell brand. Because the current EU proposal excludes rifle bullets but targets lead shot, the immediate industrial challenges are considerably greater for shotgun ammunition than for conventional rifle cartridges. This is where manufacturers may need to make substantial changes to entire production processes. Norma Takes Another Step Forward With ODIN One of the most interesting developments in hunting ammunition comes from Sweden. In 2026, Norma introduced the ODIN, a new generation of lead-free hunting bullets. Manufactured entirely from copper, ODIN features a polymer tip and boat-tail design. Norma positions it as a next-generation monolithic hunting projectile. The company uses its proprietary NAFT technology, with an engineered expansion cavity designed to deliver reliable expansion even at distances beyond 400 meters, according to Norma. ODIN is already available in a variety of popular European and American hunting cartridges, including: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 PRC, 9.3×62, and 9.3×74R. Our Schuss & Stille team has also decided to switch to Norma ODIN for hunting. Not because Brussels is forcing us to. We made the decision because we want to find out what one of the latest generations of lead-free hunting bullets can actually deliver in the field. Rather than simply discussing the technology, we intend to put it to work. We want to see how ODIN performs in different rifles, how accurately the various loads shoot, and—most importantly—how the bullets perform on game. We're interested in exit wounds, blood trails, recovery distances, and meat damage. Because one thing is clear: Ballistic claims on an ammunition box are one thing. Real-world hunting performance is another. Interestingly, Norma has already announced another lead-free bullet development for November 2027. ODIN is unlikely to be the final chapter in the company's lead-free ammunition story. Lapua: More Than Two Decades of Lead-Free Experience Lead-free hunting ammunition isn't nearly as new as some hunters believe. Finnish manufacturer Lapua introduced its Naturalis bullet back in 2002. The company is now producing its third generation. Naturalis uses pure copper and a specialized polymer design in the bullet's nose to initiate expansion. According to Lapua, the bullet operates across an impact-velocity range of approximately 490 to 1,000 meters per second—roughly 1,608 to 3,281 feet per second—while regularly retaining almost all its original weight. That's particularly interesting for mountain hunters. One of the historical weaknesses of early monolithic copper bullets was their performance at extended distances. At 250 or 300 meters, some designs had already lost enough velocity that reliable expansion became questionable. Addressing that limitation has become one of the industry's most important engineering challenges. Sako: Copper for Close Encounters and Longer Shots Finnish rifle and ammunition manufacturer Sako has also developed an entire family of monolithic hunting bullets. Its Powerhead Blade lineup includes Blade, Blade Pro, and Blade Solid. The expanding designs incorporate engineered cavities and controlled-expansion features. Sako places particular emphasis on reliable expansion at lower impact velocities. And for good reason. A modern hunting bullet must survive high-impact velocities at close range without breaking apart excessively. At the same time, it needs to expand reliably when it reaches a distant animal at a significantly lower velocity. That's an enormous engineering challenge. Imagine a bullet that must hold together when striking a heavy wild boar at close range while still expanding effectively on a chamois several hundred yards away. Those are very different terminal-ballistics requirements. Yet hunters increasingly expect one bullet to handle both. GECO: Copper or Tin? GECO has developed products using both major approaches to lead-free hunting ammunition. The GECO STAR is a monolithic copper expanding bullet designed to retain nearly all its original weight. The GECO ZERO, by contrast, follows a fragmentation concept similar to the RWS EVOLUTION GREEN, using tin rather than a conventional lead core. Once again, the lesson is clear. Lead-free doesn't necessarily mean monolithic copper. Copper, gilding metal, tin, and other alloys provide designers with a variety of options. Brenneke Was Ahead of the Curve German ammunition manufacturer Brenneke began exploring lead-free hunting ammunition long before it became a major political issue. The company introduced its lead-free TAG—Torpedo Alternativ Geschoss—in 2007. Made from highly purified copper, TAG was designed around a controlled-fragmentation concept. Brenneke has also developed the TUG nature+ and other lead-free projectile designs. That means European ammunition manufacturers now have nearly two decades of practical experience with modern lead-free hunting bullets. Sellier & Bellot: eXergy Blue Czech ammunition manufacturer Sellier & Bellot offers another example. Its eXergy Blue, also marketed as TXRG Blue, uses a solid copper bullet with a polymer tip and boat-tail. The design combines aerodynamic efficiency with controlled expansion. Interestingly, Sellier & Bellot developed the later TXRG version with the American market and longer shooting distances specifically in mind. That highlights an important difference between European and American hunting traditions. European hunters often prioritize reliable performance during driven hunts and on medium-to-large game at relatively short distances. North American hunters increasingly demand high ballistic coefficients and dependable expansion at extended ranges. A modern lead-free bullet is expected to perform under both sets of conditions. Fiocchi Even Rethinks the Primer Italian manufacturer Fiocchi takes the concept a step further. Its SEST hunting ammunition uses bullets manufactured from high-purity electrolytic copper. The lineup includes popular cartridges such as .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum. What's particularly interesting is that Fiocchi doesn't necessarily stop at the projectile. The company has also spent decades developing its so-called Zero Pollution primer technology, designed to reduce or eliminate certain heavy metals traditionally associated with primer compounds. That raises an entirely new question. What will the term lead-free ammunition mean in the future? A bullet without lead? Or a complete cartridge designed to minimize potentially harmful heavy metals throughout its construction? What About the Americans? In Some Ways, They're Already Ahead While Europe continues debating REACH regulations, American ammunition manufacturers have been operating under a different set of circumstances. California has required nonlead ammunition for taking wildlife with firearms statewide since July 1, 2019. For ammunition manufacturers, that created a major market where nonlead projectiles aren't merely an alternative. They're a legal requirement. In 2026, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also expanded efforts to encourage voluntary nonlead ammunition use at 26 National Wildlife Refuges across 19 states, including programs intended to offset some of the additional costs for hunters. That certainly doesn't mean there's a nationwide American ban on lead hunting ammunition. But the market is already large enough that virtually every major U.S. ammunition manufacturer offers nonlead hunting products. Barnes: Copper Isn't the Alternative—It's the Business If there's one American company closely associated with monolithic copper hunting bullets, it's Barnes. The manufacturer's TSX, TTSX, and LRX bullets helped establish copper projectiles as serious hunting tools around the world. Their basic design philosophy has influenced much of the modern lead-free ammunition market. A solid copper body. Pressure-relief grooves that reduce bearing surface and barrel friction. An engineered hollow point or polymer tip to initiate expansion. And high weight retention for deep penetration. Barnes helped demonstrate that a lead-free hunting bullet doesn't automatically have to be a compromise. Hornady: CX Instead of a Lead Core Hornady approaches the challenge with its CX—Copper alloy eXpanding—bullet. The monolithic copper-alloy design features pressure-relief grooves, a boat-tail, and a Heat Shield polymer tip. Hornady advertises approximately 95 percent weight retention and places considerable emphasis on aerodynamic performance and long-range hunting applications. The company has continued expanding its CX offerings for 2026. That's another indication of how important lead-free ammunition has become in the American hunting market. Federal Premium: Trophy Copper Federal Premium's answer is the Trophy Copper. The company advertises weight retention of up to 99 percent. A polymer tip, engineered expansion cavity, pressure-relief grooves, and boat-tail combine to create a modern monolithic hunting projectile. What's remarkable isn't simply that Federal offers a copper bullet. It's that lead-free hunting ammunition has become an established part of the company's premium product lineup. Nosler: E-Tip Nosler follows a similar philosophy with its E-Tip. Manufactured from a copper alloy, the bullet incorporates a polymer tip and engineered expansion features. Nosler advertises weight retention exceeding 95 percent. The objective is familiar: deep penetration combined with controlled expansion. Winchester: Copper Impact Winchester offers its Extreme Point Copper Impact hunting ammunition, featuring a 100-percent copper bullet. The projectile uses an unusually large polymer tip and deep hollow-point cavity designed to initiate expansion quickly. Copper Impact is offered in several familiar hunting cartridges, including .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and various .300 magnums. Winchester's shotshell lineup is also worth examining. Steel, copper, zinc, and other alternative materials already coexist in different products, depending on the firearm and intended application. Europe may eventually follow a similar path. Even Remington Reinvented a Classic Few hunting bullets are as closely associated with traditional American lead-core ammunition as Remington's Core-Lokt. For generations, it has been a familiar choice among whitetail hunters. But even this American classic now has a copper counterpart. The Core-Lokt Copper uses a monolithic copper projectile and is available in cartridges including .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum. When a product as iconic as Core-Lokt gets a copper version, it's a pretty good indication of how much the ammunition industry has changed. The Biggest Manufacturing Challenge May Be Shotshells With rifle ammunition, manufacturers already have a remarkably wide range of proven lead-free designs. Shotshell ammunition presents a different challenge altogether. One major reason is volume. Steel is expected to become the principal replacement for lead shot. The European hunting organization FACE estimates that steel could account for more than 90 percent of the replacement ammunition required. But steel behaves very differently from lead. It's lighter. It's harder. And that changes the entire shotshell. Shot size, muzzle velocity, wad design, pressure characteristics, and payload configuration all need to be considered. That's where the truly substantial industrial transition begins. Why Seven Years Isn't as Long as It Sounds The Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition, or AFEMS, has described the situation in unusually direct terms. According to the association, Europe currently lacks sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity to produce all the steel shot that would be required. A significant portion of the relevant manufacturing capacity and expertise is located outside Europe, particularly in China. Ammunition manufacturers would therefore need to establish new supply chains while modifying existing loading lines or investing in new equipment suitable for steel shot. New shotshell designs would also require development, testing, and regulatory approval. AFEMS considers the proposed seven-year transition period the minimum necessary for an orderly conversion. Suddenly, an argument that began with hunting ammunition becomes a geopolitical issue. Europe wants to reduce lead emissions. Europe also wants to become less dependent on overseas suppliers. And Europe wants to expand domestic ammunition production for national-security reasons. Those three goals have to work together. That won't necessarily be easy. What Does All This Mean for Hunters? First, there's no reason to panic. Hunters using conventional lead-core rifle ammunition do not face an immediate EU-wide ban under the current proposal. But it would be equally foolish to assume lead-free ammunition is going away. Quite the opposite. RWS, Norma, Lapua, Sako, GECO, Brenneke, Sellier & Bellot, Fiocchi, Barnes, Hornady, Federal, Nosler, Winchester, and Remington have all invested in the technology. Not simply to serve a small specialty market. They're investing because lead-free ammunition has become a major category in its own right. And it may eventually become the dominant one. Switching Ammunition? Get Back to the Range Here's something every hunter should keep in mind. Changing from a conventional lead-core load to a lead-free cartridge is a genuine ammunition change. Your point of impact may shift. We've demonstrated that numerous times in Schuss & Stille videos on our YouTube channel. Bullet weight may change. Trajectory may change. And perhaps most importantly, the distance at which a bullet can expand reliably may change as well. That's why a new load belongs on the shooting range before it ever goes into the rifle for a hunting trip. Verify accuracy. Confirm your point of impact. Check your ballistics if you hunt at longer distances. And understand how your chosen bullet is designed to perform. A monolithic expanding bullet behaves differently from a lead-free fragmenting projectile. Understanding those differences matters far more than simply reading the word lead-free on the ammunition box. The Biggest Misconception About Lead-Free Hunting Ammunition Hunters still spend an extraordinary amount of time arguing about one question: Lead versus copper. But from a technical standpoint, we should probably be asking something entirely different. Which bullet is right for which hunting application? An RWS EVOLUTION GREEN works differently from an RWS HIT. A Norma ODIN behaves differently from a GECO ZERO. A Lapua Naturalis isn't the same as a Brenneke TAG. And a Barnes TTSX isn't identical to a Hornady CX. Bullet material is only one part of the equation. Construction, impact velocity, game species, shooting distance, and shot placement are at least as important. That's why we at Schuss & Stille aren't treating our switch to Norma ODIN as a matter of ideology. We're going to hunt with it. We're going to shoot it. And we're going to evaluate what really matters. Accuracy. Terminal performance. Exit wounds. Recovery distances. Meat damage. Because at the end of the day, most hunters aren't particularly interested in which metal is listed on the ammunition box. What matters is whether that cartridge performs when it absolutely has to. Inside the barrel—and inside the animal.

