GERMANY: Sauerland Germany, A wonderful "Driven Hunt"

[Charlie64]

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Winter is the time for "driven hunts" throughout Germany and other European countries. Whilst a lot of hunters that we know have been moaning about small bags and few animals, we experienced the opposite last weekend. A superb Driven Hunt in the Sauerland in Germany at the invitation of some close friends of our. 40 guns, 20 beaters and some 30 dogs - ranging from terriers to Dachshunde to German wirehairs - with wonderful late autumn weather and beautiful colours. The hunt ranged over 1.000 hectares with the beaters and dogs working in four groups pushing the game slowly through the guns. The hunt lasted 4 hours after which we laid down a bag of 24 European wild boar, 8 roe deer, 5 foxes and 4 raccoon. The hunting horns sounded for each of the animals - Sau Tot, Reh Tot, Fuchs Tot and Raubwild tot in keeping with German hunting tradition. The largest pig weighed in at 92 kgs gutted and some 5 years. A big BBQ and beers followed! The next morning we successfully found and dispatched a wounded red deer young hind after an 11 km blood trail - a high front leg shot. That was some amazing tracking with a superb Bavarian hound! I was shooting a Rigby Highland Stalker in .275 Rigby and my wife her Blaser R8 in .270. A memorable days hunting with good friends - hard to beat! Here a few photos of the colours and bag.

 

[RIGBY]

A great bag taken with a beautiful rifle! Well done!

 

[VertigoBE]

Very nice of you sharing your European hunt! Driven hunts in Europe and especially the hunting traditions after the hunt is over, are something special ! Waidmannsheil!

 

[Sika98k]

@Charlie64 , what scope were you using on the rifle ? I have an old Diavari-C 3-9x36 on mine. A tad too big for driven. So I’m thinking of putting my Meopta R2, 1,7-10x42 on. Otherwise it’s a matter of taking a Duralyt 1,2-5x36 off my 375 and the pain of rezeroing.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Thanks for the post. A dream hunt.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Glad you enjoy a fruitful hunt. Thanks for sharing the adventure.

 

[MontanaPat]

Thanks for sharing, that’s a bucket list hunt for me

 

[Charlie64]

@Charlie64 , what scope were you using on the rifle ? I have an old Diavari-C 3-9x36 on mine. A tad too big for driven. So I’m thinking of putting my Meopta R2, 1,7-10x42 on. Otherwise it’s a matter of taking a Duralyt 1,2-5x36 off my 375 and the pain of rezeroing.

Sika98, I have a Swarovski Z6i in 1,7 - 10 x 42 mounted on the Rigby. Works for me for driven hunts at 1,7 to 3 power and red dot plus general roe and red stalking and longer shots. Do not use it at night for boar, then I tend to take a Sauer in 6,5x55 with a bigger scope. Cheers

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[Sika98k]

Sika98, I have a Swarovski Z6i in 1,7 - 10 x 42 mounted on the Rigby. Works for me for driven hunts at 1,7 to 3 power and red dot plus general roe and red stalking and longer shots. Do not use it at night for boar, then I tend to take a Sauer in 6,5x55 with a bigger scope. Cheers

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Thanks Charlie, much as I like the old Diavari on the rifle I think I’ll put the R2 on for Czech next month.