History of Old Hunting and

Trapping Methods - Sweden

Introduction

Hunting involves searching for, tracking, pursuing, capturing, and killing game. Originally, hunting was used to obtain food, clothing, and footwear. The hunting methods used varied greatly depending on the terrain, prey, and technological factors. The title picture above shows "Wolf hunting in Westergötland" by Fritz von Dardel in 1847. A sled with three men and a pig is pursued by two wolves. Image: Wikipedia. Note: "To hunt" is to hunt in American English. In British English, "hunt" means to hunt on horseback. There, the expression for hunting is "to shoot". In fact, "hunting" without qualification implies fox hunting in the UK. What in other countries is called "hunting" is called "shooting" (birds) or "stalking" (deer) in Britain.

Subsistence Hunting

Subsistence hunting (Swe: Allmogejakt or husbehovsjakt) refers to hunting carried out by the peasantry that was essential for the family's livelihood. Hunting was originally completely free, in that game, like the land and the forest, was considered the property of no one ("masterless property"). This was true until the time when laws began to be written down, such as the Västgötalagen (Västgöta Law) i.e. 13th century. The Crown now took over all hunting rights, and free subsistence hunting was restricted and regulated in hunting Jura Regalia, especially for big game on all land, and this right could only be transferred to individuals by a charter (hunting privilege). Hunting privileges were normally included in the privileges of the nobility and applied collectively to the nobility. Jura Regalia: a medieval legal term that denoted rights that belonged exclusively to the king, either as essential to his sovereignty (jura majora, jura essentialia), such as royal authority; or accidental (jura minora, jura accidentalia), such as hunting, fishing and mining rights, a right of disposal, i.e. a royal prerogative and prerogative rights. Swe: jaktregale. A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. The peasantry’s right to subsistence hunting was limited to the killing of predators, such as bears, wolves, and foxes, which were declared outlawed regardless of where they were found. The right to hunt in other respects was attributed to the landowner, so that every free man, whether a nobleman or commoner, had the right to hunt on his land, subject only to the restrictions laid down for certain species as being either wholly or only for part of the year exempt from the prohibition. Among all the restrictions on a landowner's right to hunt, the most important was that the deer, as already laid down in the Östgöta Law (dating from the end of the 13th century), was declared to be an animal of the King, which no one but the King had the right to kill. In King Magnus Eriksson's National Law Code from 1335, moose hunting with spears was declared forbidden for the peasantry. However, the ban did not apply to eastern Dalsland, Värmland, southern Dalarna, Gästrikland or Hälsingland (Greater Hälsingland). However, farmers were obliged to have a four-fathom (approx. 7 m) long wolf net, and hunting of bear, fox, and the wolf was permitted even on other people's land. Animals such as squirrels, martens, and lynxes, however, could be hunted on their own land. Already in this older legislation, there are traces of the fact that the right to hunt was regarded as a royal privilege (Jura Regalia). However, the Hälsinge Law (1320) provides for a bow tax, which remained in Norrland until the 17th century, but mainly applied to fur- bearing animals. The bow tax, or winter tax or skin tax, was a regular personal tax levied in kind in the Middle Ages and the Reformation in the form of game skins (squirrel skins) or half a penny on the peasantry of Norrland. Under the Vasa kings in the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clearer division and tightening of hunting rights. The King had the exclusive right to hunt on the Crown's land, while the nobility had the right to hunt big game (moose and deer) on their own land. With the issuing of the Royal Hunting Statute on 22 March 1647, the landowning peasants lost the right to hunt big game (moose and deer) on their own land, except in Norrland and on the coast. The penalties for violations were severe. The big game (Swe: högvilt) is the name given to a certain game that, in earlier times, could only be hunted by the King and later by the nobility via hunting privileges (regalia). During the 17th and 18th centuries, hunting in Sweden was a tug-of-war between privileged hunters - the king and the nobility - and unprivileged hunters - the landowning peasants. The 1664 Hunting Statute introduced further restrictions for unprivileged hunters - when hunting of birds also became unlawful for the peasantry. During the 18th century, there were some changes and modernizations of hunting rights, but the process was slow. In 1702, the peasantry was given the right to carry and use firearms for "beast" control. In 1767, the inhabitants of the Norrland counties were given the right to hunt moose with firearms, but the real big change came in 1789. Before 1789, Swedish farmers - with some exceptions in Norrland - had no right to hunt large animals (moose and deer) on their own land; this was the privilege of the King and the nobility. King Gustav III gave the Swedish peasantry the right to hunt all game on their own land. The 1808 Hunting Statute introduced new and longer periods of game preservation and also confirmed the right of landowners to hunt, which put a definitive end to the noble hunting privileges.

