Moose hunting

Moose hunting high seat in the Swedish municipality of Sölvesborg

The elk hunt refers to the hunt by man on elk , the largest species of deer occurring today . This hunt is now practiced in Sweden , Norway , the Baltic States , Russia , Canada and the United States , among others . It is not only seen as a social event, but also benefits nature conservation , especially forest protection . The elk meat is also eaten.

history

Various cave paintings , petroglyphs and archaeological finds found in Northern Europe indicate that elk has been hunted since the Stone Age . In many places in northern Scandinavia the remains of pitfalls have been found that were used to catch the elk. One of them (in Norway) dates from 3700 BC. Such pits could be up to 4 meters by 7 meters wide and 2 meters deep and were camouflaged with branches and leaves. Because the walls were to be covered with boards, it was impossible for elks to escape. Parts of such wooden boards have been found in swamps and bog areas . This effective fishing method was in use until the 19th century.

Hunting methods

Various methods of hunting are used in moose hunting. In large parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland is often hunted with the help of dogs, usually with special Elchhunden as Loshunden. Driven hunts are also used, in which the game is brought up by several hunters, high- seat hunting in which the hunter waits for game to pass by alone and without the support of dogs or drivers, and stalking, a form of hunting in which the hunter sneaks, to get close to the game unnoticed.

Moose hunting in Sweden

Moose hunting is practiced in Sweden mainly for animal and environmental reasons. Moose can cause considerable damage to forests and also cause traffic accidents.

Of the total of 300,000 hunters in Sweden, 270,000 hunt for elk, of which around 80,000 are shot every year. Swedish elk hunting, like other forms of hunting, is subject to the Hunting Act , Hunting Ordinances and the Control Board of the Provincial Government. These stipulate which requirements the hunt and the hunter must meet and how many and where moose may be shot.

In practice, hunting is regulated by the provincial governments: there are special regulations for hunting methods , hunting areas and hunting seasons. The provincial governments are advised by special regional advisory bodies. However, hunting organizations and hunting protection associations are also involved in the management of the hunt. Elk hunting is one of the most regulated forms of hunting in Sweden. Hunting results must be reported in the respective province within two weeks after the end of the hunt.

There are five different types of areas where elk may be hunted, with different sizes, management and surveillance. In the relatively large Ä areas (Älgskötselområde) , detailed administrative plans have been established which have been approved by the county council. Other areas are the A (Egentligt licensområde) , B (Särskilt licensområde) and E areas (Enkalvsområde) . The so-called K-areas (Kalvområde) are not registered. The hunting season starts in September or October, depending on the region. The length of the hunting season varies; this is determined annually by the provincial government. When hunting, you may only shoot with rifles , special requirements also apply to bullets.

• gallery
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  Figure from a rock drawing in Alta , possibly depicting an elk and a shaman

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  The Moose Chase , painted by George de Forest Brush in 1888, depicts American Indians hunting for moose.

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  Remains of a pitfall for moose in the outdoor area of ​​the Valdres Folk Museum

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  Elk skin with head and legs from Ångermanland , Sweden, 1928

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  Hunters with dogs and trophy in Ångermanland, 1928

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  Elk hunters in North America

literature

• Lena Blom: The use of stone and hunting of reindeer: a study of stone tool manufacture and hunting of large mammals in the central Scandes c. 6000-1 BC . In: Archeology and environment . tape 12 . Umeå University, Umeå 1991, ISBN 91-7174-634-X ( online [PDF]).
• Julia Numßen : Handbook hunter language , all technical terms from A - Z compactly explained, Munich 2017, ISBN 978-3-8354-1728-1

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Numßen, p. 109
2. ↑ Jakt - Jaktformer ( Memento of the original from December 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 2, 2014.  
3. ↑ Moose and road traffic . Alces-alces.com, accessed January 2, 2014.
4. ↑ Älg Fakta ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 2, 2014. 
5. ↑ Firade födelsedagen i skogen med älgjakt . In: Kvällsposten , accessed on January 2, 2014.
6. ↑ Jakttider i Västerbotten , accessed on January 2, 2014.