Schuss & Stille firearms expert David with a Schultz & Larsen Legacy. Schultz & Larsen is one of those rifle makers you may not see in every gun shop, but the name immediately gets the attention of knowledgeable hunters and riflemen. Cut-rifled barrels, traditional steel construction, an exceptionally smooth bolt and a well-engineered switch-barrel system define these Danish rifles. Schuss & Stille firearms expert David Mischkulnig took a close look at the compact Legacy in .223 Remington — and discovered that it represents only one chapter in a remarkably interesting rifle family. Some rifles are designed to impress you before you ever pick them up. Carbon fiber everywhere. Angular chassis systems. Adjustable everything. Rails in every possible direction. And then there is a Schultz & Larsen. Wood. Steel. A slender barrel. A conventional turn-bolt action. At least that is what it looks like — until you cycle the bolt for the first time. “The bolt throw is incredible,” says David Mischkulnig of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach as he handles a Schultz & Larsen Legacy chambered in .223 Remington for Schuss & Stille. The association comes quickly: classic European actions from an era when the smoothness and precision of a bolt were still among the first things hunters used to judge the quality of a rifle. The trigger, slim stock, workmanship and accuracy also make a strong impression. And that takes us straight to the heart of the Schultz & Larsen philosophy. A Company Whose Founding Date Tells a Story Look into the history of Schultz & Larsen and you may encounter two dates: 1889 and 1919. Both make sense. In 1889, Hans Christian Schultz established himself in Otterup on the Danish island of Funen. He originally worked as a wood turner, but he was also a serious competitive shooter. Before long, he began improving sights and working on rifles for fellow marksmen. By 1904, that work had developed into a proper gunsmithing shop. Later, Niels Larsen joined the business, eventually marrying Schultz’s daughter Ellen and becoming his partner. The company bearing the Schultz & Larsen name was officially registered in 1919. But Schultz and Larsen were not simply men who built rifles. They knew how to shoot them. Niels Larsen won five Olympic medals between 1912 and 1924 — one gold, one silver and three bronze. His son, Uffe Schultz Larsen, would later compete in four Olympic Games himself. In other words, this company’s DNA did not come from a marketing department. It came from the firing line. After World War II, Schultz & Larsen developed rifles including the M52, M58, M60, M65 and M68, followed later by the M84 and M100. Over time, the company’s barrels earned an international reputation for precision. The original Otterup factory era ended in 1994, but the brand continued and production was reorganized under a new technical direction. One thing remained. Schultz & Larsen continued using one of the most labor-intensive methods of rifling a barrel. Why Everything Starts With the Barrel Schultz & Larsen rifles are known for their precision barrels as well as their proprietary switch-barrel system. Cut rifling is central to the Schultz & Larsen identity. Rather than forming the rifling in one forceful operation, traditional cut rifling removes an extremely small amount of steel during each pass. The grooves are literally cut into the bore incrementally. It takes time. According to Schultz & Larsen distribution information, cutting the rifling alone can require around an hour and a half per barrel. The bore is then finished with a specifically fitted lapping tool. It would be too simplistic to say that cut rifling is automatically more accurate than every other barrel-making method. It isn’t. Its advantage lies in how controlled the process can be. Because relatively little stress is introduced into the steel during cutting, the finished barrel can be produced with a high degree of dimensional control. Ultimately, accuracy still depends on the bore, rifling process, lapping, barrel geometry and quality control. Schultz & Larsen puts considerable effort into all of those areas. And sooner or later, that effort shows up on paper. Legacy: The Little Schultz & Larsen The Legacy occupies a special place in the lineup. While rifles such as the Classic, Victory, Ambassador and Tactical are built around the company’s larger action family, the Legacy uses a compact receiver specifically designed around smaller cartridges. That matters. The traditional Legacy has been offered in cartridges including: .222 Remington, .223 Remington, 6x45 mm, .300 Blackout. This is not simply a full-size action with a small cartridge stuffed into it. The entire rifle is scaled around that cartridge class. Base weight is approximately 2.8 kilograms, depending on configuration, and different barrel profiles have been available depending on chambering. The bolt uses three locking lugs and requires only a 60-degree lift. More importantly, the bolt locks directly into the barrel. That design allows firing forces to be contained between bolt head and barrel rather than relying on the receiver ring to provide the locking surface. It also helps make the Schultz & Larsen switch-barrel concept possible. There is one important distinction: Legacy barrels belong to the Legacy system and are not interchangeable with the company’s larger actions. By contrast, the Classic, Victory, Ambassador and Tactical generally share the same basic barrel interface. Depending on cartridge family, a different magazine — and in Magnum chamberings, potentially a different bolt — may also be required. A Bolt You Cycle Just Because You Can On paper, all of that sounds technical. In your hands, the Legacy makes much more immediate sense. The bolt glides through the compact receiver with remarkably little resistance. There is no unnecessary mass and no excessively long bolt travel. That was one of the first things David noticed during our test. The rifle also uses an adjustable single-stage trigger and a three-position safety. In the middle position, the trigger remains blocked while the bolt can still be opened. That allows a loaded rifle to be unloaded while the firing mechanism remains on safe. In the rear position, both firing system and bolt are locked. The detachable magazine is made from metal. That, too, feels very Schultz & Larsen. You have to look pretty hard to find plastic where the Danes believe steel should be doing the job. Slim — And We Mean Really Slim The stock is where the Legacy becomes especially interesting. David keeps handling the rifle, measuring it, turning it from side to side, and repeatedly comes back to one word: Slim. No oversized Varmint stock. No bulky vertical grip. No attempt to make a small-game rifle feel like a benchrest gun. The Legacy we tested is much more at home as a classic rifle for roe deer, fox, marmot or the range. In .223 Remington, the result is a rifle that is easy to carry and fast to shoulder. There is more work in the stock than its simple lines suggest. Standard grades may use American walnut, while higher-grade stocks can be made from Caucasian walnut. The stocks are oil-finished and bedded. David points out one characteristic worth knowing: a new Schultz & Larsen stock can look somewhat dry or understated right out of the box. A little proper stock care can bring significantly more depth and figure out of the walnut. Slide & Lock: A Very Danish Solution Trigger and Safety Another Schultz & Larsen signature feature sits on top of the receiver. The company’s proprietary Slide & Lock mounting system does away with the need for a separate conventional scope base. Steel rings engage directly with the machined receiver. The result is an extremely low scope mounting position. On rifles such as the Classic and Victory, two mounting positions are available. The concept is surprisingly practical. Think of them as summer and winter positions. When wearing heavy winter clothing, the scope can be moved farther rearward to compensate for the change in eye relief caused by additional layers. The shorter Legacy receiver only provides enough room for one mounting position. Hunters who prefer a more universal setup can, of course, go with Picatinny. Then It Has to Shoot Beautiful walnut is nice. A silky bolt is nice. But eventually, a hunting rifle has to put bullets where they belong. David took the Legacy in .223 Remington to the 100-meter range. No carefully developed handload. No dedicated benchrest ammunition. Just factory ammunition appropriate for the hunting role of the rifle. And the little Dane did exactly what we hoped it would do. Even with standard factory ammunition, accuracy was completely acceptable for hunting use. Over a longer string, the majority of shots remained tightly clustered. A few flyers opened the overall group, but the rifle’s underlying accuracy potential was obvious. David is convinced that a carefully selected match load could shrink those groups considerably. The Other Danes: From Classic to Tactical Schultz & Larsen currently lists six major rifle families: Legacy, Classic, Traveller, Victory, Ambassador and Tactical. They may look very different from one another, but all of them carry some variation of the same basic philosophy. Classic — The Working Rifle he Classic may be the purest expression of the Schultz & Larsen concept. It is the no-nonsense version. A traditional Classic weighs roughly 3.4 kilograms, and both right- and left-hand versions have been offered. You still get the familiar features: three-position safety, 60-degree bolt lift, switch-barrel capability, Slide & Lock scope mounting. But the larger action opens the door to a much broader cartridge lineup. Documented chamberings range from .22-250 Remington and .243 Winchester through 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 7x64, .308 Winchester and .30-06, all the way up to .300 Winchester Magnum, 9.3x62 and other Magnum cartridges. For a Central European hunter, a Classic in .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, 7x64 or 9.3x62 is exactly what the name suggests. Not a showpiece. A rifle meant to work. Traveller — For the Hunter With a Gun Case The Traveller takes the switch-barrel concept a step further. Its barrel-retention screws can be accessed through openings in the fore-end, allowing the barrel to be removed without repeatedly separating the barreled action from the stock. That turns it into a genuine take-down rifle. For hunters who travel by air, or who simply want an especially compact gun case, that has obvious appeal. One rifle. Multiple barrels. One relatively compact case. There is something undeniably attractive about that. Victory — The Refined Sister If you appreciate good walnut, the Victory is hard to ignore. Mechanically, the family resemblance remains obvious: three locking lugs, direct barrel locking, cut-rifled barrel, steel magazine, switch-barrel capability, that exceptionally smooth bolt travel. Where the Victory separates itself is primarily in finish and configuration. A traditional wood-stocked Victory Sporter weighs around 3.6 kilograms. More elaborate wood grades have been available, along with modern synthetic thumbhole versions featuring adjustable cheekpieces. For the hunter who wants a traditional sporting rifle without giving up modular barrel changes, the Victory may be the most representative Schultz & Larsen of them all. Ambassador — The Gentleman The Ambassador leans even more heavily into classic styling. Think slimmer, English-inspired lines, an open pistol grip, premium walnut and restrained elegance. A standard version comes in around 3.6 kilograms, while fluted barrels can trim some weight. The Ambassador feels less like a modular tool kit and more like a traditional sporting rifle. Underneath, however, you still find the modern Schultz & Larsen engineering philosophy. Tactical — When Walnut Is No Longer Mandatory And then there is the other side of Schultz & Larsen. The Tactical carries the company’s action and barrel technology into precision-rifle and long-range territory. Configurations have been offered with steel or aluminum actions, MDT-style chassis systems and more integrated precision-rifle builds. In Austria, current pricing starts at roughly €4,200 and climbs past €6,000, depending on configuration. Visually, that is a long way from an oil-finished Legacy with walnut furniture. Mechanically, though, the family resemblance is still there. The Most Interesting Part May Be Between the Barrel and the Bolt That is where we believe the real strength of Schultz & Larsen lies. The Danes are not trying to build the fastest straight-pull rifle in Europe. They are not chasing the lightest carbon hunting rifle. And they are not trying to create the most modular military-style chassis imaginable. Instead, they focus on a handful of things they have been doing extremely well for decades: Building barrels. Machining actions properly. Fitting bolts precisely. And turning those parts into rifles that do not feel mass-produced. The switch-barrel system itself is comparatively simple. That does not mean hunters should remove and reinstall a barrel and immediately head into the field without checking zero. As with virtually any switch-barrel rifle, we recommend firing a verification group after reassembly. Mechanical repeatability is great. A confirmation shot is better. So What Exactly Is the Legacy? Firearms expert David is impressed by the Schultz & Larsen Legacy: “Light, smooth, and elegant!” After our test, the Legacy may be the most likeable Schultz & Larsen in the lineup. Not because it is the biggest. Not because it is the most powerful. But because it strips the concept down to its essentials. A compact rifle. A beautifully smooth bolt. An excellent barrel. Steel. Walnut. And a trigger that belongs on a rifle designed to shoot accurately. No unnecessary weight. No technology that requires three YouTube tutorials before you understand how the rifle works. David sums it up more simply: “Light, clean, elegant.” That may describe Schultz & Larsen as a company better than anything else. The company is neither the largest nor the loudest rifle maker in Europe. Straight-pull actions, carbon fiber and electronics are easier to market than an explanation of why someone spends an hour and a half cutting rifling grooves into a barrel before carefully lapping it. But that is exactly where the appeal lies. Schultz & Larsen builds rifles for hunters who cycle the bolt once — and then cycle it again simply because it feels that good.

