• Sweden edition

Nearly half of Swedish wolf hunt quota met

Published: 15 Jan 11 11:54 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Updated: 15 Jan 11 17:13 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31448/20110115/

Sweden's wolf hunt for the year began on Saturday, with nine wolves out of the allotted annual quota of 20 shot by 1pm, as protesters set off fireworks at a hunting area in Dalarna.

The hunt has been already called off in Dalarna and Gävleborg in eastern Sweden, while in Värmland, not a single wolf has yet to be shot.

The hunt began at dawn and even before the starting shot, the activity in the forests was intense.

The first wolf was shot at 9.18am on Saturday morning in Nås in Vansbro municipality in central Sweden. During the investigation, the second wolf was hit at Lake Gänsen in Ludvika municipality.

Most of the wolves will be hunted in Värmland and Dalarna in central and western Sweden. After several hours, four wolves in Dalarna county were killed and shots were fired at two others. In total, six wolves were shot in Dalarna.

One of the two animals that was shot was later put down while the search for the other continues. If it turns out that it was not hit, the hunt will resume.

The hunt has ended in Gävleborg county after reaching the quota of three wolves. Two were shot south of Ockelbo and the third in Ljusdal.

In Värmland, however, with an allocation of six wolves, not a single wolf was shot.

"I can only speculate on the cause, but there was snowfall in the morning and it takes a while before there are new trails to follow," said Lars Furuholm, predator manager at the Värmland county administrative board.

No major protests have occurred. However, about a dozen people protested against the wolf hunt at a hunting area between Insjön and Borlänge in central Sweden's Dalarna.

"They set off fireworks and firecrackers and disrupted the hunting party that phoned us. They felt that they had directed the fireworks against them," Dalarna police county officer in command Goran Nilsson at Dala police told news agency TT on Saturday.

A police patrol was sent to the area.

"No one was arrested, but we identified the people and wrote a citation for disturbance. Those who protested felt satisfied with their demonstration and left the scene," Nilsson added.

No other protests against the hunt in Dalarna had taken place by lunchtime.

In order to prevent the shooting of too many wolves, every wolf that is killed is reported to the respective county administrative board, which in turn can quickly send text messages to all hunting guides. Last year, hunters went over the quota by one wolf.

Some hunting teams have come in contact with wolves, but Furuholm believes that many are more cautious this year in order to not wound animals.

In addition, all hunting guides must get in touch with their respective county administrative boards at least once an hour. Dogs are never used at these hunts, only in necessary demand. The risk that the wolves would harm the dogs is too great.

According to Henrik Widlund, of the Swedish Hunters Association (Svenska Jägareförbundet), eight hunting dogs have been killed by wolves in their territory since 2008. The wolves' tendency to kill the dogs is the main reason behind the wolf hunters' resistance to use dogs in the hunt.

"The wolf is a fascinating game. I do not hate wolves, they just follow their instincts. However, I myself have seen the back of a hunt in wolf territory. I have five dogs," he said.

However, the association does not want more wolves in Sweden than the current number and would prefer slightly fewer. Environment Minister Andreas Carlgen has previously indicated that he believes there should be more.

Widlund is unsure what level the wolf population should be at in the future.

"Although they will not likely be fewer than 200, as many as they are today," he said.

When pressed further, he said that he would prefers to not have any wolves around at all.

"Personally, I would prefer to not have them. The wolf is a native species in the country with the right of domicile, but it is difficult to accept because it does not go well with our tradition of hunting with free-running dogs," he said.

TT/The Local/vt (news@thelocal.se)

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13:12 January 15, 2011 by Sithaigh
How Sad,

To gun down these magnificent rare animals, whose only crime is they are meat eaters. Sweden is so vast, it should be able to home 2,000 wolves, and not butcher/damage the 200 that they have!!

