Croatia was just as I remembered it: green hills, mysterious forests, rocky coastlines with Roman ruins, and ancient walled cities perched on inland mountains. I last visited prior to the war when it was Yugoslavia, before the country was ripped into pieces to form separate countries including Croatia. I had always wondered what happened to the beautiful scenes and the friendly people I’d encountered prior to the ethnic conflicts. I have a vivid memory of watching footage of Dubrovnik Castle being shelled and burned. Gone were the horse-drawn milk wagons and elderly ladies making and selling lace within its walls. Yet I found the country had not changed since I last visited many years ago. The beautiful coasts, mysterious forests, fantastic food, and lovely people were familiar.
My daughter and I started at the coast, rented a car, and meandered our way from Zagreb. Madeline had just graduated from college and grad school and had also gotten engaged. This would be the perfect last daddy-daughter trip. We toured and dined on the coast for a few days, soaking up the local seafood and the Adriatic coast.
Driving was easier than in any other country in Europe I’d navigated. We loved the freedom to explore on our own schedule. We wound our way through artist-filled mountain towns to the Plitvice Lakes district for a day of hiking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more beautiful lakes in all my travels—bright blue lakes spilling via waterfalls from one to the next. To top it off, we stayed at a magical rustic lodge with fantastic cuisine and easy access to the back entrance of the park.
After a leisurely tour of the coast and lake district we ambled on to the hunting lodge. We received a very warm welcome and then spent the afternoon scouting for roe deer. There are lots of roe deer of phenomenal quality. I was simply stunned by the size of antlers scattered about the lodge, and even more pleased to see the quality of the animals we would be hunting for the next few days.
Based on my previous experience with hunting roe deer, these roe bucks are much taller and have darker chocolate racks than other places I have hunted them. I’ve had the blessing of harvesting roe deer in five European countries, as well as seeing them in the field while hunting other game in Europe. These may well be the best quality of roe deer I have seen or hunted. And we would go on to take some fantastic animals.
During our first day’s hunt, we were in the field early. Daybreak found us sneaking through the remote fields, glassing the edges in the heavy dew and fog. A lovely roe buck sauntered along the hedgerow and we stalked around it. Madeline went with the outfitter, Mike, and they snuck low behind cover while I watched them ease out of sight. Apparently, the deer closed the distance and picked its way across an opening slowly and then paused. Sticks up, a firm rest, and the crack of the rifle. A clean kill, well executed by my daughter, who was jubilant. I had flashbacks of my pre-teen deer-hunting buddy, as well as her younger sister, when each of them took their first deer on our Kentucky farm. She was as joyful about this success as she had been many years ago.
We got the deer loaded and then headed back to the lodge. We’d driven a mile or two when we spotted the second buck, heavy and thick, a very old animal. Mike and I stalked him for the final few yards. He was in a creek bottom on the edge of the field, accompanied by does. I got a firm rest and squeezed. He crumpled.
I must say that there is magic in the field. Sometimes God smiles on us with blessings, and some days we pay our dues. This first morning was truly a gift. A lovely buck for each of us, though Lisa and Madeline both ribbed me about hers being quite a bit more impressive. A magic morning, I’d say. One of my best.
We hunted in heavily wooded and secluded natural fields at the base of the mountains that evening. Near an old ruin of a farmhouse, we saw a wire-horned buck. He was quite nice and very keyed up. He had us made as he quickly slipped through the brambles and tangles in the bottom. He was there, and then he wasn’t. Then Mike and Madeline got a good look at him. Good antlers, but he had a tangle of orange wire or a bird’s nest or something wrapped up in his rack.
Madeline became a bit obsessed. She decided that was her deer and she wanted to take him. We spent the next two days visiting the area to look for him. Mike and I went at midday to set up a place to sit that evening, and watched as a huge brown bear silently ambled by. It was simply monstrous, and closer than we would have liked! We watched through our binos in awe and admiration.
We visited the spot several times to stalk and sit. Madeline and Mike saw the deer twice more, but he ran off, growling that roe buck growl as he went, guttural, deep, and almost predator-sounding. I was never in a position to get eyes on him, but the harder we tried, the more we were outsmarted, and the more focused my daughter became.
