Where to hunt Grey Seal
Grey seal is one of the biggest species of seal, its males can weigh up to 300 kg. It inhabits the Atlantic Ocean, and is found on both the European and the American coasts. The Baltic Sea population of the grey seal forms a subspecies. It is a protected species in many countries, however, seal hunting, both commercial and for sport, is legal in some places, including Canada, Norway, and Finland.
Price distribution
The price of a grey seal hunt starts from about $1,000 a hunter a day. Typically, outfitters take out a small group of hunters at once. The price includes the use of a yacht, motorboats, and other equipment necessary for the hunt. The hunt can be combined with fishing, and in fact fishing is often the outfitters’ Plan B if the weather is wrong for the seal hunting.
When to hunt Grey Seal?
Grey seal hunting season in Finland takes place in late spring. It starts in the middle of April and continues to the end of May. At this time of the year the northern part of the Baltic Sea is partly covered by remains of the winter ice fields, which the seals use to rest. The ice fields are reached by yachts and motor boats, and as the ice disappears, the hunt ends.
Hunting methods
Grey seal hunting in Finland is done by stalking on ice fields. The hunters use yachts and fishing boats to reach the ice fields, and smaller motorboats to cruise around them scouting for seals. After the seals are located, they land on the ice field and begin the stalk. Native hunters use a special rig, in the form of a small sleigh, on which they fix the rifle and a screen that hides the hunter from view of the seals. The hunter then crawls to the seal, pushing the screen before him or her until they are close enough for a sure shot. A wounded seal will immediately escape into the water, so you’ve got to make this first shot count.
Why hunt Grey Seal?
By the early XX century the grey seal numbers were seriously reduced across its range, not only because of commercial harvest for oil, skins and meat, but also because it was believed that the seals consume large numbers of fish, damaging the interests of fisheries. Today the population has recovered, and regulated hunting is possible. Fennoscandian nations maintain their traditional culture of seal hunting, with the unique methods and gear, and hunters from all over the world have an opportunity to get initiated in this old tradition. Seal hunting in Fennoscandia is all about color white: your clothes, your rifle, the screen, all has to be the color of snow. A long crawl, one precise shot… if that sounds like fun, book your grey seal hunt on BookYourHunt.com
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