Living in the countryside during Swiss autumn

Grape harvest
Strict regulations exist against picking any grapes before the very end of the harvest which lasts over a two-week period in the Autumn. Helping yourself before that is a great insult to local farmers, liable to be met with near ostracization from your new neighbors. Harvest dates are published each year in local newspapers. Your local commune will also have the relevant information. Once past the harvest end, you are allowed to pick the leftover clusters or grapes to eat.

If you are interested in the grape-picking period, ask a local grape grower who will certainly let you participate in this great celebration. There is a good deal of information on the website http://www.ovv.ch/e/home/ where you will find links for every canton.

Mushrooms
In Switzerland, except for a few areas, the woods and forests are public and you may walk in them without any restrictions. But beware! There are certain zones to avoid, such as parts of the Jura for example, which may prove to be dangerous, with crevasses etc. However, they will certainly be signaled onsite and on any good map. The Swiss army also organizes occasional exercises in the countryside and forests. These zones are also signaled and marked.

Swiss forests are full of large quantities of mushrooms and berries. The most known mushrooms are of course, the bolet and chanterelle, however many other varieties are edible. You may pick them carefully, making sure that you do not tear them out of the ground. It is also recommended to put them into a basket or a paper bag. Never use plastic.
For mushroom picking, it is preferable to take along a mushroom guide from your favorite bookstore. You will certainly want have them checked by a professional. The easiest is to go to the closest police station. However, there are also official controllers.

To find an official controller, click on the link http://www.vapko.ch/fr/ and simply choose the canton and then the commune that interests you. You can find a multitude of great recipes for the well-known “cassolette” or “fricassée” on the internet or in any library.

In the event that you feel sick after eating a mushroom, the Tox center gives you information on cases and prevention of mushroom poisoning: http://www.toxi.ch/eng/welcome.html The emergency phone number is 145. It's worth emphasizing that some mushrooms can be fatal and just one placed in your collecting bag will contaminate all the others. Check out the following link: http://www.ch.ch/private/00045/00053/00628/00641/index.html?lang=fr

Hunting season
During the same period, in the countryside, around your property, you will certainly see armed men and sometimes women with dogs. Don’t panic, it’s the hunting season. The borders of vineyards and the edge of the forest are often patrolled by hunters. However, they are not permitted to shoot closer than 100-200 metres from any living area. There are strict regulations in each canton.

Hunters in Switzerland must hold a license. It is not permitted to hunt with a foreign “non-Swiss” hunting license. To apply for a license, you must be over 20-years-old, successfully pass an aptitude exam and fulfill several other conditions. Each hunter has the right to a number of kills, which must be declared to the authorities.
http://www.bafu.admin.ch/jagd_wildtiere/index.html?lang=fr

During this hunting season, be sure not to let your dog loose, to avoid a hunter mistaking it for game. There are zones and areas where you must keep your dogs on a leash at all times.