What hunting is, and isn’t, will always be different for different people. But we know that humans once were a hunter-gatherer and that hunting has always been a part of our instincts - as well as receiving food and surviving. Today, hunting is about spending time outdoors, maybe mostly exploring nature, but also utilizing nature's huge pantry. In 2021, there were over 300.000 registered shooting licenses in Sweden (Svenska Jägareförbundet). To be able to hunt, you need an approved hunting license and a firearm certificate. Once receiving that, there are plenty of opportunities to hunt in different shapes during different times of the year.
To us, working and living nearby or in Stalon, hunting is more a way of life- no matter if you’re a hunter or not. Hunting is something you’re born into. Even if not grown up in a hunting family, you’ll most likely practice outdoor living anyway. Hunting and outdoor living are not fancy words to show up - it’s a genuine and authentic part of everyday life, as obvious as going to school. We have the privilege of having nature outside the door and the possibility to use, watch it thrive, and admire it.
Bird hunting and moose hunting are without doubt the most common hunting forms among us in Stalon. The moose hunt is kind of the entrance to all hunting, though it’s not given to continue in the shooting team. A majority consider bird hunting much more pleasant and, in particular, more exciting than moose hunting.
- Moose hunting is a community. It’s a feeling, and it’s relaxation. You get up early, often leave together, plan the day, walk to stand, and once there, you have no other must-haves than being quiet and present. Suddenly the radio crackle, and you hear that someone has seen moose. You hear the dogs barking, and that’s when the real excitement begins.
Mikael, who works in our assembly department, visually paints the perfect picture of an incredible hunting day. But he also means that the bird-hunting is a whole different experience, and his colleague Gert agrees;
- Bird-hunting is all up to you. You can go out for a while and then leave whenever you want to. It’s efficient and more exciting, without any musts. Besides, you have more connection to a bird-hunting dog - when having a moose-hunting dog, there’s no guarantee you’ll be home at a given time.
Hunting is not just hunting and shooting. Hunting is experiencing nature, being in the middle of it, and caring for it. Hunting is freedom and the ability to move however you want to in the woods. Hunting is a community where conditions don’t matter. Hunting is wealth.
- When living like this, you don’t reconsider how spoiled we actually are. We never reflect on how exclusive it is to go hunting or fishing on a Tuesday evening after work. We have the opportunity of doing that any time, says Martin (who also works in our assembly and logistics department).
This feeling is something everyone agrees to, that it’s a luxury to have hunting this close. Christian, our CNC operator, hunts both moose and bears and considers having these amazing hunting grounds around a privilege. Filip, who works in our production, also believes the opportunities for good hunting are everywhere.
- The best thing about hunting is the connection between dog and hunter, and of course, having it right outside the door, says Nathalie, who also works in our assembly and logistics department. But the far most important thing about hunting is taking care of the animal after the shoot.
As a part of ethical hunting - after a safe shot - you have to nurture the game. A part of this is to use and save as much as you can of a game taken down. We have all different methods of doing this.
There's no way around hunting as a way to get food on the table. Moose meat is everyday food and luxury at the same time. The kids in the area grow up eating meat, and there’s probably nothing more tasteful than meat sauce made from moose meat.
- Probably most people don’t even think about it, but the feeling when taking meat from your own freezer, that you’ve taken down and taken care of on your own is indescribable, says Filip.
Ulla, who works in our office, agrees and believes that she doesn’t know what she would have done if she had no meat in the freezer, and at the same time understands the value of it when having it. Because it’s mostly that way, the meat in the freezer is often taken for granted when it’s so available.
Just as hunting both small and big game, there are other forms of outdoor living that we consider the same thing as the experience of hunting. Hunting is, as mentioned, not hunting and shooting. Hunting is an adventure to share with nature. Hunting is hunting if it’s for game or fish, berries or mushrooms don’t really matter.
- It’s about being in nature, moving, and getting fresh air. You utilize what nature has to give and build your own pantry, says Jenny, our stock coordinator.
Nature has so much to offer. What it’s about doesn’t matter when wood and land are such a significant part of everyday life. Every time of the year has its own to offer that gives added value to the days. In the autumn, we hunt and collect mushrooms. During the wintertime, we hunt birds and go skiing. In the ”spring-winter” (the time between winter and spring), we enjoy the sun with a jig rod on a lake. During the springtime, we prepare for cultivation and harvest, and during the summertime, we collect cloudberries and noble fish in one of the beautiful waters we have around. Beyond our hunter-gatherer behavior, we enjoy the greatest of the surroundings and let them fulfill us. We allow ourselves to become a part of it and take care of it with the greatest concern. It’s our place to live life to its fullest.
