Hunting districts
A hunting ground area within a circular boundary is at least 5000 hectares. It can be also smaller on a small island if the island is not connected to another hunting district. There are 330 hunting districts in Estonia with the area of 4,374,519 hectares or 43,745 km2. The smallest hunting district is Kihnu with 1,750 ha and the largest is East-Harju with 118,930 hectares.
Hunting district is used in compliance with the permit in proof of right to use a hunting district and it grants the right to organize hunting in the hunting district. Monitoring of wild game is also carried out on the grounds of the permit and on the grounds and pursuant to the procedure provided for by the Hunting Act and the legislation established on the basis thereof. The permit is granted for 10 years.
The hunting grounds does not include:
- Densely populated areas
- Recreation and leisure areas
- Zones in protected areas where hunting is prohibited by the Nature Conservation Act or the protection rules of the protected area.
The following have the right to obtain a permit in proof of the right to use a hunting district:
- A legal person registered in Estonia
- state agencies.
A permit in proof of right to use a hunting district shall be issued on the condition that the applicant for the permit has an immovable in the same hunting district or a written agreement with at least one landowner who has an immovable in the same hunting district for the organisation of hunting activities on their immovable.
Hunting districts can be found in the Environmental Register. The contact details of the users of the hunting district can be found here.
Landowner's rights
Pursuant to the Hunting Act, a landowner may:
- Organise small game hunt on their land
- Enter into agreement for organisation of hunting activities on their immovable
- Establish conditions for hunting or prohibit hunting
- Initiate replacement of the user of a hunting district (e.g. hunting club)
- make proposals to the hunting council for making of changes to boundaries of a hunting district.
The user of a hunting district is required, on the basis of a valid hunting certificate, to issue a hunting permit free of charge for hunting small game to a landowner hunting on his or her immovable or a person designated by the landowner. Permit is granted free of charge.
Prohibiting hunting on your land
In order to prohibit hunting or establish restrictions on the land belonging to them, an application must be sent to the user of the hunting district.
Contacts of the users of the hunting district can be found on the website of the Estonian Hunters' Society.
Hunting councils
Since 2013, hunting activities have been organised on a county-by-county basis in hunting councils. The Hunting Council comprises on equal grounds the users of a hunting district and the representatives of landowners and a state representative from the Environmental Board shall also be appointed.
The revised rules of procedure of hunting councils were approved on 13 September 2021.
The following are within the competence of the hunting council:
- Making of proposals to the Environmental Board for the organisation of hunting of brown bear, wolf, lynx and grey seals
- Agreement on hunting quotas and structure of moose, red deer, roe deer and wild boar (hereinafter also cloven-hoofed game)
- Making of proposals to the issuer of the permit in proof of the right to use the hunting district hunting for the revocation of permit in proof of the right to use the hunting district if the terms agreed on the basis of § 22 (1) of the Hunting Act have been violated
- Making of proposals to the issuer of the permit in proof of the right to use the hunting district for making of changes to boundaries of the hunting district
- Provision of opinion to the issuer of the permit in proof of the right to use the hunting district concerning the extension of the permit in proof of the right to use the hunting district.
Documents of the hunting councils held
As from 2020, the minutes of the meetings of hunting councils can be seen in the document register of the Environmental Board. Select the Environmental Board from the first drop-down menu, the document type "Protokoll" from the second drop-down menu, write "Jahindusnõukogu" in the heading box, and then press the "Search" button.
Chairmen of Hunting Councils
| Maakond | Esimees |
|---|---|
| Harjumaa | Tanel Türna |
| Läänemaa | Olav Etverk |
| Viljandimaa | Tanel Türna |
| Põlvamaa | Jaanus Kala |
| Raplamaa, Järvamaa | Jaanus Nilp |
| Saaremaa, Hiiumaa | Tanel Türna |
| Jõgevamaa, Ida-Virumaa, Lääne-Virumaa, Pärnumaa | Tanel Türna |
| Valgamaa, Võrumaa | Margo Tannik |
| Tartumaa | Tanel Türna |
Last updated: 05.05.2026
