The matter in summary • The elk calves are getting smaller and smaller, which worries hunt leader Tarjei Lia and other hunters in Drangedal.• The normal weight of an elk calf is around 50 kilos, but the average weight of the calves that have been shot in Gjerstad/Brødsjø state forest so far this season is only 32 kilos.• The reasons why moose calves become thinner can be several, including climate change, dry spring, small breeding animals and late-born calves.• Marius Knudsen, senior consultant for big game management at Statskog, believes that the hunters can contribute by taking out the small calves, as many of them will not survive the winter anyway.• The hot and dry early summer may have made the grazing particularly bad this year.• It is too early to conclude on an average weight of the calves before the hunt is over, but ideally it should be above fifty kilos. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Lia’s hunting team has been allowed to shoot two calves this season. The first one they shot weighed 32 kilos. The other barely 26. The normal weight of a calf is around fifty kilos. The development worries both him and other hunters in the area. – Broken – It is a bit broken for the moose tribe that the calves are so small. They face a tough winter if this applies across the board. The calves keep getting smaller. Photo: Privat Lia is hunting leader in Vølane hunting team, which leases terrain from Statskog. The reason why the moose calves become thinner can be several, he believes. – It can be so much. The climate, dry spring, small breeding animals and late-born calves. – How do you see the moose tribe going forward? – Something must be done if the calf weight is as low as it is now. It will never be a big and beautiful moose when the calf weighs 26 kilos. There will not be an elk that can be bred on. For the elk hunters, it is a shame that the calves are so small. It is not a sign of health. Shares the concern The hunters in Drangedal are not alone in being concerned about the development. Marius Knudsen, senior consultant for big game management in Statskog, is not satisfied with the numbers, even if there are regional variations. – Weight is very important for the moose to come into production, meaning that it makes new moose when it becomes an adult. It has some consequences in that the productivity of the moose population may decrease, he says. Marius Knudsen, senior consultant for big game management in Statskog. Photo: Kari Nygard Tvilde / news When the elk gets smaller, it takes longer to come into heat, he explains. – This may in turn produce fewer calves and make them susceptible to parasites and disease. He believes one of the most important things the hunters can do to contribute is to take out the calves they see are small. – Many will not survive the winter anyway. If they survive, they will be poor as adults in the long run, and less important to include in the population. Then it is better to take them out and save the animals we see are big and beautiful, says Knudsen. He believes the hot and dry early summer may have made the grazing particularly bad this year. It is too early to conclude on an average weight for the calves before the hunt is over, but ideally it should be over fifty kilos. So far in the season, the average weight is only 32 kilos. Statskog encourages hunters to make good choices when hunting. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Now he hopes the hunters will play as a team in the future, despite the fact that you may have to give up animals that fill the freezer or can be considered trophy animals. – It is important to make good choices when hunting. Pick out the animals that are bad. It will serve the moose tribe in the long run, he says.
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The elk calves are skinny and small – the hunters are worried – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
