Polish government clashes with hunters over plans to introduce regular health checks

Polish hunters have expressed opposition to government plans to introduce compulsory periodic checks of their physical and mental health.

The climate ministry says that the measures are a response to accidents involving hunters in which people have died. It also notes that other groups that handle weapons already have the requirement to undergo such tests.

The proposal is part of a package of measures being considered by the climate ministry, which also includes restrictions on hunting in groups and on the use of night vision, as well as obligations to inform property owners about planned individual hunting on their land, reports the Rzeczpospolita daily.

However, the proposal to introduce periodic physical and psychological examinations has caused the most outcry among hunters. There are approximately 130,000 registered hunters in Poland, and currently they only have to undergo checks when applying for a gun permit.

By contrast, other groups handling weapons, such as police officers and soldiers, also undergo additional periodic examinations. Private individuals who have a weapons permit for personal protection also have to undergo checks once every five years.

“Anyone who owns a weapon and has permission to use it should undergo periodic examinations. This is in the name of citizens’ security,” climate minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska told broadcaster Radio Zet.

“It must not be the case that people are killed during hunting,” she continued, adding that “90% of the public wants hunters to undergo periodic examinations. People expect such a change because they want to feel safe”.

That was a reference to a recent survey published by an anti-hunting group that found 94% of people supported regular medical checks for hunters.

Last month, a hunter fatally shot a colleague after mistaking him for a wild boar. In November 2023, a 21-year-old soldier was shot by hunters at a military site, again after they reportedly mistook him for an animal.

“We can’t pretend that everything is OK. We have a problem,” wrote deputy climate minister Mikołaj Dorożała. “Drivers, policemen, soldiers do tests…Such tests should be mandatory [for hunters too]. We’re not saying that they should be done every six months, but once every 4-5 years.”

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However, legal advisor and hunter Witold Danilowicz argues that none of the recent accidents involving hunters in Poland have been linked to poor health.

“The reason has always been a breach of hunting regulations, in particular the prohibition of shooting at an unrecognised target,” he told Rzeczpospolita. “A hunter has no right to fire a shot until he is absolutely sure what he is shooting at.”

Danilowicz claims that the real purpose behind the climate ministry’s proposals is to discourage people from hunting.

Marcin Możdżonek, president of the Supreme Hunting Council, likewise told broadcaster TVP that “the level of safety in hunting is very high”. He admitted that “accidents, just like on the roads, unfortunately happen, [but] we do everything to prevent these tragedies”.

On Wednesday this week, Dorożała announced that “after several hours of discussion” with representatives of the Polish Hunting Association, they had refused to agree to periodic medical checks. “The formula of dialogue has been exhausted,” he warned.

Previously, in 2018, an obligation was introduced requiring hunters to undergo medical checks every five years. However, it was repealed in 2023, before it had even gone into force after a five-year grace period.

Main image credit: Bruce Squiers / Pexels 

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.