ROMANIA: Quest For The MACHO GRANDE With HUNTROMANIA

[skydiver386]

Now that the hunt part of the trip is over, Tina the Tour Director gets to take over. We're staying in the beautiful town of Brasov, just west of the hunting area. Today and tomorrow is the annual hill climb race.

 

[Rimbaud]

Best advice I can give is to spend some time on a stair climber at the gym, because these hills are STEEP. Some form of climbing staff will be a big help too. Tina used Crispi boots and my Kenetrek boots were a big help in getting traction both going up and coming down. Thick layers of leaves were a problem, so a wide tip on the end of your climbing stick or pole might be better than a sharp point. Matter of fact, a combo tip that's wide so as to not sink deep into the fallen leaves, yet still has a sharp tip to work on other surfaces might be ideal. Tina says snow tips with baskets and steel tip would work.

The Chamois tend to be most active early and late in the day. They are easy to spot on the rocky areas feeding and bedding. My small experience leads me to believe they like to bed in sunny spots out of the wind where you can see them chewing and often sleeping.

Spotting from one place seemed to be the norm, but when you get to the top, be ready to lay down your pack and prepare for a shot if the guides see a good trophy within range. You are going to be a little winded at the top, but be quiet and ready to take a close range shot. I got lined up on several at less than 100 yards just as we reached the top, but they fed behind brush and didn't offer a clear shot, or weren't what we were looking for.

The leaves are still on the trees, but are starting to turn and temps have dropped in the last few days by 20 degrees. You will have better visibility so good binoculars are a plus.We both had Leica Geovid rangefinder binoculars.

We hiked up the hillsides in light clothing, but had small packs with extra layers and jackets because at the top it was windy and cold. Sweating and then freezing with each ascent and descent were the norm, so light wicking clothes were better than heavy wool or cotton. I wore 100% synthetic socks that are Cool Max wicking, but something warmer that still wicks moisture might be best for later in the season.

Marius wore Kuiu brand clothing almost exclusively, and is very happy with it when mountain hunting. I wore several brands of tech pants and they worked great.Tina had Kuiu pants. Of course the Africa Hunting hat made the photo op, but a warm beanie cap and Gore-Tex jacket will be needed on the top of the mountain.

If you will be using the rental rifle , it's an R8 in 6.5 PRC, and both Tina and I made great shots with it. Shots over 300 yards are possible, and the R8 has a fantastic trigger.

Cell service is spotty up in the mountains, but WIFI is available at every small lodge, so you can easily keep in contact. Power converters are E/F type, 230 volt. Tina bought ours on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Germany-Outlets-，Schuko-Adaptor/dp/B0CNQPX92G

If you plan to do any tourist activities, and rent a car, you will need an international drivers license.

Oh, one more thing. The shooting sticks were unfamiliar to Tina and I, and it took her a while her to get used to the GunStix type. I was rock solid after a few minutes of learning how the windage and elevation worked.
Both Tina and I shot our Chamois from the prone with the rifle forearm resting on our packs. The Stag and Roebuck were off the GunStix.

Thanks so much for the added color. I’m hunting with Pannonvad on what will be my third trip with them. I’ve been training for the trip - love rucking - but fully expect to be reminded that I am a flatlander who spends the vast majority of his waking hours in an office. Do you have any idea of the elevation you hiked through, and how high you were for the shots? I’m bring some Meindl boots, carbon fiber walking sticks, and a high-threshold for physical discomfort. Still, I’m expecting to be humbled. I’m going to augment my pack contents a bit based on your feedback. Thank you.

When I was with Pannonvad last year in Hungary, I shot a Tikka 300WSM and took two gold-medal stags. I suspect Antal will bring that rifle to Transylvania. I happen to own that very Tikka, but my favorite rifle is my R8, which I bought based on the recommendations of so many members on this site. I know just how you feel about the stag that you shot. Just wait until you get the stag home. The memory of the hunt will live forever. My wife is not a hunter, and is not a fan of skulls all over the house, as she says, but she has picked out spots for the stags. They are majestic animals, and the one you took is exquisite. If you read Sporting Classics, an essay I wrote about my stag hunt is published in the current edition.

You’re lucky to have traveled with your better half. My wife is staying back as our son is in the thick of fall baseball. I’m traveling with my college roommate who I have traveled with since we were undergrads. We fly from Atlanta to Istanbul and then to Cluj. I’ve rented a car for us, and we are driving to Viscri for an overnight, and then Alba Iulia, where we are meeting a member of this site for dinner, and then to Deva to meet Antal for the hunt.

I’ve been intrigued by the Carpathians for years. I’m excited to experience some of the vast wilderness and layers of civilization that have been etched onto the Transylvanian countryside. If you have the interest, I highly recommend Banffy’s Transylvania Trilogy. The author tells a wonderful story of life in Transylvania, and captures all of the shifts, and twists, with a deft eye. Banffy was part of the aristocracy in Transylania, served as Hungary’s foreign minister, and then ran the national opera house. Of all the books that I have read before my trip, the trilogy was my favorite.

I hope that you are still enjoying your trip, or that you have gotten home safely from your adventure. Waidmannsheil, and many thanks for sharing your insights, and trip.

Best regards,
R

 

[skydiver386]

The small village where the Lodge is located is 1450ft above sea level. Driving to the hunting area the Chamois were from 5500 to 8500 ASL. There is a National Park bordering the hunting area that I was in that was clearly higher, possibly 10,000+, but the local mountain guide said there is only a very low population of Chamois there. At the higher elevation there isn't as much grazing available, so they prefer rocky terrain from 5500 to 8500 ft above sea level.

These are some of the peaks in the distance looking just left of where I fired my shot. Beautiful National Park that I would have though to contain a large population of Chamois, but I was wrong. Heavy winter snowfall, very high winds and sparse grazing keep the Chamois below 8500ft.

Tina and I are both 63, so if old farts like us can do the job, I'm sure you'll have an easier time of it.

 

[whitetail]

This is all getting me SUPER excited as I will be a newlywed then- our honeymoon is to hunt with Marius 2 November-9 November (just a few short weeks away)! My wife will be hiking with us on the chamois part of the hunt- she’s a yoga, instructor and short, so she has no problem at all as she proves that in the Pyrenees mountains one year ago to date while I was hunting chamois there. Me- I have been training on the treadmill at full incline at 15° with a 20 pound weight vest as well as going to my usual HIIT classes at the YMCA but I’m still concerned about the steep incline’s ha ha! After that-we will move to a different location for brown bear and wild boar. She will not go with us on those hunts, however, due to the more elevated danger factor.

We will arrive on 29 October- Florin will be picking us up at Bucharest Airport, and then we will make our way up to Brasov- stopping at Peles and Cantacuzino (where Netflix series “Wednesday” is filmed). We will also visit the hunting museum before going to Sighisoara on Halloween (town where Vlad the Impaler was born-we’ve even got costumes) and then visit Bran castle on 1 November before heading to the hunting lodge at Prestisani.
We are also going to go to the monastery of Sinca Veche. Once the hunting part is over, we will then tour the new Northern part of the country. My son and I hunted with Marius for roebuck 2 summers ago- such a beautiful country with great culture and mystique!

Congratulations on your animals and trip! Again, we can’t wait to be headed there! Also looking forward to Palinca!!