Pass hunting is a form of stand hunting: A hunter positions themselves at a pre-selected location, such as game trails, crossings, forest edges, or clearings, and waits for game to come within shooting range. This method is often portrayed as calm and controlled because no beaters are used and the hunter does not actively move through the hunting area. However, upon closer examination, even repeated presence at fixed game trail locations can alter behavior, trigger stress, and not prevent risks such as missed shots.
At first glance, this sounds controlled because the hunter waits instead of actively disturbing the wildlife. However, this is precisely where the additional stress factor lies for wild animals, because many of them establish and use their daily routes and crossing points as safe routes over long periods. The expectation of a safe path is systematically altered by the repeated presence of recreational hunters.
Stress, anticipation, and behavioral change
Studies in behavioral ecology show that animals recognize recurring patterns in their environment. When people regularly appear at a wildlife crossing, a process of behavioral adaptation begins. Wild animals avoid the area, change their activity times, or shift their routes. This adaptation causes stress, energy loss, and potentially a loss of substance because circulating patterns are disrupted. Wildlife research emphasizes that human presence, even without direct disturbance, permanently alters the distance behavior of wild animals, resulting in overall higher energy expenditure than without hunting .
One field of research that sheds light on this question is the stress physiology of wild animals. Measurements of cortisol and other stress indicators show that repeated human presence in certain locations can lead to chronic stress, even without direct gunfire. This is not a speculative assumption, but has been demonstrated in numerous studies in behavioral ecology and wildlife management.
Dangers of misfires
Hunting by pass is sometimes portrayed as a particularly controlled form of shooting. However, reality shows that even here, misfires occur. Limiting factors such as lighting conditions, vegetation, the animal’s movement, unclear boundaries between foreground and background, and misjudgments of distance can lead to animals being wounded instead of killed instantly. Such situations result in tracking wounded game, prolonged suffering, and additional stress for the animal.
In a German wildlife management context, it is stated that during hunts, the so-called outer limits of the bullet’s trajectory must also be considered, because even small deviations from the intended shooting direction can have fatal consequences for other animals, domestic animals, or even humans. Safe shooting is not merely a demonstrative claim, but a matter of training, experience, and situational control.
Ethical questions of pass hunting
From an animal welfare ethics perspective, the central question is not how controlled a shot can be, but why killing should be the standard response at all. Hunting by passers-by usually takes place in winter in locations where animals are suspected to be. This means that the presence of weapons is deliberately used to ambush animals. This kind of “waiting for good weather” implies the intention to kill an animal. The stress begins long before the shot, namely with the recurring presence of the recreational hunter in a location that represents a natural migration route for wild animals.
The hunting ethics movement has emphasized for years that wild animals are not neutral objects, but sentient beings with their own interests. From this perspective, hunting by pass represents a form of human interference that shows little regard for the animal’s inner state and instead prioritizes efficiency over empathy.
Pass hunting in Switzerland
Specific accounts and discussions about hunting in open country in Switzerland can be found on wildbeimwild.com, addressing criticisms such as stress, pressure to repeat the hunt, and a lack of transparency. Hunting in open country, like other forms of shooting, is regulated at the cantonal level. It falls under the general hunting regulations enshrined in the hunting ordinance and the hunting law. These regulations require ethical hunting practices, appropriate training, and safe shooting techniques. In practice, however, the question remains how these requirements can be independently verified when the hunters themselves are involved in the regulatory framework.
It should also be noted that pass hunting is hardly noticed by the public because it is not associated with groups of beaters or large equipment, but rather with a single person remaining in one place. This very invisibility facilitates the normalization of this form of hunting and often prevents critical discussion among the wider public.
Scientific studies and findings
Independent studies on pass hunting as a specific hunting method are rare because many investigations address general questions of wildlife behavior or shooting management. However, published studies exist that show that repeated human activity in fixed locations leads to behavioral changes in wildlife, and that stress responses can arise simply from human presence. Furthermore, research in wildlife ecology shows that repetition and anticipation modulate behavior in local populations, influencing fitness through energy expenditure and spatial behavior.
A large-scale wildlife observation project from German-speaking countries revealed that animals exhibit increased escape behavior in areas with recurring human presence, and this effect is stronger than after single disturbances. Although these studies do not focus exclusively on hunting, their findings also apply to hunting situations involving game trails, because the repeated presence of a potential threat also influences behavior in these situations.
Animals as sentient beings, not as targets
Critical hunting research and international animal welfare organizations emphasize that animals should not be treated as static objects. Even when an animal is hit while at rest during a stalking hunt, the process of seeing, anticipating, waiting, and killing remains a form of deliberate violence against a sentient being. Stress, energy loss, and social impact on populations are consequences that often don’t appear in hunting statistics but are very real.
Passing is a hunting practice that may superficially appear calm and controlled, but closer examination reveals that it generates stress, alters behavior, and systematically faces the same criticisms as other direct shooting methods. The passive aspects of the method often mask its deeper effects. From an animal welfare ethics and wildlife ecology perspective, it is crucial not to accept this practice as inevitable, but to critically examine it.
Demands and alternatives
If hunting by passers-by is practiced, strict review, transparent documentation, independent control, and intensive monitoring of the consequences of culling, stress indicators, and behavioral changes are necessary. At the same time, strategies for conflict resolution without killing should be given greater consideration, such as habitat management, traffic safety measures, non-lethal conservation practices, and sustainable wildlife management.
Sources: Stress hormones and hunting methods (cortisol)
- Comparison of different hunting methods and stress in wild animals (Sweden, several species) : Shows differences between hunting methods and that factors before and after the shot (e.g., duration of pursuit, location of injury, disturbance after the shot) influence cortisol levels. Springer Nature+1
- Driven hunts and cortisol in wild boar (Germany) : Blood cortisol in wild boar from driven hunts, including the influence of age, sex, and pregnancy. PMC
- Stalking/stand hunting season and long-term stress (Mufflon, 2024) : This concludes that stalking hunts in the studied population likely do not show a strong long-term welfare effect and discusses possible habituation. This is important as a counterpoint to ensure your text remains balanced. PMC
- Hunting with a dog vs. walk-up shooting and cortisol (mountain/snow hare, 2024) : an example of how stress indicators can differ depending on the hunting method. NSO Journals
2) Behavior, activity, and space use under hunting pressure
- Onset of hunting triggers stronger fear responses (red deer, 2022) : Shows that the start of the hunting season can significantly influence the reaction and distribution of red deer. ESAJournals
- Hunting alters spatial behavior (white-tailed deer, 2016) : Data suggest that deer recognize human threats and adjust their movement patterns. Canadian Science Publishing
- “Hunting and human disturbance affect red deer activity…” (2025, Preprint/Manuscript Platform) : Very topical, but cite with caution depending on the publication status. In essence: human influences can trigger strong behavioral reactions. Flame Challenge
3) Human presence as a disruptive factor (even without a gunshot)
- Meta-analysis of escape responses in ungulates under human disturbance (2008) : A seminal work that synthesizes numerous studies. It shows, among other things, that hunting pressure and human approach can be linked to escape/distance behavior. ScienceDirect
- Experiments/Telemetry on Disturbance and Heart Rate in Roe Deer/Red Deer (Reimoser, PDF) : Example of physiological responses (heart rate) to human stimuli in cervid species. Over Reeën
- Approach-on-foot and disturbance/displacement in wild boar (2024) : Shows high disturbance and displacement rates when approached on foot, which can be helpful as context for ambush/passing situations. BES Journals