Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Archived Hunting Pics => Shooting and Hunting => 2017 Hunting Pics => Topic started by: rautasarvi on November 09, 2017, 04:18:50 am
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Hello guys!
I have hunt with primitivebow about 25 years. 15-25 animals/year. Also I hunt deers and mooses with rifle. Over 100 whitetails and 20 mooses so far.
Just a couple months ago we finally get the law change through and now its legal to hunt whitetail deers with bow in Finland.
New law allows to hunt now all species but moose, and large predators(bear, wolf, lynx, wolverine). Next step will be to get through the law that allows also hunt moose
with bow. To hunt deers you need to shoot the exam. Itīs three arrows from 18 meters to a point 23cm diameter. Only one has shot this exam through with primitive bow, and thatīs me =)
I got the first whitetaildeer ever shot with primitive bow in Finland about two weeks ago. I also shot the second one just a few days from the first. Those are so far the only whitetails shot with primitive bow.
First one I shot from about 11 meters and it walked about 25 meters until falls. Second deer I shot from 13 meters and it falls immediately. Both were fawns.
In Finland we got the first whitetaildeers in 1934 from Virginia, USA. Nowdays we have a large population of whitetaildeers. For example our hunting club have 7000 hectares area and about 200 lisences every season. I hunt at least 10 deers every season. Now I finally can hunt deers with bow, and thatīs amazing!
I make my bows by myself.
This bow I hunt these deers is sinewbackes oak bow, 139 cm long. 55 pounds. Arrows are made from Finnish pine. Self forged arrowheads and fletshing with feathers from our own turkeys.
:OK
The first one
(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22780684_10156656711338561_6389488589197123770_n.jpg?oh=28fdd6ae3d0312f986706d284db3543a&oe=5AA4A72B)
Second
(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22894285_10156668356658561_7635257275927664615_n.jpg?oh=7a72dd1e6748d813b7f374257e2c7cbd&oe=5A6D5831)
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That is an amazing oportunity you had happen for you! Congratulations on your law change, and your hunt! And whats better, I love how your law has a shoot test. I wish the United States had one. From the looks of it, it appears you are a good hunter, take good shots, and I hope you take maby more :)
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Congratulations on your deer. That is great news about the new law changes in support of hunters.
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Awesome shot...Please tell us more about the hunt...Didn't know you had whitetail...Need to do more research I guess...
Congratulations!
Don
PS. Please show more pics of your bow...
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Congratulations, and welcome to PA. Getting the law changed is a major accomplishment, as well. Good luck on your future hunts, and keep us posted! We would like to see more photos of your gear.
Hawkdancer
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thank you for sharing,,, congrats on your bow hunt,, the last deer I killed was with sinew bow about 55 inches long,, almost same as as yours and about 50#,, no recurves just straight,,
please send more photos of your bow,, (SH)
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Fantastic! I like to hear about bow hunting being expanded rather than limited. Its a good thing for hunters around the world.
Congratulations on your deer
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Congrats on the nice deer and with all the self made equipment that took them.Sounds like a darn good hunting club you belong to.Those deer will sure taste good.
Moose hunting sounds great for the future.
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also did you use the same bow for the exam as the bow you hunted with,,?
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Very good! Thank you for sharing. I look forward to hearing more of your hunting adventures.
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nice deers rautasarvi and great to be the first !!
please post more pictures of your bows and arrows. we all want to see :OK
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Congratulations on the first and second Primitive Bow whitetail deer. I hope you can spread the thrill of this type of hunting around and many others can enjoy it as well. I'd like a play by play of the hunt to. That's always my favorite part.
Bjrogg
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Congratulations, and I enjoyed reading your story. It is great to hear about expanding opportunities for bow hunters everywhere. I'm grateful we don't have to pass an exam.
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Congratulations! Nice looking deer
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Well Done
They look as good there as they do in America. Congradulations.
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Very proud of you!
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Congratulations on the successful hunt.
This bow I hunt these deers is sinewbackes oak bow, 139 cm long. 55 pounds. Arrows are made from Finnish pine. Self forged arrowheads and fletshing with feathers from our own turkeys.
