Learn about hunting in Europe

[davidt]

Hello All,
I posted a similar topic in the Germany hunting picture spot, which was not the correct location I don't think. I have several questions in hopes of learning more about hunting in Europe. Someday I hope to be able to hunt in Germany or one of the other countries in Europe. My family ancestry is from Germany, so I have been reading on hunting there the most, but now reading on Sweden, Austria and Finland too. While I have lots of questions, I will try to keep them shorter for now.

First, what would be the best country to do your first hunt at? Interested in Wild boar, Waterfowl and maybe deer. Also, would love to do pike fishing while there. I can speak some German, but VERY limited and poor, so not sure what country I would have the best odds to overcome communication. Second question, is actually the one I am most interested in. How does one learn the customs and traditions ahead of time to ensure you show respect to the animals and the people for the country in which you will be hunting? I love how Europe and Africa show respect, knowledge and tradition to the sport of hunting. If you watch shows from North America it is sad IMO on how they act and treat both the cultures and the animals.

Would renting a firearm be the smartest or is bring a rifle or shotgun not as troublesome as one thinks? If a person did bring a rifle are there Remington and Winchester rifles there in case a part was needed?

Getting long winded already, so will ask my last question for now. How does a hunt say in Germany charge for a boar hunt? Is it by animal based on size or is it total animals?

I really appreciate any guidance that anyone has.
Thanks

 

[mark-hunter]

For animals you mentioned, I suggest to consider following countries for hunting;
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia,Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Checz republic...
In most of those countries you will do well with english language.

Some aspects of mittel European hunting culture you can find in the later part of my thread about hunting in Croatia.
Basically our hunting tradition came from Austro-Hungarian empire, which later remained in newly formed modern countries, and in Germany as well.
Scroll down trough following link and you will find some information, as starting point.

CROATIA Hunting Information

General info – source wiki Croatia kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska, pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska), is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to...

www.africahunting.com

I dont quite understand what was the question about Winchester or remington rifles, you will need to clarify.
I think if you go specifically and only for purpose of hunting, then bring your guns.
But if you plan to travel around and see other countries, having your gun is problem, better plan to rent it.

For charging in Germany I have no idea.
And for boar you can go for driven hunt or hunt from stand or blind. You can shoot various sizes of boar, but most probably if you shoot tusker in CIC medal size of tusk, it will cost more.
Driven hunt, per animal shot is lesser price (I guess).
Anyway I hope some of German members of the forum will jump in to help. I thik that most of germany hunting areas are private and is not easy to find the offer, but in any case, it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[BnC 04]

Hopefully some of our European members and/or those that have hunted Europe several times can share their knowledge.

 

[DieJager]

For clarification you want to do a hunting trip in Europe or do you want to live in Europe and be able to hunt in the country you will be residing in?

 

[davidt]

For clarification you want to do a hunting trip in Europe or do you want to live in Europe and be able to hunt in the country you will be residing in?

I would be wanting to hunt there. Maybe someday I will retire there, but that's a ways away LOL.

 

[davidt]

For animals you mentioned, I suggest to consider following countries for hunting;
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia,Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Checz republic...
In most of those countries you will do well with english language.

Some aspects of mittel European hunting culture you can find in the later part of my thread about hunting in Croatia.
Basically our hunting tradition came from Austro-Hungarian empire, which later remained in newly formed modern countries, and in Germany as well.
Scroll down trough following link and you will find some information, as starting point.

CROATIA Hunting Information

General info – source wiki Croatia kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska, pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska), is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to...

www.africahunting.com

I dont quite understand what was the question about Winchester or remington rifles, you will need to clarify.
I think if you go specifically and only for purpose of hunting, then bring your guns.
But if you plan to travel around and see other countries, having your gun is problem, better plan to rent it.

For charging in Germany I have no idea.
And for boar you can go for driven hunt or hunt from stand or blind. You can shoot various sizes of boar, but most probably if you shoot tusker in CIC medal size of tusk, it will cost more.
Driven hunt, per animal shot is lesser price (I guess).
Anyway I hope some of German members of the forum will jump in to help. I thik that most of germany hunting areas are private and is not easy to find the offer, but in any case, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Thanks for the reply! To add on the rifle part I was asking in case a person brought a rifle with and something broke if Remington and Winchester rifles are used enough there that parts maybe found.

 

[375Fox]

Look at the hunting consortium’s website. It has lots of information for an American. For reference, there is a good European site called Diana hunting tours that will show a lot of options and pricing. If you want to hunt Europe just decide to go, then go hunt, and rent a rifle. Forget about making it more complicated than it is with learning language, learning traditions, repairing a gun(?), everything else. They are hunters and guides there, same as in North America and will steer you in the right direction and you can learn as you go. I’ve hunted France, poland, Spain and only Spain did my guide speak English, but communication and the hunt was never an issue. If you want to hunt just decide to go and don’t over think it.

 

[Red Leg]

Look at the hunting consortium’s website. It has lots of information for an American. For reference, there is a good European site called Diana hunting tours that will show a lot of options and pricing. If you want to hunt Europe just decide to go, then go hunt, and rent a rifle. Forget about making it more complicated than it is with learning language, learning traditions, repairing a gun(?), everything else. They are hunters and guides there, same as in North America and will steer you in the right direction and you can learn as you go. I’ve hunted France, poland, Spain and only Spain did my guide speak English, but communication and the hunt was never an issue. If you want to hunt just decide to go and don’t over think it.

