How to Start Hunting in Finland

So, you want to hunt in Finland…..the best way to get into hunting is to obviously ask someone to teach you or show you the ropes, usually it seems to be passed on from father to son or grandfather to son. However, I didn't have this luxury as my family doesn't hunt so when I moved here in my late 20s, I started making the effort to learn and it was a steep learning curve.

First off, why hunt? Why do I hunt? I wanted to hunt because it offers me another excuse to be outside in the woods and I believe the effort it takes to obtain my own meat is not only worth it, but makes me feel as close to nature as a human can possibly feel. I am not a tourist passing through, I am an active participant. All of my best wildlife experiences have happened when I was hunting, even if I didn't get anything. I have seen a snow-white weasel take a mouse in front of me, I have seen a goshawk take a bird in front of me, I have had squirrels play around my legs without noticing me and had deer and moose basically almost trip over me. Its just cool to be an actual part of the nature around you.

If you want to hunt in Finland, the first thing you have to do is take the hunting license test. It is only $20 and is available to take in English, however the study materials are all in Swedish and Finnish. I actually took it in Finnish, but I know most of the animals in Finnish. The majority of the multiple choice test is species identification and isn't difficult.

So you have passed the test, now you need to decide what to hunt and how? The easiest way to get into hunting is to decide that you want to hunt small game like grouse. There are small-game hunting areas all over Finland starting at around Tampere and going North. These are chunks of land that are managed and allowed for people to camp and hunt. You pay a daily permit of 20 euros a day and you are allowed to hunt all small game species there. If this is the route you want, you can now decide to apply for a weapon permit and probably get either a shotgun or a rifle, decide which one (or better yet, both) and go to the police website and apply. The permit costs 135 euros to apply, you do not need to be a citizen but you need a class A residence permit. You need to specify what firearm, what you want to hunt and where you want to hunt. Provide documentation of a background permit in your home country, photos of your residence permit and passport and possibly a diary of scouting or going out with friends who do hunt. You then have to sit down for an interview with the police.

If you want to bow hunt, you don't need a license for a weapon. Buy a bow and head to public lands and hunt grouse. It is super difficult but definitely the easiest way to get started. This was actually what I did to get started. You can check out huntersfriend.eu which is run by an American guy in Mikkeli for all your bow hunting needs. Used firearms are easy to get in Finland and you can buy an old rifle for a few hundred euros, a shotgun for even as low as 100 euros.

These peaceful moments in field and forest are all part of the appeal of hunting

If you want to hunt bigger game in Finland like moose or deer, you basically need to belong IN a hunting club or pay for the right to hunt on club lands. If you are in the South, this can be next to impossible. If you don't own land to contribute to the club, they will probably tell you to piss off and then whine about how the sport is dying anyway. If you live out in the sticks, then you probably can apply to join a club. If you get in, it is usually as a trial member and then you can't hunt alone for a year and you are expected to make appearances at the club get-togethers and "Talkot" events, which is basically when everyone works together towards a common goal, like a new sauna or cleaning or whatever. Either way, you need to show your face...especially as a foreigner. Many clubs are older guys who aren't super friendly, better to try and find a club with guys in their 30s if you can. It is incredibly difficult to join a club even for Finns, it is next to impossible as a foreigner and I am lucky to have an amazing girlfriend who lobbies for me.

“Feel free to ask questions. Hunting is a great sport and not just a wonderful part of Finnish culture but also a part of our shared human experience as a species. ”

The other alternative is to pay to hunt game. Clubs have a certain number of permits and they can chose to sell those permits to guest hunters. This can be affordable or expensive. Maybe 200 euros for a deer? Or it could be 50 euros for the day + 6 euros per kg for meat, +100 if you shoot a male + 20 euros per point on his antlers...it can be ridiculous, especially because white tail deer are like rats here. However I do work for a company that sells and organizes moose hunting so I can help with this. You can also ask if people can let you hunt on their property, some people have apple trees that get wiped out by deer and they are happy to let a bowhunter come and take a deer. It is considered good manners to give some meat if you shoot on someone's land with their permission.

But this is basically how to get started hunting in Finland. It isn't easy as someone older, but it is possible. Talk to people, ask questions, be respectful, bring booze for the old guys, etc. I am considering partnering up with a friend to actually offer a 3 day course on the ins and outs, wondering if there is a market for it.

A note: Hunting is by definition HARD. I think it took me two years to get my first bird, I am still trying to get a deer with a bow and I am probably going to try a compound bow out of frustration. But I have become fairly successful through trial and error and with extensive help from people with more knowledge. This year was my best season yet and I was fortunate enough to take my first caipercaille, a couple moose and a few black grouse.

If all of this still seems daunting, if you really are unsure of what to do and how to do it, contact me and we can arrange a guided hunting experience for you. Even if you don’t want to take part in the actual harvesting of an animal.

Every hunt starts with scouting, my buddy Juuso from JJ WildExperience Hunting is an absolute pro and I have been fortunate to have him teach me.