HUNTING IN FINLAND

HUNTING IN FINLAND

F
inland’s rugged nature and severe winter of- State budget, and is EUR 39 for the 2020–2021 hunt-
fer possibilities of survival to relatively few ing year. The game management fee is 20 euros for
species of game. Due to the northern posi- persons under 18 years old by 1st of August. Person
tion and length of our country, the living con- must have passed the hunting exam to be able to pay
ditions for game vary considerably from area to area. the game management fee.
Our game species include those valued by hunters,
such as capercaillie and moose, though game densi- In order to obtain a Finnish hunting card, foreign
ties remain lower than in, e.g. Central Europe. hunters must present a hunting card or other relia-
ble clarification which indicates that they have valid
The most commonly hunted game are grouse, moun- right to hunt in their homeland. These documents
tain hare, moose and white-tailed deer, as well as the should be presented to the director of the game man-
mallard and wood pigeon. Foxes, beavers and mar- agement association. In practice, it is best to allow
ten are hunted as fur-bearing game. Among large the Finnish host to look after the procedures of the
carnivores, bears and lynx as well as some wolves hunting card and possible shooting test in advance.
and wolverines are bagged with derogation on the
basis of population management or damage preven- If a foreign person is unable to provide a reliable ex-
tion. Raccoon dog, mink and muskrat are commonly planation for the right to hunt, one must complete
catched listed/harmful invasive species. the Finnish hunting exam. The game management
associations organise hunting exams, which are sub-
There are over 300,000 hunters in Finland who pay the ject to payment.
annual game management fee in the form of a hunting
card. The proportion of female hunters is about eight The hunting card is valid for one hunting year, which
per cent, and the number is growing strongly. Six per starts 1 August and ends 31 July of the next calen-
cent of Finnish citizens have a hunting card, which is dar year. Hunting insurance is included in the game
the highest proportion of hunters in Europe. management fee, which covers injuries caused with a
hunting weapon in connection with hunting. This in-
surance is valid during the entire valid period of the
hunting card.
Hunting in Finland requires
• a Finnish hunting card
• a hunting permit granted under the right to hunt Right to hunt
or issued by the land owner or holder of hunting
rights The right to hunt belongs to the landowner, who can
lease that right to others. Private persons own 65 per
• right to keep and maintain firearms
cent of Finland’s forest, field and inland water areas.
• for certain species of game, a hunting licence or a
derogation Hunters have established hunting associations which
have leased areas for hunting and game manage-
A successful shooting test is required ment. The purpose is to form hunting areas that are
sufficiently large and uniform for hunting deer and
• in hunting moose and deer, bear or wild boar with a
moose in particular. There are currently over 4,000
rifled firearm
hunting associations in our country, with hunting ar-
• in hunting of ungulate game such as white-tailed eas usually between 2000 to 10 000 hectares.
deer, roe deer or wild boar with a hunting bow. It is
not allowed to hunt moose with a hunting bow. The State owns approximately 25 per cent of Finland’s
surface area. State lands are mainly found in Eastern
and Northern Finland. Metsähallitus organizes hunt-
Hunting card ing and game management on the state lands.

Anyone who engages in hunting must pay the game

management fee to the State each hunting year. The
receipt obtained for payment serves as the hunting
Hunting permits
card for the hunting year concerned. The amount
Hunting right holders, such as the landowner or hunt-
of the game management fee is set annually in the
ing association, can sell hunting permits to their land

