Jägerprüfung Study Guide (Germany) 2026

The Jagdschein and the Jägerprüfung

To hunt in Germany you must carry a hunting licence (Jagdschein) in your own name and show it to the police or hunt wardens on request. Your first Jagdschein requires passing the Jägerprüfung. Under § 15 of the Federal Hunting Act (BJagdG), it should have three parts:

1. A written part
2. An oral-practical part
3. A shooting test (Schießprüfung). Poor shooting cannot be balanced out by good results elsewhere.

Germany is a federal country. Each state (Land) runs the exam under its own hunting law and exam regulations, so training hours, question numbers and pass marks differ. States may require proof of theoretical and practical training before you can register.

Licence types

The licence is refused without hunting liability insurance of at least €500,000 for injury to people and €50,000 for property, or if facts suggest you are unreliable, for example likely to handle or store weapons carelessly. It can also be refused to people under 18, to non-Germans, or to people without three years' residence in Germany.

Hunting law: the main rules

The hunting right is the exclusive right to look after, hunt and take game in a defined area. It comes with the duty of Hege: caring for a healthy, varied game population suited to the landscape and protecting its habitat, while avoiding damage to farming, forestry and fishing. Hunting must follow Weidgerechtigkeit, the recognised principles of fair and ethical hunting.

The hunting year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Hunting seasons are set by federal ordinance, and the states can shorten them or make local exceptions. Game with no season is protected all year. Parent animals needed to raise young may not be hunted until the young are independent.

Selected prohibitions (§ 19 BJagdG)

• No killing of hoofed game at night (1.5 hours after sunset to 1.5 hours before sunrise), except wild boar.
• No killing game from cars, aircraft or motorboats.
• No poison or poisoned baits.
• No snares of any kind, and no traps that neither catch unharmed nor kill instantly.
• No Hetzjagd (chasing game to exhaustion).
• No killing hoofed game within 200 m of feeding places in emergency times.
• No collecting shed antlers without the hunting right holder's written permission.

Game species and biology

§ 2 BJagdG lists which animals are game (Wild). It divides them into Haarwild (mammals) and Federwild (birds).

Roe deer (Rehwild)

Bock (buck), Ricke (doe), Kitz (fawn). The rut is from mid-July to mid-August. Development of the embryo then pauses until December (Keimruhe), so fawns are born in May and June. Bucks cast their antlers between October and December and regrow them under velvet (Bast). Roe deer are choosy feeders on buds, herbs and young grass.

Red deer (Rotwild)

Hirsch (stag), Alttier (hind), Kalb (calf). The rut (Brunft) starts in early September and lasts about 5 to 6 weeks. Stags cast their antlers between February and April. Hinds live in family groups led by a lead hind. In several states, red deer may only live in designated areas.

Wild boar (Schwarzwild)

Keiler (male), Bache (female), Frischling (striped piglet). They live in groups (Rotte) led by the oldest female, the Leitbache. Wild boar eat almost anything, from acorns and roots to insects, carrion and field crops, and can breed almost year-round when food is plentiful.

Weapons law and safety rules

This section covers the official safety and legal rules only. Weapon handling is learned in your course under qualified instructors.

• Storage (§ 36 WaffG): keep weapons and ammunition so they cannot be lost or taken by unauthorised people. You must show the authority your storage and let it check.
• Buying (§ 13 WaffG): an annual licence holder needs no separate permit to buy a long gun but must apply for the firearms ownership card (Waffenbesitzkarte) within two weeks.
• Carrying (§ 13 WaffG): on the way to and from hunting, hunting weapons may only be carried not ready to fire.

Accident prevention rules (VSG 4.4 and SVLFG)

1. Load only for the actual hunt. Point the muzzle where nobody can be hurt and apply the safety.
2. Unload before climbing into or out of a stand and before crossing fences, ditches or other obstacles.
3. Before every shot, make sure nobody can be endangered and that there is a safe backstop (Kugelfang).
4. Remember that a rifle bullet can be dangerous up to about 5 km. Flat shots raise the risk of ricochets.

Group and harvest hunts

• Everyone wears signal colours, at least a warning vest. A red hat band alone is not enough.
• The hunt leader gives a safety briefing: no alcohol, hunt signals, shooting sectors, neighbours and the emergency chain. Breaking the rules means exclusion.
• At the assembly point, guns are unloaded, open and muzzle up, until the hunt leader allows loading.
• Keep an angle of at least 30° to your neighbouring shooter and stay in your sector.
• Never shoot into the field being harvested; harvest work has priority.

High seats

Check ladders and platforms before every use and have each stand inspected at least once a year. Rotten stands have caused fatal falls. Do not use stands in strong wind or thunderstorms.

Game meat hygiene and animal disease

Hunters may supply small amounts of game directly to consumers or local shops if they are trained in game anatomy, behaviour, signs of disease and hygiene (§ 4 Tier-LMHV). Passing the Jägerprüfung after 1 February 1987 counts as this training.

• Look at the animal before and after the shot for signs that the meat may be unfit to eat.
• If you find such signs, register the animal for official meat inspection.
• Wild boar and badgers must be tested for trichinella before the meat is sold. Send them with a game origin certificate (Wildursprungsschein).

African swine fever (ASF)

ASF is a notifiable disease of domestic pigs and wild boar. It is not dangerous to humans. It spreads through infected animals and especially their blood, through pork scraps and food waste, and on boots, clothing, vehicles and hunting equipment. Report unusual numbers of dead wild boar to the authorities and have samples tested.