ROMANIA: R Is For Roe Deer!

[Troubleshooter]

Country: Romania
Dates: 31 May and 1 June 2024
Type of Hunt: Spot & Stalk
Method of Hunting: Rifle (Blaser R8 chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum)
Outfitter: @HUNTROMANIA
PH/Owner/Agent: Marius Merutiu
Locations Hunted: Cluj County, near Dej
Species Hunted: Roe Deer
Trophy Quality: Excellent
Species Seen, Population and Quality of Game Observed: Abundant roe deer; also saw fox and wolf
Lodging: Four-star hotel and restaurant
Food: Ordered from the restaurant menu
Activities: Due to my tight travel schedule, we did not partake in any additional activities
Travel Methods: Pickup truck on highways; Nissan Patrol in hunting areas
High Points: Three roebucks in 24 hours
Low Points: Almost lost one wounded buck
Overall Rating: Excellent
Would Recommend to a Friend? Heck yes, I even brought one along!

 

[Troubleshooter]

Prologue

Like many of you, I have read the positive reports regarding HuntRomania, a sponsor on this site. I had commitments which placed me in Europe for a short period this summer, and as luck would have it my schedule had me in the Romanian city of Cluj for two of those days. Accordingly, I contacted Marius Merutiu the owner of HuntRomania which was advertising a three-day, two roe buck hunt. My schedule was too tight to accommodate that hunt, but might it be possible for us to meet for lunch or dinner during my stay in the city? That would allow the outfitter and me to meet in-person and discuss a potential future hunt for roe deer or chamois.

As it turned out, Marius would be dropping off a client at the airport on 31 May and had some empty space on his calendar. Although he was amenable to meeting over dinner that evening, he suggested that we could conduct an abbreviated hunt with prorated fees. Well you know how it goes… one thing just leads to another – a little adjustment to my arrival time, a very early morning departure flight, some discussion of our options, and voila! – the next thing you know, I have a hunt booked for the evening of 31 May and all day on 1 June. (Yes I know, you’re shocked that I could be traveling for completely unrelated purposes and somehow end up booked on a hunt. But these things just seem to happen!)

With the hunt planning roughed-out, I asked a friend and colleague whether he would care to join us as a non-hunting observer. This first involved explaining the role of the observer. As a non-elite growing up under the Ceausescu regime, Stefan had never been afforded the opportunity to hunt nor had he been exposed to the rich traditions surrounding hunting – something that many of us tend to take for granted. Instead, his early years spent living in a small rural village were cut short when the Communists dispossessed his family by seizing their home – and then did it again with a subsequent home – thus forcing the family to move into the city. The idea of the hunt intrigued him, and so a plan was set in motion. We would make our way to Cluj, Marius would drop off his client at the airport, we would all rendezvous at some location to be determined, and the three of us would wander off into the countryside in pursuit of the elusive roebuck. All we had to do was get there and then navigate our way through Friday afternoon traffic in downtown Cluj…..

With perfect timing, Marius pulled up in a late-model pickup truck. We loaded our gear, piled in and were on our way. The first stop was a beautiful 4-star hotel in the city of Dej. I was wondering how the staff of such a nice hotel would react to hosting a trio of hunters, but needn’t have been concerned. It was obvious that they were used to Marius and his clients, and we could not have been treated any better during our stay. Since the two of us had skipped lunch on the way to Cluj, Marius suggested that we stow our luggage and then meet him in the hotel’s restaurant. We ate a quick dinner and then left for the hunting fields. Temperatures had been unseasonably warm for that time of year, but cooled off for our evening hunt.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Session 1

A short drive brought us to a cabin outside of town where Marius keeps his hunting vehicle; a well-maintained but purpose-built Nissan Patrol. The deep-lugged tires would be at home in Louisiana gumbo, and although I didn’t check under the hood I’m pretty certain that it was equipped with a supercharger. This all made for a very capable hunting vehicle as was proven later on. Due to my travel itinerary, it had been impractical to bring my own rifle so arrangements were made to rent one from Marius. This turned out to be a Blaser R8 chambered in .300 Win Mag, topped by a Swarovski Z6i 2-12 x50 scope and fed with a diet of GECO 11g (170 gr) cartridges. A 30-second orientation was sufficient to familiarize myself with the rifle’s operation. We executed the necessary licensing and paperwork, jumped into the Patrol, and were on our way.

The hunting area consisted of a series of forested areas and meadows set amongst gently rolling hills. It was much more of a pastoral setting compared to the forests that I’ve previously hunted in the Carpathian Mountains to the south. A rutted muddy trail was no match for our hunting machine. Eventually we alighted from the vehicle and started slowly making our way up a hill; with Marius in the lead, then myself, and Stefan behind me; stopping frequently to scan the countryside. And a beautiful countryside it was!