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English Scientific Finnish Swedish German
mallard Anas platyrhynchos heinäsorsa gräsand Stockente
teal Anas crecca tavi kricka Krickente
garganey Anas querquedula heinätavi årta Knäkente
wigeon Anas penelope haapana bläsand Pfeifente
pintail Anas acuta jouhisorasa stjärtand Spiessente
shoveler Anas clypeata lapasorsa skedand Löffelente
pochard Aythya ferina punasotka brunand Tafelente
tufted duck Aythya fuligula tukkasotka vigg Reiherente
goldeneye Bucephala clangula telkkä knipa Schellente
long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis alli alfågel Eisente
red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator tukkakoskelo småskrake Mittelsäger
goosander Mergus merganser isokoskelo storskrake Gänsesäger
common eider Somateria mollissima haahka ejder Eiderente
coot Fulica atra nokikana söthöna Blasshuhn
greylag goose Anser anser merihanhi grågås Graugans
bean goose Anser fabalis metsähanhi sädgås Satgans
canada goose Branta canadensis kanadanhi kanadagås Kanada-gans
woodcock Scolopax rusticola lehtokurppa morkulla Waldschnepfe
black grouse Tetrao tetrix teeri orre Birkwild
hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia pyy järpe Haselwild
capercaillie Tetrao urogallus metso tjäder Auerwild
willow grouse Lagopus lagopus riekko dalripa Schneehuhn
ptarmigan Lagopus mutus kiiruna fjällripa Alpenschneehuhn
partridge Perdix perdix peltopyy rapphöna Rebhuhn
pheasant Phasianus colchicus fasaani fasan Fasan
wood pigeon Columba palumbus sepelkyyhky ringduva Ringeltaube
rabbit Lepus cuniculus kani kanin Kaninchen
northern hare Lepus timidus metsäjänis skogshare Schneehase
brown hare Lepus europaeus rusakko fälthare Feldhase
red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris orava ekorre Eichhörnchen
European beaver Castor fiber fiber euroopanmajava europeisk bäver europäischer Biber
Canadien beaver Castor fiber canadensis kanadanmajava kanadensisk bäver kanadischer Biber
nutria Myocastor coypus rämemajava nutria Nutria
muskrat Ondatra zibethica piisami bisamråtta Bisamratte
red fox Vulpes vulpes kettu råv Fuchs
arctic fox Alopex lagopus naali fjällräv Blaufuchs
raccoon Procyon lotor pesukarhu tvättbjörn Waschbär
raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides supikoira mårdhund Marderhund
otter Lutra lutra saukko utter Fischotter
American Mink Mustela vison minkki mink Mink
polecat Mustela putorius hilleri iller Iltis
badger Meles meles mäyrä grävling Dachs
pine marten Martes martes näätä mård Marder
ermine Mustela erminea kärppä hermelin Hermelin
grey seal Halichoerus grypus halli gråsäl Kegelrobbe
ringed seal Pusa hispida botnica norppa vikare Ringelrobbe
harbour seal Phoca vitulina kirjohylje knubbsäl Seehund
wild boar Sus scrofa villisika vildsvin Schwarzwild
mufflon Ovis musimon mufloni mufflon Muffelwild
moose Alces alces hirvi älg Elch
red deer Cervus elaphus saksanhirvi kronhjort Rotwild

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 English Scientific Finnish Swedish German
white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus valkohäntäpeura vitsvanshjort Weisswedelwild
fallow deer Dama dama kuusipeura dovhjort Damwild
sika deer Cervus nippon japaninpeura sikahjort Sikawid
forest reindeer Rangifer tarandus fennicus metsäpeura skogsvildren Waldren
roe deer Capreolus capreolus metsäkauris rådjur Rehwild
wolverine Gulo gulo ahma järv Vielfrass
lynx Lynx lynx ilves lo Luchs
brown bear Ursus arctos karhu björn Bär
wolf Canis lupus susi varg Wolf

and water areas. This provides hunting opportunities not be exceeded. Permit fees vary greatly, depend-
without the right to hunt based on land­ownership or ing on the species of game hunted and the area con-
leasing. cerned.

