The nonprofit umbrella organization of Slovenian hunting
The Hunters Association of Slovenia (Lovska zveza Slovenije) is a national nonprofit organization connecting around 20,000 hunters, organized in 411 hunting societies and 20 regional associations. Acting in the public interest, we are responsible for sustainable wildlife management, hunter education, and the conservation of nature and wildlife habitats.
What we do
The tasks we carry out are performed in the public interest and defined by Slovenian legislation. Most of the fieldwork is done by hunters as volunteers, in their own free time.
Wildlife is part of Slovenia’s natural wealth. Hunters monitor game populations throughout the year and manage them deliberately, in line with national legislation and adopted management plans. The goal is to maintain healthy, balanced populations living in harmony with their environment and with people.
Every hunter in Slovenia must pass the national hunting exam. The association runs the national system of hunting exams and training for hunters and hunting wardens. Knowledge of wildlife biology, legislation, safe firearm handling and hunting ethics is the foundation of responsible hunting.
We work to protect endangered species and improve the habitats of wild animals. The association contributes expertise to the planning of biocorridors, while hunters maintain water sources, feeding grounds and other key habitat features in the field. We cooperate closely with landowners, agriculture and forestry.
Since 1910 we have published Lovec, one of the oldest Slovenian magazines, alongside professional hunting literature. We foster hunting cynology, customs and traditions, and the rich cultural heritage of Slovenian hunting, passing it on to younger generations.
How we are organized
Slovenian hunting is built from the ground up. Its foundation are the hunting societies, independent local associations that manage hunting grounds across the country. Their work is coordinated regionally by the regional associations, while the Hunters Association of Slovenia represents hunting at the national level and abroad as the umbrella organization.
The association performs public-interest tasks defined by law: it maintains the national system of education and hunting exams, provides professional support for wildlife management, publishes professional literature and informs the public. It represents Slovenia in the international organizations CIC and FACE. The fieldwork of hunters is based on volunteering.
Voluntary associations of hunters that directly manage hunting grounds and carry out fieldwork in their local environment.
Regional networks of hunting societies that coordinate work, education and professional tasks in their area.
The national umbrella organization. It represents Slovenian hunting at home and abroad and carries out shared public-interest tasks.
The path to becoming a hunter is open to anyone who wants to actively care for nature.
The first step is membership in one of the 411 hunting societies. The society accepts you as a trainee and assigns you a mentor.
As a trainee you learn fieldwork, wildlife and hunting ethics under your mentor’s guidance and attend training courses.
The traineeship concludes with the national hunting exam, run by the Hunters Association of Slovenia. Passing it qualifies you for a hunting license.
History
Slovenian hunters have been formally organized since 1907. Today’s Hunters Association of Slovenia grew out of the Slovenian Hunting Club and carries more than a century of tradition.
The Slovenian Hunting Club (Slovenski lovski klub) was founded on 16 October 1907. Its first president was Ivan Hribar, the mayor of Ljubljana, with dr. Ivan Lovrenčič as the driving force behind the founding.
The first issue of the magazine Lovec was published. It has been published since 1910 and is one of the oldest Slovenian magazines.
The association became a member of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), and later also of the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE).
For its national and nature-conservation orientation, the association received the Honorary Badge of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia, a state decoration.
The association connects around 20,000 hunters and remains committed to sustainable hunting, education and nature conservation.
Official online store
The official online store of the Hunters Association of Slovenia offers professional literature, hunting publications and hunting-themed products.
All proceeds from the store fund the association’s nonprofit programs: education, wildlife management and nature conservation. The Hunters Association of Slovenia has no private owners and distributes no profit.
The association’s finances are transparently presented in its annual reports. Annual reports (in Slovenian)
Visit the official storeNews and announcements
On its main website, lovska-zveza.si, the association continuously publishes news, professional articles, announcements of training courses and events, and information for hunting societies and members. The site is the central source of current information on Slovenian hunting.