Deer hunting is well underway. In the newly built cold room at Hildre in Sunnmøre, dead deer hang in rows, ready to be cut up. – I hope we manage to reduce the deer population. We are basically tired of slaughtering deer, but it has to be done, says Rune Stene. He shot his first deer 49 years ago. Since then, the population has only increased and increased. Hunting has become work Today, his hunting team has a quota of 53 deer. When the quota is taken, they can take as many deer calves as they want. 72 municipalities have been granted quota-free hunting for deer calves by the Norwegian Environment Agency because the deer population is so large. For Stene, what started as a fun hobby has become more like a job. – We are looking forward to the hunt, but it will mostly be done, says the experienced hunter. Robin Bjørnland is a novice hunter. Rune Stene shows him where the various pieces of meat on the deer are. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Not enough food Senior researcher Vebjørn Veiberg at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research, NINA, thinks it is special that hunters say they are tired, but he understands the problem. In many municipalities, the deer population is far too high and thus many animals must be felled. Researcher Vebjørn Veiberg says that it is unfortunate that the deer population has become so large and that it is therefore important to kill enough animals. Photo: Norwegian Institute for Natural Sciences – Last year over 50,000 deer were killed in the country. It has gone from record to record, says Veiberg. He says it is unfortunate that the deer population has become so large. With so many animals, there is not enough food for everyone and the deer shrink in size and are more exposed to disease. The deer also comes into conflict with agriculture and forestry. In addition, it is more dangerous for traffic. – It is important to remove the animals so that the population does not increase beyond all bootstraps, says Veiberg. Vebjørn Lunde Nybø took part in his first hunt as a 10-year-old. In recent years, he has been allowed to join the hunting team at Hildre. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Young people help the Hunting team at Hildre has five hunters who are active. In addition, they have brought several young people on the team, who are involved and learning both to shoot and butcher the animal. Deer that are shot in the mountains must be dragged back down to the village, and then it is good to have the young and fit ones with you. Such as 22-year-old Vebjørn Lunde Nybø, who loves to go hunting. Nybø shares Stene’s concern about the increased population, but believes he will never get to the point where he will get tired of slaughtering the animals. – Of course, if you shoot a lot of animals and you have to stand and butcher for a long time alone, you can get a little bored. But I don’t get bored, smiles Nybø. He himself has taken seven animals so far. – Finding the deer now is not a problem. There will only be more and more, says the 22-year-old. For Rune Stene, the motivation is deeper. – I no longer run out in all kinds of weather in the middle of the night to hunt, says Stene. Rune Stene has been hunting for 49 years. In recent years, deer hunting has become more of a job than a hobby because there are so many animals to be felled. Photo: Remi Sagen / news
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The deer population is so large that the hunter is tired of slaughtering – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
