Nearly 100 bears shot in North Karelia in under a week

Nearly 100 bears have been killed in North Karelia in less than a week, Yle reported on Monday. The hunt began last Thursday for the first time in two years.

By Monday afternoon, hunters had killed 99 of the 118 bears covered by exceptional permits in the region. North Karelia has Finland’s largest bear population and received significantly more permits than other parts of the country.

All permits have now been used in the Joensuu area and in Ilomantsi. The quota of 19 bears in the Joensuu area was reached on Saturday, while Ilomantsi’s quota of 26 was filled on Sunday.

Hunting was also suspended in the Keski-Karjala region on Sunday after hunters killed the area’s 19th bear near Kemie. Three permits remain unused.

“We want to target specific bears that are causing problems in built-up areas, so we are waiting for sightings of them,” said Pasi Parviainen, who is leading the hunt.

Parviainen said the Keski-Karjala hunt would be paused for at least a week. Hunters expect sightings of problem bears before the hunting season ends in late October.

Permits target bears causing harm

The permits were issued because of damage caused by bears and threats to human safety. Sauli Härkönen, head of public administrative duties at the Finnish Wildlife Agency, has urged hunters to focus specifically on bears that have caused harm or danger to people.

In Lieksa, hunters are responding by concentrating the hunt near populated areas.

“We will not go into wilderness areas at all, even though there are bears there too. The population is so strong that there are plenty of bears to hunt near built-up areas,” said Yrjö Eronen, who is leading the hunt in Lieksa.

As of August 24, the number of bears killed and the total permitted quotas were 19 of 19 in Joensuu-Eno, 26 of 26 in Ilomantsi, 12 of 16 in Nurmes, 19 of 24 in Lieksa, 19 of 22 in Keski-Karjala, two of six in Polvijärvi, and two of five in Liperi and Outokumpu.

Bears were not hunted outside the reindeer-herding region during the previous two years because appeals against the permits questioned the legality of the hunts.

In June, Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that 15 exceptional permits issued in North Karelia last year were lawful. The decision allows bear hunting in situations where a bear causes damage or threatens people’s safety.