Hunting
Hunting is one of components of the natural environment conservation – according to a definition in the Hunting Law of 1995. Wild game (20 percent of mammal and 12 percent of bird species in Poland) are a national property owned by the State Treasury. Hunting has always been and is a form of human influence on nature. Centuries ago its aim was to provide food or clothes, but nowadays it becomes a tool for maintaining balance in the environment.
Hunters ensure correct sex ratios and age structures are maintained in the wild populations, they also contribute to conservation of biodiversity and implementation of principles for sustainable development.
Hunting management has two main objectives – apart from ensuring normal functioning of wild game populations, it ensures increasing of natural feeding resources for animals in forests, by restoration and correct management of small forest meadows, and waterholes as well as water courses. Hunters feed animals in winter and, together with the Forest Guard, combat poaching. Often they also implement projects to reintroduce valuable game species into areas inhabited by them in the past. These tasks are performed by hunters associated in the Polish Hunting Association and by foresters. There are 147 Game Breeding Centres located on the areas administered by the State Forests.
The hunting culture is very important for each fan of hunting. It is a cultural heritage of generations of hunters that has developed throughout the centuries. Hunting traditions play a very special role in the culture of Poland. The special character of hunting stems out from customs, specific jargon, clothes, and cuisine preserved for centuries.
Each hunter is obliged to adhere to hunting ethics and customs, and they should mainly be a breeder and keeper of the game, a prudent manager of hunting grounds, equipped not only with guns and hunting accessories, but, first of all, with their knowledge of nature.
