Deutschland – 01. 07. 2026

Bird of prey poacher caught in Lower Saxony

23.07.2026

In the district of Schaumburg, the police seized an active goshawk trap on the premises of a pigeon fancier. The officers had found the device in the immediate vicinity of the dovecote. The operation was triggered by a report from the committee, which had informed the authorities. Although the use of goshawk traps is strictly prohibited, the traps are freely available for sale and can easily be ordered online from hunting outfitters and mail-order suppliers specialising in poultry breeding. Buyers are merely advised to comply with ‘statutory regulations’ when using the trap. Our statistics show that, in many cases, they fail to do so: since 2005, we have already documented 207 cases of the illegal use of hawk-catching cages in Germany!