The Palatinate CowboyAndreas is fixing the roof of a little hut in the Palatinate Forest as we walk by this scene on a sunny day in May 2020. We stop and stare as it is uncommon to see little huts like his in this area. We approach and get into conversation as to what he´s doing. Andreas is a hunter and has leased this part of the forest. He´s happy to tell us all about the rights and obligations a hunter withholds. We want to know and experience more and leave our contact with him so he can check our websites and decide for himself, if he trusts us enough to invite us into his world as he has had negative experiences with journalists before.
The next day we receive an invitation to go hunting with him and to a „hunter´s dinner“ at his house before hand. Relics from his time as a cowboy in the USA are scattered throughout his self-built wooden house. Also, Andreas` love for rodeo riding is obvious - even his bowlegged gait gives it away.
After dinner he takes us hunting at one of his raised hides, then we spend the night in his forest hut. He and his 3 dogs keep watch outside in a huge 4x4 Ford truck. Unfortunately, we have to leave the high seat that evening with empty hands; it starts to rain and no game shows up. „Today the animal wins", Andreas says.
We are following Andreas throughout 2020 and 2021.
