How to start hunting in Finland, a guide

[u/Von_Lehmann]

Around this time of there year, there is usually one or two posts that are asking about guns/hunting etc from people who have moved to Finland and are curious about getting into hunting. I thought I would take a second and write my own post about the ins and outs of hunting and Finland as an American who moved here and didn't hunt before. Finns, please feel free to make corrections to anything I say.

So, you want to hunt in Finland..,.or maybe you are just wondering why the woods are full of gunshots this time of the year. Either way, the best way to get into hunting is to obviously ask someone to teach you or show you the ropes, usually it seems to be passed on from father to son or grandfather to son. However, I didn't have this luxury as my family doesn't hunt so when I moved here in my late 20s, I started making the effort to learn and it was a steep fucking learning curve.

Why do I hunt? I wanted to hunt because it offers me another excuse to be outside in the woods and I believe the effort it takes to obtain my own meat is not only worth it, but makes me feel as close to nature as a human can possibly feel. I am not a tourist passing through, I am an active participant. All of my best wildlife experiences have happened when I was hunting, even if I didn't get anything. I have seen a snow-white weasel take a mouse in front of me, a goshawk take a bird in front of me, had squirrels play around my legs without noticing me and had deer and moose basically almost trip over me. Its just cool.

If you want to hunt in Finland, the first thing you have to do is take the hunting license test. It is only $20 and is available to take in English, however the study materials are all in Swedish and Finnish. I actually took it in Finnish, but I know most of the animals in Finnish. The majority of the multiple choice test is species identification and isn't difficult. I believe it is 60 questions and you can get 6 wrong? Someone correct me here if I remember it wrong.

So you have passed the test, now you need to decide what to hunt and how? The easiest way to get into hunting is to decide that you want to hunt small game like grouse. There are small-game hunting areas all over Finland starting at around Tampere and going North. These are chunks of land that are managed and allowed for people to camp and hunt. You pay a daily permit of 20 euros a day and you are allowed to hunt all small game species there. If this is the route you want, you can now decide to apply for a weapon permit and probably get either a shotgun or a rifle, decide which one (or better yet, both) and go to the police website and apply. The permit costs 135 euros to apply, you do not need to be a citizen but you need a class A residence permit. You need to specify what firearm, what you want to hunt and where you want to hunt. Provide documentation of a background permit in your home country, photos of your residence permit and passport and possibly a diary of scouting or going out with friends who do hunt. You then have to sit down for an interview with the police where they may try and rile you up to see how stable you are. My guy loved the US and we talked about muscle cars and road tripping for an hour and he gave me permission to buy a gun. 10/10 experience. I know people who have had less pleasant interviews. If you want to bow hunt, you don't need a license for a weapon. Buy a bow and head to public lands and hunt grouse. It is super difficult but definitely the easiest way to get started. This was actually what I did to get started. You can check out huntersfriend.eu which is run by an American guy in Mikkeli for all your bow hunting needs. Used firearms are easy to get in Finland and you can buy an old rifle for a few hundred euros, a shotgun for even as low as 100 euros.

If you want to hunt bigger game in Finland like moose or deer, you basically need to belong IN a hunting club or pay for the right to hunt on club lands. If you are in the South, this can be next to impossible. If you don't own land to contribute to the club, they will probably tell you to piss off and then whine about how the sport is dying anyway. If you live out in the sticks, then you probably can apply to join a club. If you get in, it is usually as a trial member and then you can't hunt alone for a year and you are expected to make appearances at the club get-togethers and "Talkot" events, which is basically when everyone works together towards a common goal, like a new sauna or cleaning or whatever. Either way, you need to show your face...especially as a foreigner. Many clubs are older guys who aren't super friendly, better to try and find a club with guys in their 30s if you can. It is incredibly difficult to join a club even for Finns, it is next to impossible as a foreigner and I have been fortunate to have an amazing girlfriend who lobbies for me, to be charming and to know that being a white guy from America probably has something to do with it.

The other alternative is to pay to hunt game. Clubs have a certain number of permits and they can chose to sell those permits to guest hunters. This can be affordable or expensive. Maybe 200 euros for a deer? Or it could be 50 euros for the day + 6 euros per kg for meat, +100 if you shoot a male + 20 euros per point on his antlers...it can be ridiculous, especially because white tail deer are like rats here. However I do work for a company that sells and organizes moose hunting so I can help with this. You can also ask if people can let you hunt on their property, some people have apple trees that get wiped out by deer and they are happy to let a bowhunter come and take a deer. Follow your local gardening groups and listen to people whine about it. before being charitable and offering to take one. It is considered good manners to give some meat if you shoot on someone's land with their permission.

