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 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.