MOOSEHUNTING IN SWEDEN

The Hunt

In the country of Sweden there is an old tradition that's called moosehunting. It starts in the beginning of September and goes on for fifteen days. Then there is a short brake so the mooses can have their mating-season. After fifteen days the hunt begins again and goes on till the turn of the year.

A special thing for Swedish moosehunting is that the hunters hunt in teams. The teams can hunt in two ways. One way to hunt is to take help from dogs that track the moose and start to bark so the hunter can locate them and shoot the moose. The other way to hunt is that the teams put out hunters in different places where they stay and one or two hunters go around in the forest with their dogs and chase the mooses towards the sitting hunters. But the most popular sort of hunt is a combination of the two ways.

The dogs are really important for the hunters. There is a law that says that you must have a dog available no later than one hour after you may have just hurt a moose so the dog can track it and the hunter can finish his job.

Moose

Problems?

The main reason why we in Sweden have this moose hunting is to keep the stock of mooses down. The stock is around 300 000 animals. Every year Swedish hunters shoot about 100 000 mooses. 50% of them are young animals.

If we don't keep the stock down, there will be great damage on the woods and young plants, and those who suffer are the wood-industries. They put out new plants every year to make up for the trees that they have cut down and used in their production. The moosehunt is not just for pleasure, it's really necessary for the whole economy of Sweden.

So wouldn't you like to come here and see and perhaps hunt moose?