Last year, grouse hunting was closed in many places in southern Norway, but this year hunters can rejoice: there has been an upswing in the grouse population, recent figures show. – The rise here is both pleasant and expected. This means that we can open our hunting areas again, says Jo Inge Breisjøberget, head of hunting and fishing at Statskog. Both two- and four-legged enjoy the thrill of grouse hunting. Photo: Jan Harald Tomassen / news – The most important thing is the trip, not the catch – For those of us who love grouse, it is great news that research has been done to be up again, compared to last year, which was a very bad year. – No one is as fond of grouse as the grouse hunter, says hunter Tevje Samodee. Photo: Jo Vaagan / Hvite Vinger So says Tevje Samodee, who is active in the Oslo Hunters and Fishermen’s Association. He will hunt in Dalsbygda in Innlandet with his wife. Even if grouse hunting is opened now, it is not certain that the catch will be large. – I think over half of the 180,000 hunters who go grouse hunting, they do not kill a single grouse. – Most of Norway’s hunters are out to go for a walk and enjoy the trip. Grouse is not an easy game to find. – Most Oslo hunters are perhaps hunting 3–4 consecutive days a year, and then it’s over. People have gone out and counted birds The figures are based on extensive surveys, which are called assessment. Volunteers have been out in large areas and observed how the bird populations are doing in Statskog’s areas. This applies to both grouse and forest birds. The assessments have never before been more comprehensive, according to Statskog. – This gives us a world-class knowledge base and creates greater security that the stocks can withstand the hunting we open for at any time, says Breisjøberget. This applies where Statskog manages hunting, a total of around 33 million acres in Norway. Good in northern Norway Hunters can also enjoy themselves in the north: Statskog’s areas in northern Norway show a high density of grouse and good chicken production in Nordland and large parts of Troms. In Nord-Troms it is slightly worse, the counts show. In Finnmark, there has been great interest in hunting licenses. So big that the computer system crashed. Nature, togetherness and camaraderie are also important ingredients in a hunting trip. Photo: Kristian Sønvisen Bye / news Last year there was a big rift about grouse hunting. – We had more calls in two days than we otherwise have in a whole year, said Frank Bakke, who welcomes hunters and makes arrangements for hunting. Grouse hunting starts on 10 September for the whole country, according to the Norwegian Environment Agency. Published 23.08.2024, at 07.19 Updated 23.08.2024, at 09.53
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Upturn in the grouse population, opening for hunting in Southern Norway – Greater Oslo
