Sweden authorises licensed hunting of up to 72 wolves in 2027
Regional authorities set a season from 2 January to 15 February, with scope to halt it. WWF warns about the population’s genetic vulnerability.
Swedish county administrative boards announced decisions on 15 October 2026 allowing licensed hunting of up to 72 wolves in 2027. The total is confirmed in the official releases from Södermanland and Västra Götaland.
Where and when
The allocation is 36 wolves in Örebro, 12 in Västra Götaland, 12 in Västmanland, six in a shared Dalarna–Västmanland territory and six in Södermanland. These are maximum authorised quotas, not animals already killed.
The season begins on 2 January 2027 and ends no later than 15 February, unless the responsible board ends it earlier. Individual decisions specify areas and conditions. Västra Götaland’s board says hunting can be paused, including for DNA analysis or if a genetically important wolf is found.
The authorities’ rationale
The boards cite wolf-density management and attacks on domestic animals. The winter 2025–2026 inventory estimated Sweden’s population at around 355 wolves. Västra Götaland’s board projects that, allowing for births and other mortality factors, next autumn’s population will remain around its current level. This is a forecast, not a measured outcome.
WWF’s response
In its own release on 15 October, WWF Sweden describes the intervention as substantial for a small, genetically vulnerable population. It calls for a scientific basis, long-term assessment and effective measures to prevent livestock losses. This is the organisation’s position, distinct from the boards’ rationale.
The 2026 licensed hunt did not take place because the decisions were stopped in court, according to the regional authorities. The new releases establish that decisions for 2027 have been issued; they do not show that hunting has begun or rule out future judicial scrutiny.
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