The two-track on which we were walking ran along a slight ridge, sloping away at either side. We had spread out a bit on the trail. Presently Marius motioned for me to join him with the rifle and for Stefan to lag behind a bit; this turned out to be a very fortuitous decision. Marius had spotted some movement along the slope to the left side of the trail. It was a roe deer, but try as we might we never were able to get a really good look at it, certainly not enough to evaluate or make a stalk.

Glancing back, I noticed Stefan was motioning to get our attention without alerting the two roe deer that he had spotted on the other side of the ridge. The three of us redirected our efforts, but were unable to get onto the wary animals. One spooked and ran off down the hill. We heard another give the alarm “bark” or “coughing” sound on another hillside near where Stefan had also seen a wolf. Throughout the remainder of the hunt he displayed an almost uncanny ability to spot animals. Stefan having recently retired, it became the running joke that he should consider embarking on a second career as a game tracker. Stefan spotted roe deer on two more occasions that evening, but we were unable to get a bead on them.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Marius had a couple of other fields that he wanted to check within that same area, so we made our way back to the hunting vehicle and drove slowly along farm trails while scouting for likely prospects. Having no luck, he turned the vehicle around and headed back towards where we had been earlier. We were about to call it quits for the night when the vehicle slowed to a stop, then backed up so that Marius could assess a roe deer that he had spotted in the valley. We drove forward until out of its sight, and after disembarking we made our way back along the trail to where Marius had first seen the animal. We had hardly walked 20 meters when we saw it again.

The buck was downslope and feeding slowly away. With twilight rapidly approaching, Marius turned on the illuminated reticle, set the sticks, and got me on the rifle. The buck was now facing directly away from us, apparently unaware (or at least unconcerned) of our presence. Its head moved slightly to the right and left as it continued to feed straight away. I continued to track the deer’s progress with the illuminated reticle until it eventually found some attractive morsel off to its left and turned full broadside. That was its undoing.

Marius called the hit while I quickly worked in another cartridge, but I need not have bothered. The buck had dropped on the spot, its shoulder perfectly pierced by the .300 Win Mag. There was no further movement, and after a short time we walked down to where the buck lay. Marius said that the 3x3 buck was probably about nine years old. Simultaneously and without discussion, Marius and I both started gathering the forage necessary to render honors to a game animal while explaining the concept of the “last bite” to Stefan. The Romanians had lost many of these age-old customs of the hunt during the communist period, and I know that they have been making concerted efforts to pass them along to new generations of hunters before those traditions are lost forever. It was fully dark by then, so we took a few photos and loaded the buck into the Patrol.

After switching vehicles and dropping off the buck, we returned to the hotel. The restaurant had already closed, but across the rear parking lot was a sort-of sports bar (also owned by the hotel) which was still in full swing. We grabbed one of the only available tables and Marius mentioned something to the waiter which resulted in food and libations. No one seemed to pay any particular attention to the fact that we were still wearing our hunting clothes. We made arrangements to meet at 05:00 the following morning to continue our activities and then called it a night.

 

[IvW]

300 WM for ROE Deer.......eish.....

 

[Mekaniks]

Marius had a couple of other fields that he wanted to check within that same area, so we made our way back to the hunting vehicle and drove slowly along farm trails while scouting for likely prospects. Having no luck, he turned the vehicle around and headed back towards where we had been earlier. We were about to call it quits for the night when the vehicle slowed to a stop, then backed up so that Marius could assess a roe deer that he had spotted in the valley. We drove forward until out of its sight, and after disembarking we made our way back along the trail to where Marius had first seen the animal. We had hardly walked 20 meters when we saw it again.

The buck was downslope and feeding slowly away. With twilight rapidly approaching, Marius turned on the illuminated reticle, set the sticks, and got me on the rifle. The buck was now facing directly away from us, apparently unaware (or at least unconcerned) of our presence. Its head moved slightly to the right and left as it continued to feed straight away. I continued to track the deer’s progress with the illuminated reticle until it eventually found some attractive morsel off to its left and turned full broadside. That was its undoing.

Marius called the hit while I quickly worked in another cartridge, but I need not have bothered. The buck had dropped on the spot, its shoulder perfectly pierced by the .300 Win Mag. There was no further movement, and after a short time we walked down to where the buck lay. Marius said that the 3x3 buck was probably about nine years old. Simultaneously and without discussion, Marius and I both started gathering the forage necessary to render honors to a game animal while explaining the concept of the “last bite” to Stefan. The Romanians had lost many of these age-old customs of the hunt during the communist period, and I know that they have been making concerted efforts to pass them along to new generations of hunters before those traditions are lost forever. It was fully dark by then, so we took a few photos and loaded the buck into the Patrol.

