Hunting atlas

What game is where, which seasons apply, and what hunting land is available to rent — county by county and species by species.

The counties

Agder

Wooded hills and valleys — moose and red deer, and wild reindeer and ptarmigan on the Setesdal heights.

Akershus

The forests around the capital — moose and roe deer in Romerike and Follo, wild boar in the east, and wolf zone.

Buskerud

From lowland forest to high mountains — moose and red deer in the valleys, ptarmigan and wild reindeer above.

Finnmark

Plateaus and ptarmigan — and most of the land managed by the Finnmark Estate.

Innlandet

The biggest hunting county — large moose populations in the forests, wild reindeer and ptarmigan in the mountains, and forest grouse.

Møre og Romsdal

Red deer along the whole coast, moose in the valleys, and wild reindeer in Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella.

Nordland

Ptarmigan in the mountains, moose in the valleys, and plenty of state land with hunting licences.

Oslo

Marka — moose and roe deer in the forest around the city, where outdoor life is busy and hunting calls for extra care.

Rogaland

Red deer in Ryfylke, roe deer and geese on Jæren, and wild reindeer and ptarmigan on the heaths.

Telemark

Forest in the south, mountains in the north — moose, red deer and roe deer, and wild reindeer and ptarmigan above.

Troms

Ptarmigan in the mountains and moose in the valleys — and large reindeer grazing areas.

Trøndelag

Moose in the forests, red deer on the coast, wild reindeer and ptarmigan in the mountains — and large reindeer grazing areas.

Vestfold

Farming and coastal county — roe deer, moose and red deer in small woodlands, and geese and ducks.

Vestland

Red deer country — steep slopes and fjords with a large red deer population, and wild reindeer in the mountains.

Østfold

Lowland forest, farmland and coast — moose, roe deer and small game, and wild boar along the Swedish border.

The game

The species most hunting is rented out for in Norway.

Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan is the most rented quarry in the country. The hunting is on the open mountain and in the birch belt, from the…

Moose

Moose hunting is what most Norwegian teams organise themselves around. It is driven with beaters and standers, or with…

Mountain hare

Hare hunting is small game hunting with hounds, usually beagles or Norwegian hounds, in forest and low mountain across…

Black grouse

Black grouse are hunted in birch forest and along bog edges, often on the same card as ptarmigan and hare. They sit tig…

Roe deer

Roe deer are the main quarry in the farmed landscape. The hunting is stalking or sitting in a high seat, in farmland, e…

Red deer

Red deer are densest in western Norway and Trøndelag, and the hunting is in steep terrain — from the shoreline up into…

Duck

Duck hunting takes place on lakes, river mouths and along the coast, usually from a hide at first light. It is rented a…

Goose

Goose hunting takes place on fields and shore meadows, from hides and over decoys. In many places landowners organise i…

Wild reindeer

Wild reindeer hunting takes place in the ten large wild reindeer areas of southern Norway, from Setesdal and Hardangerv…

Beaver

Beaver are hunted by rivers and lakes, spring and autumn, usually sitting at dusk where the animals are active. The hun…

The hunting right belongs to the landowner

The right to hunt follows the property. The landowner can hunt, rent out the hunting, or sell licences. The right of public access lets you walk the countryside, but not hunt there.

For deer — moose, red deer and roe deer — the land must be approved by the municipality as a management unit, and the unit receives the culling permits. Many small properties join one unit, and the hunting is rented to a hunting team or run by the landowners themselves.

Renting private land

The most common arrangement for a hunting team is renting the hunting on private land for one or more seasons. The agreement states which game, which period, how many hunters and which rules apply. Price and payment are agreed between landowner and team.

On Veida Jakt, landowners list land. The hunting team asks to rent, the landowner sees who they are and replies, and an approved rental becomes a written agreement.

State land and state commons

The state owns large areas of uncultivated land, especially in the mountains and in northern Norway. Statskog manages state land and sells licences for small and big game.

In the state commons — mostly in southern Norway — the local mountain board manages the hunting and sells licences. Local residents often get priority or a lower price.

The Finnmark Estate

In Finnmark, the Finnmark Estate (FeFo) owns and manages most of the land. Licences for ptarmigan, moose and other game are sold there.

Wild reindeer hunting

Wild reindeer live in distinct mountain areas in southern Norway. Hunting in each area is managed by the reindeer board, and quotas are set year by year based on the population — some years an area is not opened for hunting.

You may be required to submit samples from animals you shoot. Always check what applies to the area before the season.

Dogs, reindeer and wolves

From Trøndelag northwards, and in several mountain areas further south, the land is grazing land for Sámi reindeer herding. Dogs must not chase reindeer, and anyone hunting with a loose dog needs to know where the reindeer are.

The wolf zone covers parts of Innlandet, Akershus, Østfold and Oslo. There it is worth weighing the risk before releasing your dog.

Useful links