Hunting Rights Today

From 1808, the right to hunt in Sweden is thus linked to land ownership, and the landowner thus has the right to hunt on his land. If the landowner does not hunt himself, the right to hunt can be granted to other persons, known as a hunting lease (Swe: jaktarrende). The hunter or hunting team (Swe: jaktlag) that leases the hunting land then has the same rights as someone who hunts on their own land. About half of Sweden's hunters hunt on their own land, while the other half lease land from forestry companies, the state, dioceses, and large landowners. A hunting team (UK: shooting team) can either be a group of landowners hunting together on their own land or a group renting a hunting ground. An important function of a hunting team is the hunt leader (UK: leader of the shoot, Swe: jaktledaren), who leads and organizes the hunt and is responsible for safety.

Hunting of Predators

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predator attacks were a very real and major concern for farmers in Sweden, as can be seen in the statistics on killed livestock, etc. In 1829 alone, predators killed 465 horses, 3,108 oxen and cattle, 504 pigs, and 19,104 sheep and goats in seventeen of Sweden's counties. In all, the number of domestic animals killed that year was estimated at 35,000! Source: Brusewitz . Bear-hunting The species of bear found in Sweden is the European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos). Bears have been hunted primarily for their fur and meat. Bear hunting has historically been a significant interest among Scandinavian hunters. Before the availability of modern firearms, it was widely believed that a successful kill of a brown bear was a real achievement. The image to the right shows a brown bear (Ursus arctos). Image: Wikipedia. Bears were usually caught by traps consisting of covered trapping pits or deployed leg-hold traps to which the animal was lured by a bait. Another and much more dangerous method was to wait for the bear with a spear, pointed at both ends. The spear was first driven into the ground and then held ready for the bear's attack. In 1893, the bounty for bears in Sweden was abolished, which at that time was SEK 50 per killed bear. In the years 1865, 1867, and 1868, a bounty was paid for 17, 19, and 18 bears killed in Västernorrland County respectively. By the mid-1860s the bear was thus quite common. In the minutes of the Ytterlännäs municipal meeting on 30 August 1863, it is stated that the municipal bounty for bears was raised from SEK 50 to SEK 150. In bear hunting at this time, so-called percussion lock rifles (muzzle-loaders) called “lodbössor” were used, which had to be reloaded from the muzzle for each shot. These rifles had a small caliber, and the lead bullet (“lod”), was cast in a so-called “kultång”. Kultång is a mould for casting round bullets for muzzle-loading and early breech- loading rifles. This was primarily a rifle for the peasantry. The image to the right is from a bear hunt in Dalarna, Sweden, early 1900s. Image: Wikipedia. Today, bear hunting is highly regulated and can only be carried out under a license issued by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency after consultation with the County Administrative Board concerned. All hunting of female bears with cubs is prohibited. The bear was the first predator to be protected in Sweden, in 1913. During the 1920s, bears were only found in limited areas of the country, and by 1930 the Swedish population was around 130 individuals. Tough restrictions on bear hunting were lifted in 1943, and a 2008 survey estimated that Sweden then had around 3,300 bears. The brown bear is the province animal of Härjedalen. A leg-hold trap is a type of trap consisting of two metal jaws, which snap together when the trap is triggered. They are primarily intended for trapping or controlling predators. Some variants are fox traps and bear traps. The image to the right shows a leg- hold bear trap. Image: Det Gamla Ytterlännäs. Carrion or bait is animal feed set out to attract or fatten game. Trapping pits are the most common type of ancient remains in inland Sweden and have been used for trapping wild reindeer, wolves, moose, and to a lesser extent foxes and bears. Trapping pits have been used from the Stone Age until the 19th century. They consist of excavated pits with or without stone or wooden caisson and are about 3-4 meters in diameter and about 2.5 meters deep. Hunting with pitfall traps was prohibited by law in 1864 in Sweden. The image to the left shows a trapping pit in Ångermanland, Sweden. Image: Wikipedia.

