Mikkeli-Jukola and Mikkeli garrison's hunters' association have intensive co-operation in gamecare. The hunters placed thirty birdhouses in the competition area. The birdhouses were built by Finnish Hunter's Association's Suur-Savo district and paid by Mikkeli-Jukola. Mikkeli garrison's hunters' association will take care of the birdhouses in the future.

- Even if titbirdhouseses have no direct connection to gamecare, it is still important to take care of nature's diversity. I think that the co-operation between Mikkeli-Jukola and Mikkeli garrison's hunters' association has gone very well. Dialogue must be started at early stage in order to avoid any disturbances. Hunters' association pays rent for the right to hunt in the area, and Mikkeli-Jukola has its own interests. Both of these interests can be combined so that the nature can be enjoyed together, says Hunters' association's chairman Petteri Lampinen.

Mikkeli garrison's hunters' association was founded in 1965 for the garrison's personnel. Its' activities include hunting, gamecare and hunting dog training in the area. It also limits the number of area's small carnivores not belonging to the Finnish nature. The association has about 60 members. The game animals will retreat from the competition area, but they will return soon according to earlier experiences.

Together with Mikkeli-Jukola we have also plotted the areas with fowlnests in order to minimize disturbances. - Afte Savo Brigade was laid down, the fauna has returned to "normal stage". Earlier the hares and elks got used to privates moving in the area, but nowadays these animals have re-attained their escape reaction, says Lampinen with more than 30 years experience in the area.
 

Picture : Mikkeli garrison's hunters' association's chairman major Petteri Lampinen (left) and Mikkeli-Jukola competition director Juhani Sihvonen.