Active hunters

Updated: 30 August 2022

Next update: 1 September 2023

Hunted moose in the hunting year
Hunted moose in the hunting year
2021-2022
59 100
Active hunters
Active hunters
2021-20222020-2021 - 2021-2022
Number of huntersPer cent
Hunted, in total136 900-2.4
Small game hunting78 200-6.3
Grouse hunting44 700-7.8
Hunting on cervids92 7000.0
Moose hunting59 100-1.2
Red deer hunting51 5001.6
Wild reindeer hunting8 0001.3
Roe deer hunting44 400-0.9
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and figures from this statistics

  • Number of hunters who have reported. County of residence
    Number of hunters who have reported. County of residence
    Number of hunters buying hunting tax cardNumber of hunters who have reportedNumber of hunters not reporting
    TotalHuntedNot hunted
    The whole country
    2014-2015201 420179 280142 85036 43022 140
    2015-2016200 630180 070139 01041 06020 560
    2016-2017204 400182 510142 10040 40021 890
    2017-2018204 340183 210141 76041 45021 130
    2018-2019204 800183 080139 77043 31021 720
    2019-2020190 400171 280135 66035 63019 150
    2020-2021193 730173 820140 32033 50019 910
    2021-2022196 640173 020136 89036 13023 610
    2021-2022
    Viken37 70033 96025 7208 2401 360
    Oslo11 52010 1607 3002 860960
    Innlandet23 09020 55017 1003 4501 100
    Vestfold og Telemark14 79013 29010 5002 7801 680
    Agder13 13011 4909 3802 1103 740
    Rogaland9 3808 4206 0502 3702 540
    Vestland20 13017 85014 2303 6201 500
    Møre og Romsdal10 0008 9007 2901 6101 640
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage28 39024 80020 9803 8202 290
    Nordland - Nordlánnda12 51010 8308 6502 1803 600
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku14 11012 0909 2502 8402 020
    Foreigners1 3902802206080
    Other5004302302001 110
    Explanation of symbols
  • Number of hunters, by type of hunting, sex and age
    Number of hunters, by type of hunting, sex and age1
    Active huntersSmall game huntingGrouse huntingHunting of cervidsMoose huntingRed deer huntingWild reindeer huntingRoe deer hunting
    2021-2022
    Males125 30072 45040 94085 15053 89047 9307 27041 220
    Females11 3305 7003 6707 4105 1203 5406703 100
    Age of hunter
    -20 years3 7802 4201 3302 6601 7701 4402901 470
    20-29 years16 75010 7706 22011 1107 1806 2901 1406 040
    30-39 years23 07014 5608 15015 1008 9908 5101 3807 860
    40-49 years27 66016 5709 62018 29011 25010 2601 6508 950
    50-59 years31 45017 03010 08021 48013 67012 2101 7909 890
    60-69 years22 33011 4806 61015 53010 2908 6201 1906 760
    70 years or older11 5905 3202 6008 3905 8604 1405003 350
    1Comprise persons with Norwegian personal identity number including Norwegians living abroad.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Number of hunters, by type of hunting. County of residence
    Number of hunters, by type of hunting. County of residence
    Active huntersSmall game huntingGrouse huntingHunting on cervidsMoose huntingRed deer huntingWild reindeer huntingRoe deer hunting
    The whole country
    2016-2017142 10083 88045 78094 22061 13047 18010 43042 380
    2017-2018141 76082 83045 21094 43060 93048 2209 92043 010
    2018-2019139 77083 99047 90091 27059 34048 0307 62042 530
    2019-2020135 66078 33043 23092 08059 88049 4708 22043 360
    2020-2021140 30083 50048 50092 70059 80050 7007 90044 800
    2021-2022136 90078 20044 70092 70059 10051 5008 00044 400
    2021-2022
    Viken25 70016 6006 80015 90010 6005 6001 2009 900
    Oslo7 3005 6003 9003 0001 6001 2005001 300
    Innlandet17 1009 2003 70012 3009 9005 1001 6005 700
    Vestfold og Telemark10 5005 5001 7008 2005 8005 3001 1005 500
    Agder9 4005 0001 8007 9006 2005 8007006 400
    Rogaland6 0003 3001 8004 4001 3003 6005002 700
    Vestland14 2005 7003 80011 4001 40011 000900800
    Møre og Romsdal7 3002 8001 9006 1001 8005 8006002 900
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage21 00012 5009 30013 70011 4007 5007007 900
    Nordland - Nordlánnda8 6005 4004 4005 1004 80030001 000
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku9 3006 2005 5004 4004 3002000100
    Foreigners20010002001001000100
    Other200100100100100000
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The purpose of the statistics is to provide information about active hunters and which species they hunt.

