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Looking into going to meet up with family in Stavanger that we lost contact with during WW II, and recontacted with on Facebook.

We would look at going for two weeks. One of which would be hunting, fishing, and hiking.

I would like to bring two weapons, a bolt action rifle for moose and boar, and a 12 gauge over/under for fowl and small game.

I have taken a moose here in MN and understand about passing the test. But looking for any information to help learn what needs to be done, how, where, etc.

My family that I am meeting with hasnt hunted in a long time but one of them is a wild land fire fighter and they have extensive contacts.

Any advice or information is appreciated.

Thanks

My family is from Norway and still have many family memebers there. I'll send an email and see what kinda info I can get. One of my cousins hunts a good bit.

I'll be interested to see what kind of replies you'll get.

In my opinion, your chance of getting to hunt Moose or other big game in Norway is a bit slim. Moose are called elg in Norway and, when that word is spoken, it sounds like elk which can be a bit confusing. You would have to have permission to hunt by far the majority of land in Norway and, since hunting opportunities in Norway are much less available than they are here, unless you have some VERY good friends, I doubt you'll get access. Also, as I understand it, you have to have permission to hunt somewhere before you import any firearms for hunting.

Best of luck to you but if I were you, I would put my emphasis on learning a little Norwegian, meeting family and enjoying all the beauties Norway has to offer.

I work on a Norwegian ship, mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, and was in Norway in 2007 for 10 weeks working on the mobilization of the vessel. I had a great time and later found out through DNA geneology research done by relatives that my family originated there. I did a lot of research before going there, including the possibility of hunting opportunities, but it was after the hunting seasons were closed. I was there from January thru March during what everyone there said was the worst winter in the last 10 years, but it really didn't bother me even though we were working outside almost all the time... must've been the Viking genes!

Anyway, I now work with a whole bunch of Norwegian guys as they make up the vessel Marine crew. My company prefers to lease the ships, which we deploy ROV's from in the business of Oilfield Intervention. (we worked the Deepwater Horizon disaster from beginning to end, bringing you all much of the video and photos of the underwater blown out well. We were the 3rd vessel to respond to the SOS call as we were in the immediate area running post drydock Sea Trials ) Some of these fellows are VERY serious hunters, spending their money on Blaser rifles and handloading their own ammo. They share hunt photos with me, but they are nowhere near as trophy oriented as we are over here. That seems to be typical of hunting in Norway. The guys who hunt sure do seem to enjoy themselves though.

One thing is for darn sure... the cost of living there is among the most expensive in the WORLD! I get invited back there from time to time, but would have to have something really sweet going on in order to visit again. After seeing the beautiful Fjord country on the West Coast in winter however, I would really like to see it in the spring/summer. I almost went back on another work assignment a couple years ago, but didn't do it. It truly is a beautiful country and the cultural experience is unique. I hope you go and have a great time. Be sure to fill us in on how it goes.

Jeff

What you have to realize is that that cost of living supports one of the highest standards of living in the world. Sure, some things seem expensive but then medical care, which we can pay a lot for, is taken care of by the government there. My father left Norway a bit after WW II but nevertheless, when he reached retirement age, he got a pension from Norway for the time he had worked there.

In Norway, as well as in some other, perhaps most, European countries, you're very restricted as to the number of firearms you can own. With that in mind, if you can only have one or two rifles, why not make them very good ones?

Hi Big Drift,

Here is the answer of a norvegian gunwriter friend of me about what you will need. Note there a web site.

For a foreigner to hunt in norway: must have a huntig licence at home � and get a norwegian hunting licence.

To get the norwegian Jegeravgiftskort

Send information to:www.jegerregisteret.no

For big game the price is no kr 380,- this year

Can be paid by Visa etc..

Information is: name, adress, personal data � year of birth and french huntig licence.

Maybe the french is not needed, but I would send a scanned copy anyhow.

And if you are qualifide to hunt big game in your own country, no norwegian shooting test is needed.

Its possible of course, but not needed. And the shooting test is normally over before the moose hunt starts anyhow�

Hope this will help you. As you see if you're qualified in your own country no test will be required.

Dom

One real advantage to having a nomadic hunter like Marseille on the forum helps a lot in getting information on some pretty diverse hunting areas. Thanks Pard!

Thanks gents, we are planning on two weeks at the least. We are able to trace our family back to 1092 and have documents to numerous others prior to that without a date.

We plan to stay with family there so that is taken care of. One cousin works with forestry and another is a wild land firefighter as well as fire suppression designer. Both have stated that they will get me onto some game at least the experience of chasing some. Definitly onto grouse and boar.

My norske is coming back slowly as it was dang near all my grandparents spoke when I was young. Another cousin has helped me get set up on Stavanger dialect learning program.

Airfare is less for us to go to Norway then many other destinations. We are hoping to make it a month long trip 2 weeks in Norway and 2 weeks in Poland for my wifes family. I was told I will be hunting there at some cousins hunt club.

I am leaning towards a 7x57 bolt possibly an interarms or a .30-06. As well as 12 gauge o/u with 24" or 26" brls. Most of my gear will be whittled down to a small pack as well. I am leaning towards a leupy 2x7 as I am informed most shots will be fairly close.

$72.00 is cheaper then my MN Moose license was, lol.

Does anyone know of any traditions that I should be aware of? I do not wish to embarass or insult anyone or myself. I was led to believe some places are a bit more formal then others.

Marseille thank you very much for license information.