Firearms expert David Mischkulnig with the Steyr Mannlicher SM12 Goiserer. Walnut stock, set trigger, manual cocking system, and a traditional bolt action: the Steyr Mannlicher SM12 is one of those hunting rifles that deliberately refuses to chase every new trend. For Schuss & Stille, firearms expert David Mischkulnig of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach takes a close look at the SM12 in .308 Winchester—and explains why this Austrian rifle still has a very real place in the hunting world today. “Walnut stock, set trigger, and manual cocking system—there’s probably more tradition in this rifle than in a schnitzel.” When David Mischkulnig introduces a firearm, you usually know right away where the story is headed. And with the Steyr Mannlicher SM12, that line fits perfectly. While modern hunting rifles increasingly rely on carbon fiber, chassis systems, steep pistol grips, and modular components, the SM12 remains committed to a much more traditional formula. The rifle featured here is the classic walnut-stocked SM12 Goiserer, paired with a Steiner riflescope with ballistic turret and an A-Tec suppressor. To David, it is a well-balanced combination of Austrian rifle-making tradition and modern hunting practicality. The SM12 stands out with its traditional walnut stock. A Classic Walnut Stock Done Right At first glance, there is no mistaking what the SM12 wants to be. The slim walnut stock follows classic European lines, with a Bavarian-style cheekpiece and a pistol grip that sweeps gently to the rear rather than dropping sharply downward. No tactical styling. No exaggerated contours. No attempt to make a traditional hunting rifle look like something it isn’t. David particularly likes the slim profile. The relatively light-colored walnut gives the rifle an almost elegant appearance and offers a welcome contrast to the black-on-black styling that dominates so many modern hunting rifles. He does point out one practical consideration, however: a slender walnut stock deserves to be treated with care. A quality, non-slip recoil pad is important, especially when the rifle is leaned against a surface in the field. A hard fall can do real damage to a fine stock. Another major plus is that Steyr offers the SM12 as a true left-hand rifle, with both a left-hand stock and left-hand bolt, without an additional surcharge. David considers that a significant advantage. Some manufacturers charge several hundred euros extra for a true left-handed configuration. Manual Cocking: The Heart of the SM12 The SM12’s manual cocking system is one of its defining features. From a mechanical standpoint, the SM12’s manual cocking system is one of the features that most clearly separates it from simpler Steyr models. And for David, it is one of the rifle’s biggest strengths. The cocking slider operates relatively easily, even when the rifle is already shouldered. That may sound like a small detail, but in real hunting situations it matters. Hunters with smaller hands—or simply less hand strength—can benefit from a cocking system that does not require excessive effort. The stock can also be shortened comparatively easily, making the rifle a good candidate for smaller-framed hunters. The operating sequence is straightforward: cock the rifle, engage the set trigger if desired, and if the shot never develops, simply decock the rifle again. When the SM12 is decocked, the set trigger is also automatically disengaged. Simple, practical, and intuitive. Set Trigger: Old-Fashioned? Maybe. Still Useful? Absolutely. The SM12 retains a traditional set trigger. The set trigger has almost disappeared from many modern hunting rifles. Steyr, however, continues to offer one on the SM12. The trigger can be used normally or “set” for an extremely light trigger pull. That gives the rifle two personalities: a conventional hunting trigger for a quick shot and a very light set trigger for a carefully prepared shot from a high seat or during mountain hunting. You either appreciate a set trigger or you don’t. But for hunters who value traditional European rifle design, it remains one of those features that simply feels right on an Austrian hunting rifle. Aluminum Beneath the Walnut Classic styling does not mean outdated engineering. The SM12 action sits on an aluminum bedding system integrated into the wooden stock. The idea is to reduce the influence of normal wood movement on the relationship between the action and stock. For the hunter, that means one thing above all: greater consistency. Still, David recommends periodically checking that the barrel remains properly free-floated in the fore-end. The action itself uses a traditional rotating bolt. David describes four locking lugs at the front, and the bolt on this relatively new rifle already runs smoothly. With use, it should become even slicker. The rotating bolt of the Steyr Mannlicher SM12. Pay Attention When Cleaning the Bolt David spends quite a bit of time on one specific point: cleaning the bolt and locking-lug area. If you do not know what to watch for, it is possible to create a small problem for yourself during cleaning. Certain components can rotate or shift out of their proper alignment when the bolt is disassembled. If that happens, the bolt may no longer slide back into the action as easily as expected. David’s advice is simple: before completely stripping the bolt or thoroughly cleaning the locking area for the first time, learn how the components are supposed to line up. The issue is usually easy to correct if you know what you are looking at. But in the middle of a hunting trip, without tools or experience, a minor problem can quickly become a major annoyance. Mannox, Hammer Marks, and That Distinctly Steyr Look Visually, the SM12 also benefits from its black action components. David points to Steyr’s familiar Mannox finish, designed to provide a hard, durable, corrosion-resistant surface. What he likes even more, however, is something many hunters may barely notice on modern rifles: the visible traces of the cold-hammer-forging process on the barrel. Steyr has a long history of cold-hammer-forged barrel production, and the subtle surface pattern gives the rifle a character all its own. It is a visual reminder that this is not just another anonymous mass-produced hunting rifle. “It simply looks cool,” David says. .308 Winchester and a Barrel Just Under 20 Inches The rifle featured here is chambered in .308 Winchester and has a barrel just under 51 centimeters, or roughly 20 inches long. David sees that combination as an especially good option for new hunters. The .308 Winchester is versatile, manageable, widely proven, and performs very well from a relatively compact barrel. Depending on caliber and configuration, David puts the SM12 at approximately 3.2 to 3.4 kilograms, or roughly 7.1 to 7.5 pounds. Heavier versions are also available. The rifle shown here comes standard with an M15x1 muzzle thread and is fitted with an A-Tec suppressor. The goal is to keep overall rifle length as compact as possible while still benefiting from suppression. David with the SM12 test rifle, Steiner Ranger 8 scope, and A-Tec suppressor. Five Rounds, No Gimmicks The detachable polymer magazine in this configuration holds five rounds. What David likes most about it is how uncomplicated it is. No oversized magazine. No tactical styling. No attempt to reinvent something that already works. It is simply a functional hunting-rifle magazine—and that fits the character of the SM12 perfectly. Traditional sling swivel studs are also included. It sounds like a small detail, but David specifically mentions it because equipment that once came standard with hunting rifles is no longer always included today. Steiner Ranger 8: The Modern Counterpoint Mounted on the traditional SM12 is a modern Steiner Ranger-series riflescope. David has had good experience with the Ranger line for years, and this setup combines a broad magnification range with parallax adjustment, illuminated reticle, and a ballistic turret. The Ranger 8 2-16x50 turret is especially useful for hunters who want to extend their practical shooting range. The system allows several reference levels to be set for different distances or ballistic corrections. Visually, the combination works surprisingly well: black scope, black action, light walnut stock. Modern enough for contemporary hunting, but not so modern that it overwhelms the rifle’s traditional character. Not a Fashion Rifle—and That Is Exactly the Point The Steyr Mannlicher SM12 is not a rifle for hunters who need the newest chassis, the steepest grip angle, or the latest carbon-fiber component every season. It is a hunting rifle for people who still appreciate walnut. For hunters who value a manual cocking system. For those who do not consider a set trigger an obsolete relic. And for anyone who wants a rifle that will still look like a classic hunting rifle decades from now. With models such as the Monobloc and its modern synthetic-stock offerings, Steyr has clearly moved into a newer design era. The SM12 almost feels like the counterpoint to that direction. And that may be exactly why it remains so appealing. It is a slim, distinctly Austrian hunting rifle—technically mature, unapologetically traditional, yet modern enough to accept a suppressor, ballistic turret, and the accessories demanded by today’s serious hunter. Or, as David Mischkulnig puts it: “There’s probably more tradition in this rifle than in a schnitzel.”

Schuss & Stille firearms expert David took a close look at the Mauser M25. Mauser and straight-pull action—at first, the combination sounds almost contradictory. For more than 125 years, the name from Isny has been synonymous with traditional bolt-action rifles. With the M25, Mauser is deliberately stepping away from that heritage. Schuss & Stille firearms expert David of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach stripped down, examined, and range-tested the M25 Max in .308 Winchester, topped with a Minox RS-4 and fitted with a Svemko suppressor. What we found is that there’s considerably more engineering behind this relatively affordable straight-pull rifle than first meets the eye. Say “Mauser,” and most hunters immediately think of the Model 98: a turn-bolt action, massive locking lugs, and one of the most influential rifle designs ever built. And now this. Pull straight back. Push straight forward. Done. The Mauser M25 is a straight-pull rifle. “For Mauser, that’s actually pretty unusual,” David says as the rifle sits on the bench in front of him. For decades, Mauser was virtually synonymous with the conventional turn-bolt hunting rifle. But the idea is not entirely new—even for Mauser. Mauser Built a Straight-Pull Nearly 30 Years Ago There is an almost forgotten chapter in Mauser history that makes the M25 even more interesting. Back in the mid-1990s, Mauser introduced the M96, itself a straight-pull rifle. It never achieved a major commercial breakthrough and eventually disappeared from the lineup. Nearly three decades later, Mauser is taking another shot at the concept. DThis time, however, the market looks very different. Straight-pull rifles are no longer exotic pieces of engineering. Across Europe, many hunters appreciate them for their speed, especially on driven hunts or during fast follow-up shooting at the range. Instead of lifting and rotating a bolt handle, the shooter simply runs the action straight back and straight forward. That is exactly where the M25 is designed to shine—and it does so at a price point noticeably below many premium straight-pull rifles. Our M25: Laminated Wood Instead of Plain Polymer David is a fan of laminated wood stocks. Schuss & Stille tested the M25 Max, and visually it stands apart from the typical synthetic-stocked working rifle. The thumbhole stock is made from laminated wood. David has long been a fan of laminate stocks, and not simply because of their looks. Laminate is dimensionally stable, durable, and well suited to hard use in the field. “They can take a tremendous amount of abuse, and they just look cool,” he says. More importantly, the ergonomics work. The pistol grip is relatively steep, allowing the shooting hand to settle into a relaxed, natural position. The thumbhole is generous enough that even larger hands do not feel cramped. The cheekpiece can be adjusted vertically to match the shooter and scope height. There is no push-button mechanism or spring-loaded adjustment system. Loosen the screws, set the height, tighten them down. That straightforward approach says quite a lot about the philosophy behind the M25. The Most Interesting Part Is Hidden Inside At the heart of the M25 is Mauser’s Spread-Lock-250 action. Unlike a traditional turn-bolt rifle, the bolt head does not need to rotate in order to lock. Instead, two substantial locking elements inside the action are forced outward as the bolt closes. The system locks directly around the barrel extension. The practical result is simple: the bolt handle only needs to move in a straight line. Pull back—the spent case comes out. Push forward—the next cartridge goes into the chamber. The action feels surprisingly light and smooth. When David strips the rifle down, it becomes clear that this is not simply a conventional bolt action modified to move in a straight line. The entire system was engineered around the straight-pull concept. The locking system sits up front, gas-relief ports are positioned along the side, and twin ejectors help kick fired cases clear of the action with authority. From the shoulder, the M25 can be cycled quickly. Very quickly. Fast—But Not Silent There is one thing you notice almost immediately: the action is not exactly whisper quiet. At the range, that makes virtually no difference. But from a dead-still high seat or blind, with game close by, it may matter. That said, the mechanism operates cleanly and reliably—and David puts considerably more value on function than on cosmetic perfection. “As long as it works.” And it does. A Safety System That Makes Sense Mauser M25 Safety The M25 does not use a traditional manual cocking system. Instead, its safety acts directly on the firing mechanism. David demonstrates how the striker is released when the rifle is taken off safe. When the safety is engaged, the system blocks the striker and the corresponding portion of the bolt mechanism. His view is straightforward: the closer a safety acts to the firing pin or striker itself, the more convincing the mechanical concept becomes. For hunters accustomed to rifles with manual cocking systems, however, the M25 will require some adjustment. The operating philosophy is simply different. Where Did Mauser Save Money? Once the rifle comes apart, David also spots the places where Mauser clearly kept production costs under control. The M25 is not cheap in absolute terms, but for a newly developed straight-pull rifle, its pricing is surprisingly competitive. That is only possible if every visible component is not machined from steel or aluminum. And that becomes obvious. The trigger guard and several exterior components are made from polymer. On some of those visible and tactile parts, David would personally have preferred metal. Not because polymer is inherently inferior. But because, in his view, a Mauser should also feel like a Mauser. “It could have been made to feel a little more premium,” is essentially his criticism. That distinction matters. His criticism is aimed primarily at appearance and feel—not at function. The bolt runs. The safety works. The rifle cycles. And ultimately, there is one thing a hunting rifle absolutely has to do. It has to shoot. A Closer Look at the Magazine There are also a few practical observations regarding the detachable magazine. David says that on some examples, the magazine feed lips can spread slightly after repeated or unfavorable loading. If that happens, the next cartridge may be released too early. In some cases, the issue can be corrected. Eventually, however, replacing the magazine may become necessary. It is hardly a deal-breaker—but it is the kind of detail that deserves to be mentioned in an honest field review. Minox RS-4: Sensible Glass for a Sensible Rifle Our test rifle wore a Minox RS-4 2.5–10x50. And in many ways, the scope matches the philosophy of the M25 perfectly. It is not an optic you buy simply to win the price-tag contest at hunting camp. Instead, it offers a useful magnification range for real-world hunting and remains within a price class that makes sense on this rifle. David has worked with Minox optics for years and particularly likes the value they offer. “The scopes are good. The price-to-performance ratio works really well,” he says. He rates the light transmission and edge-to-edge image quality positively, and the adjustment systems on the scopes he has mounted and zeroed have worked reliably. There is one criticism. At 10x magnification, David finds the reticle a little heavy when aiming at very small targets. For traditional hunting applications, that is likely to matter far less than it does when shooting tiny aiming points from a bench. A Svemko Up Front The .308 Winchester test rifle uses a compact barrel with an M15x1 muzzle thread. Our rifle was fitted with a Svemko suppressor. The result is a thoroughly modern European hunting setup: short barrel, suppressor, straight-pull action, and an all-around hunting scope. The M25 does not suddenly become an ultralight mountain rifle. But it does become compact and manageable. And for a lot of hunters, that matters much more. Don’t Forget the Gun Oil The metal finish deserves attention as well. David noticed minor rust spots already developing on the test rifle. Mauser treats the barrel and action with a modern surface finish, but coatings do not eliminate the need for basic rifle maintenance. If you hunt with an M25 in rain, wet snow, or prolonged humidity, it is not a rifle you should simply put back in the safe and forget about. “It definitely needs some care,” David says. For a hunting rifle, that is worth knowing. So What Is the M25 Really Trying to Be? The most interesting question is not whether the M25 is better than every other straight-pull rifle on the market. The more important question is: What exactly is Mauser trying to accomplish with this rifle? The answer becomes fairly clear once you spend some time with it. The M25 is not meant to be a technical showpiece that spends most of its life inside a gun safe. In several places, Mauser deliberately avoids expensive materials and elaborate mechanisms. Polymer is used where some competitors use metal. There is no elaborate manual cocking system. The adjustable cheekpiece uses screws rather than a spring-loaded push-button mechanism. In return, you get an independently engineered straight-pull action, a well-designed stock, a compact hunting rifle, and solid shooting performance. The concept is refreshingly pragmatic. The Bottom Line: Not Perfect—But Very Interesting There are things to criticize about the Mauser M25. Some of the polymer parts do not feel particularly upscale for a rifle in this price category. The magazine is something we would keep an eye on over time. And anyone assuming the modern surface treatment eliminates the need for proper firearm maintenance may eventually be disappointed. On the other hand, the M25 is a straight-pull rifle with an action that runs surprisingly smoothly, cycles quickly, and does exactly what a hunting rifle is supposed to do. It shoots. David’s assessment is refreshingly straightforward: the M25 is somewhat bulky, visibly cost-conscious in a few areas, but mechanically simple and functional. And that may be the most important point of all. The M25 is not trying to become the next Mauser 98. It is not trying to be the most expensive rifle in the gun cabinet, either. Instead, it is a modern Mauser for hunters who want a fast, practical straight-pull rifle—and would rather spend their money on hunting, optics, ammunition, and time in the field than on prestige. And ironically, that may be exactly what makes this unconventional Mauser so compelling.

