The Path is the Destination

Anna Heim's days are long. Both before and after her normal working day, she is out and about in the Tyrolean mountains and forests as often as possible, as a hunter, to ensure a healthy game population and to show guests that nature is deserving of peace and respect.

It is just before 4 a.m. when Anna's alarm clock goes off. A short time later, she is already in the car and driving along a narrow, bumpy mountain road. Only the headlights illuminate the night, otherwise it is pitch black. And even this light goes out when Anna parks the car, carefully opens the door, quietly shoulders her rucksack, binoculars and rifle and sets off in the dark to her hunting post. She moves carefully, step by step, through the labyrinth of the sprawling spruce forest. Any noise, however small, could scare off nearby game. Once she reaches her perch, she has to wait and strain her ears. Her eyes have long since become accustomed to the darkness and dusk slowly illuminates the surroundings by the minute. ‘When a shy doe and her young fawn emerge from the trees to graze in the clearing together with the first rays of sunshine, these are moments that get under my skin every time,’ says the enthusiastic young hunter from Kirchberg in Tirol.

At first glance, you might not realise that she has already killed several red deer and roe deer with a clean shot at the side of her father and grandfather. Long hair, bright eyes and a gentle, friendly disposition characterise her personality. ‘When I tell people that I go stalking in my spare time, I sometimes get astonished looks’´, she laughs. She is happy to explain to non-hunters the obvious reason for wanting to kill an animal. ‘There's so much more to hunting than the kill. The care and maintenance of the forest, the preservation of safe hunting grounds and a healthy game population. First and foremost, sick, weak and old animals that would not survive the winter are culled. The annual roe deer and stag mating season is of course something very special for every hunter, but it is definitely not the first priority of responsible hunting.’

Even as a child, Anna spent a lot of time in the forest with her father, accompanying him to Winter feeding and excitedly peering through binoculars when a pack of red deer appeared in the nearby clearing. ‘Currently hunting is a great way for me to balance my everyday office life as a marketing assistant with the Brixental Valley Tourist Board.’ But game conservation is also part of her work. ‘It's important to direct the flow of visitors around the Kitzbühel Alps so that the game has its quiet zones. In Winter, for example, a capercaillie/grouse consumes an enormous amount of energy when it is startled by a ski tourer. It is the same for red deer and roe deer, so it is important that the animals find peace and quiet in their habitats and are not disturbed by tourists during feeding times.’

Anna is convinced that there are plenty of signposted tours and routes in the Tyrolean mountains: ‘Our infrastructure is excellently signposted and every guest can find unspoilt places away from the popular hotspots. We should feel honoured to be able to live and holiday here.’ That's why Anna enjoys every free second in the forests and mountains of her homeland. ‘Nature gives you so much more than the TV and the sofa at home. Outdoors, I can really take a deep breath after a stressful day and re-ground myself. You get some exercise and do something for your body. And when I'm rewarded with a view, I can just say a quiet thank you in my mind to St Hubert - the patron saint of hunters.’

#Kitzbüheler Alpen | #LebenswegeTirol