Uutiset - News

German week in Häme

I truly really like my job. The Americans would say - I love my job, but for a Finn, that would very much be overdoing it. So yes, I like my job. This passed week has been one of the most memorable ones.

We had a visit from Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, a dozen of their forestry and landscape architecture students and staff. We had an intensive week with the theme GAME. I wanted to give our guests an insight into Finnish hunting systems and the intensive relationship we - at still a big part of us - still have with nature. 

Our week began with a Get Together at a very nice venue by the Lake - sauna, swim, barbeque by fire - and what a weather. No clouds at all, absolutely dead calm waters, the colours of autumn around us. We had an all Finnish dinner with products from Arctic Milk (cheese bread with reindeer meat - absolutely superb!), sauteed vegetables, chicken, white fish and ofcourse Fazer Blue. 

On the way back, one of the German ladies said she had made a list of things to see and do while in Finland. She wanted to experience the Northern lights and also to see a moose. I was driving. All of a sudden, like flash from the darkness a giant moose jumped onto the road and with a couple of horse-steps - or moose-steps in this case, he was gone. It was hard to believe such luck! And a good reminder of dangers in driving in Finlad :) 

On Tuesday we heard a very interesting lecture by biologist Heikki Helle / Nature and Game Management Trust Finland about the game and the climate change. He pointed out things we may have paid little attention to. The importance of dry snow for the forest grouse, the importance of preventing or at least controlling the invasive species such as the raccoon dog, the raccoon is likely on its way to Finland, too. 

This year we have had a lot of talk about the forest grouse - or the diminishing populations. In fact, the hunting bag only accounts for a very small percentage, way more important are the habitats - conservation of wetlands for example and the blueberry forests, which seem to be also on the decline.

Our Game Triangle Count simulation was more like a hike in the forests, we did find tracks; moose, hare, maybe a bear - but did not see any animals. For the next experiment we need to divide people into small teams - it may work out better. But our students were thrilled to find so many yellow and funnel chanterelles, as well as blueberries and lingonberries. There was going to be a fiest that night :) 

Our Wednesday begun with the lecture of the new CEO of Finnish Hunters´ Association, Dr.Heli Siitari. Heli pointed out the importance of communication - for instance, we normally use just one word for hunting, even if the true meaning is something else; protecting our indigenous species from the invasive ones, controlling populations of pests (eg. American mink, raccoon dog) or looking after our domestic animals or meat production (eg. wild boar & the African swine fever). 

I recently read an article, where the writer strongly defended the raccoon dog and how it in her opinion should be left in peace. Aren´t there enough road kills, disappearing forest grouse because of the gigantic numbers of the raccoon dog? Would she feel the same, if instead of a furry raccoon dog we had a snake as an invasive species - like the people of Guam do. So no, the raccoon dog is not at all welcome to Finland and stronger action must be taken against it. I am buying a trap today.

Heli also mentioned how the lead shot is probably going to be banned in the EU, also shooting range use, because the EU-directive has most of the Finnish soil categorized under certain type, where the lead will find its way into animal food chain. For water fowl hunting there already are excellent non-toxic choices out there, the only problem seems to be the price - the cost of shooting sports is likely to go up in the near future. FACE will keep us updated on this.

Then the lovely folks at the Shotgun School took over. First some technical info and safety regulations followed by a practical session. Dominant eye, correct fitting of the gun, correct firing position of the shooter and plenty of practise rounds. Listening, trying it out, feedback and another try. Even if there were some who did not actually enjoy shooting, they too tried and are that much wiser about game shooting, too. It is not that easy and practising is important - not only from the ethical point of view.

The importance of game as meat was the title of Dr.Schönfeld´s lesson. She gave examples of how the Bavarian hunters sell game meat, how the public seems to prefer game as a seasonal product - Fiona gave me a very interesting recipe book for game barbeque! Also she discussed the game bag for wild boar, roe deer and red deer - hunting is very controlled in Germany and also a lot more expensive. We compared game meat prices in Germany and Finland, there are in fact only few restaurants and supermarkets who sell game in Finland, even if the regulations have been changed to include less bureaucracy. The slaughter house we visited Tuesday was a good example, how hunters too, have upgraded their actions and invested a lot into modern facilities, where the game can be stored and prosessed in cool temperatures. If only we could promote game meat by eshopping opportunities. Anyone? 

The Bayerische Staatsforsten (BaySF) was also promoted. In fact I was hoping to be able to welcome Mr.Hertel in person, but unfortunately he could not join us tis time, but he had prepared a very interesting presentation of what the BaySF does. Dr.Schönfeld explained the importance of combining forestry, nature conservation, tourism, game management and general acceptance of hunting with a very informative slide show. In Fichtelgebirge, where I visited in 2015, they even try to time their logging so that skiing tracks could be maintained during the high season! 

BaySF also has professional hunters in their payroll. Their job is to manage the wildlife populations - this is roe deer, red deer and the wild boar. They hunt, they maintain the feeding stations (which prevent browsing and traffic accidents) they rent hunting grounds and organize commercial hunts - and sell game meat. They can show some impressive figures - 401 Million Euros in turnover and more than 2.500 employees in 2016. As the name "Fichtelgebirge" suggests, the main tree is the spruce and it is very nice area with affordable accommodation & food, very nice people, too - go and visit! In Bavaria the natural tree would be the beech, but spruce currently has more economical value.

Thanks to the Finnish Wildlife Agency, getting our guests a Finnish hunting license was very easy and fast - I was impressed. Great work!! Our pheasant shoot was successful, too. Fiona got her chance to hunt with a Finnish spitz - Masi performed impressively. Nothing but praise for the guides, either :)  Fiona took two shots and got two birds. Nice work, Fiona! I had Luppo and Topi at work for a team of three Germans. At windless, warm weatheer the beginning was difficult, but then Luppo pointed. I gave him avancé command and two birds took off and continued. The mallards we missed, but in the middle of a thick field of Medicago sativa Luppo all of a sudden got a scent and froze. He waited for me and as the bird took to its wings, a German managed to down the bird - his first EVER!! Weidmannsheil!! We found a couple more, and I must be very, very happy and proud of Luppo´s performance. He really strutted his stuff - we would not have been able to find any of the pheasants without him.

The week got its enclosure at Kievarin Kirnu. As we visited Freising this February, Fiona and her colleagues to us to the Götzinger Trommel - and it was the best! Original and I so much enjoy listening to the thick Bavarian accent, even if I cannot understand it all - but the atmosphere and food of this very special restaurant - einfach Spitze!! I also wanted to show our guests a unique venue - and Jorma & Sari do deliver! Warm welcome, good food and LOTS of it (moose stew with mashed potatoes with carrots in it, lingonberries and pickled cucumbers). We sat in the Sauna Bus (and yes, I do know the meaning of SaunaBUSSI.. :) and listened to some epic stories by Jorma, had some pheasant prepared by the shooters themselves - all in all - a great closure to our week.

Outi, Jouko, Harri, Marko, Tarja, Eija, Joonas, Ville, Juha, Jorma, Sari, Svea & Julia, and last but not least: FIONA

Thank you, thank so much!

PS. Remember the German lady with a wish list? Well, the Northern Lights did also appear, twice. The best venue to see them apparently is behind the cow house :)