A few pics of your bow (and arrows) would look nice in the Bow section.
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Thank you all for Your nice comments!
Someone was writing that in my pictures there are roedeers. But no, they are whitetaildeers and yes, we have whitetaildeers in Finland. Whitetaildeers have been brought here in 1934 from Virgiana USA. Just few deers and they were released free. It has been a great succes and whitetaildeer is now in our area the main game. So thank you for this great animal. Actually whitetaildeer was first called as a "virginianpeura" which means Virginiadeer. Then it was called as a "Laukonpeura" which means Laukkoīs deer. That name comes from the mansion which land was the first place where whitetaildeers were released. This place is just about 20 kilometers from the place I live and hunt and these areas are most populated by whitetaildeers in Finland.
Whitetaildeers in Finland are quite large. Approximately adult bucks carcass weight is about 70-80kg and the largest are more than 90kg. Does are normally 40-60kg and fawns in hunting season are between 20 and 30kg.
I have heard that in america whitetailbucks antlers are not very solid. I really dont know is this true or not, or are there some major differences between bucks antlers in USA. Finnish whitetailbucks anyway have a very solid and tough antlers. I make a big part of my living by making and selling knives. I use a lot of whitetail antlers and I can say that itīs actually quite rare that adult whitetailbuck has not solid antlers. Also because of cold weather and long winters the fur of the whitetaildeers are very thick and furry in wintertime.
Roedeer is original Finnish animal, but in my area there are much more whitetails than roedeers. Roedeer has always been legal to hunt with bow and arrow and whitetaildeer has just legalized in this Autumn.
I have made a lot of bows. Hundreds. I use to sell selfbows for many years but nowdays I sell them just randomly and took no more orders. Few last years I have use only sinew backed bows while hunting. I have found that even those are very sensitive with moisture and heath/cold, they are great bows for hunting. Here in Finland temperature can be in hunting season everything between +15C(59F) to -30C(-22). That changes bows features a lot. 45 pound bow turns to over 50 pounds in very cold and dry circumstances. But when you know your bow and know how it works in what ever circumstances, I think short sinewbacked bows are a good choice for a hunter who spends a lot of time in woods.
We just got our moosehunting done. 16 moose down. I shot one bull moose and two fawns. I just hope so much that some day moose is legal to hunt with bow and arrow in Finland. So far I have to use my rifle.
I tried to find some pics about this bow I used with these whitetails.
I will write a little story about these deerhunts for you soon.
There has been quite a lot of interest in Finland about my primitivebow deerhuntings. Iīve already wrote an article in Finnish Bowhunting Associations annual magazine and I will write about primitive bowhunting and primitive bows in to one of the biggest outdoor magazine in Finland "ERÄ-magazine" (I have actually had my own "traditional finnish woodlore"part in this magazine about 2 years. So I really want people to understand what kind of weapons are primitive bows.
Here are some pics about this exact bow I used with whitetailhunting.
