Good moose hunting last year

Hunters in Norway bagged 36,100 moose last year, 2,000 more than in 1996, and the third highest number ever. In Hedmark, one of the main hunting districts, 5,400 moose were felled compared to 5,000 the two previous years.

Norwegian moose stocks have grown explosively since 1972. In the process, moose have been transformed from a insignificant element of the ecology into a substantial economic resource. In 1957, 5,700 were felled while nearly 39,000 were taken in 1993, the peak year.

Increase in the main moose counties

Altogether 21,600 animals, up from 19,6000 animals in 1996, were felled in the most important moose counties: Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud, Telemark and Nord-Trøndelag. This is an increase of nearly 10 per cent in all counties. Vest-Agder has had an 11 per cent decline in the number of moose hunted, from 2,700 animals in 1996 to 2,400 in 1997.

The biggest moose municipalities in the country were Ringebu, with 952, Steinkjer, 848, Trysil, 673, Stor-Elvdal, 630, and Drangedal, with 495 animals felled. These same municipalities have also accounted for the largest number of moose shot for the past three years.

New Statistics

Moose hunting, 1997.
Statistics are published in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Hunting Statistics and Regional Statistics. For more information, contact: Madli Judin, tel.+47 62 88 52 55, e-mail: mij@ssb.no, or Kristian Birkeland, tel. +47 62 88 52 56, e-mail: kbi@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 8, 1998