Great concern for the elk population: "We have reached the bottom"

The culling of the elk population has reached a new record low. Concern for the species is growing, both among hunters and conservationists. The population is now believed to consist of around 200,000 animals, likely the lowest since the 1970s. Many assessors believe that the elk will be red-listed this autumn.

» Updated: September 24 2024

» Published: July 14 2024

Great concern for the elk population: "We have reached the bottom"
Photo: Paul Kleiven/NTB/TT

The culling of the elk population has reached a new low record. Concern for the species is growing, both among hunters and nature conservationists. The population is now believed to consist of around 200,000 animals, likely the lowest since the 1970s.

Many experts believe that the elk will be red-listed this autumn.

It has decreased so rapidly that it will likely end up on the list, says Daniel Ligné, national hunting consultant at the Hunters' Association.

The authority that decides on red-listing is the Species Data Bank at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU. There, they have noted that the elk population has declined sharply over the past ten years.

We will look into this in the autumn, says Henrik Thurfjell, responsible for vertebrates at the Species Data Bank.

Red-listing

If it can be established that the elk population has decreased by at least 15 percent over three generations, the species will be placed in the "near threatened" category on the red list. Three elk generations correspond to 21 years.

If the species has decreased by 30 percent, it will instead be placed one step higher on the threat list, in the "vulnerable" category.

This situation was not expected. When the elk population was at its highest in the early 1980s, there were likely over 500,000 elk in the country. The top year 1982-83 saw 174,741 elk shot in Sweden.

The latest hunting year, 2023-24, saw a culling of 49,958 elk, which corresponds to only 28.5 percent of the culling in the 1980s. The last time it was this low was in the mid-1970s.

Tough Hunting

The reason for the decline is the tough hunting of recent years, which in turn is an effect of the system with elk management groups introduced in 2012. In these groups, where decisions are made about the scope of elk hunting in each area, three representatives from the hunting community and three representatives from the landowners sit. The latter have the casting vote.

Daniel Ligné believes that this has forced a higher culling. He also says that the large forestry companies, which would like to have as few elk as possible in the forest to minimize browsing damage, are overrepresented in the groups.

I think it's sad, and I think most people think so. Ordinary people don't see any elk anymore. And for tourists, it's also sad. We want a different management, he says.

At the same time, SLU has suspected that the elk population may have started to turn slightly upwards again, and now there may be a few more than last year.

Hunters have started to hold back, says Fredrik Widemo, wildlife analyst at SLU.

Daniel Ligné agrees with this:

Now we've reached the bottom. This autumn, many will probably be having coffee and eating buns when it's time to hunt, he says.

The so-called red list is a list that includes all species that can be considered threatened to their existence. The Swedish list is managed by the Species Data Bank at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and includes, among other things, 22 mammal species, of which 10 are classified as threatened.

These include, for example, the wolf and the wolverine. The species are placed in different categories based on the degree of threat: acutely threatened, strongly threatened, vulnerable, and near threatened.

Source: Species Data Bank

The elk (Alces alces) is the world's largest deer species. Bulls weigh 380-700 kilos (a record bull in Yukon, Canada, weighed 820 kilos), cows generally 200-490 kilos. The largest elk are found in eastern Siberia and northwestern North America.

The Nordic elk are smaller. The distribution includes Canada, northern USA, the Nordic countries, the Baltic States, Poland, Belarus, Russia, northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northeastern China. The global population is estimated to be 2.5 million animals.

Source: IUCN

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Swedish Foreign Minister to Discuss
2 MIN READ

Swedish Foreign Minister to Discuss Journalist's Detention with Turkey

Sweden's Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm
1 MIN READ

Sweden's Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm Set to Close by 2026