Hi big drift

Traditions are taditions, it takes too much time to learn all, just be as you are, good hunter and "good and simple man" and everybody will be pleased to hunt with you and share his tradition and hunting/life stories. Sometime US guys are not so far from frenchmen in their attitude: thinking they are the best and only one. It's why lots of other people dislike us both. If we forget this way of being when traveling; we get no problem with others in foreign countries. And as you will be visiting relatives it will be even easier.
Speaking of what i know, i never had any issue in foreign countries were i lived, travelled or hunted and i met people who are now good friends.
I eat what they eat, drink what they drink, sing what they sing enjoy the moments and that's enough to spend very very good moments.
Have a good trip. Norway is fantastic place to hunt and hunting in Poland is not the worst way to spend time too, lot of thinks to look at too....
Dom

Something important ... You'll find some baptizing traditions among european hunters for every specie you get for the first time in every hunting technique we use. This could include blood and inners showers, liver eating ... but always remember this, just in case some hunting buddy try it out with you: every story aboout hunting traditions concerning your back door or the hanging parts of your anatomy THOU SHALL NOT TRUST

My great grandfather left there on a whaling ship in the late 1800's when he was 12 years old. Killed whales all over the planet. I have many letters and journal entries from his travels. He killed whales litterally everywhere whales live. He ended up athe end of his boat captaining career running a ship out of New Orleans to Brazil I think.
Somehow the ship was quarantined as one of the crew had some sort of terrible disease and he had to stay in Louisiana for a while. The doctor who examined him invited him to live at his plantation in the Delta north of BR. He bought some land we still hunt on today. Started a general store, cotton gin, and a fence post treating plant. Eventually a cotton gin that became a commodities trading and feed milling company that I run today.
He had a large family in Norway and they are all still there. They have great hunting from what I have heard. We actually have some farm and timber land there, the same farm my great grandfather grew up on. I'm very excited about getting over there to see the country and of course do some hunting. Just waiting till my daughters are old enough to go.
Seems like a great place to hunt, great people.

And from what I gather they like cold beer

The nice thing is this hunt is closer to my budget then going to africa is. I am more comfortable with the conditions and terrain then africa and I will be able to pursue species that we dont see in my area. Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Boar, Hare, etc.

My wife is excited to go shopping although that option makes me nervous.

I look forward to the food as I grew up eating a lot of traditional scandinavian meals. My wife however is a pasta worshipper so she'll be on a learning curve.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity this creates and when we finally get done I will post up a ton of photos.

boar in south west norway?
that sounds like a success rate similar to free-range rhinos in alaska.

should you lose your ammo, 7x57 will be very hard to find.
(the R version has some popularity because of combination guns)
while you can find .30-06 ammo everywhere ammo is sold.

as for not stepping in the salad, don't attempt any kind of long range shooting at game.

Apparently there is some boar up north somewhere, I am playing tourist while the cousins arrange the itinerary. I go where they tell me and shoot what the owners tell me.

.30-06 isnt being ruled out I just like the 7x57 feel.

Had the same thoughts before my trip to Norway. The next time I go, I will take one change of clothes and reserve the rest of the suitcase for granola bars. I ordered a hamburger and french fries at a modern looking fast food joint. Got something akin to a Jimmy Dean sausage patty on top of fries because I didn't order 'mit brodt.' Best meal I had in Norway was at a waterfront burger stand in Molde. Some dude advertised Americanik hamburgers and I watched for a while as he made them. There was a bun, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard to be seen and left only one question. 'Beef?' asked and he answered 'ja, bif!' I ordered three.

... and lots of the women are blonde and beautiful.

Ward,

I touristed, hunted and fished in Norway for 10 days or so 15 years ago, and have traveled to a few other countries. One thing I have found that is any American who expects every other country in the world to serve the same sort of fast food as America is probably out of luck. I have traveled with a few other guys who expect everything to be cheeseburgers and fries, but personally I like a little wider range, even in America.

When in Norway I sampled a wide variety of stuff, and found they do a great job with lamb, pork and any kind of fish. Also had great red grouse at a restaurant in Oslo. Some of the side dishes aren't exactly what we eat, but with an open mind they're pretty good. In another restaurant in Oslo had potato salad made with whipped cream rather than mayonnaise. Not bad! For fast food it's a lot better to try some of the small pork or salmon sandwiches available almost anywhere, rather than try to replicate a McMeal.

They do tend to use more salt than we do in certain dishes, especially pork and salmon. One English travel writer suggested that's why Norwegians drink a lot of beer. The beer is quite good, but expensive. I would rather bring more money for beer than a bunch of granola bars.

given the Norwegian-American leaning towards fairly bland food for the most part would figure it wouldnt be hard to find edible food in the home country.....

i love good beef but get me very far from home and out of the area the kinda beef i like is raised and i start ordering alot more fish and poultry type dishes.....my father in law however is the cheese burger type and wants his food to be familiar but this may have to do with him bunking with the Aussies during the Korean war and their taste in food was nothing like his own.....

the wife and i are more in the "if it smells good, try it" camp.....why expect someone from someplace your not to cook your "local" food well? find out what they cook well and give it a try and rarely be disappointed....if i ever get to Norway, i would be looking at seafood and lamb dishes more than beef.....

girlfriend that lived in Norway told me : you should try whale meat.

I did, the last morning before we left for the U.S. My hunting partner ordered it in a local restaurant, fried with onions. It tasted just like liver and onions to me....