How Herneway works
Herneway turns hunting law into a checklist for your trip, and connects hunters with landowners and outfitters.
The name
Why Herneway
In English folklore, Herne the Hunter rides through the old royal forest at Windsor, crowned with the antlers of a stag. For five hundred years he has stood for the hunter who knows the forest and keeps its rules.
Herneway is the hunter's way: the route from home to a hunt in another country, with the permits, the rifle and the season sorted before you leave. Herneway was started by Halvor, a Norwegian hunter who found the paperwork harder than the hunting.
From idea to border in three steps
Choose the hunt
Compare countries by animal, season and paperwork, or book a hunt from a host.
Get your plan
The Trip Planner lists every permit and document, counts deadlines back from your hunting day, checks your calibre and adds up the known fees.
Travel prepared
Keep the plan in your profile, tick off steps as you go, and pack the documents the border will ask for.
Every rule shows where it comes from
Hunting rules are law. Herneway reads the law texts and the authorities' own pages, links each step to its source and labels how sure we are. When we cannot confirm a rule, we say so instead of guessing.
Taken from the authority's page or the law text itself.
From a hunting association or other reliable source. Usually right, but check.
Not confirmed for your situation. Ask before you rely on it.
Before your first trip abroad
Do I need a European Firearms Pass?
If you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, it is the standard document for travelling with hunting firearms inside Europe. Your home firearms authority issues it. Scotland does not accept it; you need a visitor permit there. If you live outside the EU, you need a temporary import permit from each destination instead.
Can I just borrow a rifle when I get there?
Often, yes. Scottish estates commonly lend rifles, and many hosts in Finland, Poland and Austria can too. Borrowing removes the firearms permits from your list, but you still need the hunting licence and any shooting test.
How early should I start?
Sweden needs a few days. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Estonia need three to four weeks. Scotland needs at least six weeks for the visitor permit, residents outside the EU often need two months for import permits, and Germany can take several months.
Is my calibre legal everywhere?
No. A .243 Winchester is not legal for moose in Norway or Sweden, but it meets the Scottish red deer rule with a typical load. Use the Calibre Check with your barrel length and load.