Wild-life and insects
The bear and lynx populations have increased during the last decades, but the Scandinavian brown bear is peaceful and shy and it’s very unusual to see one. The bears will always notice you before you notice them, and they will turn away. Very few locals in Lapland have seen a bear in the forests due to the fact that they are very shy. The only group that has had dramatic conflicts with bears in Västerbotten is moose hunters, and most often the reason is that the dog has attacked the bear.

One major problem with man and wild life encounters in Sweden are car collisions with moose, these cause fatal accidents every year. The moose is most active at dawn and sunrise, so if you go by car during that time, keep your speed down and check the side of the road. The reindeer is much smaller than the moose and will only cause damage to the car if you hit one. If you hit a wild animal or a reindeer with your car, dial 112 for police assistance.

The mosquitoes hatch in mid June, which makes it important to bring repellents during this time. If you are on the coast or out on a boat in a lake there is no problem. The further you move to the west, the more important it is to bring repellents, especially during June-July. From mid August and onward the nights becomes chillier and the mosquitoes decrease fast. Often the rumours of mosquitoes in Swedish Lapland are a bit exaggerated. It may be important to underline the fact that Swedish Lapland is a popular goal for fishing and hunting tourists and other kinds of activity based tourism. If the insect situation would be as bad as some of the worst rumours, there would not even be Swedes living here.