Great suggestion with respect to The Hunting Consortium. https://huntingconsortium.com/ Bob Kern has been setting up hunts in Europe for a generation. He and his lovely bride are happy to also arrange a vacation around the hunt as well. I have hunted Germany, Austria, and Spain. There are other great options across central Europe. If it is a Teutonic experience that is important, then I highly recommend Austria over Germany. It is simpler, and these days, at least in my experience, a far more hunter friendly country.

I bring my own rifles to Africa. But in Western Europe, I much prefer to simply rent one. It makes travel into and around Europe much easier, and the rifles and optics I have used have been excellent. Hopefully, I will be stalking chamois a couple of hours outside Vienna next month. I'll have a choice between a Mauser M12 or Blaser R93.

 

[davidt]

Thank you for the reply’s. Sounds like I was maybe thinking it is harder then it actually is. I will check out the website also that was recommended. Again thank you.

 

[375Fox]

If you like watching YouTube there is a very good Polish hunting channel called Potterek81. Watch a couple of the rut roe buck videos.

 

[mark-hunter]

@davidt
all spare parts are available. But for one hunt, if you come with your trusty good old reliable rifle - what can go wrong?
All my tempering in the past with rifles, gunsmiths and spare parts was for various upgrades and improvements not for repairs.
If you want to feel safe, bring two rifles where one will be spare.

@Red Leg
Blaser r93?
You will be using then the same outfitter in Austria as last time, I guess?
(I remember your last Austrian report)
Good hunting!

 

[DieJager]

I would be wanting to hunt there. Maybe someday I will retire there, but that's a ways away LOL.

There are load of options. You will need to be more specific what kind of species and what kind of surroundings you want for more detailed advice. But @mark-hunter gave you a lot of good suggestions.

Almost every country has it own traditions in Europe. But there is much overlap.

 

[davidt]

There are load of options. You will need to be more specific what kind of species and what kind of surroundings you want for more detailed advice. But @mark-hunter gave you a lot of good suggestions.

Almost every country has it own traditions in Europe. But there is much overlap.

Thanks for the info. Wild Boar and possible waterfowl would be the top of my dream list, but honestly the hunting would be more for the experience and to see the traditions and celebrations both during and after the hunt. Dont want to go off topic here, but is pike fishing a possible for a visitor? Thanks

 

[DieJager]

Thanks for the info. Wild Boar and possible waterfowl would be the top of my dream list, but honestly the hunting would be more for the experience and to see the traditions and celebrations both during and after the hunt. Dont want to go off topic here, but is pike fishing a possible for a visitor? Thanks

Pike fishing in the Netherlands is good, the hunting not so. I've hunted in Europe, besides my home country of the Netherlands, only in Portugal. But traveled quite a lot. I think you have a lot of options. Do not overlook the Baltic counties, a lot of wild areas and good waterfowling.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

will send you a priv message with info a seriously reliable guy who lives in germany, he arranges hunts and has hunted in most huntable countries around the world. has tons of experience and has contact with great areas all over the world
hunting in europe is great, i myself have hunted in germany, czechoslovakia, poland, estonia, scotland, austria, and obviously africa

regards

 

[SaintPanzer]

In all honesty:
I am currently living in Germany, have a Jagdschein, WBK, and European Weapons Pass to cover the weapons in my safe.

For what you are proposing, I would consider a hunt in Poland. It will be far less expensive, and far easier to manage. You don't mention what part of Germany your ancestry is from, but it would be entirely possible you would end up hunting in what was the Germany Empire. For example, I have hunted boar near a town called Jelenia Gora, which not 125 years ago was called Hirschberg.

Costs will include things like the guide, board, weapon rental, etc. Additionally, you would pay for the meat (based on weight) and a trophy fee. Of course, if you do not keep the meat, you don't pay that (don't worry... depending on who owns the hunting lease it will eventually get to a butcher and then sold). Trophy fees will vary based on species. For example a boar would be length of teeth, a reh or rothirsch would be weight of the skull/antlers.

It sounds like you would be interested in a driven hunt, which has a bit more ceremony at the end.

While parts for a Remington or Winchester rifle can be had in the nearest Frankonia, you would find it MUCH easier to simply rent a weapon here. An Auslander Jagdschein is not that simple, and of course there are Customs and storage requirements... but my outfitter in Poland can easily arrange a temporary Polish license with proof of your US license. A pdf scan would do.

The outfitter I have used in Poland is huntadventure.pl. Stefan and Marek will take care of you.

Many of the traditions can be found/learned on line. Here is a good place for an American to start: https://stuttgart.armymwr.com/download_file/view/229/6738

Waidmannsheil!

 

[HUNTROMANIA]

You can consider Romania as a hunting destination in Europe. The procedure of bringing your own rifle is very easy based on your gun license or 4457 form. Wild boar hunting is like a religion for our country, specially driven hunt with dogs. Other options are chamois in Carpathian Mountains, one of the biggest trophies from the chamois family. Red stag, roebuck and fallow deer as well.
Why I consider Romania like a top destination for hunters?
Because of the wilderness, and real hunting conditions. We have big predators like bears, wolves and lynx around the Carpathian Mountains and the deer population is always under pressure, I can say they are more difficult to hunt because of the high sense of survival.
I hope my post helps you, and if you want more and specific informations about hunting in Romania I will be happy to share with you.

 

[CBH Australia]

Well, I hope you get there.
I think Driven Boar would be amazing, something different and if you are hunting another country then a different experience is all part of the experience.

 

[davidt]

Thanks again to all for the helpful information and for everyone that took time to respond. I will now be in the research and planning stages and with some luck in life start planning a date that I maybe able to go over.