Hunter

A person that has paid hunting tax for the hunting season.

Small game

The species included in the statistics on small game hunting. Includes36 species of birds, mammals and roe deer.

Cervid hunters
Persons hunting the following cervid species: moose, red deer, wild reindeer and roe deer.

Small game hunters
Persons hunting the following small game species: capercaillie, black grouse, willow ptarmigan, common ptarmigan, hazel grouse, wood pigeon, European golden-plover, raven, crow, magpie, jay, thrush, woodcock, snipe, mallard, common teal, wigeon, golden eye, merganser, tufted duck, common eider, long-tailed duck, common scoter, greylag goose, Canadian goose, pink-footed goose, shag, cormorant, gulls, beaver, mountain hare, red squirrel, red fox, badger, American mink, pine marten and stoat.

The hunting year
One hunting year runs from 1 April to 31 March the following year.

Hunting licence fee
Persons intending to hunt in Norway must pay a hunting licence fee to the Wildlife Fund. The fee is for the full hunting year. Payment of the fee is a prerequisite for hunting, but does not confer the right to hunt in any specific area.

The register of hunters
The Register of Hunters contains hunters licensed to hunt game in Norway. The register also provides an overview of the payment of the hunting licence fee; an annual fee for those who wish to engage in hunting. For more information, see the homepage.

License hunting

License hunting involves the use of lethal control to kill a specific number of individual of a given wildlife species motivated by the desire to reduce conflict or depredation. It is authorised under The Norwegian Nature Diversity Act. It is a requirement that hunters are registered as license hunters in the Hunter's register. Registration is made for each large carnivore species, for each separate hunting year.

Name: Active hunters
Topic: Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing

1 September 2023

Division for Housing, Property, Spatial and Agricultural Statistics

Municipality.

Annual.

Not relevant

Data sets are stored in accordance with Statistics Norway's guidelines for storing computer files.

The purpose of the statistics is to obtain an overview of the hunting practice in Norway. The statistics date back to the hunting year 1971/1972. From 1971/1972 to1985/1986 the hunters were asked what type of hunting they intended to carry out. For 1994/1995 and as from 1997/1998 the hunters are asked what type of hunting they have actually carried out. As from 2001/2002, the response rate has been high enough to produce statistics on the hunter's participation in different kinds of hunting.

From the hunting season 2008/2009 figures are published at the municipal level.

The statistics are commissioned by The Norwegian Environment Agency, and are an important tool in the national management of small game. Major users are central and local wildlife management, research and educational institutions, the media, interest groups and interested hunters.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

There are publised statistics over number of felled small game and roe deer and numbers of persons who have paid the hunting licence fee.

The Wildlife Act and the Statistics Act § 2-1.

Not relevant

The statistics cover all hunters that have paid the hunting licence fee.

The individual hunter.

Everyone that has paid the hunting licence fee for the relevant hunting year.

Every single hunter must submit a report to Statistics Norway by 1 May on the report form provided or via the Internet.

Regular controls and revisions are carried out on the incoming material. All forms are checked against the Register of Hunters using optical scanning. The forms are checked for absolute and possible errors, and errors are corrected during the revision of the forms.

The hunter's participation in different kinds of hunting is summarised and distributed by county and municipality of residence.

Not relevant
Not relevant

From 1971/1972 to1985/1986, the hunters were asked what type of hunting they intended to carry out. For 1994/1995 and from 1997/1998, the hunters were asked what type of hunting they actually carried out.

Hunters are required to report on the main type of hunting they have carried out. In some cases the hunters either incorrectly report that they have hunted moose, red deer and wild reindeer, or they forget to report. For small game and roe deer hunting, this information can be checked against animals felled. If no animals are felled, however, this information cannot be verified. Other sources of error include missing or incorrectly filled out information from the respondent, and errors during the optical reading of the report form.

Since the hunting year 2001/2002, the response rate has been higher than 90 per cent, and corrections due to non-response have not been carried out. There is reason to believe that the number of hunters without yield, or with very limited yield, is considerably higher among the hunters not reporting than those reporting. Consequently, the effect of non-response for the number of animals felled should be less than for non-reporting hunters.

Until the hunting year 2000/2001, the yield was estimated using different methods. The county level can have variations that are partly due to the calculation routines employed.

In addition, the figures may be affected by errors caused by incorrect and missing data.

Not relevant

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