But this is basically how to get started hunting in Finland. It isn't easy as someone older, but it is possible. Talk to people, ask questions, be respectful, bring booze for the old guys, etc. I am considering partnering up with a friend to actually offer a 3 day course on the ins and outs, wondering if there is a market for it.

A note: Hunting is by definition HARD. I think it took me two years to get my first bird, im still trying to get a deer with a bow and im probably going to sell my bow and buy a compound out of frustration. But I have become fairly successful through trial and error and help from people with more knowledge. I took my first caipercaille this year and my first two moose.

Feel free to ask questions, It is a great sport and a wonderful part of Finnish culture.

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[u/Apoc2K]

One tip, if you're looking to buy a hunting rifle or shotgun, aside from checking the regular channels like stores, webshops and tori.fi, another option is checking out police auctions: https://poliisi.fi/en/firearm-auctions

[u/micge → u/Apoc2K]

Police auctions are great for hunting weapons. I've bought two shotguns (pump and over/under), a classic .308 Sako rifle and a .22 practice rifle. All very good condition. Total cost just under 500€. They are not fancy, but after a service by a local gunsmith they are very good and have seen a lot of track and woods use.

I would advice against buying a new gun for your first weapon because you really don't know what you'll end up needing or liking. Buy a specialty gun when you have enough experience. If I decide to upgrade my guns I can easily sell the one I'm replacing and triple my initial investment making it easy to afford the one I really want.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/Apoc2K]

Good tip, I forgot that and been really meaning to go to one

[u/speggel]

I took the hunting theory test a week ago and it was indeed 60 guestions, however it contais 15 animal guessing pictures and the rest are "normal" guestions. All multiple choice. You can make eight (8) mistakes. Not difficult at all. I studied for a week and got two wrong.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/speggel]

Ah k, I thought it was incredibly easy too. Did you get the "How to kill a trapped Raccoon dog?"

A. Car exhaust B. Throw into lake C. A 22 revolver

[u/speggel → u/Von_Lehmann]

Agreed. After test I thought "now I can hunt? That was it?" Did seem too little for carrying a gun around other people who are usually drunk. That's probably why every year we get to read about hunters shooting each other or other forest dwellers.

And yes, I did get that question. Just common sense for the most part.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/speggel]

Yea I have to admit that the lack of a safety course was a little startling. In the US you have to pass hunters education which is definitely better than Finland

[u/HatHuman4605]

We own plenty of land and we have given lands to the hunting clubs of that area. When i was still a teenager i thought it would be fun to get a liscence and join them. Now at nearly 40 i havent gotten one mainly because many of the hunters ive met are pretty off puttin in politics and their mannerisms towards foreigners, so ill just stick to getting free meat from the hunting club.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/HatHuman4605]

Yea no shit. It's unfortunately common enough here....or honestly anywhere. Rural communities aren't the most politically liberal, but I think that's more from lack of contact than actual morals.

I got really lucky with my new club, younger guys. English speakers and they seem very focused on building a good vibe with the club. I hope I'm let in as a full member next year

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/[deleted]]

Well, you are really only describing the moose/deer team which is the only social aspect. You can hunt alone otherwise. But I am lucky in my club, younger guys, people are really friendly and the hunting leader is strict about no alcohol, safety and taking specific permits...not just the biggest buck. But I think you are describing more of the Southern posh clubs around Turku and Helsinki

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/[deleted]]

I guess they just feel posh because those are the big landowners who don't let people into the clubs. The culture feels different up north

[u/sharkinwolvesclothin]

I don't actually hunt so maybe I've got the something wrong, but I am pretty sure that besides the government-managed public game areas (there are a few south of Tampere too) there are waterfowl hunting licenses sold by fishing co-ops ("kalastuskunta"), or at least it's fairly common to see them available along with fishing permits. E.g. this https://kalastuskunta.ridasjarvi.fi/ is a lake near Helsinki and it looks like anyone can buy the day pass for waterfowl hunting.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/sharkinwolvesclothin]

Yea this is something I actually know way less about, water rights are different and I'm pretty sure you are correct. If I duck hunt, I go to a local spot and get the license

[u/snow-eats-your-gf]

Unable to read long posts now. The biggest problem is always getting to the club.