View attachment 628322

View attachment 628324

After switching vehicles and dropping off the buck, we returned to the hotel. The restaurant had already closed, but across the rear parking lot was a sort-of sports bar (also owned by the hotel) which was still in full swing. We grabbed one of the only available tables and Marius mentioned something to the waiter which resulted in food and libations. No one seemed to pay any particular attention to the fact that we were still wearing our hunting clothes. We made arrangements to meet at 05:00 the following morning to continue our activities and then called it a night.

Excellent Thank You for sharing!

Europe has made our short list and I really hope to do this hunt in the next couple of years….

 

[HUNTROMANIA]

Some of you are incredible in writing. This story make me feel like I was again in the fields, with the same emotion as the first time.
Hunting is a great thing, a way to interact with people’s around the world, a way to connect in a very specific and deeper sense. The succes of the hunt is when two peoples can connect their senses, steps, actions to become a team and achieve the desired result.
One more time I’m grateful to this community, and I will continue to support and share my passion with you all!

 

[Troubleshooter]

300 WM for ROE Deer.......eish.....

Well you know the old saying, "when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail." The only tool that I had was a .300 Win Mag -- and what a hammer it was!

I see no difference between this situation and the hunter who uses a .375 H&H Magnum on a Plains Game hunt for everything from Eland to Steinbok. Proper bullet selection is the key.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Europe has made our short list and I really hope to do this hunt in the next couple of years….

I'm biased but think that Romania offers one of the better hunting values in Europe. The scenery and old-school traditions are just icing on the cake. Recommend making time for sightseeing too, if your schedule allows. I've heard good things about Poland as well, but cannot speak from experience there. As always, communicate your intentions for the hunt, conduct your due diligence, and choose the outfitter wisely.

And now back to our story.........

 

[Troubleshooter]

Session 2

The next morning we grabbed a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee before driving out to the cabin and swapping vehicles. This time we went to a different area, with a couple of old wooden buildings surrounded by meadows and forests. It had rained overnight, and with the hillsides still partially shrouded in fog it could have been a scene from a movie or picture postcard.

It is my understanding that prior to the 20th Century, local custom had been for newlyweds, joined by their friends and family, to build a small, thatched-roof, one- or two-room house in which to live. The exact design and materials varied by region. Later as the family grew and prospered, a larger house would be built and the original “starter home” would become a shed for storage of tools and farm implements, or sometimes converted for use with livestock. There was an old wooden house and barn of similar construction at this particular spot (minus the thatched roof). It had obviously not been lived in for quite some time.

As we walked towards the field, Marius spotted a buck and a doe. The doe lay near the corner of one building while its buck sauntered over to join it. Marius watched for a moment through his binoculars and told me to shoot the buck. I fired but felt that I had pulled the shot. The buck jumped a bit and then both deer ran behind the buildings and out of view. Presently, they returned and the buck lay down in the tall grass while the doe stood nearby. We waited. Eventually the buck stood up so that its vitals were visible and I fired again. Both deer ran to the right and disappeared into a small depression where we lost sight of them, but that shot felt good. We settled-in where we could observe the area and waited several minutes before approaching.

We found a large pool of blood where the buck had laid down, but there was no buck and only a very slight blood trail which quickly petered out. Although there was seemingly no way that the two deer could have walked out of that little bowl without us seeing them, they were quite obviously gone. Given its blood loss, the buck could not have gone far. A search of the meadows and into the forest edge proved fruitless, so Marius made a few phone calls and we were joined by a couple of men who lived nearby along with their two dogs. One of the dogs sniffed around looking for a scent to follow, but the other appeared more interested in having a romp in the outdoors than in looking for the missing animal. We expanded our search outward but after another hour or so it was suggested that we return to the hotel and allow the other two men and their dogs to continue alone. Obviously we were disappointed in not recovering the wounded buck, but there was little else to do.

