AUSTRIA: Stalking Europe's Big Bird - Hunting The Capercaillie (Auerhahn) In The Austrian Alps

[buck wild]

Nice trip!

 

[Nyati]

Congrats for hunting this exceptional bird (Tetrao Urogallus)

We also have them in Spain, and call them "urogallo", we cannot hunt them since 1979.

 

[mark-hunter]

@Red Leg
Congrats on this fantastic achievement!

I will add for the rest of forum American audience, that capercaillie is the only bird considered by many European hunters to be big game animal. Biggest grouse in Europe.
Frequently not hunted by shotgun but by small caliber rifle.

Capercaillie is the bird that as per modern estimates originates in Eurasia since ice age, probably once a contemporary of wooly mammoth, from that period.
Today, it is disappearing from more southern warmer European countries, but still present in large numbers in countries and areas closer to arctic circle.

Reintroduction to warmer climates in its former range is very difficult, next to impossible.
The only (relatively) successful case of reintroduction was in UK, from Swedish wild capercaillie gene pool, but this reintroduced population now shows signs of stagnation.

 

[sierraone]

Same for me as @Inline6 stated....never heard of this bird before. Congratulations with a successful hunt.

 

[Soutie18]

AWESOME HUNTING TALE

 

[Nevada Mike]

Thanks for your post and the excellent video. Not many Americans get to know and hunt these birds.

To me they are reminiscent of the sage grouse I encounter while bird hunting around the west. Magnificent birds.. Congratulations on your experience.

This is by Archibald Thorburn...

 

[Red Leg]

Grouse are amazing birds. I have seen sage grouse twice, and actually successfully hunted prairie chicken in Kansas back in the eighties.

One of my favorite hunts is for sharp-tailed grouse out on the plains of North Eastern Montana or Saskatchewan (with a nice SxS). They hold reasonably well for good dogs, but most flushes are at 20-30 yards. It is like picking up a hard driver in the pigeon ring. Drop a double and you have done something.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Grouse are amazing birds. I have seen sage grouse twice, and actually successfully hunted prairie chicken in Kansas back in the eighties.

One of my favorite hunts is for sharp-tailed grouse out on the plains of North Eastern Montana or Saskatchewan (with a nice SxS). They hold reasonably well for good dogs, but most flushes are at 20-30 yards. It is like picking up a hard driver in the pigeon ring. Drop a double and you have done something.

Red Leg - I am a dyed in the wool bird hunter and spend a month or so in Oregon, Idaho, Montana (and hunted from Saskatchewan to MIchigan) every fall (when not hunting Africa) and live in AZ quail country. I have hunted sage grouse, blue grouse, ruffed grouse, sharptailed grouse, Franklin's grouse, and prairie greater chickensover the years. I love all our native species of grouse. I no longer shoot sage grouse, but did hunt them in a number of western states before they became so stressed in their shrinking environment. Unlike most other grouse, they are not top table fare. But what fine birds they are!

 

[Red Leg]

Red Leg - I am a dyed in the wool bird hunter and spend a month or so in Oregon, Idaho, Montana (and hunted from Saskatchewan to MIchigan) every fall (when not hunting Africa) and live in AZ quail country. I have hunted sage grouse, blue grouse, ruffed grouse, sharptailed grouse, Franklin's grouse, and prairie greater chickensover the years. I love all our native species of grouse. I no longer shoot sage grouse, but did hunt them in a number of western states before they became so stressed in their shrinking environment. Unlike most other grouse, they are not top table fare. But what fine birds they are!

If by some miracle I find myself awakening in the Elysian Fields, it will be with a good gun and my best English pointer (now gone thirty years), rather than a rifle. I still hunt south coastal Texas every January and February for gentleman Bob.

 

[VertigoBE]

Waidmannsheil @Red Leg ! A fine bird and great story as well. You make me get excited about animals in Europe I had not given much thought before. Thanks a lot for sharing.

 

[AZDAVE]

Fantastic hunt. Good write-up.

In the 80's and 90's I was stationed in Germany and spent a fair amount of time in the woods in Germany and Austria hiking, i only ever saw one of these magnificent birds and had no idea what it was. Had totally forgot about it till reading your hunt report.

So happy you were able to make your lifetime dream come to fruition!

 

[Doubleplay]

Congrats. Amazing birds.
I love spending time in Austria.
Great country with amazing nature.

 

[Suera]

Congrats for hunt it, like Nyati said we have it in Spain and we call it "Urogallo" but it is protected due to the low population and that it is in serious danger to disappear, only still live in some places in north mountains but the population are very low, and despite government efforts each day the population is decreasing more and more. I think In some years we will not see it anymore.

 

[T/C]

Weidmannsheil zu deinem Grossen Hahn (Auerhahn) Red Leg!
Thanks for this great hunting story, the excitement and joy was tangible!
Auerhahn/capercaillie is on my to-do-list; a good friend and hunting buddy has the staircase of his house full of capercaillie trophies from his father's and great-grandfather's. Thinking about hunting it one day every time I visit him, but the permits are so rare and expensive nowadays.. well, one day!
Enjoy yours, great bird!!!

 

[Red Leg]

Weidmannsheil zu deinem Grossen Hahn (Auerhahn) Red Leg!
Thanks for this great hunting story, the excitement and joy was tangible!
Auerhahn/capercaillie is on my to-do-list; a good friend and hunting buddy has the staircase of his house full of capercaillie trophies from his father's and great-grandfather's. Thinking about hunting it one day every time I visit him, but the permits are so rare and expensive nowadays.. well, one day!
Enjoy yours, great bird!!!

Weidmannsdank T/C. Sadly, a once in a lifetime accomplishment for most of us.

 

[Red Leg]

He is just back from the Austrian Taxidermist.

 

[Frederik]

Such a special Trophy!

 

[mark-hunter]

Thinking about hunting it one day every time I visit him, but the permits are so rare and expensive nowadays..

One of the options is in Sweden. (or other European northern countries)
In the southwest of Europe, one option is Bosnia. (Before that to be checked all paperwork and export rules to EU)

 

[T/C]

Wow, THAT is a cool mount! Looks very Austrian to me, somehow
Can you play the horn? I always wanted to learn it.

 

[Martin77]

Amazing story!