Metsähallitus sells small game hunting permits to

State lands. The duration of the permits is 1–7 days.
Small game permits are alternatively sold either for
Regulations governing the import and
all small game or for other small game than grouses. possession of firearms
A small game permit is personal and is subject to a
harvest quota. Metsähallitus also sells moose hunt- A foreign hunter can use either his/her own firearms
ing permits for hunting groups/associations as well for hunting in Finland or obtain the necessary equip-
as personal bear hunting permits. ment for hunting use from the Finnish host. The reg-
ulations governing the import of firearms vary, de-
The sale of hunting permits for State lands begins in pending on what country the hunting guest arrives
late spring. The sale of short-term small game per- from. If, for example, a private import licence or par-
mits is staggered in two parts to June and August. allel firearms licence is applied for from the police
It is best to check the more precise dates from the authority for the guest, the host should clarify from
Metsähallitus website. the police well in advance as to what documentation
is required as well as which procied apply together
Those planning to make a hunting trip to Finland with the processing periods.
should in advance clarify how and for which area
they can obtain/buy a hunting permit.
Importation firearms and cartridges
This best succeeds through Finnish friends or a trav-
el organiser. The amount of the hunting permit fees In Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark, a firearms
is decided by the holder of hunting right. Normally a licence granted for the possession of a firearm enti-
harvest quota is linked with the permits which must tles the holder to bring in or transfer the firearm con-

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Weapon requirements *1) Mallard, teal, garganey, wigeon, pintail,
shoveler, pochard, tufted duck and goldeneye
Game species
*2) Long-tailed duck, red-breasted merganser and
Ducks*1) R1, S, B goosander
Seabirds*2) R1, S, B
Eider, male R1, S, B Weapon requirements
Eider, female R1, S, B R1= E0 > 100 J,
Coot R1, S, B R2= bullet weight > 2,5 g, E100 > 200 J / E0 > 300
J,
Greylag goose R2, S, B
R3= bw > 3,2 g, E100 > 800 J,
Bean goose R2, S, B
R4= bw > 6 g, E100 > 2000 J/bw > 8 g, E100 >
Canada goose R2, S, B 1700 J,
Woodcock R1, S, B R5 = bw > 9 g, E100 > 2700 J/bw = 10 g, E100 >
Black grouse R2, S, B 2000 J,
Hazel grouse R1, S, B S = shotgun, with shot
Capercaillie R2, S, B
B = bow, strength ≥ 180 N, (arrow with hunting tip,
Willow grouse R1, S, B
use of crossbow is forbidden).
Ptarmigan R1, S, B
Partridge R1, S, B
The use of shotgun slugs is forbidden in moose
and bear hunting.
Pheasant R1, S, B
Wood pidgeon R1, S, B
Northern hare and brown hare R2, S, B
Rabbit R1, S, B
Open seasons
Red squirrel R1, S, B
riista.fi/en/hunting/open-seasons/
European beaver R3, S, B
Canadien beaver R3, S, B Metsästysajat
Red fox, blue fox and badger R2, S, B riista.fi/metsastys/metsastysajat/
Polecat R1, S, B
Pine marten R1, S, B Jakttider
Ermine R1, S, B riista.fi/sv/jakt/jakttider/
Lynx R3, S
Otter R2, S, B
Die Jagdsaison
Ringed seal R3
riista.fi/en/hunting/open-seasons/
Grey seal R3 охотничий сезон
Wild boar R4, B
riista.fi/en/hunting/open-seasons/
Mufflon R3, B
Moose R5
White-tailed deer R4, B
If a hunting guest arrives from a member state of
Forest reindeer R4, B the European Union, the easiest way is to bring in or
Fallow deer R4, B transfer hunting guns under the authority of a Euro-
Roe deer, male R3, S, B pean Firearms Pass. The holder of a Firearms Pass
Roe deer, female and calf R3, S, B may bring a hunting gun into Finland for hunting
Brown bear R5 specific to the C or D class intended for hunting and
Wolf R3, S marked with a Firearms Pass, as well as cartridges
appropriate for the gun concerned. In addition, the
holder of a Firearms Pass must have a written invita-
Listed/Harmful invasive species
tion or other reliable explanation upon arrival in Fin-
American mink and Muskrat R1, S, B
land where it is indicated that bringing a firearm is
Raccoon dog R2, S, B required in order to participate in the hunting event.
A Firearms Pass must be kept along with the firearm
cerned as well as the required quantity of cartridges and cartridges when carrying or transporting.
to Finland, in addition to keeping them in one’s pos-
session for a maximum of three months. The require- Another alternative for the transfer of firearms and
ment for importation is participation in a shooting or cartridges (from an EU country) and bringing them
hunting event, which should be possible to show by into Finland (from outside the EU) is a police author-
means of, e.g. a letter of invitation. ity-issued private import licence, which entitles the