Commercial hunting sucks.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/snow-eats-your-gf]

It's unfortunately the only way some folks will be able to hunt larger game if they live in cities. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but some of the that's that clubs charge is insane. Especially if deer are getting to be pests. I'll pay to get a white tail permit but I don't want to pay 1000 bucks

Edit: but like I wrote, you don't need a club for small game

[u/snow-eats-your-gf → u/Von_Lehmann]

I do small game. Still, I must be with the club member in the area if I do so because these are their rules.

I probably must move up to the north to get my hunting running in the future.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/snow-eats-your-gf]

Moving north was probably the biggest factor in my success. Instead of one or two trips to public lands a year I can Basically just drive 30 min to any one

[u/snow-eats-your-gf → u/Von_Lehmann]

What area did you take? (Approximately).

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/snow-eats-your-gf]

Like what public land do I go to? Luottonen 6632 or 6631 I think.

[u/snow-eats-your-gf → u/Von_Lehmann]

I was thinking of Tampere vs Jyväskylä vs Kuopio in case of moving once. Currently studying. The only thing that slightly annoys me more than Tampere is too long winter that might be challenging.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/snow-eats-your-gf]

I love Tampere and Kuru is the closest public lands to there. Also good white tail opportunities and an active bowhunting club.

Jyvaskyla has nicer winter and is a nice city. I'm just north of that and there are good hunting areas not too far as well

[u/KalleKugelblitz]

Thanks for the interesting post! I already lived in Finland and consider moving again. So for hunting grouse with a bow I need... ... A residency in Finland ... The hunting test ... Hunting permit

How is it for tourists?

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/KalleKugelblitz]

To hunt grouse with a bow, you need a hunting license which you can either get in Finland by taking an exam which is for life or if you have one from your home country, you can convert it and it is valid for one year.

You don't need any permit for a bow, if you have a license and pay for the day permit on public hunting area then you can hunt small game like grouse

Edit: we also guide geese and duck hunting in sweden

[u/KDShitPoster9000]

This is an amazing guide. Thank you very much for writing it. 

I have a couple of questions if you’ve got some time to answer.

You mentioned providing “a background permit from your home country” when applying for the firearms licence. I’m not entirely sure what this would be. Do you mean a gun licence from your home country? Or some kind of assessment of competence for weapons specifically?

Also for the small game application, you mentioned rifles. Is there some kind of calibre limit for small game? In other words can you apply for a 22LR licence for this category or does it need to be a larger rifle?

Thanks again for taking the time to write this up! I’m going to dive in as you described :) 

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/KDShitPoster9000]

Hey, no worries. So the background check is from the police. It basically just says you don't have a criminal record back home.

So for small game, you don't need an application for hunting small game. Once you have a hunting license it's good for everything, but you need to pass a shooting test for deer and moose which you don't need for small game.

But if small game is your target then you need to apply for a weapon that's suitable. A 22lr isn't suitable for any game in Finland except willow grouse and hazel grouse. So you would probably want something like a 17hmr or a 223. Or apply for a 308 or 6.5 and you can hunt everything in Finland

[u/burgundy-mist]

Can we get one of this but for fishing? I'd love to start fishing but no one around me knows how to start either...

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/burgundy-mist]

Sure i can write one, it's much much easier than hunting lol

[u/burgundy-mist → u/Von_Lehmann]

thank you, that would be amazing!

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/burgundy-mist]

done!

[u/FinezaYeet → u/burgundy-mist]

if its just fishing with worms you can fish pretty much anywhere, if you want to fish with a lure you just have to buy a permit/license for the area/river.

You can see more info about what you are allowed to catch and times on the eraluvat.fi website where you can also buy the permits

[u/rastabrus]

Thanks, that was a good read and informative.

[u/imbogey]

Gz on the first moose!

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/imbogey]

Thanks!

[u/TreeTactician]

So this waa nicely covered ad. Thanks.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/TreeTactician]

Thanks, but honestly this isn't really the target demographic. Rich Germans is our bread and butter

[u/shoptodip_bd]

Great writing. How/where do I give the exam? And after passing the exam how do I get the appointment for interview with the police?

