German Bundesrat Approves Federal Hunting Act Amendment to Include Wolves

Germany's Bundesrat approved an amendment to the Federal Hunting Act on Friday, March 27, 2026, adding the wolf to the list of huntable species for the first time, allowing states to permit wolf hunting in regions where the animal has achieved a favorable conservation status. The designated hunting season runs from July 1 to October 31. Wolves that have killed or injured livestock may be shot outside that window and regardless of conservation status. States may also designate specific areas — such as alpine pastures or dikes — where hunting is permitted because livestock there are particularly difficult to protect. Financial support for protective measures such as fences and livestock guardian dogs is set to continue under the new framework.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern refuses to back the law Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's environment and agriculture minister Till Backhaus declined to approve the amendment in the Bundesrat, calling the law unsuitable for taking effective action against wolves. Backhaus pointed to what he described as contradictory regulations between the Federal Hunting Act and the Federal Nature Conservation Act, arguing that no clear rule establishes which law takes precedence. He said he firmly expects legal challenges to follow. Despite his opposition, Backhaus pledged that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern would prepare a wolf management plan for the region. „Whether this will ever be applied, however, I doubt. At least for this summer, the wolf in Germany will probably soon feel safe again. The livestock keepers, however, will not.” — Till Backhaus via N-tv The minister's skepticism reflects broader uncertainty about whether the new law can be enforced in practice without further legislative clarification.

The wolf was hunted to extinction in Germany by the early twentieth century. The species began returning naturally from Poland in the late 1990s and has since expanded steadily across the country. German law previously afforded wolves strict protection under both national and European Union conservation frameworks, making any form of lethal control legally complex. The tension between livestock farming interests and wolf conservation has grown as pack numbers increased across multiple federal states.

Wolf numbers surge in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as attacks mount Data from the Schwerin environment ministry illustrates the scale of the issue in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The state recorded 28 (wolf packs) — in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 2025, up from 19 in 2024 wolf packs in 2025, up from 19 the previous year. There were 77 suspected wolf attacks on grazing animals in 2025, resulting in 424 animals killed and a further 39 injured. These figures underpin the frustration of livestock owners and hunting advocates who argue that existing protective measures have proven insufficient. The law's provision allowing wolves that have attacked livestock to be shot at any time of year — regardless of conservation status — was designed specifically to address such incidents.

2024: 19, 2025: 28

Killed: 424, Injured: 39

Brandenburg hunting association demands action before summer The Brandenburg State Hunting Association, led by president Dirk-Henner Wellershoff, welcomed the Bundesrat decision and immediately called on the Brandenburg state government to create the legal conditions for active wolf management before the end of this year. „The political decisions have been made — now no more time may be lost. What is needed now is decisive action.” — Dirk-Henner Wellershoff via Der Tagesspiegel The association estimates the wolf population in Brandenburg at around 1,500, a figure that official authorities have not confirmed. Brandenburg's State Office for the Environment instead counts wolf territories, citing 60 confirmed territories for the 2024/25 wolf year, comprising 54 packs and 6 pairs. Brandenburg's agriculture ministry said regulations on how wolf hunting would work in practice are still being coordinated. Conservation organizations and wolf protection advocates have rejected the hunting of wolves.

Wolf population figures for Brandenburg: Brandenburg State Hunting Association estimate (before: No official hunting permitted, after: ~1,500 wolves cited as justification for culling); Official State Office for the Environment (2024/25) (before: No official hunting permitted, after: 60 confirmed territories: 54 packs, 6 pairs)