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holder to transfer, bring into Finland and keep the guest, one should also present a printed copy of the
above-mentioned items in one’s possession. In apply- guest’s passport, power of attorney, the invitation if
ing for a private import licence, a certificate issued by possible, a hunting card, and a shooting test certificate.
an authority in the foreign person’s country of res- A parallel firearms licence as generally granted is lim-
idence must be presented to the police authority. ited only to the period of the hunting event concerned.
This certificate should show that the person has the
right in his/her country of residence to possess the A Finnish person can lend a firearm to a foreigner if
firearm concerned. In the same connection, a copy one has a document in his/her possession that entitles
of the person’s passport as well as power of attorney the foreigner to possess the firearm in Finland. These
to apply for an import licence is required if the finn- sorts of documents are either a firearms licence is-
ish host puts in the application on the guest’s behalf. sued in Finland, a European Firearms Pass granted in
During the import licence application process, the a member state of the EU, or a firearms licence issued
police authority may demand to see other clarifica- in Norway, Sweden, Iceland or Denmark. It is, however,
tions as well, such as the invitation sent to the guest, only possible to borrow a corresponding or less haz-
a hunting card, and/or a shooting test certificate. A ardous firearm than that entitled to the person to keep
private import licence is issued for one year at maxi- in his/her possession, as outlined in the above-men-
mum and can entitle possession of the items brought tioned documents. Loaning of a firearm is regulated in
in under its authority for no more than three months. the Firearms Act (Ampuma-aselaki), section 87.
The period of validity is generally limited only to the
period of the hunting event concerned. In bringing in
firearms and cartridges from outside the European Supervised usage requires the direct
Union, the items and a private import licence must be
shown at Finnish Customs.
presence of a supervisor
A hunting event is occasionally short in duration for
a foreign hunting guest: for example, one evening of
Borrowing a firearm from a Finnish duck hunting or it is not considered appropriate for
person hunter to apply for a firearms permit from the po-
lice for some other reason. In this case, the guest can
With consent of the Finnish firearm permit holder, use a firearm in hunting under supervised circum-
Finland’s police authority can grant a foreign person a stances regulated in section 88 of the Firearms Act.
parallel right to possession of a firearm (parallel fire- According to the above, a person entitled to possess a
arms licence). In order to obtain a parallel firearms li- firearm who is at least 18 years of age may provide a
cence, the foreign person must present a permit issued gun for use under direct supervision if one is capable
by an authority in his/her country of residence for of effectively supervising and guiding the user of the
possession of a firearm. In addition, one must provide firearm so that its use does not cause any hazard. In
a written explanation of intent to possess a firearm in practice, this means that the supervisor and supervi-
Finland. A parallel firearms licence can be requested see are “an arm’s length away” from each other whilst
from the Finnish Police Department. If a Finnish host hunting, so that the supervisor has a real possibility
applies for a parallel firearms licence on behalf of a of interfering with the use of the firearm.

