Rock ptarmigan are perfectly adapted to Greenland's terrain, pure white in winter, mottled brown and grey in summer. This day-long hunt takes you out by boat into the fjord, where small groups are dropped at carefully chosen locations across rocky tundra and rolling slopes. The location shifts with the season and the weather.
You move quietly through the terrain, reading the weather, the snow, and the small signs ptarmigan leave behind. An experienced local hunter can guide you if you add one to your booking, though some hunters prefer to go on their own. Whether it's a successful day or a slow one, the hunt itself (the patience, the landscape, the silence) is the experience. Ptarmigan don't reward speed; they reward attention.
By the late afternoon, you'll be picked up at the agreed time and place, the boat returning you through the same fjord in shifted light. The hunt is best in late autumn and into winter, when snow drives the birds into more visible terrain.
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Najana Lynge-Pedersen
Greenland
Morten Bro
Greenland
Charlotte Oades
Canada
Our local guides do more than tell you when to shoot. They share their experience, build your skill, and turn the hunt into something personal.
The ptarmigan is a master of camouflage, its coat shifting with the season as the daylight grows or fades.
A full day hunting rock ptarmigan in the country around Nuuk Fjord, reached by boat. Ptarmigan are well camouflaged, white in winter and mottled brown in summer, so the day is about moving quietly and reading the snow and terrain rather than covering ground fast.
Some days are productive and some are slow, but the hunt itself, the patience and the landscape, is the point. The season runs from autumn into spring, and it is best once snow pushes the birds into more open ground.
Add-ons on request: ptarmigan guide, rifle and ammunition rental, snowshoe rental.
Rock ptarmigan stay in Greenland all year, one of the few birds that do. Through winter they turn almost pure white and grow dense feathering right down to their toes, which works like a snowshoe on soft snow and keeps them warm in the cold.
They feed on buds, twigs, and berries worked out from under the snow. Reading where the bird shelters and feeds is most of what a good day on the hunt comes down to.
Everything you need to know about this tour — from key details to what you can expect during the experience. If you can’t find your answer here, we’re always here to help.
We strongly recommend:
Not necessarily. If you don’t have a Greenlandic recreational hunting licence, a mandatory fee of 200 DKK per person is added to your tour. Raw Arctic holds a special permit that allows guests to hunt legally without their own licence — but under this permit, we are required to pay the 200 DKK fee to the Government of Greenland. If you already have a valid Greenlandic hunting licence, the fee does not apply.
Malinnguaq is a skilled sailor and guide with a passion for hunting and exploring nature. He shares the wilderness with guests through authentic experiences rooted in the sea, the land, and tradition.
Responsible for operations and outdoor adventures. Isak is a trained Arctic adventure guide with expert knowledge of Greenland’s wilderness.
Barlaj has been sailing Greenland’s west coast since he was 13. Now 55, his deep experience and instinct for these waters make him an unmatched skipper in the Arctic.
Aviaq is a Certified Arctic Adventure Guide from Ilulissat, known for her curiosity, deep local knowledge, and upbeat energy. Trained to guide on Targa boats with guests, she loves sharing Greenland’s backcountry.
*Guides are subject to change
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