Hunting

Hunting in Norway

Hunting in Norway is a deep-rooted tradition, woven into the country’s history and culture. With its vast, wild landscapes—ranging from dense forests to rugged mountains and fjords—Norway offers some of the best hunting opportunities in Europe. Hunters often pursue large game like moose, red deer, and reindeer, as well as small game like grouse and ptarmigan. The experience is about more than just the hunt itself—it’s about being immersed in nature, exploring remote areas, and embracing the challenges of Norway’s tough, unpredictable terrain.

For many, hunting is a way to connect with the land and nature, practice traditional skills, and gather high-quality, wild food. Others see it as a bonding activity, spending time with family or friends in the great outdoors. It’s also a way to preserve the balance of wildlife populations in the region, ensuring that hunting remains sustainable and respectful of the environment.

In short, hunting in Norway is an adventure that combines tradition, survival skills, and a profound connection to one of Europe’s most stunning wild landscapes.

Why Do I Hunt?

I got introduced to hunting and shooting at a very young age. It has always been a tradition in my family. I was a boy scout for many years, joined the Norwegian Home Defence Youth as early as I could, and served with the Norwegian Armed Forces and UNIFIL for a number of years. I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, and connecting with nature is recharging for me.

“How can we love and admire a wild animal one minute and look forward to taking its life the next?” There’s no simple answer to such a big question. The meat, the challenge, and the instinct are just a few reasons we hunt. I want to point out, though, that hunting is so much more than pulling the trigger. I equally enjoy:

Traversing my hunting grounds off-season to learn about animal behaviour.
Putting up trail cameras to monitor the development of the game.
Preparing observation points, tracks and shooting spots.
Loading my own ammunition to be as effective as possible.
Spending hours at the shooting range honing my aim and precision.
Hunting by my self and becoming one with nature.
Hunting with a group of friends and enjoying their company.
The gratitude from landowners when the right animals are taken out.
Preparing the meat and to use every eatable part of the animal.
Serving fresh, medicine free, healthy and very tasty wild meat straight from nature.
Inviting friends and family to share the fruits of the hunt.
Being part of a strong and welcoming hunting community.

Hunting in Numbers

442,000 or 20% of Norwegian men over 15 years old are hunters (2024)
79,000 or 4% of Norwegian women over 15 years old are hunters (2024)
72% of the population agrees that hunting is an important cultural tradition in Norway that should be continued (2022)
449 million kroner was the value of game meat from all shot moose, deer and wild reindeer (2019/20)
Moose hunting in Norway has a socio-economic value of 1.1 billion kroner (2020)