KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE JAGERS VERENIGING (KNJV) = ROYAL NETHERLANDS SHOOTING ASSOCIATION

1. The country
Surface: 41.526 kmē
Population: 15.4 million
Density: 456 per kmē

Use of surface:
Agricultural use: 23.833 kmē
Forest: 3.041 kmē
Natural terrain : 1.438 kmē
Build-up area: 3.197 kmē
Other terrain: 2.398 kmē
Water: 5.952 kmē

2. Hunting legislation
The Flora and Fauna Act is the main hunting legislation for in the Netherlands since april 1, 2002. According to this Act only 6 species are designated as ‘game’ (1 protected and 5 huntable). These species are hare, mallard, pheasant, pigeon and rabbit. The new Act makes a difference between hunting (= wise use of the 5 game species), management (i.e. ungulates) and crop damage control. For management and crop damage control, separate licenses, issued by the provincial government are necessary.
The hunting rights belong to the landowner, who can let these rights for a period of 6 to 12 years. Hunting requires a hunting licence. The licence has to be renewed annually. Each year approximately 30.000 licences are issued. This licence will be granted if the applicant:
- is 18 years of age or older
- has an insurance voucher (covering third party risk for a minimum of 907.560,43 euro)
- has passed an approved hunting examination (approved are the exams of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg)
- is able to prove that he has an opportunity to hunt in the Netherlands. Hunting grounds must consist of an adjoining area of at least 40 ha., have a width of at least 300 meter and it must be possible to describe a circle with a radius of at least 150 meter in this area.

All netting, trapping etc. is prohibited, except for the live-trapping of crows, using cages and reared decoys. Registered duck decoys may catch mallard during the open season. It is not allowed to own a gun without a permit. In the Netherlands the gun permit is incorporated in the hunting licence. It is prohibited to use air rifles for hunting.
Hunters from abroad can get a Dutch hunting licence under the same conditions as Dutch hunters, i.e. they must have passed an approved hunting examination. Visitors on a personal invitation from a Dutch hunter can also get a special licence for six consecutive days. They can only use this licence when accompanied by a resident hunter with a normal licence. Residents of the European Union will need a European Firearms Pass to bring their weapons into the country. The costs for a normal licence is approx. euro 85. Of this amount a substantial part will go to the "Faunafonds". This fund is financed by hunters and the government and can - under circumstances - pay crop damage by game and other wild animals.
In case of improper conduct it is possible to revoke the licence by judicial judgement. The right to hunt is automatically lost if the hunting licence has expired. In the Netherlands, hunters have a general obligation to maintain or create a reasonable stock of game. There are no bag limits. There are no areas in which hunting is freely available to everyone. No commercial based hunting is possible in the Netherlands.

In general no hunting is allowed between sunset and sunrise. No shooting is allowed on Sundays, New Years day, Easter and Whitsun Mondays, Christmas, Boxing Day and Ascension Day. More over there are restrictions for hunting under unfavourable weather conditions and other circumstances.

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3. Guns and ammunition
Small game, waterfowl and other game can be shot with smooth barrelled guns of a calibre not smaller than 24 and not larger than 12. Single barrelled shotguns have a magazine that can hold a maximum of 2 cartridges. The maximum shot size for hare, pheasant, rabbit, woodpigeon and mallard is 3,5 mm. Rabbit and woodpigeon may also be shot with bullets of .22 inch (5,58 mm) calibre.

Big game may only be shot with rifles with the following ammunition:
- red deer, fallow deer, wild boar and moufflon: bullets of a calibre not smaller than 6,5 mm of which the impact energy at 100 meters of the barrel end (E100) is at least 2.200 joules
- roe deer: bullets of which the impact energy at 100 meters of the barrel end (E100) is at least 980 joules.

The use of military ammunition (full metal jacket) and bullets that do not deform on impact is prohibited. The use of leadshot is also prohibited as is the use of silencers and artificial lights on the weapon. Automatic or semi-automatic guns of which the magazine can hold more than 2 cartridges may not be used.

4. Game Management Units (Wildbeheereenheden or WBE's)
A Game Management Unit (GMU) is an area of at least 5.000 hectares in which the local hunters participate. The GMUs issue a Game Management Plan according to which all hunting should be conducted. The GMUs are generally recognized by the government and receive the necessary permits i.e. for shooting big game, or for shooting in the closed season to prevent crop damage. The GMU is responsible for re-issuing these permits to the hunters involved. Not shooting according to the Game Management Plan may result in a procedure for the Disciplinary Council, who can advise the head of police not to renew the hunting licence.

5. Royal Netherlands Shooting Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Jagers Vereniging, KNJV)
The history of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Jagers Vereniging (KNJV) starts on the first of January 1874 with the foundation of the Nederlandse Jachtvereeniging Nimrod (Netherlands Shooting Association "Nimrod"). Thirty years later the Nederlandsche Jagersvereeniging (Netherlands Shooting Association) was founded on January 1, 1904. The first regulations of this Association, then established in The Hague, were incorporated by Royal Assent on April 13, 1904. In the 1920s both organisations merged into the Nederlandsche Jagersvereeniging. On the 9th of February 1949 the Nederlandse Jagersvereeniging received the "Royal" title.

In 1904 the main objective was: " to promote the interests of the Dutch hunters" This objective can still be found in the regulations of the KNJV, but articles "to promote hunting as a part of wildlife management" and "the promotion of the interests of a justified game management" have been added.

Within the framework of an active nature, wildlife and game management, the Association is very active in improving the quality of hunting. In the 1960s the education of hunters was started on a voluntary basis. With the changes in the Game Act of 1977 the hunting examination, an initiative of KNJV, became obligatory. Through the Hunting Education Foundation (SJN) KNJV still educates new hunters for the examination. KNJV also initiates, supports and helps the Game Management Units (WBE), in which local hunters, farmers and other property owners work together in systematic wildlife management based on game management plans.

In 1895 a weekly magazine in newspaper format was issued with the title "De Nederlandse Jager" (The Dutch Shooter). It was intended for hunters and gundog enthusiasts and was issued by the Netherlands Hunting Association "Nimrod". The magazine still exists with the same title, but nowadays it is published 23 times a year; it still is the only hunting magazine in Holland, and the hunting organization KNJV still publishes it.

!!!! Since there is no hunting with hounds and horses in the Netherlands, the word hunting is used for shooting game with a gun or rifle!!!!!

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