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The rules connected with firearms A bow shooting test should be performed if one in-
should be communicated to guests tends to hunt fallow deer, red deer, sika deer, roe deer,
white-tailed deer, wild boar or mouflon with a bow.
The finnish host should always tell his foreign guests
about the Finnish requirements regarding storage The game management association gives a foreigner
of hunting weapons during the hunting event. The a shooting test certificate (shooting test reciprocal
reaction to transporting hunting weapons in motor identification) if the person has the right in his/her
vehicles is also quite strict in Finland: in other words, homeland to hunt game of corresponding size and
when in a moving vehicle they must always be un- can provide a reliable explanation of this or present a
loaded and in a gun case or placed in a protected currently valid shooting test certificate. A fee of EUR
place such as the boot of a car. Similarly, they should 20 is charged for a shooting test certificate.
be told that the shooting of a game animal is prohi­
bited from inside or from cover provided by a motor
vehicle, or within a 100-metre radius of a vehicle im- Hunting licence and derogation
mediately after stopping.
The hunting of deer, moose, large carnivores and seal
Safety perspectives are highly pivotal in Finland. A is more precisely regulated based on hunting license,
firearm may generally be loaded only in the desig- derogation permit or it is based on regional quo-
nated hunting area, and the cartridges must be taken ta which are issued and set by the Finnish Wildlife
out of the gun when the hunter is leaving desigant- Agency.
ed area or position. Shooting in the direction of the
neighbour’s designated hunting area in a hunting The National Resources Institute provides popula-
party is prohibited, and the prohibition sector can tion and harvest data on annual basis for taxation
even be 90 degrees wide. The hunting leader always planning with regard to large carnivores, deer and
provides safety instructions which must be observed moose. With respect to large carnivores, planning
with respect to each hunting event. is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry annually with the maximum quotas set. The
Finnish Wildlife Agency makes derogation decisions
Shooting test within this context. With regard to deer and moose,
the harvest management planning is carried out by
A shooting test must be performed if one intends to means of the Wildlife Agency’s hunting licences.
hunt deer, moose, bear or wild boar with a rifled fire-
arm. Shooting tests are arranged by the game man-
agement associations during the summer and early Duty of catch reporting
autumn. Shooting tests are public occasions, and a fee
of EUR 20 is charged for each test session. A shooting In addition to catches made under hunting licences
test certificate is valid for three years. and exemptions, a statutory catch declaration must

7
be made for several other species of game. A catch enlarge or change the image (except when shooting
declaration must be submitted for catches of roe harmful invasive species)
deer, wild boar, fitch, bean goose, wigeon, northern
• semi-automatic firearm with magazine holding
pintail, garganey, shoveler, pochard, tufted duck,
more than three cartridges
common eider, long-tailed duck, red-breasted mer-
ganser, goosander and coot via the My wildlife elec- • semi-automatic firearm with magazine holding more
tronic service (Oma riista) or using a form approved than two cartridges, used in the hunting of birds and
by the Finnish Wildlife Agency. The catch declaration mammals mentioned in the nature directives
must be submitted within seven days of catching the • killing traps that do not kill immediately
bird or animal.
• the use of lead shot in the hunting of waterfowl
Please note. Always check the Finnish Wildlife Agen-
cy website to find the annual hunting seasons for
each species and any hunting season restrictions. Safety regulations
• 150-metre regulation with regard to shooting in
the vicinity of a building of habitation
Importation of dogs • in hunting deer and moose, hunters must wear or-
ange headgear and jacket or vest that covers the
Importation of a dog from EU countries requires
torso.
• An identification mark using a microchip
There are also a number of other regulations govern-
• Rabies vacination in accordance with the inter- ing hunting and trapping methods, which should be
national standard (OIE). Vacination must be per- clarified before hunting.
formed at least 21 days before importation.
All obligations and restrictions affecting Finnish
• Procedures against echinococcosis should be han-
hunters also apply to foreign hunters. It is also good
dled 30 days prior to the arrival of the animal in
to get acquainted beforehand with the concept of
Finland.
“everyman’s rights”, including its rights and re-
• A pet passport, which contains information respec- strictions, and how it applies to camping, arranging
tive to the animal’s ID as well as an entry by a vet- campfires, and mobility in unfamiliar areas.
erinarian concerning valid rabies vaccination and
echinococcosis medication.

A veterinary border check is always performed on More information

animals brought from outside the EU countries (with
certain exceptions). For pets not transported for Finnish Wildlife Agency
commercial reasons, the Finnish Customs performs Tel. +358 (0)29 4312001
inspections as part of the Customs supervision at www.riista.fi
the approved points of entry. A foreign person must [email protected]
ensure that one is able to return his/her dog to its
homeland after the hunting trip is over. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Tel. +358 (0)29 516001
www.mmm.fi
Other matters to take into consideration
Metsähallitus Game and Fisheries Services
The following, for instance, are prohibited in Tel. +358 (0)20 692424
hunting: www.eraluvat.fi
[email protected]
• artificial light sources as well as sighting devices
intended for night shooting which electronically

© Suomen riistakeskus 2020

www.riista.fi
Kuvat: Jari Niskanen, Hannu Huttu
Ulkoasu: Tenhelp Oy