Alpine marmots photographed in the Carnic Main Ridge above Lake Wolayer. As fall settles over the high country, time begins to run short for the Alpine marmot. The animals feed hard now, packing on the fat reserves they will need to survive the long winter underground. At the same time, marmot season is still open in parts of Austria. New research shows that family structure, hunting pressure, heat, and even the way populations are counted matter more than many hunters may realize. One whistle. Then silence. Anyone who has hunted marmots in the Alps knows the moment. A minute ago, three or four animals were scattered across the meadow. Suddenly, the entire slope looks empty. Somewhere near a burrow entrance, one cautious marmot may still be sitting upright, lifting its head every few seconds and watching the country. At first glance, marmot hunting seems simple enough: sit, glass, observe, pick the right animal. Spend more time around them, however, and you quickly realize there is more to it. The Alpine marmot does not live alone on the mountain. It lives in family groups, knows its burrows, recognizes danger—and, apparently, understands hunters better than we once thought. Recent research is now giving hunters a much clearer picture of just how complex this mountain species really is. Fall Is About Survival Alpine marmot at its burrow. The marmot has only a few months above ground to accomplish everything it needs to do. Once it emerges from hibernation in spring, the clock is already running: feed, raise young, build fat reserves, and prepare the burrow system for another winter. Once the family goes underground for hibernation, the animals will not feed for months. They survive almost entirely on the body fat they built during summer and early fall. That is why marmots can often be seen feeding intensely in September. At this point in the season, every bit of stored energy matters. In the Austrian states of Carinthia and Salzburg, marmot hunting remains open through October 15, with the closed season beginning October 16. Seasons vary by state. That late-season hunt therefore overlaps with a biologically sensitive time of year. That does not mean regulated marmot hunting is inherently problematic. But it does mean that population size, family structure, and the individual animal selected matter more than simply filling a quota. Marmots Know Where They Are Hunted One of the most interesting studies for hunters was published in 2026. Researchers compared Alpine marmots in hunted and non-hunted areas of northern Italy. They wanted to know how closely a person could approach before the animal fled toward its burrow. The result will not surprise many experienced mountain hunters: Marmots are more cautious where they are hunted. In areas without hunting, the animals allowed people to approach more closely. In hunted areas, they reacted sooner and retreated toward cover at greater distances. Even more interesting, ordinary recreational traffic from hikers did not explain the difference nearly as well as hunting pressure did. For hunters, that finding is important. Most of us know mountain meadows where marmots sun themselves within a few yards of a hiking trail and barely seem to notice passing people. A few valleys away, the first marmot disappears the moment a human silhouette appears on the skyline. Science is now backing up what many experienced hunters have observed for years: Not all marmots behave the same way. They appear to learn from the conditions in which they live. Even outside the hunting season, marmots in hunted areas remained more cautious, suggesting that hunting pressure can shape their behavior over the long term. What That Means for the Hunter: Glass More, Shoot Less Quickly Good marmot hunting should begin long before the rifle ever comes up the mountain. A hunter who knows his ground should already have an idea of which burrows are active, how many family groups are present, where the young animals are, and which individuals show up regularly. Just as important: Are there parts of the mountain where a family group has disappeared or become noticeably smaller? Curious marmots watch the alpine meadow closely—and often seem to know exactly when danger is near. There May Be More Marmots Than You Can See In 2025, researchers in Italy’s Stelvio National Park examined how accurately Alpine marmots can actually be counted. Over eight years, they compared straightforward visual observations with much more intensive scientific techniques in which individual animals were captured, marked, and later identified again. The study confirmed a problem every marmot hunter already understands: Just because you do not see an animal does not mean it is not there. Marmots spend a large part of the day underground. Weather, temperature, disturbance, and time of day all influence how many animals are visible at any given moment. Simple observation counts can therefore underestimate the true number of animals. But there was also good news. When counts were repeated under comparable conditions, researchers were still able to track population trends quite effectively. The study used six observation sessions per year. For hunters, the lesson is straightforward: One count is not a population survey. If you see six marmots one afternoon, that does not mean only six live there. And if a foggy morning produces almost no sightings, the colony has not necessarily disappeared. Repeated glassing from the same vantage points under similar conditions tells you far more. In other words, science has confirmed something good mountain hunters have always known: local knowledge matters. A Marmot Family Is More Than a Group of Animals Alpine marmots live in large family groups. The social side of marmot biology is even more interesting. Alpine marmots live in family groups. Typically, there is a dominant breeding pair, young of the year, and animals from previous litters. Those older animals are not simply additional mouths to feed. A study published in 2025 found that strong social structure was closely tied to reproductive success. Dominant females that were well integrated into their family group and maintained more social relationships tended to raise young more successfully. Group size also played a role. For hunters, that matters. The number of marmots on the hill does not tell the entire story. The makeup of the family matters, too. A large, stable family with several age classes is biologically different from a handful of scattered individuals. That is why observation should go beyond simply counting animals. Spend enough time behind binoculars and you begin to recognize which marmots belong together, where the young are living, and which burrow systems are being used regularly. That makes marmot hunting more demanding—but it also makes it far more interesting. Winter Is a Family Affair Family structure becomes especially important once the marmots go underground. Alpine marmots hibernate together in their burrows. Younger animals in particular benefit from older members of the group because the family helps reduce heat loss during the long winter. That is one reason a harvest decision should not always be viewed simply as removing one individual animal. The entire family group deserves consideration. That does not mean certain age classes should never be hunted. Habitat, population density, and local conditions vary too much for such a simple rule. But it reinforces one of the oldest principles in responsible hunting: Identify first. Decide second. Heat Is Becoming a New Factor in the High Country For an animal perfectly adapted to cold alpine country, rising temperatures are becoming increasingly important. A 2026 study followed 14 marmot families and recorded more than 600 social interactions. The researchers found that behavior changed as temperatures rose. Play behavior among young marmots was especially affected. Activity peaked at roughly 13°C (55°F) and was almost completely absent above about 21°C (70°F). To a hunter, that may not sound particularly dramatic. But the practical implications are clear. When a mountain meadow becomes too hot, marmots retreat into their burrows earlier. That means less time above ground feeding, interacting, and allowing young animals to develop normal social behavior. Anyone who spends time watching marmots in midsummer has seen this pattern. On a cool morning, or again late in the afternoon, the mountain can seem alive with marmots. During the hottest part of the day, the same slope may look completely deserted. Research now suggests those heat periods are more than a temporary inconvenience. Hunting Pressure May Soon Be Measured Physiologically For mountain hunters, Alpine marmots are a particularly fascinating game species. Another study published in 2025 could eventually become especially interesting for wildlife managers. Researchers validated a method for measuring stress hormones—or, more precisely, their metabolites—in the droppings of wild Alpine marmots. That means scientists may increasingly be able to determine how strongly different disturbances affect the animals without having to capture them again. For hunting management, that could prove extremely useful. Until now, hunters mainly see the outward reaction of a marmot: It raises its head. It whistles. It runs underground. In the future, researchers may be able to determine more precisely how different kinds of human activity affect the animals physiologically. That could be especially important on heavily visited alpine pastures where hikers, bikers, livestock, tourism, and hunting all overlap. Eingefügter Text Hikers Are Not Automatically the Problem The picture is more complicated than simply saying more people mean more stressed marmots. The same study on escape behavior found no simple relationship between heavy recreational use and especially wary animals. Hunting pressure was the stronger factor. Again, that matches what many hunters see in the field. Marmots can become remarkably accustomed to predictable human activity. A hiker walking along the same trail every day may represent something very different from a person leaving the trail and moving directly across the slope toward a burrow. The animal reads its surroundings carefully. Perhaps more carefully than we have given it credit for. What Hunters Can Take From the Research None of these studies argues that Alpine marmot hunting should end. What they do show is that sustainable hunting requires more than simply filling an annual harvest quota. The most important factor is knowing the colony. A hunter should not only ask how many marmots he happened to see on a particular day. More useful questions are: How has this family developed over the past several years? Are young animals being produced? Are traditional burrow systems still occupied? Are several age classes present? Has the animals’ behavior changed? Is the area under heavy recreational pressure? Was the summer unusually hot? What kind of winter did the colony just survive? Put all of those pieces together, and you begin to see the real condition of the population. And that bigger picture should come before the shot. The Best Marmot Hunt Starts Behind the Glass Few types of mountain hunting fit the philosophy of Schuss & Stille—Shot & Stillness better than hunting Alpine marmots. You spend hours sitting on the mountain. You glass. You watch. You gradually begin to recognize individual animals. You see young marmots playing, hear warning whistles echo across the slope, and eventually discover burrow entrances you may have walked past a hundred times before. The longer you watch, the less a marmot becomes just another brown shape in the grass. Modern research is confirming something experienced mountain hunters have understood for generations: A marmot colony has to be learned. An animal you do not see today has not necessarily disappeared. A large colony is not automatically a stable colony. And removing one individual does not necessarily have the same effect in every family group. Marmot hunting does not begin with the shot. It begins with observation. The hunter who knows his colonies, understands their family structure, and follows their development over several years possesses something no harvest quota can replace: knowledge of the ground and the animals that live on it. And perhaps that is the real appeal of this old alpine hunt. Before you can hunt well, you first have to learn how to look.