Hunting is soo outdated. The hunters need got major issues!!
13:13 January 15, 2011 by Liquidmonkey
so this guy does not want wolves cause he is afraid of his dogs being killed?

is this really the best person to be interviewed?

why don't u hunt with a bow and arrow instead or taking the easy way out and slaughtering the poor animals with your guns?

so-called hunters make me sick.
13:16 January 15, 2011 by Gabin
we cry for the innocence killed.
13:26 January 15, 2011 by Uggla
Horrid! So very horrid! Stupid rednecks!
13:50 January 15, 2011 by digitalamish
Werewolves/PETA-activists and some of the posters on here should get help with their "issues"...
14:23 January 15, 2011 by Thorfinna
I really hope that karma will come and bite those pathetic bastards in the backside!!!!!!!
14:25 January 15, 2011 by Essjay
These hunters are truly brave warriors who face terrible dangers and fight for the good of man against these terrorist animals that will destroy mankind , true heroes that are only armed with simple state of the art weapons !

When will the world wake up and assist these heroes , they need Helicopters , drones and armoured vehicles to help them defeat this terrifying enemy and then they can continue in their effort against the Evil Army of Mammals that dare to live in the forests....then the birds next.....nothing will escape !!!!

Actually they are just a bunch of sissy cowards !
14:49 January 15, 2011 by calebian22
Whether it is for population control or for good tasting game, there is nothing wrong with hunting.
14:53 January 15, 2011 by BigBilly
The guy in the photo looks like a cross-eyed moron who has just sat on a spikey cactus.
15:53 January 15, 2011 by gabeltoon
I am saddened by this news.SWEDEN should be proud to have such animals living in your countryside.Here in SCOTLAND the wolf was killed off nearly 200 yrs ago.If it was aloud to live we would not be so over run with deer destroying what little forests we have.The wild spaces are for everyone to ENJOY not soley for others to desroy by killing and turning land into profit making wastlands.
15:59 January 15, 2011 by Swedesmith
I don't think any sane person relishes the thought of some poor creature going about his business in the forest and KABLOOEY! they are suddenly writhing in pain in the snow.

But we all, as humans, are a little bit guilty. If we eat food, wildlife was displaced to make room for the agriculture. If we eat meat, a life was taken. If we live in a dwelling, it stands where a forest once stood and the wood to construct it came from trees which were once home to animals. If we drive a car, there has been a tremendous impact on the earth to construct it and fuel it. On and on...

The best we can do is to use the resources of the earth as wisely as possible and to preserve as much of the wilderness as possible.
16:11 January 15, 2011 by gabeltoon
Glad to read there is another person on this planet of ours who feels the same. "BRAVO"
17:02 January 15, 2011 by Munmun30
Now what can we do about the exploding human population?
17:46 January 15, 2011 by Swedesmith
"exploding human population" ...do you mean terrorists?
18:30 January 15, 2011 by landofthesheeple
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
18:38 January 15, 2011 by Njal
@landofthesheeple

- exactly!
20:34 January 15, 2011 by Puge Henis
I say people should be able to stalk and shoot the "hunters" as long as they are doing that to the wolves... just to keep things fair.

Let these "brave" morons who shoot from a mile away feel what it is to be stalked themselves and shot at.

This is not "sport" this is a massacre, since its not possible to arm the wolves lets take the guns off these inbred swine and put wolve and afore mentioned inbred in a cage... tooth and fang against tooth and fang - THAT would be sport.
20:59 January 15, 2011 by Debaraja
The relevance between hunting and war through the culture of aggression deriving from hunting, is unmistakable.

Hunting as means of entertainment and "sport", produces sadistic feelings, a mental condition where the mental pleasure of the hunter is directly connected to the murder of specific animals, i.e. with the abstraction of life. It is of course obvious, and there is no further need to emphasize how negative this coupling of fun and murder is.

The recourse to weapons and the use of force and violence, marks the inability of the individual to use reason and argument as tools for solving his problems.

I really wonder, what is it that stops the hunters from killing, skinning and eating their bloodhounds? Which difference, have they convinced themselves, that exists between their dogs and other animals for example moose and deers?

Don't you think it's time to stop teaching children the ways of militarism, sadism and violence?
21:36 January 15, 2011 by lapua338
@ Debaraja, what utter, objectionable, bunk, hokum, laughably foolish absurdity!
22:23 January 15, 2011 by dizzymoe33
I see the hunter's aren't wearing any bright orange to let others know there are people in the woods. No wonder you have so many injuries during hunting season. For a safety conscience society it is very funny how no one wears the proper clothing to hunt safely.
22:58 January 15, 2011 by Njal
A 'hunter' kills for necessity, to feed himself and his family. A high-powered rifle, with a scope that can put a bullet within an inch of it's target over 600 yards, is not hunting at all.

