The major predators--bear, lynx, wolverine and wolf--are hunted very sparingly and only to protect an ongoing attack upon domestic animals. As regards bear, the County Administration allowed only 8 bears to be shot in Västerbotten this year. Elk hunting, on the other hand, is carried on a large scale.

Elk hunting is not only big game hunting, but it is a way a life.
For Västerbotten's 17,000 elk hunters (or moose hunters as they are called in North America) hunting is indeed part of Norrland's culture. Try and get a hold of a carpenter or an insurance salesman during the beginning of September and you will realise just how important this yearly event is to the county's inhabitants. The majority of the hunters are men, but Västerbotten leads the country in the number of female elk hunters. Granted, elk hunting has an annual turnover of around SEK 1 billion, but the social aspects are even more significant. There is almost something going on all year long for members of the hunting co-operative that relates to elk hunting, like study circles, wildlife management, target practice, etc. And then, when the hunting season rolls around, people who have moved to other parts of Sweden return to be reunited with their families and friends during the week-long hunt. Picture: Elk photographed by Christer Abrahamsson.

Elk hunting in Västerbotten
Västerbotten probably has one of the largest stocks of elk (Alces alces) in the world. The size of the elk stock has varied considerable during the years. Up until the 1950s the population was quite low, but in the years that followed the number of animals increased greatly until it culminated around 1983 when 22,925 elk were shot. How was such an increase possible? There were several factors that contributed to the increase: favourable biotopes were created when the large lumber companies left large-scale clear-fell areas, which were gradually forested with new growth; restricted hunting; and few natural enemies like wolves and bears.

Västerbotten is divided into 3,060 hunting areas. Each of these areas has a hunting co-operative that is responsible for the licence hunting. The size of these parties varies, as does the size of the hunting areas. The County Administration allots a hunting quote to each shooting party based on the size of the hunting area and the availability of elk. The total number of elk that can be hunting in this year is 15,000. The older forms of hunting like pitfalls and traps disappeared long ago and have been replaced by modern, hi-tech equipment that include modern rifles and scopes, GPS, the latest in communications, and even special RVs and mobile slaughterhouses. Elk hunters use several forms of hunting including trained dogs, still-hunting and stand-hunting. Hunting in Västerbotten is not only exciting, but it is also a source of valuable recreation and takes place in a beautiful landscape.

Foreign visitors also have the opportunity to hunt
Foreign visitors have the opportunity to hunt elk as well, provided they meet the same standards that are required of other hunters. Since most of the land is spoken for, there is very little chance of leasing shooting rights. However, there are two other ways foreign visitors can be invited to participate in the hunt. One way is 'exchange hunting' that requires that a foreign hunter can invite a Swedish hunter to hunt in his own country and, in return, is invited to hunt in Sweden. The other way, which is becoming increasingly popular with landowners and hunting co-operatives, is to hunt as a 'paying guest'. For more information about hunting in Sweden go to www.jagareforbundet.se/eng/index.html

For hunting in Västerbotten consult "Aktivities" at http://www.tourist-ac.org/en/

Robert Mullins