CROATIA Hunting Information

[mark-hunter]

Wild boar fever, in Croatia.

 

[Sika98k]

Unfortunately they do now have real wild boar fever ! I was booking a hunt with a group in E. Croatia for next January (2024).
I received an email from “our man in Croatia “ sounds like a spy thriller, huh.
Anyway a severe storm has done a lot of structural damage. The forests have all had a lot of trees knocked down and even worse a bad outbreak of ASF in the Balkans has decimated the wild boar population.
He reckons it could be 3 years before hunting gets back to normal.

 

[mark-hunter]

Anyway a severe storm has done a lot of structural damage.

In last years, the storms get more severe then ever.

This year, during this storm, a tree fell on my house. An old oak. By luck, the center mass of the tree fell sideways and scratched the roof, but several strong side branches, destroyed few bricks, chimney, and few bricks on the roof, plus bent few meters of metal plate drains. So, minor damages at my home, but it could be much worse.

In the neighborhood, many large trees fell, including some 100 year old pine trees.

Then, there was the floods following the storms. I dont remember storms of that magnitude, ever before.

 

[HuntingGold]

Wow! I'm glad you are ok and happy that the damage is repairable.

 

[mark-hunter]

Update on general information and conditions on hunting in Croatia.

I believe that in my earlier posts I covered all aspects of hunting in Croatia, and what to expect.
One thing I accidentally did omit.

Testing the rifle before the hunt.

It is my experience that nobody ever asked me to test or zero the rifle before the hunt.

Somehow, this is not customary or common procedure.
There could be numerous reasons for that from cultural and traditional, to the basic lack of local range.

So, what to do?
So, a visiting hunter, is advised that upon a contact with the hunting agency or reputable outfitter verifies in advance to have option to test and zero the rifle before the hunt.

Generally, the system is following.
The hunt is in most cases organized by hunting agency, in cooperation with some local hunting club that operates their local hunting concession.

So, the hunting agent, upon client request will need to confirm this with local club, and then to confirm the same to visiting agent. ( a matter of a phone call, made on time, so local club can prepare some target and brief the hunting guide - very simple)

As mentioned earlier, usually, hunting clubs don't require this from their club members, and this part of hunting procedure can easily be omitted by them when meeting with client, or overlooked by agency when organizing the hunt.

Local hunters - club members have under their personal responsibility and ethics to keep rifles zeroed, and no fixed rules are established to test the rifles before the hunt, or before the season in most of the cases.

Some clubs do this on the season opening, but many do not.

Thus it is wise for visiting foreign guest in Croatia to confirm the options for zeroing the rifle through his agency contacts before going to the hunt.

 

[mark-hunter]

Will post the hunt report when getting some time to write.
For a time being, some pix.

 

[HuntingGold]

Very nice! Looking forward to your report.

 

[D-Orcutt]

Nice I’ll be there in September for a hunt

 

[mark-hunter]

Very nice thread i will link below, and will add a nice illustration to my Croatian thread.
Two of my roe bucks above, are hunted not far away from this area.

Driven Hunts In Croatia

Day 1: Kutina hunting grounds Early in the morning, the hunting tour operator drives us to the Kutina hunting ground. On the half-hour journey, we pass through small, snow-covered villages until we reach the hunting lodge. There, we meet up with the leaseholder of the Kutina hunting ground...

www.africahunting.com

 

[mark-hunter]

Been to my annual pheasant hunt in the North of a country, with couple of my good hunting friends.
Due to our private obligations we could spend just one day. Usually we go for two days hunting.

Early start of a long day required us to get on the road around 04.00 am, had a coffee on a highway road stop, and be as agreed by 08.30 at hunting ground.
The area is Zelendvor, one of the most famous hunting areas of former yugo president marshal TIto, where once alegedly he had a record of his daily bag of pheasants, as the story go. (many years ago).

After ex Yugo state collapsed, the hunting area had its ups and downs through privatization process, but as I visit this place at least once per year for a last decade, its steady improvements in the quality and bird numbers are visible. This years additons where new bird raising pen, and a rifle shooting range 100 meters.

Lodging, and restaurant in old mittel European style here, and by now trap and clay targets and rifle shooting range is available for visiting guests. Trap shooting range is one of the oldest in the country.

Zelendvor is one of the oldest and most historically significant hunting grounds in Croatia, established in 1870 by Count Marko Bombelles. Located in what is today Varaždin County, close to border with Slovenia, and the hunting ground was initially designed for organized hunting, with pheasants introduced from South Moravia by good Count Bombelles.
Its landscape, characterized by open fields, natural hedges, small woodlands, and well-drained sandy and gravelly soils, provided an optimal environment for small game breeding and hunting.
Available species today are phaesants, partridges, quail, hares, fox, roe deer.

Throughout its history, Zelendvor has followed traditional European and Austro-Hungarian hunting culture, which can still be felt today

On arrival we had another coffee and small chat with the owner and long known friend, and had meeting with our young guide Kris.

As it will be seen, our guides three dogs were fantastically trained, 2 springer spaniels and a german short haired, they kept close to hunting party, flushing birds out at good shooting distance and marking on spot

The first drive went through the morning, and brought many nice birds.
Then of to lodge we went for a good warm lunch.
After the lunch, we had a short breifing again on a new area, and we were good to go.

Pheasants were plentiful, and then as a cherry on the top there was a hedgerow, full of partridges flushing out.
The hunt was crowned by my friend taking down a fine woodcock.
Woodcock is known locally as the queen of the woods. Never hunted in big numbers, and always highly praised!
My highlight of the day was a two distant flying cocks, hit perfectly with proper lead in crossfligh.
(despite number of good misses I had in a first drive)

At the end of a day, while I stayed at the bar to chat with owner (and organize local plucking of birds), my two eager friends went to get a chance for a roe deer doe from a high seat, with last sunlight, but had no luck this time.
All in all, after all formalities were sorted out, we had the long road back home. And came at home around 23.00 lt, full of emotions. (Yes, all details we discussed in forthcoming days)

A wonderful day in the field, with fantastic working dogs in open plains and nature of the North!
Most likely, I will go back next January.

 

[sierraone]

Spent a year there in 97-98, but wasn't allowed to hunt. The levee along the Dunav going south from Batina was covered in pheasants, pigs and medium to large antlered game. I truly enjoyed my time there and other parts of the country. We just had a lot of restrictions since the war was in the recent past.

 

[mark-hunter]

Now things are much more hunter-friendly. years of 97-98, and peaceful reintegration of former occupied regions was difficult period.
As a hunter I cannot complain on opportunities around, today.