In cooperation between the LIFE Lynx project and the Slovenian Forest Service public service, the revised guidelines for the consideration of lynx and wolf in the management of ungulates were developed in 2022. These guidelines are part of the preparation of the long-term hunting management plans for the period 2021-2030, which include adjustments to the management of roe deer, red deer, chamois and mouflon.
In addition to the expert backgrounds, the drafting of the guidelines was based on a participatory process involving hunting ground managers or their regional associations, so that their suggestions were taken into account as much as possible. The guidelines have been incorporated into the expert basis for the long-term management plans, the so-called ‘Guidelines for game management in Slovenia in 2021-2030′ and will be taken into account in all relevant long-term hunting management plans in the period 2021-2030. Adapted management of roe deer, red deer, chamois and mouflon will be considered in areas where lynx and/or wolves are regularly present.
The main purpose of the guidelines is to contribute to the preservation of viable populations of ungulates through “adapted game management”, to ensure a permanently available food source for lynx and wolf, which is a prerequisite for the long-term conservation of both species, and to maintain hunters’ tolerance toward presence of large carnivores.