public hunting land europe

[maple]

Hi all,

As well as a bushcrafter, I'm a keen hunter too. It goes without saying that hunting opportunities in the UK are slim for those not born into a world of tweed and rangerovers. After a lot of humble visits to farms, chats with landowners and generally putting the word about, I now have modest hunting "permission" but I'm considering emigrating (again) and freedom to access land and hunt is important.

Are any of you familiar with hospitable countries which allow hunting, camping and fishing on public land?

So far; Scandinavia and the Baltic states look to be the most accessible - Estonia in particular seems to have more lenient firearm and hunting laws than even the USA!

[Vulpes]

Better start learning the language if you're heading East, that's all I know. I don't know about Estonia, but PZL, which is the national hunting circle where my folk are in Central Europe are very picky about who they let in to their association. Best to know the local lingo and know someone who can get you in, because there's a huge waiting list of people who want to hunt. You'll still have to do various courses and compulsory range days too of course, but membership fees and everything else cost peanuts.

As for fishing, people are far more likely to eat what they catch instead of throw it back in Slavic countries. I don't think course fishing, etc is popular or existent. I don't really know anything about the rules and regulations on that side of things though, I think most people just poach fish much like they steal everything else if it's not nailed to the floor... The carp is reasonably tasty though, but I'll just say that wild boar is spectacular, especially when smoked!

Northern Europe might put big holes in your pockets in terms of funding things. I hear everything in Scandinavia is sky high expensive.

To cap it off, outdoor pursuits outside of England are a totally different world... No tweed, hunter wellies or landrovers to be seen anywhere! Just BDUs, felt lined boots and KAMAZ 4x4s!

[maple]

Thanks Vulpes, that's good info. I speak several languages well enough to get into trouble and having lived abroad, you're right that just shouting English doesn't get you very far with the locals . The hunting circle in France looks like even more of an old boys' club than the English one and Nordic countries are indeed eye-wateringly expensive.

Having lived in the US, I've probably already experienced hunting nirvana but the US doesn't hand out greencards too freely. I also always came back from hunting trips COVERED in deer ticks and I won't even give you nightmares by talking about the chiggers

I wonder where in the world is the best place for bushcraft then. A future poll perhaps?..

[santaman2000]

Where in the US were you? Sounds like down South from the chiggers. LOL Hate 'em. Fortunately I haven'e had any since childhood (knock on wood)

If green card difficulties are your only restraint from coming this way you might consider Canada. I don't know for sure if it's any easier to get but it might be worth checking.

[Vulpes]

America is a land of milk & honey for gun sports... Stunningly beautiful place too, with the exception of New York! As far as I understand, in Arizona you can wander into the desert and plink at things randomly, legally? I took great joy in wandering around the desert picking up .44 rounds as a kid in a dry creek, when I was on holiday. Happy times...

[santaman2000]

Sorta true Vulpes (about Arizona) And most other Western states in the desert. As long as you're on open range (publicly owned land) There are a few restrictions that vary state to state but basically:
1. Outside city limits
2. 100 yards from any public road (and don't fire toward or across public roads)
3. On public land (or private with the owner's permission)
4. Obey all hunting regs (don't shoot at protected species, any game outside it's proper hunting season, not at game animals without the appropriate license, etc.)

I don't believe Canada (at least the Western Provinces) or a lot different in that respect.

[maple]

America is a land of milk & honey for gun sports... Stunningly beautiful place too, with the exception of New York! As far as I understand, in Arizona you can wander into the desert and plink at things randomly, legally? I took great joy in wandering around the desert picking up .44 rounds as a kid in a dry creek, when I was on holiday. Happy times...

I've never been to Arizona, but generally you can head out onto BLM (bureau of land management) land and plink away as long as you don't endanger anybody. The closer you do it to civilization though, the more likely you are to be pestered by the fish cops (conservation officers).

Canada is similar but you can't plink with a .44 handgun on public land. Any pistol is restricted (or prohibited) and can only be used at an approved range. Getting a licence to carry a pistol in the woods in Canada is about as unlikely as in the UK. Some US states are remarkably strict too and others are just plain daft; California, Illinois and Massachusetts are annoyingly restrictive whilst in Washington you can buy a suppressor but can't use it!?

Where in the US were you? Sounds like down South from the chiggers. LOL Hate 'em. Fortunately I haven'e had any since childhood (knock on wood)

If green card difficulties are your only restraint from coming this way you might consider Canada. I don't know for sure if it's any easier to get but it might be worth checking.

Despite Oregon apparently not having a tick problem, I picked up a lot there - no chiggers though fortunately. Those itchy little devils got me when I was briefly in Virginia.

Canada is about on a par with the US in terms of difficulty of getting residency, unless you were born in Ontario and have a Canadian passport If I could pursuade my family to move that far from Europe, I would!

If you have any photos of your Florida bushcraft adventures, you should put them up on the forum. I don't think many people here see alligators or turtles when camping!