Red stag with hinds at a salt lick in the mountains. When the nights turn colder in October and the first deep roars roll out of the mountain forests, one of the most spectacular weeks of the hunting year begins. But there is far more to the red deer rut than posturing, roaring, and fighting. New research from the Alps shows just how precisely red deer respond to hunting pressure, hikers, climate, and even changes in the forest. And some of the findings challenge our traditional image of the “king of the forest.” It often starts quietly. A single roar somewhere deep in the valley. Low, harsh, almost primeval. A few minutes later, another stag answers from the opposite slope. Then a third. The rut has begun. For hunters, these are among the most emotional weeks of the year. Biologically, however, there is very little romance about them. For a mature red stag, the rut is an extreme physical event. As daylight hours shorten, hormone levels shift. Testosterone rises and reproduction begins to dominate the animal’s behavior. Stags that may have spent the summer many kilometers apart move toward traditional rutting grounds. There, they encounter groups of hinds—and their rivals. They roar, posture, parallel-walk, thrash vegetation, and sometimes fight. But an all-out battle is rarely the first choice. For two mature stags, locking antlers carries a serious risk of injury. Voice, body size, behavior, and antler development already allow rivals to size each other up. Only when neither animal gives way do the antlers crash together. The Rut Burns Through Body Reserves Two young stags. What hunters witness during these weeks is essentially high-performance athletics on a sharply reduced energy intake. Mature stags feed considerably less during the peak of the rut, even as their activity levels increase. One comparative scientific study examining energy expenditure in male ungulates found that red deer lost an average of about 19.5 percent of their body weight during the rut. That was more than the chamois and roe bucks included in the study. Body mass can continue to decline even after the rut has ended. For a 200-kilogram stag, that means a considerable portion of its reserves can disappear in only a few weeks. That is why winter survival is not decided by winter alone. What matters is the condition in which a stag enters the rut—and how much is left when he comes out the other side. Summer, in other words, is when a stag fills the tank for fall. Not Every Stag Stays on the Same Mountain At night, red deer may leave the high country and move down into the valleys, where they find forage in places such as cornfields. This photo was taken with the aid of a flashlight and later edited. In mountain country, red deer show remarkable spatial flexibility. Summer ranges, rutting grounds, and wintering areas may lie far apart. Some animals remain relatively resident, while others migrate over substantial distances. An international long-term study published in 2025 examined the spring migration of 297 GPS-collared red deer. The conclusion was clear: departure dates are not controlled by the calendar alone. Snow conditions, temperature, the onset of plant growth, elevation, and landscape structure all interact. When peak vegetation development was delayed by five days, the deer migrated an average of about 1.2 days later. Animals whose summer ranges lay at higher elevations also tended to leave later. In effect, red deer ride the green wave uphill. The same pattern has been documented in the Central Alps. In spring, animals follow emerging vegetation toward higher ground, while snow and forage availability influence their return to winter ranges. Hinds, young stags, and mature stags may follow very different migration strategies. For hunters, that helps explain an old truth of mountain hunting: a stag seen regularly on a particular alpine meadow in August may be nowhere near it four weeks later. During the Rut, Travelers Become Searchers What happens during the breeding season is particularly interesting. GPS studies show that stag movement is closely tied to the reproductive status of the hinds. One telemetry study found that early in the rut, many females were receptive at roughly the same time. Stags therefore concentrated more heavily on holding and guarding groups of hinds. Later, when fewer females were simultaneously in estrus, the stags began moving more. They covered greater distances in search of additional receptive hinds. That helps explain why a stag nobody has seen all season can suddenly appear in a hunting area—and why a well-known dominant stag may vanish only days later. The rut does not mean standing still. Is Red Deer Really a “Forest Species”? Red deer in the mountains. This is where things get especially interesting. We often call the red stag the “king of the forest.” From an evolutionary standpoint, however, that description is only partly accurate. A study published in 2025 used isotope analysis to reconstruct European red deer habitat use over roughly 21,000 years. The data revealed a major shift. Near the end of the Pleistocene, red deer made much greater use of open landscapes. During the Holocene, their realized ecological niche shifted increasingly toward forests. At first, climate was the major driver. Later, human influence became increasingly important. Put simply: red deer do not necessarily live hidden in the forest because dense woodland is always their ideal habitat. In many places, they live there partly because we occupy the open country. Recent studies from the Alps provide striking evidence for that idea. We Are Changing the Red Deer’s Daily Schedule One of the most fascinating recent studies comes from the Eastern Alps. Over five consecutive fall seasons, researchers used trail cameras to monitor red deer, human recreation, hunting activity, and wolves. The result was remarkable: Hunting and recreational activity had a stronger influence on red deer activity patterns than wolves did. Where hunting occurred, red deer activity declined and the typical peaks around dawn and dusk became less pronounced. Heavy recreational use pushed activity even farther into the night. By comparison, wolf use of an area did not produce an equally strong effect on the deer’s daily activity rhythm. For hunters, that is an important finding. When we wonder why red deer no longer step onto meadows until well after dark, we may have helped create the answer ourselves. 243 GPS-Collared Deer Tell the Same Story The pattern becomes even clearer in a 2025 Alpine study based on movement data from 243 GPS-collared red deeracross six study areas in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Liechtenstein. During daylight hours, deer avoided places where encounters with people were more likely. They selected heavier cover, stayed farther from trails and roads, used steeper slopes, and in some cases moved to higher elevations. One finding was particularly striking: during summer and fall, the animals deliberately used areas closed to hunting. Inside these refuge zones, red deer were able to select habitat much more according to natural ecological factors rather than simply avoiding risk. And those refuges do not necessarily have to be enormous. A network of smaller quiet zones may also influence behavior. For modern red deer management, that carries a simple but powerful message: Security and quiet are habitat features in their own right. The Berchtesgaden Experiment Another recent study from Berchtesgaden National Park shows just how quickly red deer learn where danger begins and ends. Researchers followed 32 collared deer moving through areas that were partly hunted and partly closed to hunting. In hunted areas, the deer selected dense forest more often during daylight and reduced their movement. At night, they shifted increasingly onto open feeding areas. In areas without hunting, that pattern was far less pronounced. There, red deer used open habitat even during daylight. A stag, then, does not simply distinguish between “good” and “bad” habitat. He distinguishes between food and security. And apparently, he knows where the boundaries of risk lie. Can a Windthrow Become Prime Red Deer Habitat? Forest damage caused by storms, bark beetles, and other disturbances is also taking on new significance in wildlife research. A 2026 study from Berchtesgaden suggests that disturbed forest areas can be especially attractive to red deer because they combine two resources that are often separated: forage and cover. After windthrow or bark beetle damage, lush ground vegetation frequently develops. At the same time, fallen timber, deadwood, and structural complexity provide visual concealment. The result is a place where deer can feed while still feeling secure. The longer the monitored deer used these areas, the lower their daily energy expenditure tended to be. By contrast, energy costs increased with greater human disturbance. What foresters may see primarily as damaged ground can therefore become highly valuable wildlife habitat. Even Roaring Responds to Disturbance A newly published 2026 study from a mountain range in Portugal examined something that has rarely been measured in such detail: the roaring activity of rutting stags. Twenty-nine automated recording units captured a total of 88,022 confirmed rutting calls over 14 days. Roaring activity declined with higher temperatures, stronger winds, and precipitation. Even more interesting was the relationship with human-generated noise. The greater the level of so-called anthrophony—sound produced by human activity—the lower the recorded roaring activity. Roaring increased with greater distance from wind turbines. The researchers themselves caution that this does not prove the turbines’ sound alone caused the effect. Associated infrastructure and human activity may also contribute to the overall disturbance. Still, the message is worth considering: even the roar we associate so closely with the rut does not occur independently of the surrounding environment. Modern Red Deer Research in Carinthia One study published in 2025 is particularly interesting for Austrian hunters because it came from the Gerlitzen-Mirnock region of Carinthia. Between 2020 and 2022, researchers deployed 24 trail cameras across roughly 324 square kilometers of Alpine habitat ranging from 485 to 2,145 meters above sea level. Among other questions, they examined how reliably trail-camera data could be used to estimate the sex ratio of a red deer population. The results have practical implications for hunters and wildlife managers. Under the conditions of the study, relatively straightforward analysis of trail-camera images produced results similar to those from more sophisticated statistical methods. Trail cameras could therefore become an affordable tool for assessing population structure and sex ratios. With red deer, that matters. The ratio of stags to hinds affects more than population growth—it can also influence the timing and synchronization of reproduction. Red deer know exactly when trails are being used—and they recognize hunting pressure. The Stag Has Been Watching Us All Along Perhaps that is the most important lesson from all of these studies. We spend a great deal of time asking how many red deer live in an area. How high harvest quotas should be. How much browsing pressure exists. How many stags belong in each age class. But modern telemetry, trail cameras, and acoustic sensors are making something else equally clear: Red deer are studying us, too. They know when trails are being used. They recognize hunting pressure. They distinguish between safe ground and dangerous ground. They shift their activity into the night, retreat into cover, move onto steeper slopes, and alter the way they use an entire landscape. That has consequences. A stag that feeds on a meadow at night instead of during the day has not disappeared from the ecosystem. His feeding pressure has merely shifted in time and space. And that is exactly where wildlife biology, hunting, and forestry collide. The Rut Is Still a Wonder—Just Not Quite as Much of a Mystery Despite GPS collars, genetics, trail cameras, and thousands of hours of acoustic recordings, the red deer rut remains one of the great natural spectacles of the mountains. If anything, the science may make it even more fascinating. Because when a roar carries from one mountainside to another on a cold October night, we are not simply hearing a stag loudly advertising for hinds. We are hearing an athlete operating at the edge of his physical limits. A traveler moving between summer and winter ranges. A rival attempting to settle a contest with his voice before risking his antlers. And a wild animal capable of adjusting its movements with remarkable precision to vegetation, weather, people, and danger. Perhaps “king of the forest” was never quite the right title. The red stag is, above all, a master of adaptation. And nowhere is that more obvious than in the mountains.

Wild boar photographed with a smartphone and flashlight. Austria has so far been spared African swine fever. But the virus has already established itself in several neighboring countries. This summer, the closest confirmed case in a wild boar was less than 100 kilometers from the Austrian border. For hunters, the message is clear: pay attention in the field. The first sign of an outbreak could be lying somewhere in the woods. A dead wild boar at the edge of thick cover. At first glance, nothing extraordinary. A vehicle strike. An injury. Disease. But one day, a carcass like this could mark the moment everything changes for Austria. So far, no case of African swine fever—ASF—has been confirmed in Austria. But the virus is already circulating in several neighboring countries. Austria’s Agency for Health and Food Safety, AGES, currently classifies the risk of introduction into Austria as high. Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia are among the countries that have reported outbreaks. And the distance is shrinking. Just 98 Kilometers Away According to the AGES Animal Disease Radar, which is based on data from the European Union’s ADIS reporting system, Europe recorded 420 ASF outbreaks in wild boar in July 2026. Italy alone reported 121 outbreaks, Hungary 58, Germany 32, and Slovakia three. At that time, the closest confirmed case in a wild boar was in Hungary—just 98 kilometers from the Austrian border. During the same period, 192 outbreaks were reported in domestic pig herds across Europe. Ninety-eight kilometers is a considerable distance for a wild boar. For a virus that can travel in a vehicle, on a boot, on a hunting knife, or inside a carelessly discarded food item, it is almost nothing. That is where one of the greatest dangers lies. Humans Travel Faster Than Wild Boar Warning signs about African swine fever can now be found at rest areas and parking lots across Austria. ASF affects both domestic pigs and wild boar. It poses no health risk to humans. Dogs do not become sick from the virus either, although they can mechanically carry contaminated material on their paws, coats, or equipment. The virus itself is remarkably tough. According to Austria’s Ministry of Health, ASF virus can survive for weeks or even months in meat, processed meat products, and slaughter waste—and for several years in frozen meat. That means contaminated vehicles, footwear, clothing, knives, game tubs, and other hunting equipment can all become vehicles for transmission. AGES therefore does not view the natural spread of the virus through wild boar populations as the only major threat. For Austria, human-assisted introduction from already affected regions is considered the greatest risk. That helps explain why ASF sometimes appears suddenly far away from previously known outbreak zones. A contaminated food product can travel hundreds of miles in a matter of hours. From an epidemiological standpoint, a discarded sausage sandwich at a highway rest stop can be more dangerous than a roaming sounder of wild boar. When the Virus Reaches the Hunting Grounds For European wild boar, infection is often fatal. Sick animals may appear lethargic or disoriented. They may lose their normal flight response, lose weight, or show signs of internal or external bleeding. But not every infected animal displays a clear set of symptoms. That is exactly why carcasses matter so much. Since December 2019, Austria has required that every wild boar found dead be reported to the veterinary authorities and tested for African swine fever. The rule applies nationwide. Even severely decomposed carcasses can still provide useful diagnostic samples. For hunters, the procedure is straightforward. A suspicious carcass should not be moved. The location should be documented as accurately as possible—ideally with GPS coordinates—and the responsible district authority or official veterinarian should be notified. Boots, clothing, and any potentially contaminated hunting equipment should then be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. These are precisely the measures recommended by Austrian authorities for the early detection of ASF. Extra caution is required after hunting trips to affected regions. Hunting clothing, boots, knives, game tubs, vehicles, and other gear can all carry contaminated material. Austria’s Ministry of Health also explicitly warns against bringing pork, wild boar meat, or products made from either back from affected areas. What Austria’s First Case Would Mean A confirmed ASF case would be far more than a veterinary problem. If the virus were detected in a domestic pig operation in Austria, current control rules would require all pigs on the affected farm to be culled. Protection and surveillance zones would then be established around the premises. An outbreak among wild boar could have even greater consequences for hunters. Large restricted zones could be imposed. The movement of wildlife and people, carcass recovery, and especially hunting pressure would be managed according to epidemiological priorities. This is a critical point. A poorly timed or improperly conducted driven hunt can do exactly what disease managers are trying to prevent: break up sounders and push infected animals into previously unaffected areas. Austria’s Ministry of Health makes it clear that hunting may be heavily restricted in affected regions. At the same time, trade restrictions and major economic losses could affect pig farmers, meat processors, and the wider agricultural sector. Austria Is Preparing Austria is not simply waiting for the virus to arrive. Along with mandatory testing of all wild boar found dead, the country has adopted a Wild Boar Management Action Plan for 2023–2028. One of its main goals is to reduce wild boar densities while improving cooperation among government agencies, hunters, agriculture, forestry, and veterinary authorities. Austria has also established a dedicated task force for African swine fever. The reason is simple: high wild boar densities make it easier for an introduced virus to become established and spread through a population. Still, whether Austria remains ASF-free will not ultimately be decided by an action plan alone. It will come down to the small things. Clean boots after a hunting trip. A disinfected knife. Meat products that are not brought home from an infected region. And the hunter who finds a dead wild boar in the woods and does not simply keep walking—but reaches for the phone.