Wolf Hunting

The Scandinavian wolf population, the gray wolf (Canis lupus), belongs to the group of northern wolves, large species with large brains and strong predatory teeth, found in Europe, North America, and northern Asia. Because of their size and more powerful set of teeth, they are a more dangerous predator than their southern European relatives. Looking at Sweden's old provincial laws, it is clear that wolves were common throughout the country. Deer, mainly moose, as well as reindeer and roe deer are the main prey in Scandinavia, but hare, beaver, wild boar, and badger are also included. The image to the right shows a Scandinavian gray wolf. Image: Wikipedia. The wolf has long been regarded as a pest, and as early as the 13th century, Swedish provincial laws required farmers to keep tools for and participate in wolf hunting. Anyone who did not stand up and participate in wolf hunting was punished with a fine. To encourage hunting, the 1647 Hunting Statute introduced a bounty fee for killed wolves. Before 1850, wolves were abundant all the way down to southern Sweden, where one was killed as late as 1875. In the second half of the 19th century, wolf numbers declined rapidly in Sweden for a number of reasons, including increased hunting pressure and a shortage of game. In the 1850s, 1,850 wolves were killed in Sweden. Hunting with wolf pits, also called trapping pits, was banned in 1864. Around the beginning of the 19th century, the wolf population was still strong and wolves were common throughout Sweden. Between 1827 and 1839, some 6,790 wolves were killed in the country. In the 1870s, only the three northernmost counties had a real wolf population. In 1900, the Swedish wolf population was estimated to be a few hundred animals. The wolf was placed under protection in Sweden at the end of 1966 when there were at most 10 wolves left. The Scandinavian wolf population can be regarded as a joint Swedish- Norwegian population. In 2015, the number of wolves in Sweden was estimated to be around 415. Traps have been used to kill or capture wolves. Some types of traps were arranged as fixed installations such as trapping pits. A wolf pit could be a trapping pit with a stake in the middle to which prey, such as a rooster, could be tied. Branches were placed over the pit so that it was not visible. When the wolf attacked, it fell into the pit. The image to the left shows a wolf pit in Södra Sandsjö parish, Småland. Image: Wikipedia. Other traps, such as leg-hold traps, were placed in appropriate locations. When wolves were hunted on a drive, the beaters drove the wolves towards the shooters so that the shooters would have a chance to shoot. A variation of this form of hunting was to set up a wolf net in which the wolves could entangle themselves and later be killed. The image to the right shows a wolf hunting on skies with spears in 1854. Image: Wikipedia "Wolves in Scandinavia". It is sometimes pointed out that there are no recorded cases in Sweden of humans being killed by wolves. This is not really true. If you look in the old church books, such cases are recorded. According to Linnell et al. 2003, there are 16 confirmed cases of humans being killed by wolves in Sweden in the last 300 years, all before 1882. The vast majority of victims were children under the age of 12. On 12 January 1763, the then 8-year-old boy Nils Nilsson was killed by a wolf in Hova parish in north- eastern Västergötland, Sweden. In Hova's death book there is the following entry:

Related Links

• Old hunting and trapping methods, page 2 • Old hunting and trapping methods, page 3 • The Old Agricultural Society and its People • The conceptions of croft (torp) and crofters (torpare) • The Concept of Nobility • Summer Pasture - Fäbodar • The subdivisions of Sweden into Lands, Provinces and Counties • Map, Swedish provinces • Map, Swedish counties

Source References

• Det gamla Ytterlännäs, Sten Berglund, 1974. Published by Ytterlännäs Hembygdsförening. Chapter 41 (page 395). • Jaktens historia i Sverige : vilt - människa - samhälle - kultur, Kjell Danell; Roger Bergström; Leif Mattsson; Sverker Sörlin. 2016. • Vilt i Sverige och Europa – igår, idag och imorgon, Daniel Ligné, Svenska Jägarförbundet • Is the fear of Wolves justified? A Fennoscandian perspective, 2002. John D.C. Linnell, Erling J. Solberg, Scott Brainerd, Olof Liberg, Håkan Sand, Petter Wabakken, Ilpo Kojola. • Makten över jakten, article in Populär Historia by Gunnar Brusewitz 2001. • Björn i Nordisk familjebok (andra upplagan, 1905) • Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 12. Hyperemi - Johan / 1203-1204 • Wikipedia • Swedish church books Top of Page

