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Everything you need to know about the hunter qualification

November 10, 2023

REPO

Hunting is even more popular in Finland for several different reasons, and there are constantly new enthusiasts for the sport. Completing a hunter's qualification is an important step in all hunters' journey towards legal and responsible hunting. It ensures that hunters are sufficiently aware of game management and hunting regulations and regulations that hunting requires. Successful completion of the hunter qualification is also the key to a hunting license.

What is a hunting degree?

A hunter's qualification is an official training program that teaches hunters the necessary knowledge and skills to practice safe and responsible hunting. There is no age limit for completing the hunter's qualification, but you can complete the qualification at any age - interest and motivation are enough!

The hunter qualification includes many different topics and practical exercises that help hunters understand the rules of hunting, gun laws, safety practices and animal identification. In addition, graduates of the hunter's degree learn the ethical principles related to hunting and killing animals.

Hunter qualification exam

On a practical level, the hunter qualification is a written exam that contains a total of 60 questions. The test contains 15 species knowledge tasks from different species and the rest of the tasks are verbal multiple-choice tasks. Species identification tasks are done at the beginning of the exam and 15 minutes are available for it. In total, it takes 1.5 hours to complete the degree. A passed exam may have no more than eight (8) mistakes in total.

You often hear the question ``Is the hunter's qualification difficult?'', but let's say that with proper preparation and common sense, you can do well in the exam.

Exams for the hunter qualification are usually organized by local game management associations and the price of participating in the exam is €20 per time.See here the following test times by locality!

Hunter's degree training and preparation

You can prepare for the hunter qualification in a few different ways, from which each candidate can choose the most suitable one. So think about whether you want to study things independently, or would face-to-face teaching be a better option? If you need close training, you can participate in the training organized by the local game management association.

The courses preparing for the hunter's qualification are usually organized over 3-4 evenings, depending on the location and time. The duration of the course is always a total of 12 hours. At the end of the training, there will be an exam where the exam will be taken.

The study material in the exam is the Hunter's Guide, which is a work published and kept up-to-date by the Finnish Game Agency. There is a physical edition of the guide as well as an online version.The guide can be ordered, for example, from Riistakeskus' online store.

If you are preparing for the exam independently and do not want to participate in the course, you can find many practice tasks on Riistainfo's website with which you can practice for the exam. You can find that on Riistainfo's websitespecies knowledge tasksthanverbal questions too.It's also worth asking, for example, more experienced hunters to ask practice questions, or to ask them to clarify something puzzling.

Every aspect should be practiced - remember that you are not just practicing for the exam, but for the hobby of the rest of your life!

What after the hunter qualification?

When the degree has been completed successfully and the exam has been passed, you will be sent the game management fee for the current year to be paid. After paying the game management fee, the hunting license comes into effect and basically you are ready to go to the forest!

However, a hunter's qualification alone does not make a hunter ready, but next you should familiarize yourself with weapons and the development of shooting skills, which play a key role in safe hunting. You can participate, for example, in various courses focused on hunting shooting! Perhaps the next step is to get a gun license and a gun, in which case the course will really be of practical use.

What after the hunter qualification?

When the degree has been completed successfully and the exam has been passed, you will be sent the game management fee for the current year to be paid. After paying the game management fee, the hunting license comes into effect and basically you are ready to go to the forest!

However, a hunter's qualification alone does not make a hunter ready, but next you should familiarize yourself with weapons and the development of shooting skills, which play a key role in safe hunting. You can participate, for example, in various courses focused on hunting shooting! Perhaps the next step is to get a gun license and a gun, in which case the course will really be of practical use.

The importance of a hunter qualification

Completing a hunter qualification is important for several different reasons:

Safety: A hunter's degree teaches hunters the safety instructions and practices that are vital to avoid injury to themselves and others while hunting.
Ethics: The degree emphasizes responsible and ethical hunting. Hunters learn how to treat prey respectfully and effectively.
Environmental protection: A hunter's degree teaches hunters important information about animal behavior and the ecosystem. This will help hunters make sustainable decisions about hunting and protect biodiversity.
Legality: In most countries, a hunting license is a legal requirement for practicing hunting. Without a license, hunting can be illegal and lead to criminal charges.
Hunting culture: The degree supports the preservation of hunting tradition and promotes hunting culture. It helps preserve skills and knowledge that are passed down from generation to generation.