Hello all
I am new here at the forum. I have juste dmoved from Norway and to Switzerland, Ticino. But, can I do some hunting here? Maybe there are some members here from Switzerland/ticino who can help me? Or anyone who know something about Switzerland and hunting.

All help is good for me.
Thanks for looking

Hi VD,

First of all, Welcome to Switzerland! In which canton have you taken up residence?? (Ah, I just re-read your post, and it specifies Ticino). There are two basic hunting systems in place in the various Swiss cantons: a license (German: "Patent") and a lease (German: "Revier") system.

Most mountain cantons (St Gallen is an exception) have a license system - in which hunters with the right to obtain a license have the right to hunt all (huntable) areas of the canton. The hunting seasons are normally fairly short (2-3 weeks in September for reds, chamois etc), and some weeks later in the year for other game (e.g. roe, foxes etc). (This is the hunting system valid in Ticino).

Most low-land cantons (and St Gallen) employ a lease system, in which the huntable area of the canton is divided into leases, on which an association of lease holders have the right to hunt. The hunting season normally runs from May - December (January) with different seasons for various game species, sex etc. Where they are a problem, wild boar may be huntable in extended seasons.

To obtain the right to own a firearm (hunting rifle or shotgun), you have to make an application to your local Gemeinde (town authoritiy) or police (depending on whether you live in a small community or a city). The application essentially consists of filling out a form and submitting together with a criminal record excerpt. (For the criminal record excerpt, see here: https://www.e-service.admin.ch...ter/strafregister_en ). As a recent immigrant to Switzerland, you will most likely also have to submit documentation, that you are allowed to own a weapon in your home country.

And now comes the more tricky bit... The rules for obtaining a hunting license vary wildly from canton to canton. They all employ some form of educational system with subsequent exam. But the cantons vary in which qualifications they accept from outside the canton. This is a pretty mind-boggling mess, and you will have to figure this out for the canton in question. Approach the authorities responsible hunting and fishing in your canton, and figure out if any of the qualifications you have are accepted, or whether you need to go through the local hunters' training scheme.

Btw, if you happen to be located in the (thankfully small and most urban) canton of Geneva, be aware this canton outlawed hunting several years ago. That is, now the game is regulated by paid public employees (with no need to obtain qualifications like normal hunters would have to...) - mostly by night shooting... Go figure...

- mike

P.S. We have a member in here from Ticino. If he does not chime in, I'll see if I can locate his name for you. Maybe you can get in touch with him for some local help....

P.P.S. Here is a link to the public profile of the member I believe lives (or hunts?) in Ticino... http://forums.accuratereloadin...=profile&u=240106513

Hello Mike

Thanks for the reply, link and good info
Well, I understand it CAN be hard for me to do any hunting these fall, have to se what they say about my qualifications......hmm. I also have send a pm to the member you told me about.
But, is the law saying I need to use a 10.5mm cal?
Well, for a deer ok, but roe deer? Wild boars?

How are the laws on getting obtaining a hunting rifle or shotgun?

Will come back and let you all know how it goes, and if I can do any hunting/shooting these year.

Cheers

VD, the only canton in which the caliber minimum is as high as 10.3 mm is in Graubuenden. I'm not up to scratch about the regs in Ticino, but from days past, I seem to recall something about an 8mm minimum... (Forgive me if that turns out to be incorrect).

Normally, getting a permit for a gun is no big deal. I described the procedure in my last reply, and if you can show a clean criminal record, and, since you are a late arrival, permission to own a rifle in Norway, it should be a formality. I would guess the requirement to prove you are allowed to own a rifle in Norway would be covered by your Norvegian hunting license or (if such things exist?) a Norvegian rifle permit.

Rifle in hand, you will be able to shoot it on the range, even if you don't have a hunting permit for the first year... I don't know about shooting ranges in Ticino, but here are a couple of links to ranges in other parts of Switzerland (OK, a bit of a drive, but at least a place to shoot...). Note: there may well be ranges closer to you, I'm just not familiar with that part of the country in this respect...

http://www.bruenigindoor.ch/

http://www.jsbern.ch/

http://www.jagdschuetzen-zuerich.ch/

The last one is our "local" range here in Northern canton Zurich. Should you decide to make the drive up, then we should arrange to meet up.

- mike

P.S. Even if you don't get a hunting permit in Ticino for the first year, you can still always go abroad to hunt - Eastern Europe, Germany, Austria etc etc.

P.P.S. It seems our 10.3x60R member may actually hunt both Graubuenden (makes sense with his "pen name") as well as Ticino. Here is an interesting post about a pig hunt he did in Ticino (using a 7.5x55, so there does not seem to be an 8mm minimum in TI after all...)

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=856105199#856105199

I remember he also posted about a shoot on this range:

http://www.tirodicaccia.ch/

I'm not 100% sure where the range is at, but it should be closer to you than the other ranges I posted links for...

Contact them
Contact the administrator that is 10,3x60r, AR memebr, he is not in ticino but in the Italian part of rigioni, but not too far from Ticino.

Hello hello

Thanks for the reply and great info!!!

As for hunting permit in Norway, you do not need a gun to get one. And you do not need a hunting permit to get a gun. I have a gun permit and a hunting permit in Norway.
In Norway one have to do a short evening class and then a exam before getting the permit. The permit is valid for one year, but the next year, one only need to pay a fee and take the shooting test.

The shooting test is for large game only. Done at a 100 m range.

So, I think, hope, I will be ok here to. As for the hunting, I have to send some mails and find out what is needed of me.

Thanks for the post with the pig hunt in Ticino.
Just what I like to do.

Also thanks for the link to the range, maybe I will pm you and say I am on my way...

Will let you all know how it goes.

Y make Hunt in Graubunden and Ticino. In canton Ticino the minimun caliber is 7mm or 270 in Graubunden 10,2 mm y shot wit one 416. rem mag on the red stag, chamois, wild boar and roe deer.

For the power the solutions is one home made bullet monolitic wit lock for the expansion control.

I'm interested in hunting Switzerland as a Forener. Is this possible as a guest of a local hunter. I have a hunting lisence in Germany that is for a foriener like myself. I must pay a fee and have the lisences stamped each time I go there and then it is only good for two weeks.
I was just wondering if there was a system like this in Switzerland or dose it depend on each canton to decide this.
If so would it also be possible to bring a rifle. I've also done this in Germany and I needed only to check it in and get a permit at customs.
I've hunted Germany, Austria,France,and Spain as well as a couple scandanavian countries. I like hunting in Europe and I've kind of done a loop around Switzerland. It would be nice to close the gap.

I have a friend Here in AK who is from a small village near Bern. It might be possible some connections could be made there.

AK, yes it is possible for a non-resident to hunt in Switzerland. As you surmise, you have to find a Swiss hunter who will extend an invitation.

The cantons regulate their own hunting, so each canton has different rules regarding how, when and for what it is possible to invite non-residents for hunting. However, once you receive an invitaion, bringing in your rifle should be no hassle - just show your invitation at the border (and perhaps official looking proof of legal ownership at home - e.g. the US Customs form used for re-import of your rifle).

- mike

Thanks Mike

It's good to know this is possible. I really don't know when I'll make it but there's a good chance that we would make a trip sometime. I'll have plenty of time to organize some hunting before I go.

If I can't do it there I have many opertunities in southern Bayern and Steiermark that would only be a few hours away (more like all day).
I've only been to Switzerland one time driveing through but it would take a blind man not to see how beautifull and majestic the mountains are in your land.