This is a weird question, I know, but I just have to know the answer!

I�m thinking of going on a roedeer hunt in Poland next year or in �03 and I�m probably going to buy a "package-hunt". In the price of this hunt-package three roedeers with horns that weigh up to 300 grams are included.

My question is: how big are the horns when they weigh 300 grams?! A 4 pointer? 6 pointer? Bronzemedal?

(I think pictures would help a lot!)

Thank you!

Have a look at British roe deer here:
http://www.deer-uk.com/roe_deer1.htm

I assume we're talking about the same beastie. Roe antlers seldom reach 12" and generally comprise a pair of straight-ish stems with one, two, or three spurs aligned alternately front/back.

HTH

a 300 gramm roe deer is a representative trophy, with 3 points in each side.
you cannot expect a 300 gramm antlers to be a bronze medal, even though it may happen as it may happen that a four pointer (2x2) could weigh 400 gramms.
they weigh the trophy after boiling the skull and removing all the meat. make sure they are dried properly before weighing them.
regards,
montero

Montero:
Thanks a lot!

Pete: I do know what a roe deer looks like but thanks anyway

[This message has been edited by IronMan (edited 08-13-2001).]

Iron Man,

The CIC system strongly favour weight when it comes to Roe antlers and medals. Basically short heavy antlers
will usually outscore tall thin ones all other things being equal.
As far as 300grams on your package hunt goes,
you need to find out what sort of "cut" they are talking about. If that is a short cut, meaning very little of the skull is included in the measurement they are going to be far bbigger than if they use a long cut or whole skull.
If you think you have a medal head, you are far better not making any cut at all, and submitting the whole skull (less the jaw bone) for measuring.

If you would like copy of the measuring instructions, drop me an e-mail and I will
get one off to you.

Also beware hunting Polland as there are a lot of rip offs in that part of the world.

I'm not a pro stalker but if you'd like some ideas of costs in the UK let me know..It might be useful to compare with what you have been quoted in Polland.
Regards,

Pete

Pete E is right about the weight thing. I have a very pretty 6 point roe on the wall at home. 11 inch head at not even a bronze. Missed by one point.

PeteE,
I believe the CIC strongly favours the volume of the antlers, followed by the weight.
I have always had the complete skull, less the lower jaw, weighted, and had 90 grams of this weight deducted, as CIC measuring instructions read.
Make sure bone is dry before weighting, and make sure those 90 gram are deducted.
Regards,
Montero

Usually a mature Roe deer is a 6 pointer. 300 gramm is a very nice buck. But I know of bucks shot in Austria or Czech which ran 550 gramm, shot on open ground!!

There is another species which is called Siberian Roe deer. Also usually 6 pointers, but the antlers are up to 16" on specimens I have seen personally ( hanging on the wall ).

Anything over 6 point is called an anomaly.

Try to get to good terms with Your PH, if You think it�s possible. Be sure, if he says "shoot" its Your risk if the buck is too small, and his risk if he is too "big". If too small don�t shoot. But be careful, else You can�t argue that You did not get a chance to shoot! Drink some beers with them ( buy good ones in Poland or germany if You travel by car ) and talk all scenarios with them in advance. Promise ( and keep ) good tips!

Good Shooting! H

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Thanks for all the great answers!

Pete E:
The will weigh the whole skull (not the jaw) and then take away 90 gramms.

I�ve looked at UK and I would really like to go there. The price of the hunt would not be much (if any!?) more expensive then a hunt in Poland but I think the airplane ticket would!

I�ve been to Poland before (not to hunt) and I didn�t like it at all! It�s very poor. But I only stayed in the big citys. Recently I�ve seen a couple of hunting videos from Poland and read a couple of articles about hunting and it seems great! I want to go there!

Ironman,

Try looking for cheap flights over to Abeerdeen or Edinburgh..heck you could probably get a ferry over to Aberdeen!
If you can get as far as Aberdeen, I have a very good contact who has looked after me very well. He has Roe, Red and possibly Sika
plus duck, pheasant grouse ect...again email
if your interested,

Pete

Hej IronMan.

I would consider Scotland instead of Poland!

I have been to Scotland a few times for reds and roe. I have not been to Poland so I could be out of line here

I can say that the hunting in Scotland is a real treat. I did my hunting in the highlands and I can promise you that it�s a first class hunting experiense.

It�s a bit hard on the legs but the reward makes you forget the tuff climbs. I hunted the gowerment land and there was no throphy fees at all. This was a real good thing, it�s hard to pass on a buck you "can�t afford". The heads was not really big thogh, the beautifull landscape and numbers of deer compensate the size of the heads belive me!

I have heard horror stories of guys shooting big bucks in Poland and almost got ruined to pay for a gold medal head.

I hope you get a god trip, Poland or anyway else.

Stefan.

At the risk of offending any Polish posters,
I would would stongly caution you about hunting in Poland. Be VERY cautious. Befriend somebody that speaks Polish fast, if you don't every cab fare, meal, hotel room will cost you 300-400% the going rate. For $10 you should be able to get a great meal. For $50 a night your accomadations should be 3 star B&B quality or better. You don't have to open your mouth really, they know by looking. If you like ice in your drinks you will have to ask for it every time.