David would rather not part with the Sauer 202 Highland at all. It weighs only about 2.7 kilograms, uses a lightweight alloy receiver, features a short fluted barrel, and comes from an era when carbon fiber was still a rarity on hunting rifles. Yet that is exactly what makes the Sauer 202 Highland so fascinating today. For firearms expert David Mischkulnig of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach, Austria, it remains one of the most interesting hunting rifles ever built in Isny. So we wanted to know: How well does this old classic still hold up? “We found one of my favorites again.” David does not need much time to make it clear that this is no ordinary used rifle sitting on his workbench. In front of him is a Sauer 202 Highland chambered in .30-06 Springfield. It is roughly 20 years old. Yet when David cycles the bolt, it still glides through the action with that silky smoothness for which these rifles became famous. “The 202 is still incredible today. They hold their value extremely well, and they’ve always been very accurate rifles.” That is more than nostalgia. The Sauer 202 was built around a design philosophy that was remarkably advanced for its time. A Sauer That Made History David is fascinated by the Sauer 202. The story actually begins in 1985 with the Sauer 200. It was Sauer’s first modular bolt-action rifle and could be configured with different barrels, stocks, and other components. In 1993, Sauer developed that concept into the Sauer 202. It would remain at the heart of the company’s hunting-rifle lineup for more than two decades before the Sauer 404 officially succeeded it in 2015. That longevity explains why so many 202s can still be found in German and Austrian hunting camps today. Its real strength was its modular construction. Barrel, bolt, magazine, stock, and receiver were not treated as one inseparable unit. Over the years Sauer offered an almost bewildering number of configurations: Classic, Elegance, Forest, Outback, Wolverine, Stutzen—and, of course, the Highland. And the Highland had one very clear mission: Cut weight. Highland: Lightweight Before Carbon Fiber Took Over Today, a 2.7-kilogram mountain rifle is nothing unusual. Carbon-fiber stocks, slim-profile barrels, and lightweight alloys have made sub-3-kilogram rifles almost commonplace. When the Sauer 202 Highland appeared, however, that was a very different story. Sauer listed the Highland at just around 2.7 kilograms, with a 51-centimeter barrel, lightweight alloy receiver, fluted barrel and bolt body, and a Monte Carlo-style Grade 3 walnut stock. Depending on the catalog year, overall length was approximately 103 to 104 centimeters, while its take-down length for carrying in a pack was only 71.5 centimeters. That made the Highland a purpose-built stalking and mountain rifle. What makes it especially interesting today is that Sauer reduced the weight without giving up traditional walnut. That remains a major part of the rifle’s appeal. The Highland does not feel like a modern ultralight synthetic rifle. It still gives you the character of a classic hunting rifle with nicely figured walnut—just at a surprisingly low weight. David sums it up perfectly: “Less weight, more gotta-have-it factor.” The receiver of the Sauer 202 Highland was machined from a solid block of aluminum. The Engineering Secret Is Up Front The Highland’s lightweight alloy receiver was possible largely because of the way the rifle locks up. On David’s .30-06, six locking lugs engage directly into the barrel. That means the receiver itself does not have to absorb the locking stresses in the same way as a conventional action where the bolt locks into the receiver. This direct barrel lockup was a key part of the Sauer 202’s modular concept. The bolt lift is only 60 degrees. Anyone who has ever cycled a well-maintained Sauer 202 understands why owners rave about the bolt throw. David runs it several times. “It just feels incredibly smooth.” The Highland’s bolt body is also fluted. That removes a little weight and adds visual appeal, but David sees another practical advantage: dirt and fouling have somewhere to migrate rather than being dragged across the entire surface between the bolt and receiver. Even after roughly two decades of use, the inside of the rifle shows surprisingly little wear. Lightweight Alloy Comes With a Trade-Off Weight savings rarely come for free. While many Sauer 202 variants used a steel receiver, the Highland used a lightweight alloy receiver. That cuts weight significantly, but the surface is more vulnerable to scratches, impact marks, and visible wear from scope mounts. David points to several small marks in the finish. Mechanically, they mean nothing. Cosmetically, they can be annoying on an otherwise well-kept rifle. The Highland’s steel components were treated with Ilaflon, a durable protective coating. Sauer specifically promoted the combination of the alloy receiver, protected steel components, and fluted parts as central features of the Highland package. Still, a 20-year-old hunting rifle is allowed to show some scars. At this point, that patina may simply be part of the Highland’s character. A Safety You Can Feel Clearly visible: the Sauer push-button safety. The Sauer 202 also uses a safety system that feels unusual compared with many modern rifles. The characteristic Sauer push-button safety sits on top of the wrist of the stock. A separate control ahead of the trigger is used to disengage it. When the rifle is on safe, several critical components are blocked, and the bolt cannot be opened. Sauer described the system as an indirect firing-pin safety. n practical hunting terms, there is one significant advantage: You can determine the condition of the rifle by feel, not just by sight. The 202 was also offered with several trigger configurations. Sauer offered a standard trigger, a trigger with set-trigger function, and a match trigger. Sauer listed approximately 300 grams for the set trigger and about 700 grams for the match trigger. David has spent enough time around older set-trigger systems to know their quirks. His advice is simple: Do not adjust them unnecessarily light, especially on a rifle that may move between a warm range and bitter winter temperatures. Stock changes are quick and easy on the Sauer 202. Modular—But Not Unlimited One of the biggest attractions of the Sauer 202 was its modularity. Stocks could be swapped. Different scope-mount systems were available. Barrels could also be exchanged within the appropriate action and caliber groups. But this is where David clears up a common misconception: The Sauer 202 is not a universal switch-barrel rifle that can accept any caliber you want. Sauer used different action and caliber groups. A standard .30-06 rifle, for example, cannot simply be turned into a Magnum by installing another barrel. Magnum versions have additional dimensional and mechanical differences. Caliber changes therefore have to remain within the appropriate category. Even so, the level of modularity was remarkable for a hunting rifle of the 1990s and early 2000s—and it helps explain why the platform remained successful for so long. But How Does It Shoot? Set trigger on the Sauer 202 Highland. Technical history is interesting. What really matters is what happens on the target. And this is where the old Sauer shows why the 202 earned such a reputation. Despite its short barrel and low overall weight, the Highland can shoot extremely well. Period testing of a .30-06 Highland with a 51-centimeter barrel showed several 180-grain loads producing three-shot groups of less than 30 millimeters at 100 meters, with the best tested load grouping at just 17 millimeters. The same tests also confirmed exactly what David notices today: A 2.7-kilogram .30-06 lets you know when it goes off. That may be the most accurate description of the Highland. It is not a heavy match rifle. It was built to be carried. And when the moment comes, it was built to hit. Why Used Sauer 202s Are Still in Demand You cannot order a new Sauer 202 anymore. The Sauer 404 officially took over the role of Sauer’s modular premium hunting rifle in 2015. But that has not killed interest in the 202. If anything, good examples have developed a loyal following on the used market. David generally sees clean rifles selling for roughly €1,500 to €3,000, depending on configuration, condition, wood grade, caliber, and accessories. Engraved steel-receiver versions and rare configurations can bring considerably more. The Highland, in particular, is largely a question of finding one in the first place. David would buy one immediately. “If anybody has a Sauer 202 Highland they don’t need anymore, give me a call.” You believe him. A Rifle From the Days Before “Modular” Became a Marketing Buzzword The Sauer 202 Highland is no longer a modern rifle by today’s standards. It has no adjustable comb. No carbon-fiber stock. No integrated Picatinny rail. No modern manual-cocking system. And yet surprisingly little about it feels truly outdated. A bolt that locks directly into the barrel. A 60-degree bolt lift. Interchangeable components. Detachable magazine. Lightweight alloy receiver. Fluted barrel. And a total weight of just 2.7 kilograms. Many of those same features are still used today to sell modern premium hunting rifles. The Highland was doing it two decades ago. Maybe that is the best explanation for David’s enthusiasm. He runs a hand over the slim walnut stock, closes the bolt one more time, and delivers a verdict that does not require a ballistic calculator: “The 202 is just one hell of a rifle.” After spending some time with it, it is surprisingly hard to argue with him.

Ticks are being found at increasingly higher elevations in Austria’s hunting grounds. At 1,500 meters in a cool alpine forest, you would think ticks would no longer be much of a concern. Think again. In Austria, the castor bean tick is being found at increasingly higher elevations — and it is staying active for longer periods of the year. Climate change, milder winters, and wildlife acting as hosts are shifting its range. For hunters, that means tick country no longer ends at the edge of the lowland forest. It is September. Heavy dew still clings to the grass as a hunter works his way uphill through the dwarf pines in the first light of morning. Elevation: 1,400 meters. Maybe 1,500. Chamois country. Cool air, mountain timber, alpine pasture. Ticks? Most hunters would expect them somewhere far below. That assumption may now be a mistake. As red deer, roe deer, and chamois move between seasonal ranges, a tiny passenger is moving uphill with them: the tick. In particular, the castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus, has expanded and shifted its habitat in recent decades. The old rule of thumb that ticks are hardly a concern above 1,000 meters is outdated. Austria’s Agency for Health and Food Safety, AGES, has made it clear that this former elevation limit no longer applies. Individual ticks are now being recorded above 1,500 meters, while studies from the Alps have documented active Ixodes ricinus at elevations of roughly 1,700 meters and even above 1,800 meters. Wildlife Is the Taxi Of course, ticks are not climbing hundreds of vertical meters on their own. They hitch a ride. Roe deer, red deer, chamois, ibex, foxes, rodents, and many other animals serve as hosts. A tick takes a blood meal, eventually drops off, and suddenly finds itself in a location it never could have reached under its own power. Wildlife is especially effective at connecting different habitats. A roe deer may spend the morning in the valley and later move significantly higher. Red deer can cover even greater distances during seasonal migrations. Chamois, too, do not spend their entire lives above timberline. In other words, wildlife becomes an unintentional transport system. But whether ticks can establish themselves permanently at a new elevation depends on more than animals alone. Temperature, humidity, vegetation, and the length of the growing season all matter. And that is where the alpine environment is changing. Ticks use wildlife as hosts to spread into new areas. Milder Conditions Higher Up Ticks require moisture and sufficiently long periods of warmth to complete their development. Rising temperatures can therefore make higher elevations suitable in places that were once simply too cold or hostile. Austrian health authorities have pointed out that rising temperature totals in alpine areas can favor tick development. There is another change as well: the traditional tick season is becoming harder to define. Even the German name for tick-borne encephalitis — literally “early summer meningoencephalitis” — can create the false impression that the danger disappears once July arrives. It does not. Under suitable conditions, ticks can remain active far beyond summer. AGES now notes that ticks can, in principle, be encountered year-round in Austria. In 2026, the first specimens were reported as early as the beginning of February. For hunters, that matters. Our busiest months in the field do not necessarily begin with the first warm days of May. Stalking, the rut, tracking wounded game, recovering animals, habitat work, and driven hunts can keep us moving through tall grass, ferns, blueberry patches, blackberry tangles, young timber, and thick cover well into fall. In other words, exactly where ticks are waiting. Hunters Make Ideal Hosts Female hunter in a mountain forest. Ticks were once rare at these elevations, but that is changing. Tick protection is becoming increasingly important for hunters. ChatGPT kann Fehler machen. Prüfe wichtige Infos. Ticks do not drop from trees. The castor bean tick usually waits close to the ground on grass, low vegetation, or brush. When a potential host passes, it transfers onto clothing or skin and begins searching for a suitable place to attach. Few people give it more opportunities than hunters do. We do not stay on hiking trails. We push through young forest growth. We kneel in wet grass. We sit along timber edges. We crawl beneath branches. We drag and carry harvested game through thick vegetation. During a tracking job, we often go directly into the cover recreational hikers deliberately avoid. Then there is exposure time. A hiker may be outside for two hours. During hunting season, a hunter may spend entire days — and sometimes nights — in the field. More time in tick habitat simply means more opportunities for contact. Nearly One in Four Tested Ticks Carried Lyme Bacteria Recent Austrian monitoring data shows just how relevant that risk has become. In 2025, a total of 8,298 ticks collected in Austria were submitted to AGES as part of the country’s national tick-monitoring program. Ninety-six percent belonged to the genus Ixodes, which includes the castor bean tick. Of 3,838 native hard ticks examined more closely for different pathogens, 24 percent carried Lyme borrelia bacteria. Researchers also detected organisms including Rickettsia and Anaplasma, among others. That does not mean one in four tick bites results in Lyme disease. But it does show how common potentially infectious pathogens are in the environment. There is also an important distinction between two of Europe’s best-known tick-borne diseases. The virus that causes tick-borne encephalitis, or TBE, can be transmitted almost immediately when the tick bites. Lyme disease bacteria generally require more time before transmission occurs. That means removing an attached tick quickly can reduce the risk of Lyme infection. For TBE, however, there is an effective vaccine. All of Austria is considered a TBE risk area. No Austrian state is regarded as free of the disease, and Austria’s national vaccination recommendations therefore advise immunization for people living in the country. For anyone who spends a significant portion of life in the woods — whether professionally or because hunting is a passion — checking vaccination status should arguably be as routine as checking a rifle, optic, or backpack before the season. After the Hunt, Check Yourself One of the most effective precautions is also one of the simplest: Check yourself after every trip into the hunting grounds. Not the next morning. After every outing. Pay particular attention to the backs of the knees, groin, armpits, stomach, back, neck, and hairline. Hunting pants and other clothing deserve a close look as well. A tick does not necessarily attach immediately. It may crawl around on clothing or skin for quite some time before finding a suitable place to bite. If an attached tick is found, it should be removed as soon as possible with fine-tipped tweezers. Grip it as close to the skin as possible at the mouthparts and pull upward with steady pressure. If a spreading, ring-shaped rash develops afterward — or if fever, severe headache, body aches, or other unusual symptoms appear — medical evaluation is warranted. The New Reality of the Mountain Hunt There is no reason for panic. But there is every reason to pay attention. Perhaps the most remarkable part of this story is not that ticks are now being found at 1,500 or 1,800 meters. It is how quickly an old certainty has disappeared. “Ticks don’t live this high.” Generations of mountain hunters heard some version of that statement. Today, it is no longer true. The castor bean tick does not suddenly disappear as elevation increases. It generally becomes less common — but its upper range is shifting. Where temperature, humidity, vegetation, and sufficient hosts come together, a tick carried into new country may eventually become part of an established population. Wildlife helps make that possible. So perhaps the tick is no longer waiting only in the grass below. In a very real sense, it may already be riding uphill on the back of the roe buck, red stag, or chamois we follow into the mountains every fall. The tick follows the game. And sooner or later, it follows the hunter too.

