"Hunting is made up of stalking game and listening to the sounds of the forest. But mostly listening to the sounds of the forest."
Zsigmond Széchenyi
The history of hunting is as old as the history of man. The need to hunt is deeply encoded in man's (male) genes. Today, hunting is about lifestyle, sport, and recreation, rather than a means of subsistence. Modern hunters prefer spending their hunting time in a healthy and pleasant natural environment, a priority over the act of killing the game.
Contrary to popular belief, hunters do not kill for pleasure; rather, they are actively involved in environmental protection. In the winter and early spring, hunters take care of game populations and their habitat, which benefits the entire game stock, including protected species. The forests and untouched areas in Central and Eastern Europe are excellent ground for hunting and they attract the goddess Diana's followers to the region from faraway lands.
Hungary
Some 88 percent of the territory of Hungary is suitable for hunting. Hungary attracts many foreign hunters - primarily from Germany, Austria, and Italy - who are eager to take their share of the rich game stock on offer.
The Pilis Park Forest is close to Budapest. Red deer is the most precious game to be found here, while deer is clearly the most widespread, with wild-hog also widely available.
The Gemenc forest, located in the heart of Hungary and close to the Danube, is well known for its red deer population throughout the world. Hunting for Gemenc rutting stag is a unique and memorable experience. Two world record trophies (Szálka 1891 and Karapancsa 1986) demonstrate the excellence of this deer population. Hunters widely appreciate the well organised and expansive local wild-hog hunts and many become returning visitors.
Woodcock is one of the most popular spring species. Even though it is classified as small game, woodcock enjoys big game respect in Hungary thanks to its graciousness and the special hunting method used to hunt for it in this country.
Small game that may be hunted without restriction: woodcock, pheasant and garganey
Medium-sized game: fox, vole, wild boar (adults and piglets)
Big game: roebuck: April 15 - September 30
Deer: end September/October - end January/February
Romania
Romania continues to pride itself on a significant game population, although the number of animals is declining and the population is getting younger. Brown bear, old boars, deer with antlers weighing more than 10 kilograms, and golden seal deer are increasingly scarce, yet there is still considerable demand for local hunting domestically and from abroad, too. A legendary hunting area is located around Odorheiu Secuiesc in Hargita County. Situated in the heart of forests and hills, Transylvania offers unforgettable hunting experiences for every hunter. The 110,000-hectare area including 32,000 hectares of forests is still the natural habitat for brown bear, lynx, wolf, red deer, wood grouse, deer, wild boar, and many other small game species.
Slovakia
Slovakian hunting areas are well maintained, and the country boasts game species that cannot be found in other European countries. Hunting areas make up approximately 4.4 million hectares in total. Deer and wild-boar are commonly available, but hunters also often come across big game such as bear and wolf in the Big Fatra and the Low Tatra hills. The Slovak Environmental Ministry has authorized the spring and fall shooting of bears. Deer are to be found across Slovakia, including in Záhorie which is a very popular hunting area. Rimavská Sobota, Lu?enec, Levice, and Ve?ký Krtíš offer rich wild boar populations.
Czech Republic
The Lány hunting area is the most famous such region in the Czech Republic. The Czech forestry authority is headquartered in Lány, 40 kilometres to the west of Prague. This is a hilly area with large forests, springs, and fishing lakes, and a number of rare plant and animal species. The area yields approximately 80 trophy big game (stag, fallow deer, roebuck, mouflon) and 400 bare game per year. The hunting area is a combined 2,800 hectares, including fenced-off areas surrounded by forests, meadows, and agricultural areas.
Austria
Animal species found in the Alps make up the typical game in Austria, with rock-goat, chamois, marmot, and black grouse being the most frequent prey. Hunting for Alps rock-goat is a true mountain hunting venture, and it takes quite a bit of luck to be able to hunt for this animal these days. Due to very restricted shooting opportunities, hunters are often required to wait for two to three years for such an adventure. Chamois hunting usually takes the form of scouting, but it is also possible to do stand hunting. The open season for chamois hunting lasts July 16 through December 15. Marmot hunting is also a scouting genre, usually taking place in the sunny morning or early afternoon hours. The open season for marmot hunting is August 16 through October 15. Rare opportunities to hunt for black grouse in the Austrian Alps may be open in the mating season between May 1 and June 15.
It is also worth familiarising oneself with game dishes, as Central European national cuisines offer an extraordinary variety of such food.