We spent the next few days poking around for mouflon in mountain meadows. We sat for wild boar and hunted the roe bucks, taking another one or two as the days slipped by. We both took nice wild boar. In fact, they were tremendously sized trophies. Madeline shot well and immersed herself in the hunt and the routine of our days.
Both Mike and Lisa guided us, taking turns in the field. We had several sits for boar in the evenings and saw several groups when stalking roe also. There is lots of game, and they’re really nice, quality animals. The lodge was extremely comfortable and a great place to bring a spouse or a daughter. We ate grilled fish for dinner with the local neighbors one evening, which was a simply fantastic experience. Wonderful food and fantastic hosts. Lisa cooked the tenderloins from Madeline’s first roe buck one night, served rare and wonderfully prepared.
We split up for our last night hunt. I was with Lisa and we spotted a buck slipping through a creekside field. We stalked and crawled on our bellies over a low grass hummock to get the shot. The deer was quickly slipping out of sight when I put my crosshairs on him. I knew he was either huge or had something odd going on with his rack, but I didn’t have a chance to assess him before Lisa gave a tense instruction to shoot quickly. I squeezed the trigger and he went down with authority. When we walked up to him, lo and behold, it was Madeline’s wire-racked buck, his head and rack wrapped up in wire and twine.
We set up for a photo, and Lisa added a bouquet of flowers in the nest of evergreens we laid him upon. It was a beautiful way to end our hunt, though my daughter slugged my shoulder when we rolled in with her deer. What a wonderful experience to share with her.
We spent the next few days visiting art galleries in the mountain towns and truffle hunting with a local family and their dogs. We were then served a meal centered around the truffles. We made our way to the coast to spend a few days in Rovinj, which was a magical place to visit and use as a home base. We visited Roman ruins and the Roman coliseum in Pula. Rovinj was our favorite coastal town complete with beautiful sunsets, good shopping, and truly wonderful dining. We enjoyed several fantastic meals, dining by the sea as well as by the harbor.
Hunting in Europe is often overlooked by hunters from the United States. We often think of the West, Alaska, or Africa as primary destinations. Yet there is a significant amount of game across the European continent, and a rich variety of species. There are numerous species of chamois and ibex in the mountainous regions. And roe, fallow, and red deer are scattered from the British isles across all of Europe. There are mouflon sheep in many areas, as well as the very large wild boar and brown bear. The British isles also host a variety of exotics from sika deer to muntjac. Having hunted most of the species from England and Scotland to Eastern Europe, I have been amazed by the variety and the depth of the hunting culture. The game is well managed, sustainably harvested, and challenging to hunt.
Plus, it’s a fantastic destination for families and spouses who don’t hunt or simply want to observe, much like Africa is magical for all visitors. The food and culture of Europe have great appeal for all, and a hunt can easily be incorporated into the itinerary of a vacation.
My preference has been to hire or rent a gun when traveling in Europe, so as to not have to travel with the firearm through multiple countries. It can greatly simplify travel arrangements and logistics. And boy, I’ve had the pleasure of using some fantastic weapons in the field! The European hunters place a great priority on high-quality optics and I’ve never had average-quality glass on a rifle. For this hunt we used Mike and Lisa’s guns, which were perfect.
It’s easy to take your own gun to Croatia specifically, especially if flying directly to Zagreb. I plan to take my own when I return to Mike and Lisa’s next year to hunt for chamois and one of those huge brown bears that walked past us in the bush. For roe deer, any reasonable centerfire cartridge from .243 up will do great if they are your only quarry. Roe deer are maybe ⅓ scale of a whitetail, and do not require a heavy cartridge. But if you add boar, fallow deer, mouflon, or red deer, a 6.5 caliber or .270 is a sensible minimum. I’ve used a .30-06 more than any other cartridge there and both the .270 and .30-06 are widely used and respected.
From the initial decision to visit Croatia to our return, everything went exactly to plan. I look forward to returning to Europe again soon.
If any of these Croatian hunts interest you, please contact Worldwide Trophy Adventures today.
- Roe Deer Hunt in Croatia
- Island Hunting Adventure in Croatia
- Croatia Mountain Hunting Lodge
- Brown Bear Hunt in Croatia
- Free-Range Red Stag Hunt in Croatia
With the best and most European offerings, Worldwide Trophy Adventures is your one-stop resource. Contact us at 1-800-346-8747.