[Vulpes]

Sorta true Vulpes (about Arizona) And most other Western states in the desert. As long as you're on open range (publicly owned land) There are a few restrictions that vary state to state but basically:
1. Outside city limits
2. 100 yards from any public road (and don't fire toward or across public roads)
3. On public land (or private with the owner's permission)
4. Obey all hunting regs (don't shoot at protected species, any game outside it's proper hunting season, not at game animals without the appropriate license, etc.)

I don't believe Canada (at least the Western Provinces) or a lot different in that respect.

Seems sensible enough thinking about how vast everything is out that way. Would be damn nice to have the space to have that kind of freedom. You folks are very lucky. Alas, we're so over urbanised that it's ridiculous. Then I suppose it comes with its occasional inherent problems in that you've got some gammy types roaming the open lands from over the boarder. I read something about a couple and their kids that went for a plink in the desert and ended up stranded and on the run from smugglers. Got some older generations of family in Maryland and California, but couldn't live over there because of my ties to this continent.

[santaman2000]

Maple I'd love to post some pics but as yet I'm not that tech savvie. I'm trying to get my daughter to teach me so maybe I'll be able to later. LOL. I still use an old fashioned film canera so I'll hve to load the pics from disk (I'm having mixed results learning that)

Vulpes you're quite right about the problems near the border with smugglers; usually either drug smugglers or "coyotes" (smugglers who bring in illegal immigrants) They aren't the only such problems though in wilderness areas. In the more forested public hunting/recreational areas away from the border (usually National Forest Service land) The marijuana growers use the forest concealment for their plantations and tend to booby trap the surroundind woods (fish hooks hanging at eye level from trees, etc.) I do love the vast wilderness ares we have and the opportunities that come with it but as you say, it's not as sweet as it would seem; common sense is still needed.

[Martti Kujansuu]

For Finland:
Hunting Act
Hunting Degree
Act on Game Management Fee and Hunting Licence Fee

Some basic rules:
- Hunting is allowed with most firearms, bows and snares (in few municipalities) and dogs.
- One can hunt in public land inside one's own municipality and in any land owned by the State in any municipality, however not "within 150 metres of an inhabited building" without a permission. Also do not shoot animals across a road.
- General hunting license is needed for any game animal and cervids also require an additional license.

[maple]

For Finland:
Hunting Act
Hunting Degree
Act on Game Management Fee and Hunting Licence Fee

Thanks for the info Martti, that's great! I've added Finland to the list of places to recce.

[sandbender]

"...You'll still have to do various courses and compulsory range days too of course..."

That would be the same for Hungary, examinations are in Hungarian only which would make the process impossible for you (unless you speak Hungarian of course) .

There are guided hunts of course and these aren't cheap. Things may be slightly easier next door in Romania, maybe someone from there will pop by with some advice.

[Vulpes]

German speaking Dutch are normally everywhere during season.

[santaman2000]

In view of the last few posts I should say that over here a hunter safety course is required to get a hunting license as well (at least it is required for those born after 1978; or is it 1974?) I'm older than that but from what I can accertain it isn't that difficult or that expensive a course. Most states have it set up so as to take a few hours a night for a week and then a half day at the range on the weekend. Or alternatively 2 full days of course and range time over the weekend. All taught by officers of whatever state's Wildlife Conservation Agency.

[GordonM]

Hi maple, if you get back to Virginia, you have a standing invite to hunt and fish with me. I have been a Virginia Hunter Education Instructor since 2001 and am current in my instructor certifications, to include range operations. There is no charge for the Virginia Hunter Education Course. The Hunter Education Instructors, in Virginia, are volunteers, facilitated by the Law Enforcement Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Many states have volunteer instructors.

Gordy

[maple]

Hi maple, if you get back to Virginia, you have a standing invite to hunt and fish with me. I have been a Virginia Hunter Education Instructor since 2001 and am current in my instructor certifications, to include range operations. There is no charge for the Virginia Hunter Education Course. The Hunter Education Instructors, in Virginia, are volunteers, facilitated by the Law Enforcement Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Many states have volunteer instructors.

Gordy

Gordy, that's a very kind offer thank you! If I find myself in the old dominion again, I'll certainly get in touch.

I wish we had free hunter training in the UK. Here we have to convince the police that we have proper need for a hunting rifle along with permission to hunt on suitable private land from a landowner, game estate or similar. Despite not being written in law, police are increasingly demanding completion of a hunting course. To get special permission to hunt on public land such as forestry commission or national trust land, completion of deer stalking courses level 1 and 2 is typically required which costs $900 plus a portfolio of hunts which could put you well into the $1000's for several guided hunts. Hunting here is certainly not an affordable means of putting venison on the table like in other countries.

[santaman2000]

Hi maple, if you get back to Virginia, you have a standing invite to hunt and fish with me. I have been a Virginia Hunter Education Instructor since 2001 and am current in my instructor certifications, to include range operations. There is no charge for the Virginia Hunter Education Course. The Hunter Education Instructors, in Virginia, are volunteers, facilitated by the Law Enforcement Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Many states have volunteer instructors.

Gordy

Gordon I'm pretty sure that the charges here only cover the actual costs; range fees (as the range time is on commercial ranges), ammo, etc. and NOT the instructer's time. That said IIRC it's only about $35 or so.