Nils Nilsson, died on 12 January 1763 at the Charcoal- burner’s cottage in Walaholm, parents Nils Nilsson and Maria Biörsdotter. Nils was then 8 years, 32 weeks, and 2 days (old)". Notation to the far right: ”til döds beten af wargar” (bitten to death by wolves). Source: Hova (R) death book F:1 (1752-1771) Image 390 / page 34 – January 1763. Examples of other cases: • Boda parish, Värmland county: On December 17, 1727, a 4 ½-year-old boy, Jon Svensson, was killed, mutilated by a wolf, and mostly devoured. • Boda parish, Värmland county: On January 6, 1728, a 9-year-old boy, Jon Ersson, was killed after being attacked by a wolf. • Steneby parish Dalsland county: On 3 August 1731 a 12-year-old girl, Borta Johansdotter, was killed by a wolf. Source: Linnell.

Fox-hunting

There are two types of fox in Sweden, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). The red fox has a body length of about 75 cm, and to this is added a 40 cm long tail. An adult male weighs about 8 kg, the female slightly less. Colors vary slightly between yellowish-red and dark reddish-brown. The Arctic fox has a body length of 50-85 cm and a tail of 28-55 cm and weighs 3-8 kg. In summer it is brownish- gray, while in winter its coat is all-white. The image to the right shows a red fox and to the left an arctic fox in the winter coat. Images: Wikipedia. Red fox skins were once considered valuable and fox hunting was therefore common in the past. Fox hunting takes the form of burrow, drive, calling, and stand hunting. Stand hunting involves the hunter sitting quietly and concealed while waiting for a game animal to appear in the shooting position. In Sweden, hunting of foxes is allowed from 1 August until the end of February in southern Sweden and until 15 April in northern Sweden. Every year, about 70,000 red foxes are shot in Sweden. In the past, the sale of fox fur provided a large contribution to the coffers of the peasantry. Arctic fox fur has been a sought-after commodity, which has led to intense hunting for it. In Sweden, the species was protected in 1928. In the past, fox hunting used a trapping method called fox teeth (Swe: rävtana). They have also been called fox claws, fox pincers, and fox poles. The trap is cut out of a tall stump of a fallen tree so that it has three points pointing upwards and so that there are two notches between the points. A piece of meat is placed on the middle tip to act as bait. The intention was that the fox would jump up to get at the bait, which was at the top of the trap. The height above the ground of the bait was adjusted so that the fox needed to use the front paws to get to the top. The aim was for one of the fox's front paws (or both) to get stuck in the notch so that its foot became more and more trapped. The fox was thus left hanging from the trap until it was emptied. This fox trap was a very cruel trapping gear. The image to the right shows a drawing of a fox trap known as fox teeth (Swe: rävtana) with a fox stuck with one paw. Image in Sven Ekman’s Norrland's Hunting and Fishing, 1910.

Hunting of Big Game

Big game (Swe: högvilt) is a designation for a certain game that in earlier times could only be hunted by the monarch and later also the nobility via hunting privileges. In Sweden in the past, big game included mainly moose, roe deer, fallow deer, and red deer. Nowadays the term big game is used in Sweden for those species that by law may only be shot with class 1 ammunition. In 1789, King Gustav III gave the Swedish peasantry the right to hunt all game on their own land. The 1808 Hunting Statute confirmed the landowners' right to hunt, which put a definitive end to the noble hunting privileges. However, the result was almost a disaster. Within a few decades, the already weak moose population was hunted so hard that it was almost wiped out. As a result, in the 19th century, hunting was banned in several stages, but even at the end of the century, the moose population was very weak.