Returning to the hotel for brunch and a midday break, we contemplated our situation and made plans for an evening hunt. Sitting under the cover of the open-sided restaurant, we watched as a steady rain fell on one side of the parking lot while the other side remained bone dry. And it was not a particularly large parking lot. I suppose that’s what the weatherman would refer to as “isolated rain showers.” But the rain would drastically reduce the possibility of the dogs picking up any scent from the wounded buck.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Session 3

We set out again that evening to another area which consisted of a series of meadows interspersed among the forested hills. The daily rains had made walking a bit slick, and there were a couple of steep spots where one person would hold out the shooting sticks in order to pull the next person up. But after a bit of slipping and sliding we made it to more solid ground and continued to walk and look for signs of deer. Eventually, we ended up on the edge of a wooded area with the three of us standing underneath a Hochsizt or elevated shooting blind which overlooked a hayfield.

Have you ever had the feeling that you are being watched from behind?

Marius was the first to turn his head ever-so-slightly and noticed the buck. I also caught it out of the corner of one eye – it was a roe buck, it was bright red, it was absolutely huge, and it was standing broadside while looking directly at us from no more than 30 meters away. The three of us stood stock-still, hardly daring to breathe let alone move. With Marius at my side and Stefan behind me, it was not possible to bring the rifle to bear without spooking the deer, so instead we just enjoyed the moment. Perhaps a minute or so later the buck must have decided that we were not to his liking and rushed back downhill through the woods, sounding the alarm as he fled. It was too slippery to follow without looking like the Keystone Cops, so we just let it go.

We resumed breathing. A fox worked its way through the meadow searching for its next meal, but we saw no more deer. Storm clouds were moving into the area though, and so we walked back down the hill towards the Patrol. We had driven perhaps halfway back to the cabin when eagle-eyed Stefan spotted a roe deer in a field on our right. We parked along the side of a modest paved road near a couple of old houses while Marius checked through the binoculars. It was a good buck. We grabbed the rifle and sticks and hurried along, screened by some shrubs.

The buck was feeding along the far edge of the field, with tall grass hiding all but the very top of its back. The vegetation was too high to attempt a spine shot, and at times it was difficult even to determine which direction the buck was facing. But from time to time the buck would raise its head to look around, and I suggested to Marius that a neck shot might be possible. A distinct squall line was now coming over the hills accompanied by frequent claps of thunder and bursts of lightning. Since I was holding what essentially amounted to a .300 caliber lightning rod, whatever we did would need to be done soon. Marius gave the go-ahead and as soon as the buck looked up again, I centered the crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. I lost sight of the buck while chambering a fresh cartridge, but both Marius and Stefan informed me that it had gone straight down.

The thunderstorm now being nearly upon us, Marius suggested that we wait at the road while he retrieved the buck. Presently a car approached but they did not seem to be concerned by the rifle-toting hunters waving them past on the narrow road. It is nice to hunt in a region where the locals look upon such chance encounters as just a normal part of everyday life!

Marius soon rejoined us holding the buck and although I didn’t get a good photo of the results, I can tell you that the .300 Win Mag had a devastating effect; fully half of the neck had been shot away. It’s no wonder that the buck had immediately dropped from view. We loaded it into the back of the vehicle and climbed aboard. There had been some periodic drizzle, but now it began raining in earnest. Back at the cabin, we completed the required paperwork and switched to the pickup truck for the drive back to our hotel. The rain was coming down in sheets now, accompanied by a hailstorm.

At the hotel we knocked (most of) the mud off us and cleaned up a bit prior to enjoying a late supper and a good night’s sleep. We would meet again on Sunday morning for our return to Cluj. It had been a successful hunt (excepting the loss of the second roe deer) but everything we experienced from HuntRomania had been First Class.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Epilogue … and a surprise!

When Marius met with us the following morning, he brought the good news that the missing roe buck had been found! Apparently an older gentleman was on his way to milk his cows when he found the deceased buck. It must have doubled back from where we last saw it, entered a drainage ditch, and made its way to where it expired. Ironically, we had been within a few meters of the buck during our previous morning’s search but had not seen it. I guess that’s why it’s called “hunting.”

So with that mystery solved, we loaded into the pickup truck and set out for Cluj where we had lunch at a local restaurant before Stefan departed for home. Marius got me checked into a nice hotel for the evening and arranged for 04:00 taxi ride to the airport. After wrapping up a few remaining details and having dinner at the food court of a local mall, he dropped me off at the hotel and we said our farewells.

We had a very enjoyable hunt with HuntRomania. Marius runs a professional operation with access to hunting areas which are both scenic and contain an abundance of roe deer. We managed to harvest three roebucks in as many hunting sessions. The bucks that I shot were all good, mature, representative animals. I plan to have them euro-mounted (of course!) and look forward to seeing how they turn out. All-in-all it was a very enjoyable hunting experience and one that I can thoroughly recommend.

Oh, and just one more thing – that huge roe buck is still out there … somewhere….. one of you should really go out and try to find it.