By the way; there were quite nicely snow here but it all melted away. So itīs been total darkness here. Only couple of hours in middle day there is some light. But now itīs snowing again! That means more light and good changes to hunt with bow. So maybe I can soon share you some new bowhunting-deers! =D
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fbcBAOwfTAGMqQtC8H4YgGnQlT1nbaGLIrw1v_lgk3KSxZIrNK8iUP8sPjG-LbczU_tdhGtr7wep1Npjw9pv1id3ExTsHn1ufPSQiKslNF1HRkIzKchDx4HEfyea6zLK0oW02gvPqeuQyJbcAncEQyuMsIXje3txUvmweoyLlFjo0DwMPImBgUgFnnTFCBrAOeDmbPPZ0krgxlLyraUmbvfKVxsGD2Z9fvvAanFVuiypJuCowX4N2AjBXrM-gRd8PytK0awcc0zStuEx_OeAHGZh69Bk22-BxrF98daMQHyuZT2Yrz0XyrNRUNlST-9iPvJy-OzBK2_-9zuTiQJJEVoTTD1fj_6THy5JTb4W6kOjLuW-sKfN-Hm0e2-Ea-E_ogL6S4dzHyH-hYNeAsOp8pvzweIYJAuiCTZO2Z_uXDlLPYHxAmrRSCpBaKkM_xb_XbeHFNCARzswLoL1qEmKGFpdZt2B0PIiO3GCOT1daxmJOHSH3tPCXA1SnLoLFtW5qjAnJy-_SUj-vpl-nu5ayT2cNWsan74NodztrOeBvUNOpmVcFT0UGeaFMDQVMpaE1f6rl0XK-NUdr5k30hZO1Iy3RGffLgrU4v-VN5HdyQ=w892-h669-no)
Here is also one of my quivers. This one is made from roedeers fat tanned fur. Its quiet and very nice to carry.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9Weify7riMSFvinEB6sOITEN4UPDTP02ONub-_iwh1ArjIQkmWKnt0SACA6cKY43wWs6Ox7VdekAnADK7dy3r7tuKA0sW83KpEGARH7TKeX3Y3xLxGxs-d_5Xsj94ErKKP3b-XF3pJZqMQPIS770c979irMHah1mwK49fVwT7VeUz_DpVL695EFcSGws5Z_uEhfDRrD1fVzyKnijhEQmT0YwA7vJzHoMWaXsnygT-CCPezQyyaXyokcZ8P2Dqwbc57-MKwg9kEnYbCYT6B2rv40G0pa1Z4qLUYpakS4VawVG6eNWI_cEX-F_jd7bppTq_E7OUVxs7bmHUW032s0ii1PeZuA84vru3lewgRoryGa2J2mLQPV8FCBnLptudBEdzYYWinHWDzsuw3BTwKeQZQSm1VBM7EsQc9kiJcYDMWlHNNCVwGyjEtJfuu7eZcy-_NiYKRGSIQocg8Watu7ZkgAQ7BMwCzt67Lsig0iCWYVxqItqanm7EeiWXuKuAxziDFttx_wKqw4Px-YtmMpyyFkHZ8RtUeyxEcECalJDy7cYsvsHMOo_LUdfkNiAN4rvn36mIax16sm5QNvrjDGTSii2gVAisJyX7y63j_lnAQ=w892-h669-no)
Raccoon dogs are very common stuff for me to hunt.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ih_WAfL9_uZ1w3llqznjT6kT3XrKag26QZh_wleo8xzNHC50pgof0kI3wjkbC8nZMGdQzq1Yv4Kr1yTITWO9EsIgjE099-fHH7pvlzQdw2Hv5fg6rqX7_UX55_4XMn2P45q0xpHSyvAYD2pA3liytXvDox96zFmaKPmFfRQQFRF1ti6C01xkMeGPIfWj1ANzn_pMIYiOq1lEZg8yxsxwkJYQ9Fnu3v1GiXwZ5YxV3MS2a6Yv2QiOH2sDpeR0WFKiMXaDhmNg5ZaDAvC1D7tTpqQTNSlgd4XaOSz8m2ZZpdfMgdcKukkkISlEThVEeVqWr2AL_VhQLVclDG9ERiKgVxsYQpOrXopjTQ4zQkoDsw6GW5k6dSR3MqZ8IDuwGo_fME_ZTHVthmj1UILv-hR0Tsd9pzowzyHsauI-kYebcMogQlpkzHO-fY-JBiRmNF8VFUIlm9vbucT1FlppY_6zzMgh_QA4fp267cCvEIWbNcDm8dSqPg7vup02ISiH5gYriiFHA_g9xv6nZIW_nCMnkbHMZFu1YcwD_N6lteSJdEGoJ18bL_UTnKYAhIj6Xg41SW2wTgpKAsLSG6sWQnkUMkRVcKOR-JbwkRQ0GOkD8g=w892-h669-no)
I shot these in one night. There is a quite unique story behind this hunt. I first shot the rabbit and while after, I saw fox was fallowing this rabbits tracks. I shot this fox in exactly the same place where I shot the rabbit just a while before. One of the greatest moments for me as a bowhunter!
