Hunting in Europe

[Duckhunter3000]

Whitetail in Finland would be kinda cool.
Shoot a deer then take a tour of the plant in Riihimaki.

What are whitetail doing in Finland?

 

[Muskox]

Call the Hunting Consortium. They have connections across Europe (and everywhere else), and I am certain they could set you up with a hunt. https://huntingconsortium.com/ I have used them several times when going to new areas in Europe.

Do not touch the hunting consortium with a ten foot pole.

Unless you want to pay 50-100% more.

He used to be the only guy Americans knew how to book through, then Al Gore invented the internet and there are thousands of choices.

Pay what Europeans pay book through a European agent.

 

[Muskox]

What are whitetail doing in Finland?

Also whitetails in Tchech republic. Not as many as Finland.

 

[Nyati]

What are whitetail doing in Finland?

They were imported from Minnesota in 1934.

I shot one near the town of Loppi in 1996.

 

[Red Leg]

Do not touch the hunting consortium with a ten foot pole.

Unless you want to pay 50-100% more.

He used to be the only guy Americans knew how to book through, then Al Gore invented the internet and there are thousands of choices.

Pay what Europeans pay book through a European agent.

For an experienced international traveler I would agree.

But for an American who has rarely or never traveled in Europe, I would HIGHLY recommend the Hunting Consortium. They can set up the whole trip to include pre or post hunt travel if spouse is accompanying. If an experienced international hunter and traveler, by all means book directly with a local hunting operation.

You would be surprised that for many Americans their first international experience will be arriving in Johannesburg for their trip to the lodge and a week to ten days of hunting before getting back on the plane to go home.

 

[Kevin375]

In France, we also have several games from America.

The most common is by far the racoon, and it is incredible how fast this animal is spreading across the country ! They were imported by American soldiers as mascots and most of them were released in the wild at the end.
Unfortunately, we can't hunt them like in America. First of all, electronic callers are prohibited for hunting and even though we have a large number of hounds native from the country, it's forbidden to hunt during the night. Sometimes in driven hunt, dogs catch one but it's nothing in comparison to what we see on cameras.
Trapping is possible but very few people practice it.
We shoot them when the opportunity arise, but it's not common during the legal times.

The musk rat was also quite common, but it seems they are gone now, at least where I am. From what I have heard, they don't get along with nutrias. The last species is also more and more common where I stay, but not out of control like raccoons. Both were imported for their fur and escaped from farms where they were raised.

In some place, the American mink is also present, but I have never seen one.

 

[Duckhunter3000]

In France, we also have several games from America.

The most common is by far the racoon, and it is incredible how fast this animal is spreading across the country ! They were imported by American soldiers as mascots and most of them were released in the wild at the end.
Unfortunately, we can't hunt them like in America. First of all, electronic callers are prohibited for hunting and even though we have a large number of hounds native from the country, it's forbidden to hunt during the night. Sometimes in driven hunt, dogs catch one but it's nothing in comparison to what we see on cameras.
Trapping is possible but very few people practice it.
We shoot them when the opportunity arise, but it's not common during the legal times.

View attachment 698409

The musk rat was also quite common, but it seems they are gone now, at least where I am. From what I have heard, they don't get along with nutrias. The last species is also more and more common where I stay, but not out of control like raccoons. Both were imported for their fur and escaped from farms where they were raised.

In some place, the American mink is also present, but I have never seen one.

That’s intresting. I would expect the raccoon to get into something with nutria. Although I’ve never seen nutria before, which I think are invasive in America. Knowing how raccoons are, I would expect them to get into some type trouble with the nutria.

 

[Kevin375]

I really don't know if there is any interaction between nutrias and racoons ? Racoons like to wander along streams and water pan, but I don't think they compete together !

But between nutrias and muskrats, for sure there is a competition because their behaviour is very close for both species.
Every ponds in the area, or almost, has now its nutria family.

Last year, my dog bayed this big nutria in the middle of a field, pretty far from its pond.

I'm sure I haven't seen any muskrat for 15 years now, while before they used to be quite common.

Another species from America that is more and more common is the Canada goose. In some place around Paris, you have hundred and hundred of them.

 

[Duckhunter3000]

I really don't know if there is any interaction between nutrias and racoons ? Racoons like to wander along streams and water pan, but I don't think they compete together !
View attachment 698643

But between nutrias and muskrats, for sure there is a competition because their behaviour is very close for both species.
Every ponds in the area, or almost, has now its nutria family.

Last year, my dog bayed this big nutria in the middle of a field, pretty far from its pond.
View attachment 698644

I'm sure I haven't seen any muskrat for 15 years now, while before they used to be quite common.

Another species from America that is more and more common is the Canada goose. In some place around Paris, you have hundred and hundred of them.

