Hunting 2011

The number of hunters who paid the game management fee in 2011 was 312,000. The number has slightly increased every year. Not all hunted, however. A total of 234,000 hunted, of which 206,000 hunted for small game and 125,000 hunted for deer. 140,000 hunted for grouse and 109,000 hunted for waterfowl.

Of those who hunted for small game, 203,000 did so with firearms and 47,000 set traps. The total number of small-game hunting days for those who used firearms was 2.8 million and for those setting traps 1.4 million. Deer-hunting days totalled 1.8 million.

A total of 161,000 hunters bagged small game. The most usual game species were mallard, arctic wood pigeon and black grouse. Every third small game hunter bagged at least one black grouse and almost as many bagged at least one mallard. Waterfowl were hunted to a total of over half a million: of these, half were mallards. A total of 258,500 mallards, 126,500 teals, 50,300 goldeneyes and 33,700 wigeons were bagged. Of the other game birds, wood pigeon bag totalled 239,800. Grouse bag showed some increase from previous year’s exceptionally low figures. Black grouse bag totalled 242,900, hazel grouse bag 117,400, capercaillie bag 73,100 and willow grouse bag 61,700 in 2011.

In 2011, arctic hares were bagged to a total of 182,300, raccoon dogs 169,800, European hares 71,700, foxes 52,700 and minks 48,600.

In 2011, 58,400 moose, 21,500 white-tailed deer and 2,700 roe-deer were shot. Economically speaking, the moose is overwhelmingly the most significant game animal. The calculated meat yield of the entire game bag was approximately 10 million kilogrammes, of which the share of moose was 7.9. million and other deer 1.0 million kilogrammes. The calculated value of the entire game bag was MEUR 80. The share of deer in this respect was MEUR 52,5.

Statistics: www.rktl.fi/english/statistics