-Ilkka Seikku
www.rautasarvi.fi
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What an amazing story. Congratulations on expanding bowhunting in your country. Would love to see more pictures of your hunting.
Kyle
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Amazing hunts and beatiful knives and carvings !! exceptionals :OK :OK :OK
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Quite an accomplishment, making the hunter and the hunted into quarry! You are are obviously a master hunter! Please post more pictures of your hunts and your gear! Like your picture in the night!
Hawkdancer
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That's some mighty fine hunting. Thanks for sharing the pictures stories and information.
Bjrogg
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rautasarvi.....Good shooting and nice pics.Keep em coming.Your a great ambassador of primitive weapon usage.Nice 5 curve type bow pictured.Congrats on your moose also.Thanks for sharing your pictures and accomplishments.I personally am staying at it here to harvest a whitetail into the early winter late fall with primitive weapons.
The white tail deer here in southern Iowa and generally in the midwest can get some good size to them too.Over 300 pounds is not unheard of.Lets' see 300 divided by 2.2[kg]=135kg.Usually that will be at least a 5 to 6 year old animal.Horns are hard as a rock.They get a very good diet here of grain crops seems to help them here,but generally fall into the range of weight you stated.It gets plenty cold in northern midwest here for good hair coats too.-20 to -30 below F. happens every year.
Keeping close track of any lame diseases like CWD etc. should be monitered.It is in the states that's for sure.Is there any studies on that in Finland?
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Raccon where imported too?
I believed them not to be an european species
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Raccon where imported too?
I believed them not to be an european species
Hello GlisGlis. Raccoon(Procyon lotor) is different species than raccoon dog(Nyctereutes procyonoides).
Raccoon dog is very common in Finland. Itīs not original animal in Finland. It has come to Finland from Russia but itīs not original in Russia either. Itīs origin is from East-Asia and it was came to Finland while raccoon dogs were import to western side of Ural in Russia.
Just before Christmas I got again one whitetaildeer with primitive bow. This is third deer with primitive bow and this time I got a little 5 point buck.
I made just a while ago one quite short and simple ash bow. I have quite a lot of bows, ofcourse, but I wanted to make this and try to get it made so that my deer arrows will be use with this bow. It became quite heavy and speedy bow. I usually change my sinew backed bow to wooden bow while it starts to get colder. Letīs say colder than -10C(14F).
This ash bow is a bit more than 60pounds and Im going to take it a bit lighter. As the temperature goes colder that -20C(4F) itīs not comfortable at all to shoot with hevier than 50-55pound bow while youīve wait animal for many hours still.
So about this deerhunt..
I was waiting about one and half hour while I saw a deer coming. That was grown up female and I was sure it does not have fawns. I have still few licenses and can shoot fawns, does and bucks. I really try to find a good spot but it was impossible even this doe was few times very close. Suddenly it raises its head and starts to stare on one point. I was still keeping my eyes on that doe and find good place to shoot. Doe quickly turns away and runs a bit further. "Thatīs it" I was thinking..
But at the same time I heard how snow made sounds while deer steps on it. Finally I also saw whatīs coming. Little buck with 5point antlers. Not anything great but anyway this would be my first buck with primitive bow.
It came right infront of me, little by little. It was very alert and I was trying to stand still. After maybe couple of minutes I saw it starts to relax. "Now itīs my time to make the move.."
I rise my bow carefully and all the time carefully watch where the ears and eyes of this buck are observing.
I got full draw and release the arrow. Fine sound and I actually saw how the arrow hit in front parts of lungs. "Yes!"
Buck turns and runs about 40 meters beeing all the time sso that I could see it. Then it stops. And falls on the snow.
After hit I started to count seconds; "one, two, th.." it really took less than three second to buck to run 40 meters and faal down. Quick death, I have to say. No movement of anykind.