Oh, I must have read that wrong. I thought he was talking about the raccoons.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

For an experienced international traveler I would agree.

But for an American who has rarely or never traveled in Europe, I would HIGHLY recommend the Hunting Consortium. They can set up the whole trip to include pre or post hunt travel if spouse is accompanying. If an experienced international hunter and traveler, by all means book directly with a local hunting operation.

You would be surprised that for many Americans their first international experience will be arriving in Johannesburg for their trip to the lodge and a week to ten days of hunting before getting back on the plane to go home.

Yep. First international trip was to Namibia for 7 hunting days and one day in Windhoek via Doha. Also was first time on a “big” plane.

 

[Muskox]

I will say that it is a drain to book any major international trip. I mean emotionally not necessarily financially. But probably that as well.

I took the 5 of us to Iceland in March. Was an absolute terror to work out. I am an experienced world traveler and have something like 50 counties travelled and lived in 4 foreign countries for over 2 years each and spent several months in another 6. Lived on every continent except South America and Antartica.

A European agent like Lief Jonas can still put all the pieces for you together. He does it for all his other European clients, and works out his own American western draw hunts, New Zeeland and Norway hunting on his own every year.

I am driving down to hunt with him 1 country away and he tells me what hotel to book, what taxidermist to use and what the roads are like. Once he called me when I was stuck in traffic and helped me work out a quicker way.

It would have been easy in Iceland to pay a booking agent to work it all out. We would have paid 4 or 5 times the price and been on a big 80 person bus tour. Not what we wanted at all. In the end my extra work was worth it.

 

[chuckwellington]

First post on AH.com. So still learning how to navigate the site. This discussion is timely though, as I have been trying to find more info about hunting in England. Next May my wife and I will be traveling to London to visit family for 1.5 weeks and she said I could escape to hunt for 2-3 days. Any recommended threads to begin with to dip my toe in research? Or individuals to reach out to on AH? Looking to do something within a budget and within England, potentially Roe Deer outside London? Thank you- Owen Feenstra

I had an extra couple days on a work trip north of London and was able to connect with JLD Sporting. Hunted Chinese Water Deer near Lode but I think they have options a little closer to London as well.

 

[chuckwellington]

I had a lot of fun in Croatia. Island hunt for fallow and Dalmatian sheep. I would agree with the notion that you save money by not going through American agents like Outdoors International, Hunting Consortium, WTA, etc. Sometimes prices were comparable but often they were a lot more and less flexible. Just takes some more effort on your part to search out and contact people.

 

[Muskox]

I had a lot of fun in Croatia. Island hunt for fallow and Dalmatian sheep. I would agree with the notion that you save money by not going through American agents like Outdoors International, Hunting Consortium, WTA, etc. Sometimes prices were comparable but often they were a lot more and less flexible. Just takes some more effort on your part to search out and contact people.

Plavnik?

That used to be a cheap hunt, it has gotten kind of blown out on popularity.

 

[Red Leg]

It would have been easy in Iceland to pay a booking agent to work it all out. We would have paid 4 or 5 times the price and been on a big 80 person bus tour. Not what we wanted at all. In the end my extra work was worth it.

What does that even mean? I know of no competent hunting consultant who does that, and no such hunt would cost 4 or 5 times a regional outfitter. I have used both options extensively.

 

[chuckwellington]

Plavnik?

That used to be a cheap hunt, it has gotten kind of blown out on popularity.

Yes. Plavnik. That is unfortunate to hear. It was one of my all time favorite trips.

 

[Muskox]

What does that even mean? I know of no competent hunting consultant who does that, and no such hunt would cost 4 or 5 times a regional outfitter. I have used both options extensively.

It wasn't a hunt. It was family touring. Stand by for a long explanation possibly I hate love Iceland rant.

Iceland travel is heavily swayed by a couple of groups, big city types from Taiwan, Japan, Korea and major cities in America who are doing the instagram schtick. Iceland Air has even made affordable stops in Iceland on your way to Europe a thing, where you can disembark for up to 7 days and reembark and continue your flight to Europe or to the States depending on what direction you are going. An entire cottage industry has been set up there, and massive shifts in Iceland tourism culture toward catering to this population.

There are a ton of very Iceland centric agents based in Iceland who will absolutely bilk you of every penny you have if you are inclined to allow them to.

Fishing opens in Iceland May 15th, in some rivers and in some lakes. The fishing stores we went to would not sell me a fishing beat (British term for day lease) unless I booked through their guy.

We didn't really go to Iceland to fish, we went for my wife's birthday. Some fishing was open, they four options I could find wanted $1000 per person to self-drive fish in that water. This is a day of fishing, not a week with nothing including other than fishing gear rental. This was a $1000 USD.

