Jaydog goes hunting - wild reindeer in Norway

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jaydog

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Surrounded by the Pacific.
Shania needs someone to check on her Norwegian cottage so I'm off on short notice again......

The plan is to throw together my hunting kit (and try out my 7mm Rem magnum) and be in the mountains of Norway by Thursday. Their season ends on Sunday and I should have access to 7 tags. Norwegian laws are radically different from Canada, but surprisingly easy to navigate. I will be hunting in the south of Hardangervidda, a giant alpine plateau and home to the largest population of free range wild reindeer in Europe. Days should be sunny but the nights cold- with any luck I can use a mountain hut and not sleep on the ground!
 
jaydog said:
Shania needs someone to check on her Norwegian cottage so I'm off on short notice again......

The plan is to throw together my hunting kit (and try out my 7mm Rem magnum) and be in the mountains of Norway by Thursday. Their season ends on Sunday and I should have access to 7 tags. Norwegian laws are radically different from Canada, but surprisingly easy to navigate. I will be hunting in the south of Hardangervidda, a giant alpine plateau and home to the largest population of free range wild reindeer in Europe. Days should be sunny but the nights cold- with any luck I can use a mountain hut and not sleep on the ground!
Click to expand...

My gosh, you are heading to near my old stomping grounds. What will be your base camp?

BTW, that is also near the same area where 330 Reindeer were killed by lightning strike just a few weeks ago.

Wish I was going with you.

You are searching for 10.000 animals in a 8000 KM2 area. :)
 
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Pretty exciting Hunt
i've been studying up on the Koryak reindeer people of Siberia how are by DNA genetically related to haida and came by canoe to Hada gwaii before the Ice Age and from there down to South America fascinating history when you start digging into the meat and potatoes of the subject
http://haidagwaiihistory.########.ca/2012/06/dna-study-illuminates-haida-history.html
http://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Koryaks&item_type=topic
 
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jaydog said:
Shania needs someone to check on her Norwegian cottage so I'm off on short notice again......

The plan is to throw together my hunting kit (and try out my 7mm Rem magnum) and be in the mountains of Norway by Thursday. Their season ends on Sunday and I should have access to 7 tags. Norwegian laws are radically different from Canada, but surprisingly easy to navigate. I will be hunting in the south of Hardangervidda, a giant alpine plateau and home to the largest population of free range wild reindeer in Europe. Days should be sunny but the nights cold- with any luck I can use a mountain hut and not sleep on the ground!
Click to expand...

i hope you will hunt with the small horses.

good luck.

after Canada, Norway is one of the best place for hunting ... maybe you will get a luck on red deer too ...
 
I now have access to a tiny hunting cabin just north of Arabygdi and west of Møsvatn. Unsure if I will be sharing with another hunter and his wife, but don't care much either way- fun will be had!!
According to the latest report I should be hunting 20km east of a herd of 6000 reindeer and based on caribou hunting in northern BC, that is a 20 minute walk for them ;) so I have half decent odds. The challenge is more about getting my beasts back out of the mountains and down to the boat for the trip out. Logistics are what makes an interesting hunt. Terrain and animal density is what makes it challenging.
The lightning/reindeer thing was odd as hell. The animals were scattered about so I'm confused on how lightning did it, but there were no bullet holes and they tested for toxins. A mystery.
Today was spent tearing the shed apart looking for all the little bits for a hunt at 3000 feet with 2C temps and a little snow. Forecast shows strong sun all week so that will be nice!
With any luck I will post a packing list tomorrow- I've got all the brand names essential for success according to the experts. :redface:

Note: my son was born two weeks ago to the day. For my wife to take on two kids under 3 (and one super newborn) alone while I do this is something I don't take lightly. No quarter, as they say........
 
The reindeer huddle together when bad weather and there was quite the lightning storm at the time. A couple of hunter were nearby and got close to being struck themselves. They were close enough to feel the blasts.

If you go the same distance from Arabygdi - Møsvatn Nort-East, you are pretty much on the spot were they were hit.

It is about an hour and a half from where I grew up.

Say hei hei to folks you meet. :)
 
Packing List:

Sitka Downpour hardshell
Kuiu Guide jacket and pants
Snugpac jacket and pants
Kennetrek Mountain boots
Longies, 4x thick wool socks, crocs
Hat, softshell gloves and mitts
3x merino sweaters

Tikka 7mm mag with Vortex Viper 3-9x40
Leica Geovid rangefinding binos
Garmin GPS (with cellphone backup- its Norway!)
Kuiu Icon Pro 3200 pack (testing to see if it can replace my well loved Mystery Ranch)
SubKilo -7C down sleeping bag
Headlamp, knife, game bags
Jetboil with Mountain House
Notebook to write poetry<- what??? Scratch that, Penthouse for the articles!
Compass and first aid.

I think I'm good. I really need to keep my list written from one hunt to another. For a guy who does this often I always feel like I'm missing something but rarely am.

NL-Hunter: I will be sure to say hi to your family. :) Hei Hei! Jeg heter Jay og kommer fra Kanada!
 
Quite the list. I remember folks used to have reindeer sleeping bags with them on hunts, combo of sleeping bag and underlay in one.

Lots of barren landscape up high, crooked birch below treeline.

Enjoy and take a TB of pics for us.
 
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