I have a lot of antler and skull trophies. I have years took these kind of little antlers just for knifehandles etc. but this one Iīll surely make a trophy. Itīs a little one, but way more important than any of my 10+pointers shot with rifle. This is my first buck shot with primitive bow. And at the same time ofcourse the first whitetaildeer buck ever shot with primitive bow in Finland =D
(https://keskustelu.primitiivijousi.fi/uploads/default/optimized/2X/5/52f12bab9154170d4dafb3dbfef337fe150cf8ae_1_666x500.jpg)
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Congratulations again Rautasarvi. I know exactly what you mean by it being a bigger trophy than your ten point. I'm pretty sure that this won't be your last Buck with your Primitive Bow
Bjrogg
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Waking up to read that another country is allowing large game bow hunting is uplifting. Thanks for posting. I enjoy reading about archers in other nations. An old photo essay of the rural Finns making a composite bow of compression pine backed with birch still lingers in my mind.
Congratulations on the deer.
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(S)How great is that. Congrats on taking another great deer.
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Here we go again!
I got my fourth whitetaildeer with primitive bow couple days ago. There has been a lot of lynx-activity and deers have been very alert and hiding in very difficult places.
I shot this fawn from 10 meters and 3 meters high.
Simply ash bow, without nocking point or arrow rest or neither anything else.
There was quite a heavy snowing and not much of light when I saw two deers walking towards me. Doe and a fawn.
They stopped in about 30 meters. Suddenly a 6 point buck came there too. Doe gave him some claw and buck turned away. I decided to wait if that buck came back. But it did not came back, even it stayed quite close. I saw it many times in about 50 meters from me.
All the sudden there was another fawn too. I have no idea where it came. It was clearly smaller than the other one. I decided that Iīll shoot his little one. Very often these fawns which are clearly smaller, does not survive from the winter here.
So now my target was this fawn. I watched it while it was still in 30-40 meters and I was trying to "read" itīs behavior.
Not very alert and I noticed that it took few steps and stayed still for longer than deers normally. It was clearly hard for it to walk in deep snow.
Finally the bigger fawn started to walk closer. And after that, also doe and the small one walked closer. I rised my bow while the small one turned its side towards me in about 18 meters. Good spot, but the other fawn came in front of it. They stand there side by side about minute or so and then also the doe came in front of both fawns. Damn!
I watched them and beacause it was quite dark also, it was very hard to see from this one big black spot that whose head belongs to who!
Now one fawn turned other way, but I really couldnt be sure which one it is. I really wanted to shoot the little one, so it wouldnt starve to death during hard winter.
So I waited to be sure and also there were this buck still on the background so if these doe and fawns goes away, Im sure that this buck will fallow their tracks!
Now the doe walked suddenly very close to me. It was in about 6-7 meters from me and I saw how the little fawn follows it! But how in the hell could I get my bow up now while the doe is in front of me and her ears were observing my place!!??
Little by little the doe turns itīs head away from me and took few steps on the side. And there was the little fawn walking straight toward me. It stayed in about 10 meters and turned a little bit sideways. I didīn wait anymore; I rised my bow and let the arrow fly immediately. Good sound!
Fawn runs and other deers also.
I did not see clearly where this fawn went, but in a clean white snow, tracking is ridiculously easy, so I decided to wait.
I was sure for deadly shoot, so I was very comfort.
The thing I actually was waiting is doe and other fawn to came back. I have shot over hundred deers and observed nature and hunted all my life, and itīs sure thing that if doe does not see the fawn fall, it comes to check where the fawn has gone. It might take an hour or three, but it will come.
I saw just after a couple of minute that there were deer coming. But it was a fawn. Couldn be sure if itīs the one I have shoot or the other..
It stopped and stnad still in maybe 60 meters. I was thinking that could it be the fawn I just shot?? Maybe the shot was bad and go on stomach and now the deer just stands because walking is painful!?!?
But no. Suddenly this fawn walked away normally and I decided to wait no more. It was snowing so heavily that even the greatest blood tack goes away in few minutes.
First blood tracks were in about 10 meters from the place where the deer was while I shot it. It was easy to say, that the arrow has penetrate lungs. Track was clear and in about 50 meter there was whitetaildeer laying on the deep snow.Arrow was still attached in deer. Actually I saw first the arrow fletching, because the deer was so deep in the snow and about half of the arrow was outside.