Moose-hunting

Moose (Alces alces alces) is a genus of even-toed hoofed animals and the largest living deer. Moose in northern Sweden are generally larger than moose in southern Sweden. The weight of a bull moose is around 380 to 540 kg, but large bull moose can weigh up to 600-700 kg. Large European moose populations are currently found mainly in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Baltic States. Sweden has the world's densest moose population per area. The Swedish moose population is currently estimated at 350,000 animals. In the early 1980s, there were more than 500,000 moose in Swedish forests. This is a remarkable development, given that a hundred years earlier the moose was practically extinct here. At the time, the Swedish moose population was considered too large, causing great damage to forestry and a large number of wildlife accidents, and the population was deliberately reduced through increased hunting. The moose is Jämtland's province animal. The image shows a European moose (bull) in Scandinavia. The European moose are called elk in British English. Image: Wikipedia. In American, Australian, and New Zealand English this deer is called moose, in British English, it is called elk. In American English, elk refers to wapiti deer. The Swedish term is “älg”. In the mid-2000s, the genus moose (Alces) was divided into two species. Studies of European moose and American moose showed that they exhibit some genetic differences. Moose hunting (Swe: älgjakt) is an organized form of hunting of moose that is carried out to control and limit the growth of the moose population. Due to the large body size of moose, more powerful hunting weapons are usually required for moose hunting. These weapons are traditionally known as moose hunting rifles (Swe: älgstudsare) in Sweden. About 80,000 moose are now shot every year in Sweden. Moose hunting in Sweden begins on the first Monday in September in the north, and on the second Monday in October in the rest of the country. The maximum hunting period is until the end of February. Moose hunting is carried out partly to obtain meat and partly to keep down the population, which would otherwise grow too large. Different hunting methods are used in moose hunting; hound hunting, drive hunting, stand hunting, stalking, etc. The image to the right shows two moose hunters by the side of a shot moose in Julita, Södermanland, Sweden, in September 1910. Image: Nordiska museet, ID: NMA.0040972. In the past, moose were also hunted with different types of traps. One method was to trap self-shot, i.e. shots that were triggered by the moose itself. The device was a sharpened spear (arrow) connected to a taut bow made from a bent down narrow birch trunk. The spear (spike) lay horizontally in a number of set- up rings (handles), for example of birch twigs. The curved stretched tree trunk was held in place by a pin. The spear could be triggered off by touch via a string stretched over a path. When the moose came onto the path and pressed its body against the string, the taut bow was triggered by pulling out the pins so that the tree trunks snapped open and sent the spear/spears towards the animal's body with great force, hitting the moose in the chest or side. On the path leading to the trap, two fences were erected, initially running parallel and widely spaced, and gradually tapering to lead the moose to the trap. The device is called älgled or älgdrag in Swedish. The hunting method was banned in the 1864 hunting statute at the same time as trapping pits were banned. Another and longer surviving method of hunting moose was to dig trapping pits into which the moose plunged. The pits were covered with a fragile, well- camouflaged roof. The moose was lured to the pits with leaves, such as willow. In some cases, the pits were equipped with stakes driven into the bottom of the pits. The pits could be up to 2½-3 m deep and round or rectangular. They were dug in narrow passages between mountains, in gravel pools after marshes or rivers, i.e. where moose were known to frequent. Often several pits were dug in the same place. When hunting with weapons, i.e. direct hunting, it was done as stalking or with hunting dogs putting the game at bay. The old primitive rifles had a short-range and hardly allowed hunting of moving game. The Swedish Jämthund is Sweden's most common moose dog. The image to the right shows a Swedish jämthund. Image: Wikipedia. Moose hunting was already practiced in ancient times. Images in caves also show moose next to other animals.

Roe Deer Hunting

The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a small deer found throughout Europe. The name for an adult male is a buck. The female is called a doe, the young of the first year is called a fawn. The Swedish term for roe deer is “rådjur”. The roe deer is considered a valuable game animal. It is hunted mainly for its meat. In Sweden, roe deer are hunted in three main ways: with driving or flushing dogs, as a stand or stalking hunt. Stand and stalking hunting offer a better chance of good management of the roe deer population, as it is possible to make a more careful selection of the animals to be shot. General hunting season is from 1 October to the end of January in the southern half of Sweden and until the end of December in the northern half. The roe deer is now considered almost a pest in residential gardens near urban areas. In 1993, almost 400,000 roe deer were shot in Sweden. The image to the right shows a roe deer (buck). Image: Wikipedia. Historically, in Sweden roe deer have been found throughout Götaland and the southern part of Svealand. In the late 18th century, when the right to hunt was freed after having been restricted to the nobility, the roe deer became almost extinct. By the 1930s, roe deer had become abundant in Skåne and were found in single specimens quite far north. In the 1940s, the occasional roe deer began to spread to Dalarna and Norrland as well. Thereafter, the deer population increased sharply. Between 1955 and 2005, the number of Swedish roe deer is estimated to have increased from 100,000 to 375,000. The peak was reached in the early 1990s when the number is estimated to have reached one million animals.

