Mykland

«My girl is six, and she already started training with air rifles and a gallery rifle,» laughs Jeanette Selås. «So yes, hunting and learning how to shoot and handle weapons safely start early here,» she says.

Her hubby is one of the hunters of Mykland, so they have game meat quite often for dinner. A luxury, sure, but according to Jeanette it sometimes feels like too much of a good thing.

«But I really can’t complain about clean, great-tasting food from the wild,» she says with a big smile.

Mykland has vast forests and freshwater lakes. It is an El Dorado for those who want to be close to nature and harvest from the wild. In Mykland, hunting is good food on the table, physical activity, the benefits of being outdoors, and good times around the campfire with fellow hunters.

Two people with a love for the gifts of nature are the couple Jannicke Modell Røhmen and Lars Johan Skjeggedal. They are active hunters and Lars Johan is the leader of the local shooting club.

They hunt on their own property, and they end up with a lot of self-shot meat for dinner.

«My favorite is deer heart, it’s so good,» says Jannicke. «Baked potato with deer heart, for example – it’s exquisite. Game meat is not only fantastic tasting but also healthy and locally sourced. A luxury product we have in abundance,» she smiles.

This couple doesn’t keep track of how many animals they’ve taken down. It’s unimportant and not a competition, they say. What matters is not quantity but quality.

Back to the school kids and future deer hunters of Mykland. They attend the local primary school, which has a large football field, a basket court, a volleyball court, and a big gymnasium. There is no shortage of facilities, in other words.

As for the adults, there are also things to do that involve less nature and more socializing. Several organizations have activities, such as work-out sessions, tabata training, markets, quiz evenings and of course classes and courses for all things deer hunting – indoor air rifle shooting, shooting trials, and outdoor field and competition shooting.

The spirit of volunteerism and community in the village is described by many as fantastic, according to the local village association of Mykland.

«When we gather on May 17th and in other settings, it’s incredibly heartwarming. Everyone knows each other, and people here are great at helping one another and showing up,» says Jeanette, a mother of three.