Klaas: 'Hunting is in our family, many of us have been involved in it from a young age. It's a social event: you really do it together; not only as lovers of tradition and the outdoors but also as managers of the balance in nature. Together you assess what wildlife is present in the field, and eventually, you harvest together. We hunt with many family members who sometimes live outside the Netherlands, which is why we also have hunting grounds in places like Belgium, Germany, England, and Scotland, but we are most active in the Netherlands. For years, we have contributed to the management on the Veluwe, where we hunted mainly wild boars with a large group of family members – the damage these animals can cause is a big problem. Personally, I am involved in small game hunting: I hunt geese around Schiphol for the sake of flight safety and damage control.'

CIRCULAR CHAIN

'Hunting may have a negative connotation, but it is always based on balance. Hunting revolves around three things: protecting, managing, and utilizing what lives in the field. You protect the vulnerable species so their survival is not jeopardized. Managing means knowing which animals live in an area and being able to intervene when a certain species becomes too numerous.

And utilizing is more than just shooting: it's about balance, achieved through wildlife counts that provide insight into population development. Everything starts with counting and observing; only from those results do you determine the balance: which species cause nuisance, traffic problems, or damage, and where there should or should not be intervention. This way, wildlife populations remain healthy. Where possible, we share the wildlife with our guests: some of what we shoot ends up on the menu in our restaurants – 'for the pot,' as we call it. This creates a circular chain with respect for the animal and appreciation for the product: an honest, local piece of meat on your plate. The shot itself is actually the least important part; so much precedes it. First, the right game must be found, then the wind direction must be determined, and you must get within shooting range to place a good shot – and can that shot then also be safely taken? These are just a few factors to consider. It's certainly not always possible to get the right game in the right place at the right time. One snap of your finger, and it's over. But what follows is just as important: the game is retrieved by you or your dog, cared for, and eventually processed into a beautiful dish on the table.

CONNECTION

'When we hunt with the family, the hunting itself is not even the most important thing. It's about being together. We gather in the morning, catch up over a cup of coffee, and everyone receives their instructions before being sent to their position in the field. Then we come together again to eat and drink and just be together. Sometimes we get something from the local snack bar, chicken drumsticks are a favorite, and we make it a cozy after-party. During the official hunting season, from October 15 to December 31, we sometimes do this several times a week. Not just to hunt, but the area must also be maintained. A lot is involved. But the best part is that you are working together on a passion that you invest a lot of time and energy in and share – that's what binds us. We treat each other as friends, as like-minded individuals: we are in the same field and share the same hobby, which makes you very close. Wherever you meet each other, you immediately have that connection as family members. And that's the most important thing.