Hunting of Fallow Deer

The fallow deer (Dama dama) is a deer that is smaller than the red deer. Originally from the Mediterranean region, the fallow deer is widespread across central Europe and is now found in the wild in Sweden, most commonly in the southern parts such as Skåne. Small patchy populations are found in Götaland and up to Västmanland and Uppland. The Swedish population is released fallow deer from the demesne of the Crown. The Swedish hunting season lasts mainly between autumn and winter (1 August to 29 February). During the period from 16 August to 30 September, only tracking or stand hunting is allowed. The Swedish term for fallow deer is “dovhjort”. The image to the right shows a fallow deer. Image: Wikipedia.

Hunting of Red Deer

The red deer (Cervus elaphus), is one of the larger deer species. Its range covers most of Europe. The red deer arrived in Sweden around 10,000 years ago. However, the population declined during the 19th century. In Västergötland province there was plenty of red deer in the 17th century. In Sweden today there are red deer populations in all counties except Norrbotten and Gotland. In Sweden, a special high game license is required in red deer management areas, outside of which hunting is free in Skåne during fixed hunting seasons. In the rest of Sweden, only hunting of calves is permitted during the fixed hunting season. Raising red deer in pens is an increasing source of income. It is the province animal of Skåne. The Swedish term for red deer is “kronhjort”. The image to the right shows two red deer (stags). Image: Wikipedia.

Hunting of Small Game

Traps

Examples of small game hunted: hare, marten, ermine, weasel, squirrel, otter, beaver, badger, etc. Trapping devices have also been used for hare. In addition to leg-hold traps, snares and gills have been used. A gill (Swe: giller) is the name given to a device for catching or killing wild animals which are such that, when a certain part (often provided with a bait) holds the active part of the gill (a log, a hatch, a snare, a net, a pair of metal hoops, etc.) in a certain position suitable for catching (or killing) is disrupted, this latter part is released and the gill is released (the intention being that the animal should be caught or killed). Source: SAOB. The log trap is a type of hunting trap with a gill. It can be a killing trap (Swe: slagfälla) or a trap for live capture. A log trap has a gill with bait to attract the prey, which triggers either a door that falls down and locks the prey in or a log that falls down and kills it. A type of log trap called a “brann” was common for catching small game and consisted of a narrow log laid across a path. On top of this was another log, one end of which was raised with 8 gill sticks, locked with a gill peg. The other end of the upper log, which thus rested on the ground, was loaded with logs laid over it, on which some stone increased the weight. A bait such as fresh leaves or berries (depending on the prey to be taken) was attached to the tip of the gill peg, and leaves or berries were sprinkled on either side of the fold after the trail. When the prey came walking along the path to pick up the bait and accidentally touched the peg, the trap was sprung, and the animal was caught between the trap logs. Such traps have been used to catch birds and other small game. The image to the right shows a so-called “brann”, i.e. a log trap. Image: Det gamla Ytterlännäs. A hunting snare is a trapping gear that has long been used for small game hunting to snare and catch, for example, birds, foxes, hares and rabbits. The image to the right shows a rigged snare for catching hare and rabbit. Image: Runeberg, Liten uppslagsbok, Finland. Hunting with traps, including snares, was the most common hunting method until the 19th century. Nowadays, this hunting method is mostly used for hunting fur animals such as martens, mink and foxes.