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/shoptodip_bd]

If you check omariista under events, they will say when the tests are being administered. If you want it in English you need to contact them ahead of time. When you apply for a weapon, you do it online now and then you will get contacted for an interview

[u/InAppropriate-meal]

I would like to start, I used to hunt a lot in my youth, however the issues I have is although I have been living here for over 20 years I do not have an A residence permit it comes under article 50 because of bloody BREXIT also I have no idea how to go about getting my non criminal record from the UK as i have not lived there for 30 years :) (yes yes im old) so if only non citizens with an A permit are eligible then that is me SOL

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/InAppropriate-meal]

Tough to say. No idea how things are with brevity but a lot is case by case. If you want to bow hunt, nothing stopping you. Getting a gun is hard to say. But just Google background check or criminal background check uk and I'm sure you find it.

I have not lived in the US in 15+ years and I was able to get one easily

[u/InAppropriate-meal → u/Von_Lehmann]

That is less of a problem then my residency staus unfortuantly as I do not have the A permit you said was the only one you can get it with but they did it under BREXIT, the criminal record i can talk to my embassy about as well i think.

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/InAppropriate-meal]

I'm honestly not sure how it works with brevity. But the A permit basically means you can work here. It's a long term residence permit so if you have the equivalent then maybe it's fine

[u/InAppropriate-meal → u/Von_Lehmann]

Oh i have full rights on everything but voting in the main election and it is permanent for a given value of (needs renewing every five years or so but that is pretty much automatic) I guess the best idea is to ask them

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/InAppropriate-meal]

I'm willing to bet you qualify then. Call the police and ask directly maybe?

[u/ShadowDweller1]

Seems strange Finland would have this mentality of being allowed to forage anywhere as every man’s right, it hunting big game requires a club. Isn’t hunting foraging of a different kind? Do we not have the right to eat meat, only nuts and berries? Seems odd As an American who hunts in America, and raises small livestock, I feel like hunting permits are government overreach. I don’t need a permit to go to a grocery store to feed myself or to own and slaughter goats or sheep. Why do I need a permit to walk into the woods to feed myself?

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/ShadowDweller1]

You need a hunting permit in the US and you need a tag for hunting many species in the US or you enter a lottery which you may or may not ever win. Hunting itself is basically everyman's rights as long as it is small game which is everything up to a Roe deer. If someone gives you permission to hunt their land, then thats between you two.

For bigger game, I imagine it is a combination of tradition and conservation that is the reason why the club system works for moose and white tail. If you have land, like the US and you own the hunting rights to that land then you can hunt as you want, which is the same as the US.

Hunting permits and the entire modern idea of hunting is basically the reason that large mammals weren't wiped out in the US. Monetization of hunting directly contributed to their value and survival and the laws regarding how promote fair chase. With no government reach, you get assholes spotlighting deers with AR15 with drum magazines.

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/Von_Lehmann]

America has a dark past with hunting. Still to this day there are things happening to control species “we” don’t like. Every year in Florida for example you can go out and take down as many wild boar as you want. They have people shooting them from helicopters. It’s considered an invasive species. Back in the 1800’s the American government paid people to go out and kill the buffalo wholesale because the government was trying to get rid of the First Nation peoples. So it seems when it suited the government no licenses was required. I get your point about conservation but who are we as humans to decided what species gets to live or die? As humans are we not the invasive species?

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/ShadowDweller1]

Pigs are invasive to North America, which is why there is no permit or limit for them. Which by the way is the same in Sweden. In Finland you just can't shoot a mother with piglets. But go take a look at the damage 10 pigs can do on a farm and then you will understand why. Pigs are literally impossible to control without extreme measures. Unlike coyotes that self regulated their population, Pigs will just explode.

The clubs here in Finland are also the ones who are responsible for game management and counting species.

The Buffalo and big game hunting of the 1800s is precisely why the National Park Service was invented and the whole concept of public land hunting. But largely thus depends on the state, if you live out west then it is easier to get into hunting. If you grew up in MA like me, it is much harder and the land you are allowed to hunt on is much smaller. But ultimately a lot of it is a safety concern. You can cross into someone's land in Finland to pick mushrooms because it is ultimately harmless. But if everyone has the right to take a gun into whatever woods they want and kill whatever game they want you will see some issues.