Mit einem digitalen Fernglas machte einer der beiden Jäger diese Aufnahme vom Bären - erst danach näherte sich das große Landraubtier immer näher den beiden Weidmännern. Two hunters are sitting for wild boar in Austria’s Gail Valley when a large brown bear suddenly walks straight toward them. At roughly 20 meters, the situation turns serious. Rifles are ready — but no shot is fired. What happens in the mind during those seconds? And when would a hunter actually be justified in shooting to protect his life? It starts like any other evening hunt. Two hunters are sitting on the ground beside a forest road in Austria’s Gail Valley, waiting for wild boar. One is watching uphill, the other downhill. Visibility inside the timber is limited. Shortly after 7 p.m., a dark shape suddenly appears. At first, one of the hunters thinks it may be a large boar. Then the other realizes what is actually coming toward them. “That’s a big bear.” From that moment on, this is no longer an ordinary hunt. The brown bear continues along the forest road toward the two men. According to the hunters, a downhill wind is blowing, meaning the bear may not initially have caught their scent. They make themselves known and shout. The bear stands upright. But it does not immediately turn away. It keeps coming. 50 meters. Closer. Eventually, according to the hunters, the distance is down to roughly 20 meters. By then, both rifles are ready. To the hunters, the situation is clear: If the bear actually commits to an attack, they may have to react. Then the bear turns away. No shot is fired. Standing Up Does Not Automatically Mean an Attack A brown bear standing on its hind legs is an intimidating sight. But biologically, that posture does not automatically mean the animal intends to attack. Bears often stand upright to get a better look, pick up scent, and assess an unfamiliar situation. Even a bear moving closer does not necessarily mean a charge is coming. Still, the situation in the Gail Valley was anything but harmless. A large brown bear at close range, apparently aware of the men and still closing the distance, creates enormous pressure. Whether the bear truly intended to attack cannot be determined afterward with certainty. And that is exactly what makes encounters like this so difficult. The human has only seconds to make a decision, while having no way of knowing what the animal will do next. What Happens in the Mind Psychologically, a close encounter with a large predator activates one of the oldest emergency systems in the human body. Stress hormones surge. Heart rate increases. Breathing quickens. Muscles tense. Attention narrows almost completely onto the perceived threat. That response can help a person react instantly. But there is a downside. Unter massivem Stress verengt sich die Wahrnehmung. Menschen berichten von Tunnelblick, verändertem Zeitempfinden oder davon, Geräusche kaum noch wahrgenommen zu haben. Komplexe Entscheidungen fallen schwerer. Under extreme stress, perception can narrow dramatically. People commonly describe tunnel vision, altered sense of time, and reduced awareness of sounds around them. Complex decision-making also becomes more difficult. The hunters faced another complication: They were expecting wild boar. A dark animal appeared, and the brain initially categorized it as a possible boar. Seconds later, that interpretation had to be completely revised. This was not a boar. It was a bear. In that instant, the mind switched from hunting mode to survival mode. From a psychological standpoint, the fact that the hunters brought their rifles into a ready position is understandable. But something else matters just as much: When the bear turned away, they did not shoot. Can a Hunter Legally Shoot a Brown Bear? Under normal circumstances, no. The brown bear is fully protected in Carinthia. A hunter cannot legally kill one simply because it is close, standing on a road, or creating fear. The situation changes when there is an immediate and serious threat to human life. In everyday language, many people would call that “self-defense.” Under Austrian law, however, the legal distinction is more specific. Traditional self-defense applies to an unlawful attack by another person. A wild animal cannot act “unlawfully” in the legal sense. With an attacking animal, the relevant legal concept is therefore closer to necessity or emergency protection. In simple terms: If a person faces an immediate and serious threat to life or physical safety, and there is no other reasonable way to escape or stop the danger, the law can allow that person to protect himself. That can include the use of a firearm. There Is No 20-Meter Rule This point is critical. There is no fixed distance at which a brown bear suddenly becomes legal to shoot. Not 50 meters. Not 30 meters. Not even 20 meters. Everything depends on the circumstances at the exact moment the trigger is pulled. A bear standing upright at 20 meters is not automatically a lawful target. A bear walking past at that distance is not automatically a lawful target. Even a bear approaching slowly may still simply be trying to identify what it is seeing. The legal picture changes when the animal closes distance rapidly and deliberately, escape is no longer realistic, and an attack appears immediately imminent. At that point, the issue is no longer hunting. It is survival. What If the Hunters Had Fired? A shot at a protected brown bear would almost certainly trigger a detailed investigation. Authorities would want to know exactly what happened. How far away was the bear? Which direction was it moving? Was it actually charging? Was escape possible? At what moment was the shot fired? Witness statements, video footage, tracks, terrain, visibility, and the exact sequence of events could all become important. Simply saying, “I was scared,” would not automatically justify the shooting. But if the evidence showed that a serious attack was immediately threatening and the shot was the only realistic way to stop it, the shooting could potentially be considered legally justified as an emergency act of self-protection. The opposite is equally important. Once the bear turns away and the immediate danger ends, the legal situation changes instantly. A shot fired after the animal is retreating would be much harder — and potentially impossible — to justify as self-protection. The Most Important Moment Came Without a Shot The hunters say they were prepared to fire if necessary. That reaction is understandable. But perhaps the most important moment of the entire encounter came immediately afterward. The bear turned away. And the hunters did not shoot. That is the narrow line hunters face in encounters like this. A person may have only seconds to decide. He must be prepared to protect his life if a genuine attack comes. But he must also be prepared to keep his finger off the trigger the instant the danger is gone. In the end, the brown bear disappeared back into the forest. Both hunters walked away unharmed. And between a remarkable encounter and a potentially fatal confrontation stood only a few seconds. And about 20 meters.

A true long-range hunting setup: the Sako 90 Finnlight Black topped with a Burris Veracity. Light enough for mountain hunting, powerful enough to reach across open country, and anything but old-school when it comes to technology: firearms expert David Mischkulnig of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach, Austria, has put together an intriguing hunting rig for Schuss & Stille. At its heart are the new Sako 90 Finnlight Black chambered in 7mm PRC, the digital Burris Veracity PH 4–20x50, and Hausken’s new HX-Ti³, a suppressor 3D-printed entirely from titanium. But the bigger question remains: How much technology does a hunting rifle really need? “Scandinavian and uncompromising.” That is how David Mischkulnig sums up the concept behind this new combination. This time, the Alpen Adria Jagd firearms expert did not build another traditional .308 Winchester all-rounder. Instead, he put together a rifle specifically intended for open-country hunting, the mountains, and situations where longer shots may be part of the equation. The foundation is a Sako 90 Finnlight Black in 7mm PRC. Up top sits a Burris Veracity PH 4–20x50 with an electronically assisted ballistic elevation turret. At the muzzle is one of the more interesting new suppressors on the market: the Hausken HX-Ti³, measuring 184 millimeters—7.24 inches—in overall length, weighing just 235 grams, or roughly 8.3 ounces, and manufactured entirely from titanium using additive manufacturing. It is a setup that brings traditional rifle engineering and modern digital ballistics together in a surprisingly logical way. Sako Finnlight: Lightweight, But Not at Any Cost Firearms expert David assembled the Sako 90 Finnlight with Burris optics and a Hausken titanium suppressor for this season’s red deer and chamois hunting. The Finnlight name has a long history at Sako. With the Model 90 generation, however, the concept received a substantial overhaul. The new synthetic stock features a textured surface along with grippy inserts on the pistol grip and fore-end. A spring-assisted, height-adjustable cheekpiece helps the shooter establish a consistent cheek weld, particularly when using optics mounted higher above the bore. Sako also incorporates QD sling sockets. What David particularly likes is the feel of the stock. The polymer does not feel hollow or inexpensive. Instead, it feels solid, well finished and, importantly for hunters, surprisingly quiet. That matters on a rifle intended to leave the shooting bench and spend time stalking game and climbing through mountain terrain. The Black version differs from the standard Finnlight primarily through the additional dark ceramic-style protective coating applied to the barrel and action. The underlying metal components are stainless steel, while the coating adds another layer of protection against weather and corrosion. Sako has also refined the trigger system compared with the Model 85 generation. Trigger pull can be adjusted without removing the action from the stock, with five different weight settings ranging from approximately 2.2 to 4.4 pounds. The trigger blade itself can also be moved forward or backward by roughly 7 millimeters. For Mischkulnig, this type of ergonomic adjustment is far more important than it may sound on paper. The shooter should be able to position the trigger finger naturally and make clean contact with the blade. As David puts it in his typically straightforward way: “When your brain says shoot, that’s when the shot should break.” Schuss & Stille firearms expert David has become a strong believer in the Sako 90 platform. Three-Lug Bolt—and a Serious Accuracy Guarantee Mechanically, the Sako 90 uses a push-feed action with three locking lugs. On this model, the scope-mounting interface is integrated directly into the receiver. That eliminates unnecessary interfaces between the action and the optic mount and provides an extremely solid foundation for a precision riflescope. Sako cold-hammer-forges its barrels, and the Finnlight uses a fluted barrel to reduce weight. The 7mm PRC rifle tested by David carries a 620-millimeter barrel, or approximately 24.4 inches. Depending on configuration, Sako also offers the Finnlight in this chambering with a 569-millimeter barrel. Twist rate is 1:8 inches, while the muzzle is threaded M15x1. Another noteworthy point is Sako’s factory accuracy standard. The Finnish manufacturer test-fires its rifles in five-shot groups and guarantees its hunting rifles to produce sub-MOA accuracy. Of course, that does not mean every factory load will shoot equally well through every individual barrel. David has already seen substantial differences in accuracy between various loads during previous testing. That is why Schuss & Stille will not judge the Finnlight after a single three-shot group. Several factory loads will be tested before any final conclusions are drawn. Why 7mm PRC? The 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge is a relatively recent Hornady development. It was designed around long, aerodynamically efficient and comparatively heavy 7mm bullets, positioning its performance between the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC. Hornady classifies it as a long-action cartridge and currently offers factory loads using bullets roughly between 160 and 180 grains. For European hunting, that makes the cartridge particularly interesting when pursuing chamois, red deer and other big game in open terrain, where the combination of retained velocity, ballistic efficiency and downrange energy can become valuable. That does not mean long-range shooting should become an end in itself. A flat trajectory does not replace accurate ranging, wind reading, a stable shooting position or—most importantly—the shooter’s own skill and judgment. During the first range session, David used Norma Bondstrike ammunition. Muzzle velocities were measured at around 900 meters per second, roughly 2,950 fps. A final verdict on ammunition and accuracy will come only after further testing. Burris Veracity PH: A Ballistic Turret That Thinks With You Mechanically, the Sako remains relatively traditional. The digital part of this project begins with the optic. The Burris Veracity PH 4–20x50 uses an electronically monitored mechanical elevation turret called the PĒK—Programmable Elevation Knob. Unlike a conventional turret, it is deliberately designed without tactile clicks. Instead, a sensor tracks turret movement electronically with resolution down to 1/10 MOA. Ballistic information is loaded into the optic via Bluetooth using the BurrisConnect app. The key information then appears directly inside the riflescope. Its integrated Heads-Up Display can show information including the ballistic distance currently dialed, rifle cant, wind-related information and battery status—all while the shooter remains behind the optic. That is an important distinction from scopes incorporating their own laser rangefinder. The Veracity PH does not measure distance itself. The hunter still needs a separate laser rangefinder or rangefinding binocular. Once the distance has been measured, the shooter turns the elevation turret until the appropriate distance appears in the internal display. David also likes another aspect of the system: the electronics assist the shooter, but the optic is not completely dependent on them. Burris designed the scope so that once it has been properly configured, the mechanical system can still be used even if the battery fails. That redundancy matters on a hunting rifle. The current RC-MOA version features a first-focal-plane reticle, 30mm main tube, 50mm objective and upgraded ED glass. Burris lists the weight at 29.1 ounces, or approximately 825 grams. The current Austrian MSRP is roughly €1,699, although retail prices can be somewhat lower. David’s first impression of the optical performance was highly positive: a bright, clear image, good contrast and surprisingly conventional dimensions considering how much technology has been packed inside. The New Hausken Is Something Different Almost as interesting as the digital scope is the black cylinder hanging from the muzzle. This is not the familiar Hausken JD184. Instead, it is the Hausken HX-Ti³, introduced in 2026. The number 184 still applies, however: the suppressor measures exactly 184 millimeters—7.24 inches—overall. Its outer body and internal structure are manufactured entirely from titanium through 3D printing. The over-barrel design extends 84 millimeters—3.3 inches—back over the barrel, meaning it increases the rifle’s overall length by only about 100 millimeters, or 3.9 inches. With a diameter of 45 millimeters—1.77 inches—and a weight of only 235 grams, or 8.3 ounces, it is remarkably compact for a titanium suppressor rated for magnum-class cartridges. Hausken claims sound reduction of up to 30 dB, and versions are available for calibers up to .338. Conceptually, that makes the HX-Ti³ a very good match for the Finnlight: little weight added at the muzzle, minimal overall-length penalty and compatibility with powerful hunting cartridges. Our first range session did reveal something we intend to watch closely. Several shots produced noticeable sparks from the new suppressor. David suspects these may be small particles or residual material left over from the additive-manufacturing process. After shooting, we also found fine debris that, with the rifle stored vertically, had worked its way back toward the bolt face. Because the Sako’s bolt fit and headspace are extremely precise, the contamination was enough to make the bolt noticeably harder to close. Once the particles were removed, the Sako operated normally again. And that is exactly why, at Schuss & Stille, a test does not end after opening the box. We will be watching closely to determine whether this is simply a break-in phenomenon during the first rounds fired through a new 3D-printed titanium suppressor or something that persists over extended use. The compact Hausken also demonstrates another unavoidable reality: physics still wins. With the powerful 7mm PRC, the small titanium suppressor becomes extremely hot after only a handful of rounds. For one or two hunting shots, that is largely irrelevant. On the range, however, shooters should allow adequate cooling time between strings. The Hausken HX-Ti³ 184 suppressor. 10.8 Pounds—“Finnlight” Is Relative Fully equipped with scope, mounting hardware and suppressor, David’s rifle tipped the scales at roughly 4.9 kilograms, or 10.8 pounds. Anyone expecting the word Finnlight to translate into a 5½-pound mountain rifle may initially be surprised. But that would be the wrong comparison. The 7mm PRC Finnlight alone weighs approximately 3.5 to 3.8 kilograms, depending on barrel configuration. Add a full-size 4–20x optic, mounting system and suppressor, and the numbers rise quickly. David does not necessarily view all of that additional weight as a disadvantage. For a rifle designed to be fired from supported positions at greater distances, a little additional mass can contribute to a steadier hold, reduced movement and more controlled recoil. After completing the initial range work, the Schuss & Stille team will carry the Sako 90 Finnlight Black in 7mm PRC this season while hunting red deer and chamois in the Austrian mountains. High-Tech—Without Becoming a Gadget What makes this rifle interesting is not any single spectacular component. It is how the pieces work together. The Sako 90 Finnlight Black provides a rugged, proven mechanical foundation. The 7mm PRC supplies the external ballistics required for open-country hunting. The Burris Veracity PH takes some of the mathematical workload away from the shooter without making the rifle completely dependent on electronics. And the Hausken HX-Ti³ offers a glimpse of where suppressor technology may be heading through the combination of titanium and additive manufacturing. But none of this works if technology becomes a substitute for judgment. That is why our first trip to the range is only the beginning of this test. Over the coming weeks, the Schuss & Stille team will carry this setup in real hunting conditions—exactly where a rifle like this is meant to prove itself: in the mountains, pursuing red deer and chamois. Only then will we know whether this technically impressive package can become something more important: a rifle you actually trust when the hunt gets serious. And for Schuss & Stille, that is ultimately the only test that really matters.

