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In the mountains to the west along the Lais River Valley and also to the southern mountains, there are suitable biotopes for the ptarmigan - osier areas, marshlands and alpine birch, alternating with open areas. In these areas there are always ptarmigan. Their numbers depend on how summer has been for the ptarmigan chicks. Changeable weather is always best. A mixture of sun, warmth and rain. Not too many foxes and birds of prey. A sunny autumn day, when the colours begin to appear, there is a little snow on the mountains tops, and the ptarmigan fly up from the undergrowth. That's when even a ptarmigan hunter thinks that nature is wonderful. Since the best ptarmigan areas are many miles from the main roads, it's best to take a helicopter to reach the hunting areas quickly. This is why there are few hunters in the more mountainous areas. There are few of us who sell hunting permits in the area, so usually we can inform hunters of large areas where they can spend days hunting alone, a grandiose hunting region. Thanks to the helicopter - an Eldorado, where hunters need not step on each other's toes. |
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Ptarmigan hunting is permitted until 15 March, and we recommend a start no earlier than mid-January. The lowland ptarmigan can be found from the valley up to the treeline. The mountain ptarmigan is found from the treeline up to the desolate stony parts of the high fells. The two species are very similar, except for the mountain ptarmigan's pretty black rim roun the eyes. Their songs are totally different however. The mountain ptarmigan's "creaking" sound sounds like an opening door with creaky hinges, while the lowland ptarmigan's piercing "laugh" makes you laugh too. At dawn and dusk the ptarmigan usually perches in birches and eats the buds. In the daytime and above all at night. If it's cold, they burrow down into the snow. Imagine gliding on skis over tracts of fell completely untouched by
man. The only tracks are natural ones: ptarmigan and fox, and wolverine
tracks winding between the mountaintops. A raven sitting on a cliff
ledge, croaking while the golden eagle soars across the sky. If on top
of that you find ptarmigan and bag a couple, your day is made. Then
you can put your gun aside, pick up the black coffee can and enjoy a
cup of coffee and some dried reindeer jerky. You can sit and listen
to nature while the sun dips behind the glimmering mountains. That usually
makes you fell pretty good. |
