Illegal wolf hunt probed in Norway
Nes, Norway, Oct. 21 (UPI) — Moose carcasses found within shooting range
of a hunter’s shelter may have helped police in eastern Norway stumble
onto an organized illegal wolf hunt.
Police are checking the area in a forest near Nes, the Aftenposten
reported Thursday. The moose carcasses were found near a marsh within easy
shooting range, the report said.
Police said hunting gear was found inside the shelter, along with a
comfortable chair complete with a wool blanket that could be used by
hunters who appear to have set a trap for predators.
The shelter, a portable hut believed to recently have set up at the spot,
also features peepholes that would allow shooting in all directions.
The dead animal parts found nearby are believed to have been set out as
bait, to lure wolves into shooting range.
Two wolves are known to roam in the area, both protected under Norwegian
law. Local ranchers have long opposed the authorities’ decision to allow a
rebuilding of the once nearly extinct wolf population, and illegal hunts
have occurred before.