In order to hunt in Germany, you need a hunting license. According to the Federal Hunting Act, anyone who wants to obtain this must first complete a comprehensive hunter's examination, which is also known in professional circles as the "Green Abitur". The previous hunting training is organized by the state hunting associations or by individual hunting schools; evening, weekend and intensive courses are usually offered as course formats. Such a course includes a total of at least 60 hours of theory and 60 hours of practice.

The curriculum includes theoretical and practical topics such as wildlife biology, hunting practice, customs, weapons knowledge and hunting law. Last but not least, the safe handling of the weapon and shooting skills are of course also trained.

The “Green Abitur” at the end of this training then includes a practical shooting test, as well as a written and an oral test. According to the German Hunting Association, the requirements for taking a hunter's test are a minimum age of 15 years and a perfect police certificate. In addition, hunting license candidates must have general mental and physical suitability.

The costs of hunter training prove that hunting is not a cheap hobby. According to the Schleswig-Holstein “Hunting School of Fürstenberg”, these are around 3,000 euros. Before they can finally go hunting after completing the test, the young hunter has to raise a considerable amount of money for basic hunting equipment.

In addition to appropriate hunting clothing (costing 700 - 1,500 euros), you will also need good binoculars, which cost around 200 euros in the simplest configuration. However, for professional thermal imaging binoculars with laser rangefinders, amounts of 2,000 to 3,000 euros are due.

Another significant cost is of course the purchase of a weapon suitable for hunting. Even though there are now a lot of cheap offers on the market starting at around 600 euros, the professionals from the “Hunting School Fürstenberg” recommend purchasing a “rifle in a caliber suitable for hoofed game with a rifle scope.” . The costs for such a luxury hunting shotgun start at around 4,000 euros.