The shot was a bit up and back but still clearly on the lungs. Lung are actually very large vitals. Iīve seen a lot of totally wrong anatomy in 3-d deers and other targets. Usually in those kind of targets the anatomy is same as it is with dead deers. With alive deer, lungs are much much bigger and also the place of for example heart, is a bit different.
I took the inserts and skin the deer. Weight a bit more than 20kg. Nice little fawn and easy to carry even in deep snow =)
I have now four whitetail deer with primitive bow. I know only one bowhunter who have took more deers with bow(compound bow) and thatīs five. So I have still one to go..
There are still few days this season and I try to get more deers with primitive bow. I think that would be a quite nice thing if the one who has get most deers with bow in Finlands first ever whitetail-bow-season, got those deers with a simple primitive bow. ::)
(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/27336748_10156888916638561_2970013611149611122_n.jpg?oh=3026ba4dc913e7e495565f3f6f551c9c&oe=5AF18780)
(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26907395_10156889190798561_614531444062736188_n.jpg?oh=33e9b7475f3bd970e8df9d28010fce3d&oe=5AF097C5)
(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26907449_10156889187978561_4715367265912569427_n.jpg?oh=1b07820ec722e7839aaee85007a0ab1e&oe=5AE16358)
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Nice shooting and story.Congrats.Good eating on the agenda there.It's good your a trail blazer in your country hunting with primitive bows and arrows.Others might take up the challenge too.In the states here I would say it's still a very small percentage of bow hunters hunting with primitive bows and arrows but we do what we do to please ourselves.Nice hunting set up also.Your coming along fine.
Good to see a later posting of deer kills into the season.I hunt on snow here too many many times.It's always a nice experience.I like the quietness of it all myself.
Good luck on getting your final record breaking deer kill.
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Congratulations Rautasarvi,
Would a visitor from Britain be able to get a licence to hunt with a bow in Finland?
I was thinking about a trip to Finland for the fishing, but you have set me thinking that it might be possible to bowhunt there as well. Here in Britain the only animals and birds that we can legally shoot with an arrow are the foam 3D versions.
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First deer season for bow is now over in Finland. All went very nicely and there has been absolutely nothing to blame with bow hunting. All looks good for the future!
No accidents, no law breaking nor anything else.
This season was the first bow season for all mammals(except large predators) smaller than moose.
Legal game mammals for bow are:
european rabbit(this is not original Finnish mammal, but it has quite a large population in some cities. Originall pets, which has get loose. No european rabbits in real nature in Finland, they live only in cities.),
mountain hare,
european hare(not original, but quite old and lives almost all over Finland, itīs habitat is different from our original mountain hare. Mountain hares lives in large woods and european hares usually stays in fields and tiny forests nearby urban areas),
red squirrel,
eurasian beaver(this original mammal needs a lisencefor hunting),
american beaver(Not original in Finland but population is quite large and itīs free to hunt. It has brought here because of itīs fur in 1930 and itīs causing problems in many places),
muskrat,
nutria(there are no nutrias in Finnish nature, they canīt live there. This animal is in game animal list, because still in 1990 there were some places which keep nutrias and sometimes they get on the loose),
ranch arctic fox( wild arctic fox is totally protected animal in Finland, but ranch arctic foxes, which now and then runs from the ranches are legal to shoot. Usually those ranch animals does not survive in nature for long time),
red fox,
raccoon dog (originally comes from east asia and has brought to russia and from there it has come to finland. One of the most harmful animal for original birds like capercaillie, hazel grouse, black grouse etc. Actually there are a lot of competitions and other thing for hunting raccoon dogs so the population will not grow so fast)
raccoon (we donīt have any raccoons in nature. Raccoon is in our game animal list just in case if it some day will appear. Notice that raccoon(Procyon lotor) and raccoon dog(Nyctereutes procyonoides) are different species.