We booked a day at the Blue Lagoon and got there when they opened. Was pretty good for a volcano fueled hot water spa with blue salt water. We paid $500 for the five of us to go. As we had a rental car we drove there ourselves. Not horrible, but that was the price. The tours wanted $150 per person to drive us there on a tour bus and then another $125 per person to go to the Blue Lagoon.

I felt like I worked my ass off to figure out how to beat the system, but Iceland on most occasions Iceland had me beat. We met a load of Americans and Canadians in Iceland that were on tours and a very limited number that did their own thing. Everyone said the same thing.

That was a side rant on Iceland tourism. Nothing to do with hunting.

I liked Iceland, and I felt like we saw most of the things we wanted to see without paying the tour bus companies.

There was an ice caving experience, it was 1250 bucks a person. If you self drove and booked it yourself through the place, you could do it for $150 a person.

There was a Golden Triangle tour, other than parking $15 per location we paid only gas money and rental car fees. Maybe $150 for the Golden Triangle and $150 for the Southern Route. They wanted $1500 for either option for a private bus or $850 for a 50 pax bus.

All I meant by this is that can get hemmed up on any adventure hunting or otherwise but not doing a lot of research. We don't cruise, but I understand cruises are the same.

 

[mark-hunter]

Plavnik?

That used to be a cheap hunt, it has gotten kind of blown out on popularity.

Not sure about hunting fairs and shows, in the English-speaking part of the world, but my friend is very active in Salzburg hunting fair, offering Plavnik hunts. It may be that he is increasing in popularity with European, German, Austrian clients

 

[Red Leg]

It wasn't a hunt. It was family touring. Stand by for a long explanation possibly I hate love Iceland rant.

Iceland travel is heavily swayed by a couple of groups, big city types from Taiwan, Japan, Korea and major cities in America who are doing the instagram schtick. Iceland Air has even made affordable stops in Iceland on your way to Europe a thing, where you can disembark for up to 7 days and reembark and continue your flight to Europe or to the States depending on what direction you are going. An entire cottage industry has been set up there, and massive shifts in Iceland tourism culture toward catering to this population.

There are a ton of very Iceland centric agents based in Iceland who will absolutely bilk you of every penny you have if you are inclined to allow them to.

Fishing opens in Iceland May 15th, in some rivers and in some lakes. The fishing stores we went to would not sell me a fishing beat (British term for day lease) unless I booked through their guy.

We didn't really go to Iceland to fish, we went for my wife's birthday. Some fishing was open, they four options I could find wanted $1000 per person to self-drive fish in that water. This is a day of fishing, not a week with nothing including other than fishing gear rental. This was a $1000 USD.

We booked a day at the Blue Lagoon and got there when they opened. Was pretty good for a volcano fueled hot water spa with blue salt water. We paid $500 for the five of us to go. As we had a rental car we drove there ourselves. Not horrible, but that was the price. The tours wanted $150 per person to drive us there on a tour bus and then another $125 per person to go to the Blue Lagoon.

I felt like I worked my ass off to figure out how to beat the system, but Iceland on most occasions Iceland had me beat. We met a load of Americans and Canadians in Iceland that were on tours and a very limited number that did their own thing. Everyone said the same thing.

That was a side rant on Iceland tourism. Nothing to do with hunting.

I liked Iceland, and I felt like we saw most of the things we wanted to see without paying the tour bus companies.

There was an ice caving experience, it was 1250 bucks a person. If you self drove and booked it yourself through the place, you could do it for $150 a person.

There was a Golden Triangle tour, other than parking $15 per location we paid only gas money and rental car fees. Maybe $150 for the Golden Triangle and $150 for the Southern Route. They wanted $1500 for either option for a private bus or $850 for a 50 pax bus.

All I meant by this is that can get hemmed up on any adventure hunting or otherwise but not doing a lot of research. We don't cruise, but I understand cruises are the same.

Tourism for experienced travelers is a different issue. Tour groups are the worst. We don't really like even another couple along. Nancy and I are in Europe at least once a year. I have private guides and drivers set up ahead of time at places like the Alhambra, the Vatican, the Prado, Melk, the Uffizi, etc., etc. We also love old school European hotels where Hercule Poirot can be expected to emerge from the bar. In places like rural France or Germany, and Austria we normally use a rental car.

 

[Muskox]

Tourism for experienced travelers is a different issue. Tour groups are the worst. We don't really like even another couple along. Nancy and I are in Europe at least once a year. I have private guides and drivers set up ahead of time at places like the Alhambra, the Vatican, the Prado, Melk, the Uffizi, etc., etc. We also love old school European hotels where Hercule Poirot can be expected to emerge from the bar. In places like rural France or Germany, and Austria we normally use a rental car.

Exactly,