And of course not too many people eat wolf.
23:44 January 15, 2011 by Nemesis
This hunt i disagree with.

I come from a family that runs several gun/hunting clubs. My family always puts land management first. We have caught foxes, hares, rabbits, pheasants, badgers, etc that are excess and transferred them to areas that need to be repopulated at our own cost, while leaving more than enough to sustain local hunting. I am firmly in the same court as my family. I have got in arguements and a few fights with animal righters and hunters on the same subjects, particularly when transferring excess animals to help repopulate.

This hunt is wrong for a simple reason. The excess animals should be trapped and send to lands that need repopulated. A good hunter or enviromentalist will not like that, but will understand that.

Those animals should be repatriated to areas and countries that have either to low a population or no wolves so as to maintain there population. Ireland and the UK need them reintroduced.

In Ireland the Irish wolfhound was bred specifically to hunt and kill wolves. Now worldwide an Irish wolfhound champion is a disgrace to its breed. I have owned them in the past and will again in the next few years. I have refused in the past and will refuse in the future to have inbred weak half Irish wolfhounds. As in the past my dogs will be great grandchildren of my old dogs, tall, strong, broad, with endurance and strength. A dog that if it has to can kill a wolf, but is great with children.

Killing these wolves is not hunting. Killing these animals is vandalism of our common European heritage.

When I get land in Sweden next year, Wolves will be safe on my land and I will make that clear to the lcoal, hunters, not because of animal rights, but because they are too low in number and need to be reintroduced to lots ow Euroepan countries as part of our common European heritage.

Signed: Andrea, a member of a proud hunting family.
00:44 January 16, 2011 by Gamla Hälsingebock
This is Bulls%$T!

There is plenty of room for people and wolves to live.

I am ashamed for Sweden and my heritage.

Were the wolves allowed a fair hearing and trial before they were hunted down and killed!

What did they do?

Who decides how many wolves should live?

Why can't people like me decide, who controls any natural population.

With six billion people on this planet where can wildlife live?

Again!

Where wildlife cannot live than neither can man!

It's that simple.

GH
02:51 January 16, 2011 by Beavis
I think we should hunt polititions and bankers instead (much more of a pest and treat to humans), then the hunters would be heroes :)
10:44 January 16, 2011 by Javlaengelsman
Here's an idea that if put into action by activists would not make me in the least bit sad. Why not use snipers with silenced rifels to kull these bloodthirsty useless hunters from the human genepool?
13:15 January 16, 2011 by Steggles
'One of the two animals that was shot was later put down while the search for the other continues. If it turns out that it was not hit, the hunt will resume.'

That is so sick.

If they are going to hunt then shoot to kill.
13:49 January 16, 2011 by lapua338
@ Nemesis, I agree with your comments. I love target shooting although I've never been involved in quarry shooting myself. For hunting to continue it must be practised in a way that is both wise and sustainable.

Every bird and animal (including so-called "pest" species) is a sentient creature and should not suffer unnecessarily as a result of our sporting shooting or pest control activities.

In this instance, why can't the wolves be relocated and reintroduced to other parts of Sweden where there is little human interference? Is the existing wolf population sustainable and viable in the long-term?
17:11 January 16, 2011 by kcussmilsum
When does hunting season open for the know 200 extremist insurgents living in Sweden?
17:27 January 16, 2011 by Javlaengelsman
What is all this arrogant talk of management & relocation? Who are we to decide on their numbers & where they live through these artifical concepts? A country with vast wilderness such as Sweden could easily support 20 THOUSAND of these beautiful animals. When there numbers reach a level that is to high for their habitat to support, then it is NATURE that will thin there numbers to sustainable levels through starvation, or disease, just as humans exploding population will ultimately be thined through the same power of Nature, through wars over dwindling resorces, disease & pestulance. If wolves kill the occaisional dog or farm animal or even human, so what!
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