Raccoon alarm: Lower Saxony lifts closed season – hunting begins again!

Raccoon alarm: Lower Saxony lifts closed season – hunting begins again!

From July 16, 2025, raccoons can be hunted again in Lower Saxony. This decision follows a closed season period that ran from April 1st to July 15th inclusive. The need for this measure is due to the rapidly increasing raccoon population, which has been responsible for various damages in the region in recent years. In the Northeim district in particular, the density of these animals is alarmingly high, which means that the population is increasingly reporting destroyed ponds, damaged attics and trash cans being ransacked. In the 2023/2024 hunting year, 2,354 raccoons were shot there, while more than 25,000 of these animals were shot by hunters in the entire year of 2023.

According to [NDR](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/braunschweig_harz_goettingen/schonzeit-vorbei-waschbaeren-duerfen-in-niedersachsen-gejagt- Werden,waschbaeren-100.html), the raccoons are not only a nuisance for local residents, but also eat young birds and thus threaten protected species. In 2003, raccoons were only present in around 15% of Lower Saxony's hunting grounds; today, around 61% are confronted with these animals. A look at the numbers clearly shows that raccoons are more widespread in southern Lower Saxony, especially in the districts of Northeim, Göttingen, Harz and Lüchow-Dannenberg.

Invasive species cases are increasing

Raccoons are among the invasive species whose control is required by the Federal Nature Conservation Act. In addition to raccoons, this also includes other animals that have increased significantly in recent years, such as the nutria in the Celle districts and elsewhere in Lower Saxony. The increase in the raccoon population, which grew by 9.4% compared to last year, may not please nature lovers, considering that during the same period the hunting distance for nutrias also increased by 29.4%. Pirsch reported that a total of 25,485 raccoons were shot in the 2023/2024 hunting year.

In order to get the damage caused by invasive species under control, Lower Saxony must not only continue to hunt raccoons, but also develop comprehensive management strategies. The NLWKN draws attention to the fact that measures must be taken both at EU level and locally to combat invasive species. Since the EU regulation on the prevention and management of invasive species came into force, numerous regulations have been implemented. These regulations are intended not only to reduce the possession and trade of these species, but also to enable effective management.

The situation is therefore serious and the upcoming measures to control the raccoon population are eagerly awaited. The task force in the Northeim district has already taken the first steps, but whether this will be enough to control the increasing numbers remains to be seen. One thing is certain: Without timely and sustainable control, the raccoon plague will continue to be a major problem for Lower Saxony.