After six varied and exciting days, JAGD & HUND drew to a close on Sunday evening (2 February). This year's JAGD & HUND audience was treated over 700 exhibitors from 36 different countries. There was also an extensive supporting programme, exciting competitions, culinary highlights and plenty of hands-on opportunities to join in and try things out. What’s more, the large number of international associations represented at the trade fair once again made it an important platform for dialogue on hunting policy. The result was over 90% satisfaction among exhibitors and visitors, all of whom already have firm plans to attend JAGD & HUND 2026.

Dortmund, 4 February 2025 – In addition to all this good news, there was also an increase in visitor numbers. Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe which owns and operates the Messe Dortmund venue, can't help but look back on the show with satisfaction: “We've shown once again this year that Dortmund in January is THE meeting place for the international hunting and outdoor community. This is proven not only by the many visitors from all federal states - above all from Lower Saxony, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. But also by the fact that again around 10% of this year's guests were from abroad. Once again, we've been able to offer visitors not just a unique variety of products, but also a great deal of added value – from exclusive exhibition offers and shopping zones to exciting show events, competitions and culinary highlights, not to mention an incredible variety of expert knowledge which was available to all at the show in the form of everything from dog breed demonstrations and interesting on-stage presentations to reports on the work being done by associations and our brand new masterclasses. Ultimately, it's this mix that's made JAGD & HUND a real recipe for success, and yet we're continuing to work on it in order to honour the loyalty the community has shown us again this year. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again in 2026.”

Grand opening

The opening event on Day 1 of the show was attended by high-ranking personalities in the industry and in the world of political decision-making, whose presence served to emphasise the importance of JAGD & HUND. The keynote address was given by Dr Martin Berges, Permanent Secretary at the North Rhine Westphalia State Ministry of Agriculture & Consumer Protection. “Hunters make important contributions to efforts aimed at creating healthy, diverse game populations and the protection of our forests,” he emphasised on the main stage in Hall 4. “It is therefore important that hunters, anglers and nature lovers continue to feel at home here in North Rhine Westphalia, and that we give them a good overall framework within which to operate. We want to support the hunting community and our forest owners with a view to finding solutions together. Good communication is key to this, because dialogue is the only way to keep on working on current issues and create good prospects.”

Nicole Heitzig, President of the State Hunting Association of North Rhine Westphalia, gave the opening speech as usual, with words of welcome also coming from Karl Walch, President of the Working Gundog Association, and Norbert Schilff, Mayor of Dortmund. International association representatives Dr Steffen Koch, Head of the German delegation of the CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation – and Laurens Hoedemaker, President of FACE – Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU – also spoke.

Sabine Loos was also delighted to welcome high-ranking personalities from Africa who had made their way to Dortmund. As last year, these included Isaac Theophilus, CEO of the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, accompanied by James Tebogo from the NCONGO (Ngamiland Council Of Non-Governmental Organisations) as well as Tinashe Farawo, press spokesman of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks). John-Thomas Dipowe, Ambassador of Botswana, Zimbabwean Ambassador Alice Mashingaize and Udo Wolters, the Honorary Consul of Namibia, travelled from Berlin.

James Tebogo and Isaac Theophilus spent several days at the show, saying: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the organizers of the JAGD & HUND 2025 for their exceptional hospitality as we proudly represent Botswana. We also recognize the presence of the Ambassadors of Botswana and Zimbabwe in Germany, whose participation underscores our shared commitment to enhancing conservation efforts along the KAZA corridors. As Botswana's representatives, we recognize the importance of promoting sustainable wildlife management. Our presence signifies a chance to engage with European hunting outfitters and conservationists, showcasing Botswana's extraordinary wildlife. This trip is crucial for building networks with the European market. We also aim to address misconceptions about Botswana’s regulated trophy hunting practices. We aim to promote sustainable wildlife practices in Botswana, ensuring that hunting revenues support local communities through community trusts. This funding improves the quality of life while preserving our country's rich biodiversity.”

Satisfaction among exhibitors and visitors

As last year, around 30% of the 700+ exhibitors were from abroad – representing 36 countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Austria and Poland as well as the US, the Middle East and Africa. Around 93% of exhibitors said during the show that they would take part in JAGD & HUND again.

An initial evaluation of the visitor survey showed a high level of satisfaction here too, with 90.2% of visitors – a similar number to last year’s 91.5% – saying they intended to come back next year.

New informative offerings well received by visitors

The informative supporting programme at JAGD & HUND had been joined this year by the new Masterclasses powered by Geartester. A total of 16 different informative events featuring top speakers took place in the congress centre right next to the exhibition halls. Topics such as 'Precise wild animal examination in 6 steps' (Rebecka Schulz), 'First aid for gundogs' (Wiebke Obst), 'Getting better with the shotgun' (Markus Gemeinder), 'Night hunting – hunting with night sights and thermal imaging equipment' (Eike Mross) and 'Gun safety' (Reiner Schemel) proved especially popular.

