Sweet hunt for Swedes

LONG LAKE TOWNSHIP - As first time deer hunting stories go, they don't get better than that of Peter Hedlund, a Swedish musician who hunted whitetail deer for the first time last fall.

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"We don't have them in Sweden," said Hedlund, who bagged a 10-pointer last year. "So I ask to see some pictures so I'll know what I'm hunting for. Of course they show only nice trophy deer in these books. So the first day I see a deer that looks exactly like the pictures and I shoot it. Wes and Bill come over. I ask if it's a decent deer and they say, Oh yes.'"

Wes and Bill are Wes Peterson and Bill Dahl of Minneapolis, whose hunting camp is based in Long Lake Township. Wes is hosting Hedlund both as a musician - he will play the nyckelharpalag Nov. 13 in Pequot Lakes - and as a hunter. Soren Ahker, who builds the nyckelharpalag, is also back for his second hunt.

Hedlund, 48, and Ahker, 52, are renowned for the nyckelharpalag. Hedlund is considered one of the world's best players and Ahker one of the best builders. Music is work. Hunting is fun. Hedlund jokes about how he plays "as little as possible. I try to be expensive instead. I'd like just one show a year but I can't do that."

In their native Sweden they hunt moose, roe deer, fox, beavers and forest hens. In Sweden the landowner owns the game on his land. If a shot deer runs onto the neighbor's land it becomes his deer. Parties are called teams, and each landowner rounds up his own team members. The team Hedlund's on has 40 members.

Peter Hedlund (right), a renowned nyckelharpalag player, and Soren Ahker, who builds the instruments, both hunted deer near Brainerd on opening weekend. Hedlund will give a concert and Ahker will teach a class when the hunt is over.

Brainerd Dispatch/Nels Norquist

Moose, not deer, are the big game in Sweden and dogs can be used to hunt any game animal. Here the pooch hits the hay for a few days when his owner dons the blaze orange.

"You don't even use dogs to track animals?" Hedlund asks. "That's crazy to us."

"We find every animal we shoot," Ahker adds. "None are lost. We track a wounded moose for days if we have to. That's not possible without a dog."

Minnesota is the only other place either man has hunted. Hedlund's been around the world playing the nyckelharpalag and would like to hunt in other lands, but it's a "bureaucratic nightmare."

Here a Swede can pop into a Holiday station, put money down for a non-resident license and be in the woods the next day. Need a gun? Don't worry, somebody has an extra.

"Americans have plenty of guns, and then some," Hedlund said.

Venison is sought for the quality of the meat. Hedlund and Ahker both hope to have freezer boxes ready for shipment to Sweden when opening weekend is over.

VINCE MEYER can be reached at vince.meyer@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5862.