badger,
stoat,
polecat (quite rare nowdays)
pine marten,
american mink (not original, but very common everywhere in Finland nowdays. Brought here as a fur animal and because on american mink, our original european mink has gone totally. American mink is one of the most harmful little predator for water birds)
Next animals needs a bow shooting test and some of them needs also a lisence;
roedeer,
fallow deer(not original and population is very small in nature. Just in few little places in Finland)
red deer (has brought in Finland many times, but never it has been able to survive in Finnish nature. So there are no red deers in Finnish nature)
sika deer (some sika deers has been brought to Finland but they does not survive here)
whitetail deer (Needs a license. Not original here. Brought in 1930 from Virginia and it has been a great success. With moose, whitetaildeer has become the most important game animal in Finland)
finnish forest reindeer (Needs a license. A true Finnish animal, which lives only in Finland and a little part of northwest-russia)
mouflon (Not original animal. Brought to some islands in 1940 and they has survived very well. Strong population and mouflons are popular game with bow hunters)
wild boar (not a sigle wild boar has shot yet with bow! Finnish wild boars are large and very strong. Wild boar is free to hunt whole year)
Strelets; "Would a visitor from Britain be able to get a licence to hunt with a bow in Finland?"
Yes, thatś possible. Visitor needs to have a hunting lisence in his own home land. And also a bow shooting test needs to be completed. Shooting test can be made here in Finland and it needs to be completed before you can hunt whitetail deers.
In Finland we donīt have this tag-system as in USA. In our country visitors needs to ask visitor license from hunting clubs. Almost every village has their own club and they handle all the hunting.
In places where whitetail deer population are large, itś possible to get a visitor licenses.
Usually the costs are something like this; hunting day(no matter if you get something or not) is about 20-100 euros. If you got the deer, you have to buy it about 5/kg. Usually corpse of adult doe is about 40-60kg, buck 50-90kg and fawns 20-30kg. Inserts, fur and head belongs always to the hunter. Many places have also antler-tax. Which is usually something like 8+ points 100 and gold medal antlers 250 or more euros.
If You are interested I can give You info about my hunting club practice. Im secretary in our hunting club and a member of club government. Also I can info you about bow shooting exam as a legalized shooting exam supervisor(both rifle and bow).
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Rautasarvi, thank you for your reply. Since 1982 it is illegal in Britain to shoot any animal or bird with an arrow, so bow-hunting licences do not exist in Britain. We cannot legally shoot even rabbits, which are very plentiful and a great pest. Shooting deer with an arrow was made illegal in about 1965, when laws were made which stated the they could be taken only with a rifle.
It is good to see that Finland is being sensible about hunting with the bow.
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The added expenses to a harvest sound at best, unreasonable and expensive!
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The added expenses to a harvest sound at best, unreasonable and expensive!
+1
Costs per meat kg and for horns are for visitors only or are they for residents too?
Looks like they introduced bowhunting as a money mill more than for sensibility to the sport
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Strelets, hunting licence/card or hoe do you ever call it, is needed, not specific bow hunting license. =)
In our club this goes like this ( I placed You as a visitor in this example):
Strelets gives me for example e-mail and ask for possibility to come hunt whitetaildeer with bow.
First we accept/or not the request with hunting chiefs and club government. (Usually we accept, if there still is licenses to use and the person is trustworthy)
In this example we made adecision to accept Strelets request. Now I ask documents about Streletsīs hunting card. Strelets sends me a picture of the hunting card.
Strelets and me made a deal for the day he comes here to hunt. Itīs possible to come earlier to check the places and find a good place to hunt. So Strelets decides to come 15.11.2018 and be here to 18.11.2018. I reserve 2 licenses for him. (One license means one adult deer(no matter if itīs buck or doe) or two fawns. So with two licenses Strelets can shoot for example buck/doe and two fawns or four fawns or two bucks or two does. We have always very straight rules for club members what to shoot, but for visitors we always keep changes very free.
Strelets have no bow shooting exam done and in Finland itīs needed. So I have organized a shooting exam chance in the first day he come.
And of course he manages this exam greatly!
Our club have a great place for visitors to stay overnight and I drive Strelets to there. Next day Strelets can freely walk in the woods and find a good hunting places. And of course club members helps him and tells where are the best places.