Live training was also on offer at the new butchery showcase at the Friedr. Dick stand in Hall 5. The various demonstrations on topics such as 'Professional cutting and sausage processing' and 'Cleaning, hygiene and cleanliness' attracted so many visitors that at times it was nearly impossible to get through the stand.

Competitions

The 'European Hunting Photo of the Year 2024' competition was also a first. Avid hunting and nature photographers had been able to submit their photos in four categories during the run-up to the show, and the finalists were even allowed to present their work to show-goers in the interconnecting covered way leading to the North Entrance complex. The winners were Felix Klein-Bösing (Big Game Hunting category, awarded in absentia), Cordula Kramer (Small Game Hunting category), Sophie Linckersdorff (Portraits category, awarded in absentia) and Evamarie Hillmann (Game Utilisation & Food category). They received their awards on the main stage in Hall 4 on Tuesday afternoon from Messe Dortmund Managing Director Sabine Loos, FACE President Laurens Hoedemaker and Kathrin Puelacher from sponsor Swarovski Optik. The awards came with high-quality prizes from Swarovski and a calendar containing the best entries to the photo competition, which visitors to JAGD & HUND were also able to purchase in the North Entrance complex during the show. The audience award – show-goers were also able to vote on the finalist photos on display – went to Finn Bienias.

The German Deer Calling Championship, held this year for the 26^th time, is already a tradition in its own right. As ever, it proved to be one of the big crowd pullers, and, as in previous years, one man emerged from the competition as the resplendent winner, with Fabian Menzel from Bavaria winning the championship for the fifth time. Remarkably, runner-up Thomas Soltwedel from Mecklenburg & Western Pomerania and third-placed Jerome Böhm from Lower Saxony also managed to defend their titles, and all three will now be travelling to the European Championships in Lithuania this October. The championship is organised in collaboration with WILD UND HUND magazine published by Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag.

Two other contests were back again this year after their débuts in 2024. The deer callers were followed on Friday afternoon by the 'Luring Championship – Small Game Calling Contest' organised in conjunction with hunting magazine 'Unsere Jagd – Im Revier zuhause' published by Deutscher Landwirtschaftsverlag and the OVIS hunting store. The winners were Benedikt Triptrap (category: Crow), Julian Lewis (category: Fox), Cris Neumann (category: Grey Goose) and Manuel Guminga (category: Duck). At the KIDZ FIEP World Championships organised by Hunt on Demand on the HORRIDO stage, Carl Friedrich, Matthias and Noah were delighted to take Places 1, 2 and 3.

Last but not least, exhibitors in the KNIFE ZONE in Hall 5 had the opportunity to apply for this year's Knife Award. The winners were honoured on Saturday afternoon, with first place going to Forgeworks and its 'Indomitor Swedge' model, second place going to the UG Tools TiNy with a Damascus blade from Utsch und Gierse Tools GmbH and third place going the GT-01 (Extreme Version) from Manufaktur Solinger Kotten UG.

Great satisfaction among associations

What would JAGD & HUND be without the support of the many associations in attendance at the show? First and foremost, of course, the two conceptual partners of the show, the State Hunting Association of North Rhine Westphalia (LJV) and the Working Gundog Association (JGHV) which attracted visitors not just to their own stands but also with an informative supporting programme on-stage in Hall 4, the event area in Hall 3 and the Young Hunters' stage at the LJV stand. As every year, numerous other associations were also involved. Members were all very satisfied with the six days, with LJV President Nicole Heitzig summing up the final day of the show, saying: “JAGD & HUND 2025 was a great event for our team from LJV NRW with great encounters and lots of fun. The good mood among the show-goers was very evident, with many joining our like-minded community then and there. I was particularly delighted with the 'wild living room' created by the Young Hunters, and with the motivation shown by the 250 stand helpers and the LJV team. We're already looking forward to JAGD & HUND 2026.”

Friedhelm Röttgen, Vice President of the Working Gundog Association, told us: “We regard JAGD & HUND as an essential part of our association's work. Our recognised breeding clubs have the opportunity to present their gundogs to the public as 'family dogs with careers'. We also very much welcome the new edition of the 'WuH-Kids show rally' as we're delighted to welcome both two and four-legged offspring. Happy to return.”

Despite the hunters' demonstration in Hanover on 30 January, which took place at the same time as the show, the German Hunting Association was also present with a stand at JAGD & HUND. Subsequently, President Helmut Dammann-Tamke was especially concerned about one thing: “I especially want to thank the JAGD & HUND show and the State Hunting Association of North Rhine Westphalia as conceptual sponsor for their great support in terms of the large-scale demonstration in Hanover. The German Hunting Association regards the show as a key meeting place for the industry – for dialogue with a wide range of partners in the worlds of business, associations and political decision-making.”

