Since my first exposure to hunting in Europe when I was a child, it has always held a special place in my heart. And for the first time in 20 years, the US Dollar is equal to the Euro. Now is the time to experience all that Europe, the birthplace of hunting as we know it today, has to offer.
The rich hunting tradition that makes it a favorite for sportsmen and women worldwide. Partridge hunting in Spain, fly fishing in the Alps, brown bear hunting in Estonia, or experiencing a thrilling driven wild boar hunt in Hungary are just a few. Simply put, the opportunities are endless. Both the biodiversity and geological diversity mean different opportunities are around every corner. It’s because of these widespread and diverse opportunities that I was drawn here at the beginning of my hunting career. Since 18 years of age I’ve been fortunate enough to experience European hunting up close, and it is through these experiences that I write to you today. Below are five perfect hunts in Europe for your first trip. Please read, enjoy, and contact me to help plan your next favorite trip.
Austria – The Sound of Hunting
The sound of a horn cuts through the morning fog. It is December and the hunters have assembled outside the hunting lodge for the day’s excitement, a driven wild boar hunt.
What used to be an honor for royalty alone is now a favorite of a lawyer from Vienna, a farmer from Germany, two friends from Canada, a couple from Texas, and a father/son combo from Connecticut. For the next six hours they will see more game than many see in a lifetime, challenge their shooting ability, and experience the rich traditions of Austrian hunting.
The final tally is 35 wild boar, and that night every story told around the fire at the castle is a new one. The boys aren’t the only ones having fun. While the hunting was going on some of the wives, those who didn’t join the hunt, were at a Christmas market in the neighboring village. When the five-course meal starts that night and the stories bounce from one side of the table to the next, it’s hard to know who had the most fun.
Join us this fall on this special trip.
Estonia – Small Country, Big Opportunities
The days are getting shorter, so today we start at 0900. There are four of us, plus the guide. Yesterday we were split up, but today we are back together. We are prepared to do a little bit of walking today because woodcock are on the agenda. This is perfect area for them; about 50,000 of them choose Estonia as breeding grounds in their annual migration. It’s October, so the weather, and walking, feels nice.
The hunter with the most birds isn’t always the hunter who shot the biggest moose, but today we test that theory. Yesterday we finished our hunt for European moose. Impressively, everyone was successful in the first four days of hunting. “Benefits of good areas,” I can still hear the guide saying. Joining that memorable sound bite is the lingering moose calls from the past days, because at this time of year that is how we hunt them.
It is not every day you get to experience these two types of hunting so close to one another, back to back, in fact. And that’s not to mention the European brown bear hunt we are planning for next season.
Join us in the fall for a memorable hunt with world-class staff.
Hungary – Hunting that’s Full of Excitement
It has been eight hours since you last were on land, but now the plane taxis you to the gate. Welcome to Hungary, a forgotten gem in the center of Europe. It has been but 15 minutes since we left the terminal that I start to hear in the back row the often-repeated mumbles, “It’s so beautiful,” or my favorite, “Hey! Is that a deer?” The answer is always yes.
Once we arrive at the castle, I move luggage up to the suites and point everyone to the cellar bar. By the time I make it downstairs, I’ve missed the first round. Everyone behaves themselves on the first night because tomorrow the fun begins.
In the morning, we head out only a few minutes late to the hunting lodge. On today’s agenda we have a driven pheasant hunt. I’ve mentioned the need to bring a shoulder pad in my emails over the last months, but when the moment of truth arrives I loan mine out.
The first of five drives takes place in an open field bordering a steep wooded incline. Each hunter has an assigned gunbearer, and the horn signals the start of things. Within minutes we hear the yells of the beaters from the forest, only to be drowned out by the sweet sound of Benelli shotguns. That night at dinner, a king of the hunt is crowned; his friend later asks me in a friendly manner to put the King on the less productive stakes tomorrow.
Experience wingshooting at its most comfortable.
Romania – Transylvania Shouldn’t Be this Fun
They saw it yesterday, but the hunter arrived today. The monster was remarkable; the guide hasn’t seen one of that size in a while and he’s not a young guy, so his credibility is intact. We will soon see if he was just messing with us. After all, it had been a bit of a flight to get here and the hunter was tired yesterday at dinner. At that point he would have believed anything in this foreign land.
We head into the mountains. The hunter hasn’t totally recovered from his jet lag haziness, and isn’t sure that he isn’t still in Montana. I assure him that Montana doesn’t have roads this nice headed up mountainsides. Once we get to a good spot, the gentle shutting of the doors is drowned out by a roar from across the valley. Soon as we move further along up the path, we are reminded of why we came in September. The roar is in full force, and each red stag is begging for attention, but we are looking for one in particular. One that doesn’t have anything to prove.
If free-range mountain stag hunting is on your list, then so should Romania
Sweden – Only Meatballs if You Miss
The only way your wife would let you go is if she could come along. You didn’t need to think twice. Forty minutes after you felt the last cobblestone under your tires you were having a drink on what could be mistaken for Lake Placid, although there aren’t any castles on Lake Placid. You would expect cross-country skiers, but this is October and it will be a few months before the skis come out. For now, the temperature is perfect, the drinks are cold, and your wife says she could get used to this.
In the morning we start at 0900, so you’re able to easily recover from traveling and last night’s late-night festivities. We are happy to have you, but the birds and the other animals could do without. Today we are looking for that elusive roe deer, the one that makes the others looks small.
Your wife is excited that afternoon when you return with your deer. That night at dinner you find out why she is excited. Though she sat out of the hunt for roe deer, tomorrow is wingshooting and she reckons she’s a better shot than you. After all, the winner gets the shotgun seat on the drive to beautiful Stockholm.
This is European hunting at its finest.
Call me, Roger William Jørgensen, at 1-435-244-7790 and I’ll be happy to talk about these hunt suggestions, and give you a few more for your wish list.
