Hunting ethics and animal welfare

Hunting ethics is not an add-on to hunting — it is the core. The difference between good and poor hunting is not technical skill alone; it is how you relate to the game, to fellow hunters, to nature and to animal welfare. In the Norwegian hunting tradition this has been formalised through the Animal Welfare Act (dyrevelferdsloven) (2009), the Wildlife Act (viltloven) (1981), and a range of ethical principles formulated by NJFF and the Council for Animal Ethics (Rådet for dyreetikk).

For someone new to hunting, the ethics can seem abstract — but it quickly becomes concrete. When you stand with the rifle raised and an elk is within range, it is the sum of ethical judgements that decides whether you shoot. When you have missed and must pursue wounded game, it is ethics that requires you to do it properly. When you compare the quotas with what you actually saw in the terrain, it is ethics that stops you from taking too much.

This article goes through the most important ethical principles in Norwegian hunting, how they are practised, and where they meet specific challenges.

Wounding shots — the biggest animal-welfare problem

A wounding shot is the most central ethical problem in hunting. It happens when a shot strikes the animal without giving a quick dispatch — the bullet misses the critical area, the animal flees on, and you must either find and dispatch it, or risk that it dies long afterwards.

Classic factors that increase wounding:

Poor accuracy — if the hunter misses at the stand under pressure Shooting distances that are too long — often above 200 m the risk increases markedly Moving game — shots at fleeing game are statistically worse than at standing animals Poor visibility — fog, snowstorms, or dusk increase the miss rate Stress and adrenaline — especially on a first big-game hunt Wrong ammunition — non-expanding bullets can pass straight through without giving a quick dispatch

To reduce wounding:

Shooting practice before each season. Accuracy at the range is a minimum requirement. Realistic distance — know your own limits. Many hunters have a personal rule of a maximum of 200 m for big game. Only standing or slow-moving targets for the first seasons. Wait for the right angle — the heart-lung shot from the side is classic for standing deer. Correct ammunition — expanding bullets are mandatory for big game and strongly recommended for small game.

Norwegian legislation requires an annual shooting test for big-game hunters — 30 compulsory practice shots plus 5 figure shots, spread over at least two days. It is a direct response to the wounding problem, and functions as an ethical minimum requirement.

Tracking — a statutory duty

When a wounding shot occurs (or you are uncertain about the hit), the law requires that a tracking search is carried out. Section 26 no. 3 of the Wildlife Act (viltloven) establishes that hunting teams must have access to an approved tracking dog when they hunt elk, red deer or roe deer.

Tracking is not optional ethics — it is a statutory duty. In practice this means:

Wait before pursuit — typically 30–60 minutes after the shot. Wounded game that is pursued immediately can run further than if it is allowed to lie.

Mark the place and trail — where the animal stood and where it disappeared.

Call in a tracking dog — within the hunting team, or externally if you do not have your own.

Complete the search — even if it takes hours or runs over several days. Do not leave wounded game.

Dispatch — if the animal is found alive but wounded, it must be dispatched quickly and humanely.

Tracking goes through the procedures in more detail.

Family bonds — mother, calf, herd

The Council for Animal Ethics (Rådet for dyreetikk) recommends that hunters take account of family bonds:

Mother and calf — taking a calf before the mother is often worse ethically than the reverse. If you must choose, consider: will the mother manage without the calf? Will the calf manage without the mother? The classic recommendation: shoot the calf after the mother in situations where the calf cannot manage on its own.

Herd game — deer herds have a social structure. Taking the herd leader can have long-lasting consequences. Consider which animal you actually shoot, not just the first available one.

Breeding season — even though the hunting season is open, consider whether the animal is in a vulnerable phase (late lactation, early autumn with a calf that cannot yet overwinter alone).

For someone new: these are details built up over years. Experienced hunters speak of ‘reading the herd’ — judging which one to shoot based on what is best for the game population and animal welfare.

Population management — hunters as managers

In the Norwegian hunting tradition, hunters are not just spectators of nature — they are active managers. NJFF and the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) point out that hunters contribute to:

Data collection — elk sightings, red deer sightings, reindeer sightings. After each hunting day, hunters report what they have observed. These data are critical for public population estimates.

Disease monitoring — samples from game taken are used to monitor chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild reindeer, and other diseases that can threaten the populations.

Population regulation — hunting takes out the surplus the population produces. In unregulated populations, overpopulation can arise that damages habitat (a classic example is red deer in Western Norway, where 92 municipalities have quota-free calf hunting to reduce the population).

