COLUMBUS - According to a Milwaukee School of Engineering brochure, the school's student exchange agreement with the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences offers a "great opportunity to experience life abroad and to develop multi-cultural skills" for both German and American students.
The eight German engineering students invited to the Columbus Sportsman's Association on a recent Sunday had no idea that multi-cultural included being able to handle firearms without a license and to shoot live ammunition.
According to Paul "Jumper" Mayer, one of the event organizers, "These young adults had a chance to do something in their lives that in their country could never be done."
"They were amazed," he said, "that you could buy ammunition off the shelves and from under glass cases 'just like buying groceries at the store.'"
Mayer led a group of a dozen or more volunteers from the Sportsman's Association and National Rifle Association Range Safety Officers who spent their day instructing the group in firearm and hunting safety and proper shooting techniques.
"It (hunting) is not as common in Germany," Jens Bagusch of Hamburg said. "Sometimes people share a license with others," he said. "Others organize hunt clubs or sometimes they own land."
Jan Pahl, 19, is a veteran of the German Navy and the only member of the group claiming experience with firearms. "I used handguns and assault rifles during training," he said.
"Hunting in Germany is very expensive," Pahl said. "It can cost $4,000 to get a hunting license for the Schwarzwald (Black Forest)."
The event was the brainchild of MSOE engineering student Kevin Blank, who studied last year at the Lübeck campus. "I spent four years in high school studying German, and I wanted an international experience," he said.
Back home this year, Blank wanted to come up with something of interest that would offer his German friends a slice of American culture. "Being an avid outdoorsman, I wanted to introduce an interest of mine to the Germans," he said.
"When I was in Germany, I found out these guys had never had an opportunity to shoot guns," Blank said. "It seemed like a good thing to do."
"German citizens cannot own guns without a license, and the majority of the population does not have this license," he noted. "It's quite different than here."
Kevin brought up the idea with his father, David Blank, a longtime member of the Columbus group and a past president of the Wisconsin Taxidermy Association.
"I told him I would try to set something up," David said. "We wanted to show them what hunting and shooting are all about," he said.
According to AngloINFO Berlin, there are 350,000 hunters in Germany from a population of 90 million, compared to at least twice that many hunters in Wisconsin with its population of just more than five million.
German law requires a national hunting examination to obtain a license including a written and oral test as well as a shooting test. Obtaining the license can take up to a year since the hunting and falconer (a popular hunting method) exam is offered only once annually.
To pass the exam, hunters must be able to recognize every species of game in the woods. In addition, they must demonstrate the ability to develop wildlife management plans.
Hunting areas may be privately owned or part of a hunting co-operative. Hunting rights may also be leased to a third party. Public hunting land is non-existent.
Jägermeisters (master hunters) in Germany are assigned a section of public land or forest to manage. These are the only people allowed to hunt or accompany hunters on the land and are responsible for managing the wild herds.
In contrast to the European model of game management, the North American model ordains that game species belong to everyone, regardless of wealth or status. The role of government is to hold all game in public trust, ensuring that everyone has the right to hunt and fish.
Citizens here also have the right to become involved in the creation of laws regulating hunting and fishing and the conservation of wildlife. These laws are designed to prevent the slaughter of wildlife, such as those occurring in the 19th Century with buffalo and passenger pigeons which were marketed like any other commodity. In Germany hunters are allowed to sell their harvest.
To the German students, the American way has its merits. And with a day of shooting under his belt, Jens Barusch is eager to experience more of American hunting and shooting traditions. He will accompany Kevin and David Blank on their family deer hunt later this month.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
The eight German engineering students invited to the Columbus Sportsman's Association on a recent Sunday had no idea that multi-cultural included being able to handle firearms without a license and to shoot live ammunition.
According to Paul "Jumper" Mayer, one of the event organizers, "These young adults had a chance to do something in their lives that in their country could never be done."
"They were amazed," he said, "that you could buy ammunition off the shelves and from under glass cases 'just like buying groceries at the store.'"
Mayer led a group of a dozen or more volunteers from the Sportsman's Association and National Rifle Association Range Safety Officers who spent their day instructing the group in firearm and hunting safety and proper shooting techniques.
"It (hunting) is not as common in Germany," Jens Bagusch of Hamburg said. "Sometimes people share a license with others," he said. "Others organize hunt clubs or sometimes they own land."
Jan Pahl, 19, is a veteran of the German Navy and the only member of the group claiming experience with firearms. "I used handguns and assault rifles during training," he said.
"Hunting in Germany is very expensive," Pahl said. "It can cost $4,000 to get a hunting license for the Schwarzwald (Black Forest)."
The event was the brainchild of MSOE engineering student Kevin Blank, who studied last year at the Lübeck campus. "I spent four years in high school studying German, and I wanted an international experience," he said.
Back home this year, Blank wanted to come up with something of interest that would offer his German friends a slice of American culture. "Being an avid outdoorsman, I wanted to introduce an interest of mine to the Germans," he said.
"When I was in Germany, I found out these guys had never had an opportunity to shoot guns," Blank said. "It seemed like a good thing to do."
"German citizens cannot own guns without a license, and the majority of the population does not have this license," he noted. "It's quite different than here."
Kevin brought up the idea with his father, David Blank, a longtime member of the Columbus group and a past president of the Wisconsin Taxidermy Association.
"I told him I would try to set something up," David said. "We wanted to show them what hunting and shooting are all about," he said.
According to AngloINFO Berlin, there are 350,000 hunters in Germany from a population of 90 million, compared to at least twice that many hunters in Wisconsin with its population of just more than five million.
German law requires a national hunting examination to obtain a license including a written and oral test as well as a shooting test. Obtaining the license can take up to a year since the hunting and falconer (a popular hunting method) exam is offered only once annually.
To pass the exam, hunters must be able to recognize every species of game in the woods. In addition, they must demonstrate the ability to develop wildlife management plans.
Hunting areas may be privately owned or part of a hunting co-operative. Hunting rights may also be leased to a third party. Public hunting land is non-existent.
Jägermeisters (master hunters) in Germany are assigned a section of public land or forest to manage. These are the only people allowed to hunt or accompany hunters on the land and are responsible for managing the wild herds.
In contrast to the European model of game management, the North American model ordains that game species belong to everyone, regardless of wealth or status. The role of government is to hold all game in public trust, ensuring that everyone has the right to hunt and fish.
Citizens here also have the right to become involved in the creation of laws regulating hunting and fishing and the conservation of wildlife. These laws are designed to prevent the slaughter of wildlife, such as those occurring in the 19th Century with buffalo and passenger pigeons which were marketed like any other commodity. In Germany hunters are allowed to sell their harvest.
To the German students, the American way has its merits. And with a day of shooting under his belt, Jens Barusch is eager to experience more of American hunting and shooting traditions. He will accompany Kevin and David Blank on their family deer hunt later this month.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
