– We were actually offered NOK 50,000 straight in hand if we could arrange hunting from 10 September. Unfortunately, I had to say no to that. That’s not how it works. Frank Bakke in Karasjok runs one of several tourism companies in Finnmark, which welcomes hunters and makes arrangements for hunting. Frank Bakke admits that it is tempting to get carried away by the money, but believes that it is important to have goals and think long-term. Photo: Private – When the news broke, I must have sat on the phone for ten hours. As soon as I hung up, another one rang. It was absolutely wild how many requests we got. – Have you experienced such an attack before? – Not close. We had more calls in two days than in the whole year. Frank Bakke is the general manager of Viddeliv in Karasjok, and he recommends his guests to shop locally for food and equipment to support the local community. Photo: Frank Christian Bakke / private The news that Bakken mentions is as follows: It is simply a great year for grouse in the north, while in southern Norway this year’s hunting is stopped. But even if Finnmark may have the best grouse year since the early 2000s, Bakke warns against letting too many hunters loose. – Even though we are in a peak year, it does not mean that we can bring an unlimited number of hunters in here and shoot them all down. Then we will be as free as those in the south in a year or two, he says. – Never had so many Nils Arne Hætta is also in the business that arranges camps and transport for grouse hunters. He operates in Kautokeino and got to know the trick before this year’s hunt. – When they closed grouse hunting in the south, the phone boiled. It went in one go. – I have never had so many requests. Nils Arne Hætta is general manager of Hætta’s Experiences in Kautokeino. There were many questions about whether he could obtain a hunting license and arrange trips before this year’s hunt. Photo: Marie Elise Nystad / news More people traveling to hunt The number of hunters traveling to hunt in Finnmark is greater this year. This is what Einar J. Asbjørnsen, head of the field department in Finnmarkseiendommen (FeFo), says. – The reason is probably that it looks bad for grouse in many other places in Norway now. He says that the demand for hunting licenses has been quite large, compared to recent years. The influx this year has been large when the card sale started, but is quieter now. – Finnmark is large and there are still vacancies in many fields, says Einar J. Asbjørnsen in FeFo. Photo: Press image / FeFo Wants more moderation Eva Cathrine Nilsen is a keen grouse hunter from Finnmark. She welcomes visiting hunters to the north, but she should have seen that there had been fewer quotas this year. And it is about the grouse population. – It’s not a grouse bonanza, as FeFo might want it to be. She refers to FeFo, which refers to the year as a peak year for the stock. Because you are not back to the good grouse years that mature hunters can reminisce about, even if this year is better than in a long time. – I had seen that you maintain moderation in good years as well, says Nilsen. – Not many people need fifty grouse in the freezer, says hunter Eva Christine Nilsen. Photo: PRIVATE Asbjørnsen in FeFo believes that it is within the scope of calling it a peak year. – We try to give as accurate a picture as possible, based on the knowledge we have. He says that FeFo calculates the number of quotas with moderation and regulates based on visiting hunters. And emphasizes the following regarding the quota: – We know that the average hunter shoots one to two grouse a day. So when we set a daily quota of six grouse, few hunters kill that many. This is how this year’s grouse hunt will be in Finnmark. Regulations for this year’s hunting season are as follows: Daily quota applicable for all hunters of 6 grouse and woodfowl (mountain grouse, gray grouse and woodfowl combined) on the entire Finnmark property. Of the daily quota, up to 2 can be forest birds. Seasonal quota for Finnmark residents of 50 grouse and forest birds (mountain grouse, blue grouse and forest birds combined) on the entire Finnmark property. Of the seasonal quota, up to 5 can be forest birds. Seasonal grouse quota for visiting hunters of 25 grouse and forest birds (mountain grouse, blue grouse and wood grouse combined) on the entire Finnmark property. Of the seasonal quota, up to 3 can be forest birds. On Sørøya, Rolvsøy, Ingøy, Hjelmsøy and Måsøy: – Reduced grouse hunting time: 10 September – 23 December On Ingøy and Loppa øy, the number restriction also applies to people living in Finnmark. A limited number of hunting licenses for visitors were put up for sale on 1 August. A few more cards will be published from 1 September at 1pm. In the assessment, account is taken of stock, hunting pressure, previous harvest rates and reindeer herding.” Source: FeFo – It’s about not getting too carried away with Frank Bakke in Karasjok has fixed a few more campers this year than he usually does. But there were still a number of rejections when he was humiliated before the hunt. – Unfortunately, we have to reject quite a few. We have to take care of those who have booked and you have a responsibility to maintain the grouse population we have up here. Grouse hunting starts on 10 September. Photo: Kai Erik Bull / news He admits to feeling the temptation to make even more money, but believes it is important to calm down. – It’s about not getting too carried away when you get this type of order. It is of course tempting to earn that money, but I think it is important to think long-term, says Bakke.
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– Was offered NOK 50,000 straight in the hand – news Troms and Finnmark