Habitat awareness — hunters are often the first to register changes in terrain and vegetation, and are an information channel to public managers.

For someone new: know that reporting is not an optional formality — it is a real part of hunting ethics. Elk-sighting data that is not reported is like a trip registration that is never made.

Shot assessment — the one decision

The single ethical judgement that most directly affects animal welfare is whether you should shoot. The classic ‘shoot or don’t shoot’ question:

Is the animal within reliable shooting range for your weapon and your skill?
Is the shot angle good for a quick dispatch (heart-lung shot, head shot if appropriate)?
Is the backdrop safe — no people or animals in the line of fire?
Is the animal one you are allowed to shoot (right species, right sex, correct quota)?
Will the hit give a quick dispatch, or is there a risk of wounding?

If the answer to any of these is no: do not shoot. It is not the embarrassment of ‘letting the animal go’ — it is ethics in practice.

Bleeding out and butchering

After a kill, bleeding out must happen quickly — typically within 30 minutes. Classic practice:

Confirm the animal is dead before you go close. Even apparently dead game can suddenly react.
Cut the throat for rapid blood loss. The animal should be cut and bled out within 30 minutes of the shot.
Gralloching (removal of the internal organs) — often done on the spot if the terrain allows. It reduces weight for transport, and prevents the meat from turning sour.
Hanging in a cool environment (4–7°C) for 5–10 days for deer before cutting up.

Bleeding out is ethically mandatory — it is the difference between respectful treatment of the game and unacceptable practice.

Use of the game

Game taken must be used — it is part of hunting ethics that game is not left unused. Classic uses:

Meat — deer and small game are a valuable food resource. Norwegian game-meat production is estimated at 6,000–8,000 tonnes a year. Much of the meat is consumed locally or sold via hunting co-ops and direct sale.

Hides — bear, wolf, fox, pine marten. Sale or own use. Hide handling is a skill in its own right.

Trophies — antlers from deer, sets of teeth, the antlers of an elk. Ethically complex — internationally, trophy hunting has been under criticism, but in the Norwegian context, trophies from game taken for meat use are generally accepted.

Bones, sinews, other remains — can be used for feeding dogs or returned to nature if appropriate. Not to be left in the hunting area.

To ensure good meat quality: learn butchering early, consider quick cooling, and use as much of the game as is practically possible.

The anti-hunting debate

Norwegian hunting is controversial in a way that hiking or paddling is not. Anti-hunting organisations — NOAH (for animal rights), BirdLife Norway, Naturvernforbundet, WWF, Foreningen Våre Rovdyr — have jointly criticised the new wildlife resources act (2025) as deficient on animal-welfare considerations.

For hunters it is important to:

Understand the criticism — it is often nuanced and based on real animal-welfare concerns Practise good ethics visibly — that is the best response to criticism Not become defensive — hunting is an activity with real ethical challenges; it is not necessary to defend every practice

The Council for Animal Ethics (Rådet for dyreetikk) has its own section on hunting and wildlife management that is a useful reference — both for hunters who want to reflect and for critics who want to understand the arguments for hunting.

Local hunting culture and transmission

Norwegian hunting ethics is not abstract — it is learnt through local hunting culture and transmission from older to younger hunters. Classic mechanisms:

The jaktlag (hunting team) — an established team has norms that are passed on orally. What counts as an appropriate shot angle, where you wait at the stand, how much you contribute to kitchen work, and how you behave in the cabin is culture learnt through experience.

NJFF associations — formalised group outings and courses that combine practical and ethical training.

Hunting magazines and literature — Jakt & Fiske, the NJFF magazine, and others contribute to a continuous discussion about ethics.

Family tradition — for many hunting families, the ethics is passed down from generation to generation. Father-to-son (or parent-to-child more generally) transmission has profound consequences for how the hunting is practised.

For someone new: become part of a hunting community. You learn ethics best through interaction with experienced hunters over time. Books and articles are the frame; the culture is the core.

Next steps

If you are new to hunting: read the recommendations from the Council for Animal Ethics (Rådet for dyreetikk) on hunting and wildlife management. They are short, well written, and give concrete content.

If you hunt regularly: assess your own practice critically once a year. Which shots have you taken where, in hindsight, you think you should have waited? What have you learnt from the season?

For those who want to contribute to the community: become active in an NJFF local association and take part in ethical discussions. Norwegian hunting ethics has been built on decades of critical conversation, and it continues.

For related topics: tracking is the statutory duty in the case of a wounding shot. Big-game hunting goes through the annual shooting test as an ethical minimum requirement.

Learn more

Text: Snuitide (2026).