The German Bowhunting Association (DBJV) was also thoroughly up-beat about its appearance at the show. Numerous hunters and trade visitors showed great interest in bowhunting as a useful addition to modern hunting operations. “The outstanding response shows that bowhunting is increasingly being recognised as a sustainable and humane form of hunting. What was particularly impressive was the openness of the hunting community to take an in-depth look at the possibilities and advantages of this traditional hunting method,” said Christian Weiken, Head of Trade Shows & International Collaboration at the German Bowhunting Association. “Many visitors recognised that bowhunting can be a valuable addition in certain hunting situations – especially in sensitive areas such as hunting near residential areas and settlements, and for selective regulation of game populations.”

Fundraising campaigns for animal rescue and the environment

“Every shot a hit!”: Visitors were able to demonstrate their marksmanship once again this year at the shooting range of hunting and ammunition manufacturer RWS GmbH. A sum of EUR 4,600 was raised for the NRW Wildlife & Biotope Protection Foundation. The cheque was presented by Rolf Knäpper (RWS GmbH) to Nicole Heitzig, President of the State Hunting Association of North Rhine Westphalia and Chairwoman of the Foundation. The 'Schieß die Sau' hog-shoot at the stand of 'wild butcher' Conny Baierl at the WILD FOOD FESTIVAL in the Westfalenhalle was equally successful, giving whole new meaning to the expression 'a game of darts'. On the final day of the show, Conrad Baierl, Sven Gerdhenrichs from L & S Wild GbR, Tobias Wagner from the German Hunting Association's 'Wild auf Wild' (Game for Game) initiative, and others handed over a donation of EUR 6,000 to Nicole Heitzig, Executive Director of the wildlife rescue organisation.

New date now revealed

When one show closes, the run-up to the next one gets underway. The dates of the next JAGD & HUND have now been published, with Dortmund's exhibition halls once again set to be the centre of attraction for all hunting, country pursuit, outdoor adventure and dog enthusiasts between 27 January and 1 February 2026. And this much can now be revealed: the first space bookings for JAGD & HUND 2026 are already in!

Product unveilings, networking and important customer dialogue

What exhibitors at JAGD & HUND had to say

What did the exhibitors make of Europe's largest hunting show? What were the highlights for them? Which products attracted the most visitors? We have asked a number of businesses and are publishing their statements.

Conrad Baierl, ‚Der wilde Metzger‘ (‚the wild butcher‘)

‚The atmosphere at JAGD & HUND 2025 was sensational! Dortmund has established itself as a real highlight, and we could feel that in every conversation and from the enthusiastic looks on visitors' faces. My motto is ‘By hunters for hunters’, and that's exactly why we also offer real game meat from hunters, which was very popular with visitors. Under this motto, we are particularly pleased that the willingness to donate to wildlife rescue was so high. Visitors donate passionately to this important issue, which of course particularly affects us as hunters.’

Jannes Ladewig, Sales Manager, Askari Sport GmbH

‚JAGD & HUND was a particular success for us this year. We more than doubled our stand space and it was definitely worth it. This enabled us to offer an extended product range and the increase in customers was enormous. We also offered the Young Hunters' Club (Jungjäger Club) a targeted platform, which was very well received and got people interested in the world of hunting. We have been an exhibitor at JAGD & HUND for decades for good reason and will continue to remain loyal.’

Hesham Khalifa, Head of Live Communications, Blaser Group

‚JAGD & HUND has established itself as one of the key trade fairs in Europe for many years. This year we used it to present various exciting new products from the Blaser Group, including the new Mauser 25, the Blaser R8 and the new binoculars from Minox, X-Universal and X-Tour. The large crowds at our stands and the enthusiasm of the visitors speak for themselves. As always, we were thrilled.’

Daniel Ebbert, Vice President, Bresser Group

‚JAGD & HUND is the largest and most important hunting trade fair in the whole of Europe and was once again outstanding in 2025. It is well organised and offers a great platform for exchanging ideas with the users of our products. Our focus is therefore on presenting our products, exchanging ideas with customers and providing expert, personalised advice. Customer contact is very important to us. Thermal imaging equipment is currently a particular highlight for visitors. Visitors also have the opportunity to order directly from our national and international dealers and purchase the desired items, or they can take them home with them straight away. We have already registered for next year.’

Franziska Taubenreuther, Head of Marketing, Taubenreuther GmbH

‚We are very satisfied with the number of visitors to the JAGD & HUND trade fair. Our aim was to address a new target group - hunters in particular - and to gain a stronger foothold in this sector. The trade fair offers the perfect setting for this, as it is the largest of its kind in Europe and is therefore an excellent platform to become more visible in this market. For us, the trade fair is the starting point for a successful new year.’