FInally I took Strelets to the nice place, where have been a lot of deer-activity. Strelets stays there and I go away. Strelets have contact-person(thatīs me) and after he has shot a deer, he calls me and we get the deer and took it to game-handling building and skin it. Strelets continues hunting as he wish and after a couple of days he has got one buck and one fawn.
Costs for this hunting are: 3hunting days, 20/each = 60
Buck weight(skinned and butchered): 65kg x 5 = 325
Fawns weight: 23kg x 5 = 115
Overnights in hunting clubs cabin = 30
All together = 470
Furs, intestines, heads and antlers belong to hunter automaticly.
Also if needed, cutting the meet can be done by himself for free or by me, with little fee(I cut over 100 deers every year).
If the deer needs to track with a dog, club members have dogs and will helps with this.
Visitors can also hunt in nation lands. For these lands the licenses can be bought from Administration of Forests. Thatīs quite similar as the tag-system.
Very often foreign people does quite understand the way how we handle hunting organisation in Finland.
We have hunting clubs all over the country. The word "club" might sound a bit sophisticated, but actually hunting clubs are organizations handling certain areas where usually all the lands are rent from private people.
In Finland, right to hunt belongs to land owner. Land owner can give or rent this permission to second person/organization and mostly all the lands have been rent to local hunting club. Hunters in these clubs usually are all from this same area and they handle all the hunting in these areas. They harvest populations and keep the enviroment favourable for animals. Hunting clubs collects also information about animals and nature and gives these infos to scientific organizations etc.
So clubs works through the year, everyday. Clubs belongs to wider areas "game-care-organizations", which are a part of The Finnish Wildlife Agency and this main organization works under Finnish ministry of agriculture and forestry.
So hunting clubs really are not some funny clubs which are just hanging there and shooting some animals every now and then, even thatīs what Iīve hear sometimes, when people without any knowledge about this system talks.. :D
To hunt deers,(and all the other animals which needs specific hunting license) hunting clubs needs to make specific deer countings and game-care organizations collects these countings. The Finnish Wildlife Agency accepts the licenses for the "game-care-centrums" which shares the licenses to clubs, based on deer population in each clubs area.
Clubs buys these licenses and are also obliged to keep the population in a level which is lasting and healthy and keep a balance in nature. Members of the clubs usually buys licenses from the club and hunts deers as they hunt any game animals. Club members can use the whole area freely. Anyone can ask a membership for the clubs. Very often there needs to be some kind of connection to the area before itīs possible to join the club. That is simpy because membership obligates hunter to join all the work for game animals and enviroment. To join the club it cost usually something from 100 to up 2000, depending the size of the area etc. Yearly cost are mostly between 20 and 200. Members makes gamekeeping work and pays all the pays from their own pocket.
Clubs takes often visitors to hunt. Usually for example raccoon dog, fox, badger and mink are free to hunt for everyone. Thatīs because these animals makes a lot of harm and these animals are also overpopulated in many areas.
Rabbits, birds etc are usually very cheap to hunt for visitors. In our club for example itīs 5/day.
Larger animals like lynx, moose, deers etc. are more specific and clubs needs to monitor the number of visitors much more careful. Of course there are a huge number of people who wants to come and shoot deers, but itīs impossible to let all these people to hunt.
Itīs almost a rule that the if there is hunting club in the area you live, you can join to this club. Many hunters chooses theit place to live because of hunting possibilities. So thats kind of a life time choose and makes sure that people in hunting clubs, really makes work for nature and hunting.
So, why visitors needs to pay "so much"? Hunting clubs very often have create a lot if infrastructure. Cottages, buildings for handling deers and moos, fields for game mammals etc. Also guiding visitors in hunting and handling game and guns. Organizing the hunting and taking care for the safety are also in response of clubs.
Population of all game are based on the work hunting club members are doing every day through the year. Visitor-costs are one way to collect funds for this work.
I hope this helped a bit to understand our system. I will happily explain more if needed. =)
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Thank you very much for the detailed explanation Rautasarvi.