Metsähallitus controls extensive hunting grounds that are accessible to every person with a valid hunting permit. A wilderness permit is your ticket to all the experiences a hunting trip in the wild can offer. Most of the hunting grounds controlled by Metsähallitus are situated in forestry areas where forestry work may also be conducted during the hunting periods.
Hunting permits are the responsibility of Metsähallitus' game and fisheries staff. The proceeds from selling hunting permits guarantee a renewing and robust game stock and help to maintain Finland's hunting grounds.
The Wilderness Services of Metsähallitus manage Finland's natural resources responsibly and use their expertise and wilderness supervision to ensure that hunting is conducted according to good practices and on a sustainable basis. The wilderness permits sold by Metsähallitus guarantee that everyone has equal access to comprehensive wilderness experiences on state-owned lands now and in the future.
Off-road permits for state-owned lands can now be applied for easily at the Eräluvat.fi web store, except in the case of Lapland's three northernmost municipalities. The new permit application procedure applies to traffic both on off-road tracks and off tracks.
Large carnivore populations are increasing in numbers and spreading to new areas in Europe, thanks to the conservation measures that have been taken. This has aroused considerable interest in large carnivores but also given rise to some concern and public debate.
The Metsähallitus map service Excursionmap.fi will soon be usable on mobile touchscreen devices, including the most common smartphones and tablets. In the form of the Excursionmap.fi service, the mobile version will be available in Finnish (m.retkikartta.fi), Swedish (m.utflyktskarta.fi) and English (m.excursionmap.fi.).