Liam Van Tuinen, Export Sales Director, HAWKE Optics

„This is our first time exhibiting with our own stand, after previously working with a distributor. We decided to make a change, and our new supplier encouraged us to join the JAGD & HUND Messe. The communication has been excellent, and we’ve had the opportunity to connect with high-quality visitors. The event has been a great place to engage with our target audience, with busy days and no slow moments. People are genuinely interested, and the international audience adds to the dynamic atmosphere.”

Christian Schermaul, Store Manager Weiterstadt, Frankonia Handels GmbH & Co. KG

‚We are extremely satisfied with JAGD & HUND. Our stand has been very well received and this is the first time we have presented the premium brand Antonio Zoli on this scale at the trade fair. The response has been very positive and we have met many interested visitors who are keen to find out more. It is clear that we have found the right target group here.’

Magdalena Wolf, Marketing & Public Relations, GRUBE KG

‚Personal contact with our customers is very important to us. We use the consultation in particular to get into dialogue and build a closer relationship. JAGD & HUND offers the perfect setting for this, as you are not only present here, but can also actively cultivate customer contacts. We will definitely be back next year - the trade fair is always a highlight for us.’

Christian Bieber, Sales representative, Friedr. Dick GmbH & Co. KG

We are really very satisfied with the realisation of our stand concept this year. The new butchery showcase has turned out exactly as we imagined. People are enthusiastic and the stand is almost always full. The support in terms of stand equipment and technology is also top-notch. It's really fun. We're already planning for next year! Because we can't imagine doing without the concept from now on.’

Ferdinand Lakemeyer, Managing Dirctor, OVIS – Näher am Wild

‚JAGD & HUND is very important to us. We can meet our customers here in person once a year and they have the opportunity to test, experience and touch our products live at our stand. As a specialised supplier in the field of decoy hunting, we offer a huge selection and can give interested parties the best possible advice here at the trade fair. We also always try to bring numerous new products to JAGD & HUND for our customers and take the opportunity to present them here in the best possible way.’

Abdelilah Benhaddou, Sales Manager Germany, HAIX Schuhe Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH

‚We have been part of JAGD & HUND for around eight years and it is now a fixed date for us. We are here because we offer products that perfectly suit this market, and the trade fair offers us the ideal target group. Visitors know exactly what they want and appreciate sound advice. Many are already well informed in advance, which makes the discussions very focussed. JAGD & HUND is an absolute must for every manufacturer in this sector.’

Tatjana Reinholdt, Marketing, SWAROVSKI OPTIK Vertriebs GmbH

‚We are very satisfied with the organisation of JAGD & HUND. This year we even enlarged our stand to reach more visitors. The audience is of high quality, and thanks to the ‘WILD UND HUND’ magazine we were also able to appeal to the younger generation, which we particularly liked. JAGD & HUND is the most important event for us, as the entire target group is represented here. At European level, it is the most important event for us. We will definitely be here again next year.’

Carl Julian Neuhaus, Head of Operations / COO, Jagdwelt24 GmbH

‚We have now implemented the ‘Hunting World’ for the second time at JAGD & HUND. The first time it was still a test pilot, but the concept was extremely well received. Here we can offer visitors a pick-up service or home delivery, for example, which visitors appreciate very much. The large area gives them the freedom to move around at their leisure and discover everything. JAGD & HUND is the only trade fair we visit every year, as it is the largest in this specialised area. We will definitely be back next year and will continue to expand the concept.’

Stella Allatta, Social Media Manager / Graphic Design, CopterPro

‚This year we have enlarged our stand at JAGD & HUND and have been pleasantly surprised by the response. The trade fair offers great attractions for both customers and exhibitors. Our aim was to increase our brand presence and make new contacts, which we did very well here. In particular, the opportunity to do educational work, especially in the area of thermal imaging technology and drones, was well received. We will be back next year and would also recommend JAGD & HUND to other exhibitors.’

Markus Sasek, Retail Manager D/AT, ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Deutschland GmbH

‚We like the WILD FOOD FESTIVAL very much. The traffic is good and we have great conversations with specialist staff and interested customers. It's the second time we've been here and it offers us a suitable opportunity to communicate our products in the hunting sector effectively.’

Torben Grandt, Head of the Training Akademy Hunting & Nature, ZEISS Consumer Products

‚As always, JAGD & HUND 2025 was a great success for us! Our stand was very well attended throughout, and the discussions with visitors were extremely pleasant and enriching. We are particularly proud of the fact that we showcased our new transmitting thermal imaging camera this year, which met with great interest. The turnout was impressive and shows that our product range is well received by visitors. We also expanded our stand, which was definitely worth it!’