Should the possession of firearms for hunting purposes be linked to the work of cyclic medical examinations? Unless we accept the position of the American chaotic West (“the right of people to have and carry weapons will not be violated), it would seem that this issue should not give emergence to much doubt, but it has been for years the subject of all discussions and debates on the sense of hunting.
Currently, for arms holders for sports, collectors and hunters, there is only erstwhile the work of medical and intellectual examinations — at the time of first application for a weapon permit;
persons with weapons for individual protection or protection of persons and property must repeat specified tests erstwhile all 5 years.
The arguments behind the cyclicalness of medical and intellectual tests have been so many times that it would be boring to discuss them again. The counter-trarguments of hunters, if we ignore the statements of the kind of "persecution of hunters, do not cease" and it comes down to the claim that there is no link between accidents in hunting, all these situations of the kind I have "mistaked with the wild", "guns fired" and undiagnosed wellness deficits of the perpetrator. All of these unpleasant events – said representatives of PZL – consequence from non-compliance with the regulations, deficiency of training, carelessness, regular – but not from mediocre sight, shaking hands or weakened concentration.
When reading these statements, I always have in front of police statistic on accidents on the roads, in which more than half of the events are caused by “not giving up the precedence of the crossing” and “a deficiency of velocity adjustment to traffic conditions”. And even if the underlying origin is “driving a vehicle after consuming alcohol or after utilizing psychoactive substances” (9% of accidents), it is only that the driver was under specified influence at this peculiar moment, not that he is an alcoholic or is permanently taking reflexive drugs. Let us add that despite the deficiency of current medical examinations in car accident statistics, the European Union has introduced an work to repeat them all 15 years for amateurs and for professional drivers all 5 years (and after 60 all 30 months).
Should periodic investigating of hunters be introduced?
So, then, will the work of specified cyclical investigation for those utilizing weapons in public truly improve safety in the forest? Here paradoxically, I am inclined to agree somewhat with hunters that this most likely will not happen (or at least not at once).
Lacks in training and widespread ignorance of hunting regulations, disinvolvement in arms handling, drinking alcohol and exerting peer force on the "gathering of animals" at all costs are inactive factors that affect the full of "security" alternatively than the weakened eyesight or concentration with age.
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In addition, due to the protection of pigs farmers from ASF, The state ordered a hecatomb of boars, for which killing outside the average strategy of the "hunting economy" not only pays hunters immense money (for the killing of 1.5 million chaotic boars taxpayers have paid over PLN 600 million so far), but besides introduces facilitation in terms of the rules applicable during the sanitary shoot-out – so hunting with night vision, usage of silencers, as well as participation of respective people in the same "individual hunt".
All tragic hunting accidents late described by the press took place under specified a loose government (and in 1 case a 12-year-old kid was taken on the hunt, so that he could watch not only killing boars but besides killing man).
The State huntsman Guard, who could routinely control hunters before hunting, check the condition of their weapons, the kind of ammunition loaded, analyse sobriety and compliance with another rules described in the regulations, has only respective twelve officers in Poland.
(In any provinces, this service was not even called up at all and its statutory tasks are carried out by fishermen's guards). It is besides not previously notified of hunting sites and dates.
Further draft laws: introducing and erasing changes
It is now possible to decision to a more general level in the reflections, and to consider why specified simple and apparent changes are faced with specified tremendous legislative paralysis.
The thought of periodic investigation for all weapon holders is not a fresh thought – it first appeared in the arms and ammunition bill adopted on May 21, 1999 (which replaced the 1961 Arms Act).
By the time 5 years passed in which authorisation holders should have provided updated medical and intellectual examinations to the police, the bill was revamped by amending Article 15 so that the work of regular investigating for weapon holders for hunting, sports, collectors, commemorative and training purposes was abolished.
On the occasion of the major changes in the Hunting Law in 2018, however, this work was reinstated for weapon holders for hunting purposes, rightly arguing this with a completely different circumstantial usage of weapons by hunters (a fewer million hunting in public areas each year) and by athletes (arms utilized in controlled conditions exclusively on closed training facilities) or during historical reconstructions (no sharp ammunition). Again, before 5 years passed – in January 2023, the work to investigation hunters was abolished by the Act “to amend laws to destruct unnecessary administrative and legal barriers”.
There is now another task going on – this time, however, the restoration (or can it be introduced?) of these studies, the 1931 seismic printing is already after the first reading and was directed to the committee in December.
The explanation of legal discipline adopts the concept of the alleged rational legislator, according to which it is recognised, among another things, that the law of the Sejm is consistent, does not repeat itself, does not contradict itself – all change in the law results from the pursuit of socially acceptable effects. How do the constant changes of the same provision (once we introduce, erstwhile we eliminate) come to this concept?
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Join us!Member-thinking: Who will win in the vote?
Let us pause for a minute on another constitutional rule that Members are representatives of the Nation and are independent of the electoral instructions in the exercise of their mandate. What, however, if Members are members of the State-controlled Association, which in its statutes provides for the work for its members to “take care of the good name of Polish hunting and the Association”, “take care of the property of the Association” and “take active part in the promotion of hunting” – under the threat of exclusion from the union?
One can adopt the concept, most likely as actual as the 1 with the rational legislator, that in their own sense of independency and work for the mandate exercised on behalf of the Nation, MPs will not follow the instructions given by the Management Board of the Polish People's Republic, but they may even vote without caring for the property of the Association.
Either way, it would seem right for voters to be able to justice for themselves with full knowledge, Mr. and Mrs. Members belongs to the Polish Hunting Union and who does not. However, this information is not available.
On the Sejm's website, we will find information about his age, education (all completed schools), profession. There are besides property statements and a registry of benefits. On their own websites and social media, politicians are very happy to share information with voters about the details of their private life – religion, marriages, even about various types of hobbies, but information about membership in the established law of the association carrying out public tasks and utilizing the assets of the Treasury will no longer be found. Even erstwhile asked directly, Members do not want to answer.
In November and December 2025 all Members received an email question about the membership of PZL respective times, only 184 people replied (which is interesting, including only 2 admitted to being hunters), 276 Members were silent on the substance (the answers can be viewed on the website You're hunting.).
For rejection at first reading mentioned above The task to reconstruct periodic survey of hunters was voted by 212 MPs, the work continued with 222.
There are, however, different sentiments among society – According to a public opinion survey of July 2024. The work to undergo periodic medical and intellectual examinations by hunters supports 94% of respondents. But according to the Constitution, Members do not "binding electoral instructions".
Therefore, possibly even if a law was now passed to reconstruct periodic research, another law would again exempt hunters from this obligation.