Wild boar damage in Austria’s Carinthian Nock Mountains When hunters think of wild boar, they usually picture cornfields in the milk stage, bait sites after dark, and sounders capable of tearing apart an entire field overnight. In the Austrian Alps, the conflict is playing out more quietly—but it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. More and more alpine pastures are being literally plowed up by wild boar. Beneath the sod, the animals find exactly what they are looking for: roots, tubers, rhizomes, worms, insect larvae, and other high-energy food sources. And changing climatic conditions may be making it easier for them to push farther into the mountains. By morning, an alpine meadow can look as though someone ran a rotary tiller across it during the night. Chunks of sod lie upside down, dark soil is exposed, and deep furrows cut through what had been an intact pasture only hours earlier. No storm. No machinery. Wild boar. For hunters in Lower Austria or Burgenland, this kind of scene is nothing unusual. In Salzburg’s Lungau region, Carinthia, or other parts of alpine Austria, it has historically been a different story. At least, it used to be. Austria Is Still Far From Being Wild Boar Country A look at the hunting statistics shows just how unevenly wild boar are distributed across Austria. During the 2024/25 hunting year, hunters harvested 29,052 wild boar nationwide. What stands out, however, is where those animals were taken. Lower Austria and Burgenland alone accounted for 24,847 animals—roughly 86 percent of the entire Austrian harvest. Salzburg reported only 98 wild boar, Tirol five, and Vorarlberg just three. Carinthia recorded 632, while Styria reported 1,794. Harvest statistics are not the same thing as population estimates, of course. But they provide a useful indication of where wild boar are concentrated. For comparison, hunters in Germany harvested around 571,000 wild boar during the 2024/25 season—nearly 20 times the Austrian total. Hungary requires a more nuanced look. For decades, the country was considered classic wild boar country, but African swine fever and the aggressive population-control measures associated with the disease have sharply reduced numbers in recent years. One thing remains clear: Austria’s alpine regions are still sparsely populated by wild boar compared with the eastern lowlands. And that is precisely what makes the current trend so interesting. In some areas, “almost never seen” is slowly becoming “regularly present.” Wild boar sounder photographed through a ThermTec Ventus. The Lungau May Offer a Glimpse of What’s Coming The trend is particularly noticeable in Salzburg. For several years, the Salzburg hunting association has reported increasing numbers of wild boar in the Lungau region. Rooting damage on alpine pastures can be severe, and the situation is compounded by the short growing season at higher elevations. Damage that might recover relatively quickly in a lowland meadow can remain visible for much longer in the mountains. In 2025, farmers in Lungau were already reporting several sizeable sounders. Significant agricultural damage was documented around Kendlbruck, Lessach, and Göriach. Local estimates have even suggested that several hundred wild boar may now be present in the district. Those figures should be treated cautiously—they are field estimates, not the result of a scientific population census—but they illustrate the concern among hunters and landowners. An unusual research project shows how seriously the issue is being taken. The Lungau hunting community began working with BOKU University in Vienna to fit wild boar with tracking collars. The original goal was to capture and monitor as many as 20 animals in order to study their movements and home ranges using telemetry. By the 2025 district hunters’ meeting, three wild boar had been successfully fitted with transmitters. The goal is not simply to learn where the animals move through the mountains. Researchers and hunters also hope the data will help develop more effective management and hunting strategies. The need for that research says a great deal. We know an enormous amount about wild boar living in traditional agricultural and woodland habitat. We know far less about pigs moving between mountain forests, alpine pastures, and high-elevation terrain. Winter Used to Draw the Line Wild boar are not high-mountain specialists. Ibex and chamois are physiologically adapted to life at elevation. Wild boar are not. The Carinthian hunting association therefore describes their traditional habitat as lowlands, floodplains, and mid-elevation forests. High alpine terrain offers too little food for wild boar to occupy it permanently. At the same time, however, the association points to increasingly frequent beech and oak mast years, along with corn cultivation, as factors helping wild boar expand their range. Numbers have also been increasing in Carinthia. Historically, winter was one of the most effective natural barriers. Deep snow costs energy. It makes movement difficult and, perhaps more importantly for a rooting animal, blocks access to the soil. But that barrier becomes increasingly porous when winters are milder and snow cover is reduced. A widely cited study by researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna examined long-term European data and found that wild boar population growth is strongly associated with milder winters. Heavy mast years—particularly those producing large quantities of beechnuts—can add another boost. More food improves body condition, survival, and reproductive success. The researchers concluded that climate change may favor wild boar populations directly through warmer winters and indirectly through changes in food availability. For the Alps, that distinction matters. It does not mean wild boar are suddenly becoming true high-country animals. It means areas that were once energetically unattractive or inaccessible for months at a time may now remain usable for longer periods of the year. What Are Wild Boar Looking for on an Alpine Pasture? Wild boar rooting damage This is where the story gets particularly interesting. In agricultural country, the equation is relatively straightforward. Grain, potatoes, and especially corn provide huge amounts of energy. When corn reaches the milk stage, wild boar get both food and cover in the same place—a combination that can become a nightmare for farmers and hunters alike. But at 5,000 or 6,500 feet, there usually isn’t a cornfield waiting for them. So why are they digging? A study from the French Alps provides a surprisingly clear answer. Researchers analyzed fecal and stomach samples from wild boar over several years across elevations ranging from approximately 2,000 to nearly 7,900 feet. On average, 99 percent of the food identified was plant material. The largest single category consisted of underground plant parts, particularly roots, tubers, bulbs, and other storage organs, accounting for roughly 39 percent of the diet. And it becomes even more interesting as elevation increases. Above roughly 6,200 feet, roots and other underground plant material accounted for as much as 71 percent of the diet in the study. As fruits and other easily available foods became scarcer, the animals increasingly shifted their feeding activity below the surface. That is exactly why an alpine pasture visited by a sounder can look the way it does. Wild boar are not simply grazing the grass. They are looking underneath it. A Wild Boar Doesn’t Dig—It Plows The distinction matters. Using its powerful snout, a wild boar can move an astonishing amount of soil. It lifts the turf, flips over chunks of sod, and works systematically through areas where it detects food. Ecologists sometimes describe wild boar as “ecosystem engineers” because their behavior can physically alter the habitat around them. To an alpine farmer, however, “ecosystem engineer” sounds considerably more romantic than the reality. After a night of heavy rooting, more than grass has disappeared. The surface becomes rough and uneven, making grazing and mechanical management more difficult. The continuous sod layer is broken apart, bare soil is exposed, and forage production can decline—at least temporarily. At higher elevations, another factor makes the damage particularly serious: Time. A valley meadow has a comparatively long growing season. An alpine pasture at 5,500 or 6,500 feet does not. If a large area is rooted up in fall, the scars may remain visible well into the following summer. New Research Suggests Damage Can Last for Years A 2025 study conducted in the eastern Italian Prealps examined exactly this problem. Researchers compared different restoration methods on 16 alpine farms where pastures had been heavily damaged by wild boar. One of the more surprising findings was that simply leaving the damaged ground alone was not necessarily the worst option from an ecological standpoint. Native vegetation recovered relatively well on its own. From an agricultural perspective, however, that approach had drawbacks. The productivity and usability of the pastures remained more heavily impaired during the first two years, while the rough surface continued to complicate grazing and mechanical work. Overall, one of the most favorable approaches involved mechanically leveling or lightly working the disturbed soil without reseeding it with non-native commercial forage mixtures. That allowed pasture productivity to recover relatively quickly while preserving more of the original plant community than intensive reseeding. For alpine farming, the finding is significant. The real damage does not necessarily end when the sounder leaves. That is when the repair work begins. But Is Rooting Always Ecologically Harmful? There is another side to the story. Not every piece of sod flipped over by a wild boar automatically constitutes an ecological disaster. In certain abandoned or structurally uniform grasslands, small-scale soil disturbance can actually create additional habitat diversity. Research in Germany has found that wild boar rooting in unmanaged calcareous grasslands can, under some conditions, increase plant diversity. Other studies have identified positive effects for certain insect species. That does not necessarily contradict the experience of alpine farmers. The key factors are location, intensity, and land use. A few patches of exposed soil in an abandoned grassland may improve structural diversity. A large sounder turning over acres of productive alpine pasture is a very different situation—and a very real agricultural loss. As is so often the case in wildlife management, the dose makes the difference. One Boar Isn’t the Real Problem A single mature boar moving through a mountain hunting district is not going to transform the landscape. The situation changes when breeding sounders become established. Wild boar have extraordinary reproductive potential. Abundant food improves body condition and reproductive output, while mild winters increase piglet survival. As a result, populations can grow rapidly under favorable conditions. Across Europe, wild boar have become one of the continent’s most successful large mammals. A modeling study published in 2026 estimated the total European population before the hunting season at somewhere between 13.5 and 19.6 million animals, depending on the dataset and methodology used. That does not mean thousands of pigs are about to pour across Austria’s timberline. But perhaps that is not even the right question. Instead of asking, “Can wild boar live in the high mountains?” The better question may be: How often do they actually need to? A sounder can bed securely in mountain forest during the day, move onto alpine pastures after dark, travel several miles in search of food, and retreat to lower elevations when conditions deteriorate. The mountains do not need to become permanent year-round habitat for wild boar to cause recurring damage there. Wild boar rooting damage on an alpine pasture in Carinthia’s Gail Valley. A New and Difficult Challenge for Alpine Hunters That is exactly what makes wild boar such a difficult new challenge in alpine hunting districts. In traditional wild boar country, hunters have decades of experience, established infrastructure, and proven management strategies. Travel corridors are known. Bedding areas are understood. Neighboring hunting districts often coordinate their efforts. Where wild boar are only beginning to appear, much of that knowledge is missing. Their mobility makes matters even more complicated. That is why the telemetry project in Lungau is so important. Hunters are trying to understand how wild boar use the landscape and how they move between valleys, forests, and alpine grazing areas. From a management standpoint, there is a strong argument for reacting early rather than waiting until stable breeding sounders become firmly established. An occasional boar moving through a hunting district can be an exciting opportunity. A growing population that repeatedly causes agricultural damage quickly becomes a cross-boundary wildlife management problem. And anyone who assumes the issue can simply be solved at the nearest cornfield is missing the central point: In the mountains, wild boar do not need corn to survive. The alpine pasture itself can provide food. Then There’s African Swine Fever In 2026, the issue has another dimension. Austria remains free of African swine fever (ASF), but the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, AGES, currently classifies the risk of introduction as high. In July 2026, ASF cases in wild boar were reported in countries including Germany, Italy, Slovakia, and Hungary. At that time, the confirmed case nearest the Austrian border was approximately 98 kilometers—about 61 miles—away in Hungary. For that reason, wild boar found dead in Austria must be reported and tested for the virus. The expansion of wild boar populations is therefore no longer simply an issue of hunting and agricultural damage. It is also a matter of animal-disease management. Wild Boar Aren’t Conquering the Peaks—They’re Expanding Their Range Austria is still a long way from becoming wild boar country on the scale of Germany. And from a hunting standpoint, there is a world of difference between the Danube floodplains of Lower Austria and an alpine pasture in Lungau. But the boundary between traditional boar habitat and the high country is becoming less distinct. Milder winters, improved survival, and the remarkable adaptability of an opportunistic omnivore mean wild boar are increasingly using areas where they were once rare. Perhaps the most fascinating clue comes from what they eat. The higher wild boar move into the mountains, the more important the food beneath the pasture appears to become. In the French Alps, above roughly 6,200 feet, more than two-thirds of the diet examined during certain periods consisted of roots and other underground plant material. Crocus corms may be part of that menu. So can earthworms. For the boar, it is simply another meal. For an alpine farmer, the aftermath can look as though someone pulled a plow across half the pasture during the night. And for Austria’s hunting community, that may turn out to be one of the most underestimated wildlife-management challenges of the years ahead.