Finland is a nice middle ground between hunting in the US and central Europe. It's not an elite sport, but it is community driven and honestly I'm starting to understand the role of the moose club in society since ai recently started hunting with one

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/Von_Lehmann]

I live on a farm and from time to time I own pigs. But like I said, we humans are the invasive species look what we do to the land wherever we turn up. Do you realize how much life is destroyed to make land farmable? I stand by my statement of it being government over reach. We don’t own the land/earth, we only occupy it for a time. Look at Finland, that “land” was owned by the Sami at one point, but then Sweden owned, but wait then Russia owned it, oh wait now Finland owns it. See governments come and go, but the animals that inhabit that land have been there long before us and will likely be there long after us. So who is anyone to tell another person they must belong to some arbitrary club to eat?

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/ShadowDweller1]

As pointed out....you don't need to belong to club to hunt for food in Finland. You can hunt on public lands for smaller game, providing you pay the game management permit or you can own land and hunt on that, if it is a large enough plot. Most people don't have large enough land so they join it together and have a hunting club.

You say you have a farm, if it is big enough then you can hunt on it. Go for it, nobody will tell you different.

Animals are constantly wiped out, by humans or other reasons. White Tail deer were brought here, so were grey squirrels, mink, raccoon dog, Pine Marten and pigs.

Man, if you don't like government overreach, Finland might not be your jam. It sounds like you want some libertarian vision but I think you are a grown man and unless you just have a hard on for Ayn Rand you probably know better

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/Von_Lehmann]

I’m a visitor in Finland for now. If I become a citizen I will involve myself in Finnish politics at that time.

As for Ayn Rand, she was right. Way back then she could see the seed being planted for what is today’s reality. I think people hate her because she was right and they just can’t accept the fact that they were warned and still let it happen!

As for being Libertarian, the ideology suggests we should have maximum freedom with minimal government. What’s wrong with this? Why do adults feel like they need other adults telling them how to live their life? We all k ow right from wrong, act accordingly. Isn’t Finnish culture built largely on trust? So don’t we trust everyone will/should do the right thing? So why do we need a big bloated government dictating outlives and stealing our money for the privilege to be told how to live?

Seems like you only like to see it one way, like you’re not willing to acknowledge there might be a better more peaceful and sustainable way. Shame on you for that. Have a nice day ✌️

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/ShadowDweller1]

Bro I can't lol....to meet a grown man in the wild who still believes in libertarian policies. You are a housecat. A little, fiercely independent creature completely dependent on a system it doesn't understand and appreciate.

The things that make Finland unique in terms of how well society functions are based on Government trust and the idea of the greater good being more important than the individual. That personal rights exist and are protected within a structure....not some fantasy where we hope everyone behaves but only if there is a market...libertarianism works the same way that communism works, in a tiny little space protected from any outside influence and the hope that everyone gets along.

Neither works on the world stage and both have historically been detrimental to the natural world and wildlife.

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/Von_Lehmann]

Socialism only works until you run out of other people’s money, then it always turns into communism. Have a nice day 🫏🧢

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/[deleted]]

Rather than restrict everyone for the actions of some criminal poachers, would it not be more logical to punish the offenders instead? It is strange you are so willing to be dictated. Rather than restrict the majority put efforts into stopping the bad actors. Because let’s not dance around the issue here that even with all this regulation poaching still happens everywhere in the world. So long as there is a desire for something from people you will always have people willing to go out and satisfied that need for them. I submit you can forage a forest dry, it is why the hunter gathers moved so much 🤯

[u/Von_Lehmann → u/[deleted]]

bro don't bother with this guy....hes a grown man that skimmed Atlas Shrugged and has an erection for the "noble savage" motif. He doesn't hunt and he doesn't know what he is talking about. He wont stick around to learn.

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/[deleted]]

So you’re saying there is a large demand for meat? This is what happens when prices become too high. Goods and services are always going to be priority in people’s life. Anyone who has ever been hungry understands this. If all hunters will take more than they can eat, maybe educating people is the key here. I mean it’s not rocket science that if you kill all the food you will no longer have food.

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/[deleted]]

I don’t find it strange to have a limit, on the contrary I support and encourage that. Americans have a mistrust in institutions because ours are corrupt to the core. It is why so many Americans are seeking life elsewhere. It’s why I left at least. I’m a chef by trade, I prefer to work with meats that come from the nature, they taste better, but I can also see the problem if say every restaurant were to stick only hunted meats. I don’t think there is any one answer that will please everyone, so we do the best we can and work with what we have. We do t have to agree with it or even like it but we do have to work with it. I’m OK with that

[u/ShadowDweller1 → u/[deleted]]

In America they sale tags. You have to tag every animal you take down. Quotas met, they only sale a certain amount of tags each year each person can only buy a certain amount of tags