Hare-hunting

Hares (Lepus) are a genus in the family of hares and rabbits (Leporidae). The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is a species of hare belonging to the family of hares and rabbits (Leporidae) that occurs naturally in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. The European hare has a length of around 50-70 centimeters excluding the tail, which is 10 centimeters long. Its ears are longer than those of the mountain hare. In Sweden, the number of European hares shot varies from year to year. The figure is between 35 000 and 125 000 (in the 1950s) individuals. The Swedish term for European hare is “fälthare”. The image to the right shows a European hare (brown hare). Image: Wikipedia. The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is a hare that occurs over much of the Palearctic, mainly in taiga areas. It is brownish-gray in summer and white in winter with black tips on its ears. It is a popular hunting game. The mountain hare has a body length of 46-65 centimeters, a tail length of 4.3-8 cm, and a weight of 2-4 kg. It is distinguished from the European hare by shorter ears and a short tail, which is mostly white and above grayish. The mountain hare is found mainly in arctic and subarctic climates. The hare is a popular game species. It is mainly hunted with a hunting dog, preferably a scent hounds such as the Swedish Hamiltonstövare. Shotguns are used for hunting hares. As this can make hunting mountain hares even more challenging than hunting European hares, most hunters prefer hares to European hares. The Swedish term for mountain hare is “skogshare”. The image to the left shows a mountain hare. Image: Wikipedia. Hare is hunted almost exclusively with hunting dogs. “Stövare” are dogs specially bred for hunting hare and fox and are therefore usually preferred by hunters who have a keen interest in hare hunting, but there are other hunting dogs that can be excellent hare hounds. The hare is known to deceive its pursuers with various tricks such as running along roads or back into its own tracks after which a several-meter-long leap is taken to the side, a so-called jump-off. Another form of hunting is clap hunting. Then, many hunters walk in a line about ten meters apart. The hunters shout and clap so that the hares will stop lying low and instead run up and give the "clappers" or one of the stand shooters a chance to shoot. This form of hunting is found in flat country. The image to the right shows a Swedish Hamiltonstövare. Image: Wikipedia. In the past, hares were also trapped. This could consist of a snare made from a thin steel wire applied to a known area where hares were found. This method of hunting is now banned in many countries.

Hunting of other small game

Badgers are often hunted with bay hounds, such as German hunting terriers or moose hounds, and by burrow hunting or stand hunting late at night at oat fields or outside burrows. About otters, it can be said that in older times they were smoked out of their dens in hollow trees and then shot. The otter was hunted not only for its skin but also for its meat. Even in the early 20th century, squirrel meat was still used. There have also been cases of burrow hunting for rabbits, using tame weasels. The marten has been hunted for a very long time for its skin, and the hairs are used to make brush bristles. It is hunted with traps and, in snowy conditions, it can also be traced to its daily cache. A cache is a place where twilight or nocturnal animals lie in shelter during the day. It is not a permanent nest, burrow, or hut, but just a sheltered place under a bush, for example, or perhaps in a tree or thicket. In Sweden, the marten is found in forests all over the country except Gotland. It is estimated that there are just under 100,000 martens in Sweden (in 2009). The European marten (Martes martes) is a forest-dwelling medium-sized predator in the marten family that occurs in most of Europe and parts of western Asia. The image to the right shows a European marten. Image: Wikipedia. The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a small marten. Its fur (especially its winter coat) was long valued in the fur trade and was used, among other things, for edging cloaks. The winter coat is often referred to simply as ermine and was used in Europe as a symbol of regalia (hunting regalia). In Sweden, the ermine is found all over the country except Gotland, where it used to be found but is now probably extinct. The image to the right shows an ermine in the summer coat. Image: Wikipedia. The weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a species of marten. The weasel differs from the ermine in that it is smaller, and lacks the black hair on the tip of its tail and by the shape of the skull. In Sweden, it is found throughout the country except on Gotland. It is less numerous than the ermine. The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), also known as the European squirrel, is a tree-dwelling rodent with a luxuriant tail. In Sweden, the squirrel is common in forested areas throughout the country, with the only exception being the mountain birch forest, where it is rare. Squirrels have fine skins that were once valuable, which is why hunting the species was once common. The image to the left shows a red squirrel. Image: Wikipedia. Beavers (Castoridae) are a family of aquatic mammals in the order Rodents. The family currently includes only the genus Castor with the two species European beaver and American beaver. American and European beavers are similar in appearance but there are some differences between the two species. Beavers can reach a length of up to 75 cm (European beaver) or 100 cm (American beaver) without the tail and a weight of about 20 to 30 kilograms. The fur is brown and very dense. In Sweden, the last beavers were killed in 1871, but since beavers from Norway were transplanted in 1922, the Swedish beaver population has recovered rapidly. Beavers always live near rivers or lakes. There they build their dams and huts from branches, twigs, and mud. In the past, beavers were "poor man's food", but today they are less common as food for humans. However, it can be cooked in a variety of ways and the meat is said by some to be very tasty. Hunting European beavers are banned in most European countries that are part of the EU. The exceptions are Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden. There, administrative measures, such as rules for the capture of the species, are required. The image to the right shows an North American beaver. Image: Wikipedia.

Hunting of Birds

Birds have been caught or hunted for their meat. A common method was a type of log trap, called “brann”. See description above. More about Hunting of Birds.