A Norwegian court has sentenced ten men in what prosecutors described as the largest illegal wolf-hunting case in the country’s history. Two men found guilty of shooting the animals were sentenced to one year and six months and one year and five months in prison.
After an eight-week trial, the Romerike and Glåmdal District Court in Kongsvinger has handed down its verdict in a high-profile case involving illegal wolf hunting in Eidskog.
The two men found guilty of shooting the wolves were sentenced to one year and six months and one year and five months in prison, respectively. Both have also been permanently banned from hunting.
The court found the other eight men guilty of participating in the offence. They received prison sentences ranging from three months to one year.
No convictions for organised crime
The prosecution, represented by Økokrim, had accused the defendants not only of illegal hunting but also of participating in organised criminal activity.
The court did not agree with that assessment. None of the ten men was convicted of organised crime.
Økokrim argued that the group had planned a hunt targeting legally protected wolves. The defendants denied organising a wolf hunt and pleaded not guilty.
Two wolves shot in Eidskog
The case concerns events in January 2025.
A wolf was shot in Eidskog on 6 January, followed by a female wolf the next day. According to Økokrim, ten local men were involved in the illegal hunt.
Wolves are protected predators in Norway, and hunting them is therefore subject to strict regulations.
During the investigation, authorities seized, among other evidence, footage from wildlife cameras, as well as tracks and other evidence linked to the hunt.
Prosecution: It was a deliberate wolf hunt
Prosecutor Håvard Kampen of Økokrim said after the verdict that the prosecution was satisfied with the outcome.
In his view, the court had confirmed that the two wolves had been deliberately hunted in an area where wolves are known to live.
Kampen also stressed that the court had treated the case as a serious environmental crime.
Defendants claimed they were hunting foxes
The hunters gave a different account of what happened.
During the trial, they said they had been hunting foxes and had not organised themselves to hunt wolves.
The defendants also questioned the animals’ origins. They claimed that the wolves found in Eidskog could have been wolf-dog hybrids.
One 59-year-old man admitted shooting the female wolf. He claimed, however, that he believed the animal looked like a German Shepherd rather than a wolf.
Largest illegal wolf-hunting case
The trial began in Kongsvinger on 28 April and lasted eight weeks.
The ten defendants were represented by a total of 20 defence lawyers. Representatives of Økokrim, the media and members of the public also attended the proceedings.
In its ruling, the Romerike and Glåmdal District Court described the case as the most serious wildlife crime case ever brought before a Norwegian court, according to NTB.