[susi]

Thanks for the info Martti, that's great! I've added Finland to the list of places to recce.

To hunt in Finland, you first need to pass an exam, the "hunting diploma". The course material and exam paper are both available in either Finnish or Swedish.

Landowners generally pool their land together into hunting syndicates (with non-hunters usually renting out their land to neighbouring syndicates). Speaking of the the syndicates I know, they are very "closed" to outsiders, even Finns The Finnish forestry commission sells fixed period licences to hunt on its land, but I don't know if this offer extends to non-natives.

Finally, we don't have an unlimited supply of game here (Finland isn't the free-for-all utopian wilderness playground that is often portrayed on this forum....), and we have strict bag limits to ensure the continued availability of game in the future. Sharing this limited availability with foreigners, especially those from countries who have over-shot their own game reserves into near extinction , is unlikely to be very popular with the local hunters I know (and as a hunter myself, I'm sorry to say that I sympathise somewhat with this view).

If you are considering emigrating somewhere, I would recommend Sweden, as the language is much easier to learn than Finnish or Estonian. And unless you're self-employed/freelancer/remote-worker, finding a permanent job with Finnish is very difficult.

[santaman2000]

I wonder if we could get someone with experience to comment on New Zealand?

[maple]

susi, thanks a lot for the info! I completely understand native Finnish hunters not wanting hunting tourism to destroy their game stocks. It's sad that some countries haven't preserved hunting lands for access by every man and you are right to not want that problem to spread to your home land.

Personally, I'm a wandering soul because I was plucked from my birthplace as a child and have never really felt at home anywhere. So my only hope is that wherever I call home, members of these "closed" syndicates take pity on me or better yet, I find somewhere I can just hunt the land without permission.

[Bowlander]

What are you wanting to hunt?

There are loads of opportunities here in the UK, they just take a bit of finding.

[mereside]

i would like to comment on new zealand its a fantastic place full of oppertunitys the hunting is free albeit you need a permit which you get from the doc website but fantastic i managed to get a few tahr ,chamois and reds we where up for boar and fallow but the weather turned bad and we had to make our own way down off the hill i only did it for 16 days but i will be going back in the future. hunting here can be free just get out and knock on doors and ask the easiest way of permission is getting rid of pests,ie crows pigeon fox and deer comes later ,atb wayne ps heres some pic to wet your apitite,

[Doc]

What are you wanting to hunt?

There are loads of opportunities here in the UK, they just take a bit of finding.

I think this is true.

I've been fortunate to get all my deerstalking, rabbit shooting and wildfowling free so far. It helps that I am a GP in a rural community, so I get to know everybody and am seen as respectable. But I'm sure the same applies to rural postmen, plumbers, policemen etc,.

There is also free 'public' shooting on Crown foreshore in Scotland. There are some areas which are permit-controlled, but the permit is usually cheap or even free. The wildfowling clubs offer sport at low cost.

Recently I took a half gun in a syndicate, so £250 gets me 3 days rough shooting pheasants, plus a day at the roe deer, plus more pigeon shooting than I have time for.

Or the BASC offer the red stalking on Arran, which is pretty cheap for what you get.

I've also been offered shooting in return for beating.

The opportunities are there. I think it helps if you
-live in a rural area
-have a 'respectable' job
-are looking for shotgun or rifle sport rather than air rifle (but I appreciate the problem with rifles: to get the certificate you need somewhere to shoot)
-are prepared to go beating
-are prepared to buy the odd bit of sport here and there to get your face known

[Bowlander]

I was working on Arran when the first basc stalking was on - its great country, not quite up to NZ standards though!

[maple]

What are you wanting to hunt?

There are loads of opportunities here in the UK, they just take a bit of finding.

I'm happy to hunt whatever game is appetising and in season. I also wouldn't mind being able to compete in pistol shooting again or bowhunt. Don't get me wrong though Bowlander, I know there are opportunities - I've knocked on enough doors, socialised in enough rural pubs and worked on enough farms to come across them. I've got some shooting permission but by God it's hard to keep and I'm planning to emigrate for other reasons, so it makes sense to find somewhere that my lifestyle and hobbies are easier to follow too.

I've lost two of my three permissions recently. On one, a noise complaint from a new stables has put the kibosh on it and when I turned to suppressed firearms, they repeatedly called the police. The police, despite knowing the legitimate nature of my shooting, were obligated to attend each time with armed response. The second was lost due to huge demand for land locally, whereby folks are willing to pay a lot of money for shooting rights and subsequently, I had to match the offer or leave.

I don't want to misrepresent the UK to foreign readers here; there are opportunities to hunt but it does entail gaining a private landowner's permission in virtually all cases.

On a lighter note, mereside - those pictures are breathtaking! Thanks for sharing.

[Bowlander]

Sounds like a nightmare with your permissions. There's lots of politics and too much money involved.

Good luck with your search, I'd be tempted by NZ or Canada.

[Bowlander]

Sounds like a nightmare with your permissions.

Good luck with your search, I'd be tempted by NZ or Canada.