Sweden's Malmer Stenergard to Discuss
2 MIN READ

Sweden's Malmer Stenergard to Discuss Journalist's Detention with Turkey

Parents in Sweden Jailed for
1 MIN READ

Parents in Sweden Jailed for Locking Children in Basement

75-Year-Old Woman Cleared of Murder
1 MIN READ

75-Year-Old Woman Cleared of Murder Charges in Ale

Bribery Convictions in Sweden See
1 MIN READ

Bribery Convictions in Sweden See Rise in Gross Offenses

Suspect Detained in Norrköping Murder
1 MIN READ

Suspect Detained in Norrköping Murder Investigation

Sabotage Cuts Power to 500
1 MIN READ

Sabotage Cuts Power to 500 Homes in Småland, Police Investigate

Twelve Indicted in Major Scania
1 MIN READ

Twelve Indicted in Major Scania Drug Network Bust

Sun-Seeking App Trend Raises Skin
2 MIN READ

Sun-Seeking App Trend Raises Skin Cancer Concerns in Sweden

Sweden Braces for Year's Warmest
1 MIN READ

Sweden Braces for Year's Warmest Day Before Cold Snap Hits

Online Sect's Influence on Teen
4 MIN READ

Online Sect's Influence on Teen Knife Attacks Faces Court Scrutiny

Swedish Man Sentenced to 10
1 MIN READ

Swedish Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Long-Term Abuse of Relative

Man Critically Injured in Sollefteå
1 MIN READ

Man Critically Injured in Sollefteå Workplace Accident

Child Seriously Injured After Fall
1 MIN READ

Child Seriously Injured After Fall from Window in Stockholm

Sweden's Spring Covid Vaccine Campaign
2 MIN READ

Sweden's Spring Covid Vaccine Campaign Focuses on High-Risk Groups

Stockholm Police Launch Pilot to
2 MIN READ

Stockholm Police Launch Pilot to Curb Violence Against Women

Anna-Karin Hatt Declines Centre Party
1 MIN READ

Anna-Karin Hatt Declines Centre Party Leadership Role

Expert Group to Guide Västra
1 MIN READ

Expert Group to Guide Västra Götaland After Millennium System Setback

Kristersson Calls for Doubling Sweden's
3 MIN READ

Kristersson Calls for Doubling Sweden's Conscription Numbers

Woman in Her 60s Killed
1 MIN READ

Woman in Her 60s Killed in Collision with Truck Near Kristianstad

Three Men Charged in Assault
1 MIN READ

Three Men Charged in Assault and Rape Case in Kristianstad

Sweden Proposes Stricter Housing Rules
3 MIN READ

Sweden Proposes Stricter Housing Rules for New Immigrants

Woman Prosecuted for Forcing Women
1 MIN READ

Woman Prosecuted for Forcing Women into Sex Work at Malmö Massage Parlor

Swedish Authorities to Probe Lexbase
1 MIN READ

Swedish Authorities to Probe Lexbase and Krimfup for GDPR Compliance

Swedish Police Arrest 15 in
2 MIN READ

Swedish Police Arrest 15 in Global Crackdown on Child Abuse Site

Father and Brother Sentenced in
3 MIN READ

Father and Brother Sentenced in Sweden for Honor Killing of 22-Year-Old

Current Laws Sufficient to Tackle
1 MIN READ

Current Laws Sufficient to Tackle Hunting Sabotage, Says Investigator

Social Democrats Push to End
2 MIN READ

Social Democrats Push to End Sick Pay Deduction in Sweden

Kristersson: Sweden Intensifies Efforts for
2 MIN READ

Kristersson: Sweden Intensifies Efforts for Journalist Detained in Turkey

Kristersson: EU Ready to Tackle
2 MIN READ

Kristersson: EU Ready to Tackle US Tariffs Together

Google to Slow Pixel Phone
2 MIN READ

Google to Slow Pixel Phone Charging for Better Battery Health

Teen Sentenced to Nearly 9
1 MIN READ

Teen Sentenced to Nearly 9 Years for Murder of 16-Year-Old in Stockholm

Suspected Sinkhole Disrupts Gothenburg Tram
1 MIN READ

Suspected Sinkhole Disrupts Gothenburg Tram Lines 4, 7, 9, and 11

Sweden Allocates 500 Million Kronor
2 MIN READ

Sweden Allocates 500 Million Kronor to Enhance Psychiatric Care

Postcode Lottery Halts Phone Sales
2 MIN READ

Postcode Lottery Halts Phone Sales After Aggressive Tactics Exposed

Sweden Faces Pension Debate as
2 MIN READ

Sweden Faces Pension Debate as Calls for Fee Hike Intensify

Boy Under 15 Arrested in
1 MIN READ

Boy Under 15 Arrested in Attempted Murder Case in Sweden

Report Highlights Workplace Vulnerability of
2 MIN READ

Report Highlights Workplace Vulnerability of Young Women in Sweden

Fasting Three Days a Week
3 MIN READ

Fasting Three Days a Week Yields Greater Weight Loss Than Calorie Cutting