Waidmannsheil

HOHENFELS, Germany (Dec. 17, 2015) -- On any given day in the Hohenfels Training Area, Soldiers clad in special uniforms and bearing rifles take aim at their targets and do their best to contribute to their team. But on this foggy winter morning in the Oberpfalz, it's not military vehicles or the enemy they are aiming for, it's the mainly red deer.

The seventh annual German -- American Partnership Hunt took place, here, on Dec. 17 and 18. Its status as a "must do" hunt for any true Jaeger, German for hunter, is well known.

During the two-day event, nearly 125 German and American Soldiers and civilians met in the rugged hills and dales of the Hohenfels Training Area to hone their skills as hunters, to help keep the ecosystem of the training area in balance, and most importantly, to continue to build relationships between German and American hunters.

"I had the idea to improve the German-American friendship by offering something from the Forestry Office-Hohenfels after the war in Afghanistan started," said Dr. Markus Perpeet, director of the German Forestry Service (Bundesforst) in the Hohenfels area. "Another (binational) aspect was to bring Bundeswehr and U.S. forces together by a common hunt, for an exchange of experiences."

For Maj. Gen. William Gayler, deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe, and one of the participants in the hunt, "these kinds of opportunities are huge; when you have a connection for some passion, like hunting, that continues to foster those relationships."

Gayler continued, "a very interesting thing is that we have fewer Soldiers in Europe than at any time post-World War II….and we have less opportunity for Germans to know Americans and for young Americans to grow up knowing Germans or Europeans in general."

The hunt is organized completely by the German Bundesforst. After an extensive safety brief that reinforces the rules all hunters have studied to get their German hunting license, and the exchange of "Waidmannsheil", a traditional German hunting term for luck, the hunters depart to their pre-designated areas to await their opportunity.

Some people may wonder why it's necessary to send these groups of hunters into a military training area.

What is often forgotten is that Hohenfels is home to a thriving population of deer, wild boar and other animals.

In steady populations, they keep the training area in the proper natural balance sought after by the Bundesforst.

But when the populations grow too large to properly sustain the forest, the land is out of balance. Animals go hungry, forest plants become overgrazed and the rate of vehicular accidents goes up.

According to Perpeet, the Bundesforst policy of land management in Hohenfels is "grass instead of bark," referring to the long-term strategy of preserving the forest and encouraging the deer and other animals to get their food from the open areas of the training area, which "relieves the forest because of no damage of young trees if the [deer] nourish from grass."

Enter the regular hunting operations of the Bundesforst. These specially organized hunts, like the German-American Partnership Hunt, help thin the boar and deer population to the levels set forth by German government. In all, they harvest about 900 deer each year from the Hohenfels Training Area.

During the first day of the Partnership Hunt, the combined hunters harvested 52 animals, which was a mix of boar and deer. For hunters that wished to purchase the meat, they were able to do so. If not, the meat is turned over to the Bundesforst for sale.

One of the more interesting parts of the German hunting tradition is the bugle as a signal and tribute to the animals. The buglers, also participants in the hunt, play ancient calls at the beginning of the hunt to notify everyone they can begin. At the end of the hunt, another signal is blown.

During the closing ceremony, the buglers play long-established calls as tributes for each of the different animals caught during the hunt. It's a solemn and respected tradition to honor the life of these animals.

While hunting is always an uncertain business, Gayler was not concerned about his prospects for the day.

"Having been a lifelong hunter, I never go out thinking I am going to take something, but it doesn't matter," he said. "To me, it's about the camaraderie, and being out in the wilderness on a beautiful day. Whether I see something or take something is irrelevant, I'll have fun either way."