SSC "Latvijas valsts mezi" (Latvian State Forests) is managing the state forests of Latvia (1,4 million ha) and is the owner of hunting rights in these areas. Latvian laws and regulations specify the hunting opportunities available to visitors. Hunting licenses are issued to hunt wild boar, deer, buck, elk, lynx, grouse and prairie hen, but you do not need a license to hunt wolves, foxes, racoons, rabbits, beavers, martens, badgers and others. If you want to take your trophy outside of Latvia, however, you have to pay a tax on the value of the animal. Duck and goose hunting are popular in Latvia. The birds can be hunted without limitations as to their numbers, but only in the fall.
Many country homes offer warm hospitality, as well as facilities for trophy processing, but if you crave something more exotic, you can pitch a tent and build a campfire at specially designated places on the banks of rivers and lakes.
In cooperation with SSC "Latvijas valsts mezi", the hunting club "Latvijas Safari" and many other clubs, our travel agency EIROVIA provides all the necessary arrangements for your hunting holidays in Latvia.| The hunting seasons | Price in EUR (trophy included) |
| Elk - August 15 to November 30 | 130 - 1000 |
| Red deer stags - September 1 to December 31 | 350 - 870 |
| Red deer cows and calves - July 15 to Dec. 31 | 100 |
| Roe deer bucks - June 15 to November 30 | 40 - 250 |
| Roe deer does - September 1 to November 30 | 25 |
| Wild boars - July 15 to January 31 | 50 - 330 |
| Lynx - October 1 to March 15 | 100 |
| Beavers - October 1 to March 31 | 1000 |
| Wolf - October 1 to March 15 | 1000 |
| Red fox - October 1 to March 15 | 100 |
| Cocks - capercaillie and black grouse cocks - March 20 to May 10 | 590, 260 |
| Geese - September 15 to November 30 | 18 |
| Wild ducks - August 1 to November 30 | 12 |
Additional fee for transportation, accommodation,
the trophy processing service - total 125 EUR per day.
The experienced guide for the hunt - 75 EUR per day.
The hunting licence - 45 EUR, the fire-arms' import
permission - 25 EUR.
Latvia occupies an area of 6.5 million hectares. The total forest area of Latvia is 3.2 million hectares (49% of the country's land area) of which 2.8 million hectares (43%) is considered to be productive forest land. The forests of Latvia are mainly dominated by coniferous stands (pine 40%, spruce 18%), although the relatively large proportion of deciduous tree species (42%, of which birch accounts for 30%) gives the forests a special character. The forests are divided into exploitable (74%), restricted- management (16%) and protected forests (10%), depending on their location and importance for the national economy and the environment.
The majority of the forests at the moment are state-owned (57%). Agricultural farm forests and community forests represent 21% of the total forest area. Since Latvia regained its independence in 1991, and the land reform process started then, ca. 15% of the forests have been returned to their former owners or to their descendants. It is expected that by the end of century ca. 45% of the forests will be in private, non-industrial ownership.
Latvian Forestry Research Institute "Silava" (an independent state non-profit organisation under supervisory of the Ministry of Education and Science) is the main centre of forest science in Latvia and its principle tasks are research on forest ecosystems and their components as well as preparation of recommendations for sustainable forest management and a rational and effective utilisation of forest resources and forest products. The first Act on Forest Management and Utilisation was passed in 1992. The Act was replaced in 1994 by the Regulations on Forest Management Utilisation. The main objectives of the regulations are to protect the forest as an ecosystem, to ensure the renewal of forest resources, to regulate the basic principles of forest management and utilisation, and to protect the rights of forest owners and users.
Latvia also has three particleboard factories, one fibreboard plant, four plywood plants, and about 130 furniture manufacturing plants. At present there are four medium-capacity paper mills in Latvia, one of which also manufactures pulp. There are also four paper machines in Latvia, but only two of them are operating. It is estimated that the Latvian forestry and forest industries sector employs a work force of ca. 30 000 employees.
The forest and forest industries sector is at present the leading export industry in Latvia. Nearly 30% of the current total value of Latvian export consists of exports of timber and other wood-based products.
The increase of timber resources in the Latvian forests serves as a good basis for the further successful continuation and development of sustainable forestry practice, looking forward to the development of timber processing and balancing of society interests. The woodland areas are supposed to increase in the years to come at the expense of agriculturally vacant lands.
The travel agency EIROVIA offers customized tours for those interested in forestry and the principles of the industry in Latvia, as well as for those whose focus is business partner search for possible cooperation. EIROVIA offers introductory tours for travelers with particular interest in any field of Latvian industry. Prices negotiated and set individually.
Latvia is a beautiful, green land with clean air, water, and soil; its beauty emerges from subtlety rather than extremes, many tourists from abroad and many environmental experts say that the entire country is one huge nature park. All together, approximately 27.7 thousand species of flora and fauna have been registered in Latvia, 907 of them are rare. Many species, which are endangered in Europe, constitute a large part of the total number of species in Latvia. These include the black stork, the corncrake, the lesser spotted eagle, the white-backed woodpecker, the crane, the Eurasian beaver, the Eurasian otter, the European wolf, and the European lynx.
The environment protection in Latvia is characterised by ancient and profound traditions. Almost a hundred years ago the first natural forest reservation has been established in Latvia. Environment protection measures and various protection regimes currently are applied on about 8% of the territory of the country, 7% of which are territories of specially protected status. More than 90% of the protected natural reservation territories are forest and swamp ecosystems. One of the 5 nature reserves - the Gauja National Park includes natural territories relatively untouched by man, as well as historic rural landscapes, and important ancient monuments. The park also offers walking trails, observation points and well established camping facilities.
Latvian Fund for Nature and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are very active preparing and managing projects for research and protection of rare and disappearing species and particularly significant natural territories and habitats. Currently WWF in Latvia is carrying out a Lake Pape campaign - buying the area and founding a nature park where wild horses could be settled in wilderness. Every autumn, thousands of birds and bats migrate through the Lake Pape area, an important corridor on the West-Palearctic flying route. In total there have been registered 269 bird species at the Pape. You can come and watch birds in a bird-watching tower that WWF has built there.
It is the right place for tourists if you - want to enjoy bird songs, flowery meadows, and wild animals in their natural habitat and even to catch sight of a pair of white storks in their nest right next to your house or, while fishing, to watch water fowl and dragonflies dancing; or enjoy hearing the whir of bats' wings or the hooting of owls on moonlit nights; or either enjoy hunting, picking mushrooms or berries, or simply walking in the woods.
The travel agency EIROVIA offers excursions and guided tours that will show you the Gauja National Park, the Premieval Valley of the River Abava, the wild horses and birds in the Lake Pape meadows, and many many other beautiful places in Latvia. We will arrange the tour according to your special wishes and interests.