DOC

As I wrote before; I�ve been to Poland once before and I didn�t like it at all but I still think the hunting might be good.

After hearing what you guys had to say I�m beginning to change my mind. I�ve never been to UK but I would feel more secure going there then I would if I went to Poland. If i can get a good deal maybe I will go to England instead.

Stefan:
Scotland sound great. I�ve read a lot of good things about that place
No trophy fees?????!!!! Wow, tell me more! What did you have to pay for. Did you see a lot of bucks? Who did you book your hunt with? How much did it cost? I�m not exactly looking for goldmedal horn but I would like to hang something on the wall when I get home so tell me more about the trophy quality. If you have any pictures, feel free to share them! Tell me everything!

Thanks again guys! I didn�t expect this much help!

IronMan.

Me and my friend did the hunting at gowerment land controlled by Forresty Comission, its about the same as "Assi Dom�n" here in Sweden.

The first time we whent to Scotland we was aiming for roe bucks in the spring. We booked the hunt thru Bhuels Jaktreiser in Denmark. The trip was a totall sucsess, I shot four sixpointers and my friend three at five days of hunting. We had a guide eatch and two different areas to hunt. After half time we shifted guides/grounds.

We got wery good friends with one of the guides and he helped us to arrange a directcontact with Forresty Commision. This way we arranged our trips by our selfe. We later shared one guide and took every other shot at bucks and stags. We have never been empty handed after a week of hunting. Even when we have been sharing one hunt.

The numbers of deer in almost unbelivable in the area we was hunting. One time me and my friend shot seven red deer stags at six days of hunting, sharing the hunt!

The price was a few years ago about �600 for a five days hunt (only the hunting). If you split that betveen two hunters it�s not that expensive. We stayed at a sheep farm with B&B for about �15 a night/person. You should be able to get a air ticket from Gothenburg or Stockholm for about 3000 SEK or mabye less. Avoid Heathrow when you traveling with guns!! Try to get a nonstop ticket to Edinburgh or Glasgow.

I have some sad news though Forresty Commision have been more unvilling to let hunters in lately. I haven�t been to Scotlan for some five years now but my friend have been back a few times and the last time our friend there told him that the hunting probably was closing down for foreigneirs.

If you would like to hunt the area we was in I could recomend a guy named Winston Churchill (yes that�s his real name!!). He is located outside of Dunoon north of Glasgow. He offer good hunting for both roe deer and red deer. Really nice guy.

Stefan.

I have lots of pictures but they are on slides so it�s tuff to scann them. I have a friend with a scanner that handles slides, I�ll try to get him and we�ll se.

Don�t give up on Poland so quick. Look at offers for combo hunts, e.g. with Birkhahn ( summer ), or driven boar hunt ( early autumn ). There are some really impressive woods there. Look at the offers, "5 days with 3 bucks, all included", but be careful.

I know a lot of German and Austrian hunters go there several times, so can�t be so bad.

Good Shooting! H

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Gentlemen,
Both Poland and Scotland are large enough as to have different hunting areas which, under different environmental conditions, will produce different bucks with different trophies, but, on average, Scotland does not produce the trophies Poland does.
On the other hand, Scotland provides better accomodations and is a language friendly country, but I have very satisfactorily hunted roe in Poland (and in Scotland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, France, England and Spain) without being ripped off.
Scotland is by far the cheapest option, and that has a lot to do with the average size of the trophies you will take there.
There is no free lunch anywhere, and if no trophy fee is asked for that is, though not always, beacause the trophies there might not be worth much.
You can't go wrong, one way or the other, but I would ask for, and verify, references.
Regards,
Montero

montero,

I would second your remarks about Scotland..yes you do get trophies, but on average the quality is higher in Southern England.
I'd be interested in hearing about the stalking/hunting possibilities in Spain and France. We have quite a few German stalkers
come over to the UK, so I'm guess these countries must be quite expensive to hunt in??

Ironman,

Did you get my e-mail??

Pete

well

I have been to Poland three times and i love it. The trophys are better in Poland than Scotland, and they also have a good wild life system in Poland which brings up alot of good trophys. Poland has a larger selection go game too.

If it should be a good hunt or not depends on who is aranging it. Ask for contacts with previous hunters and talk with them. Some of the Polish Ph are very good in judging size and medal class of the horns. I enjoy hunting from a open wagon pulled by horses. A friend of mine whent to north east Poland last year and shot three very nice roe bucks, one Gold and two silver medal horns. Hungary is very good to the area around Labod has very good trophy's on roe buck and red stag, but it's not for free.

The Polish people are friendly if you treat then nice and take their customs. Sometimes hunting roe buck in Poland is done at dusk or dawn. Bring a good light gathering scope. Preferably a european.

Hunting in Germanny is the same compared to Sweden, but the landowner can find you if you don't do good wild life management and shoots the right animals. So if wild boars do alot of damage on the crop you will be finded. The trophy inspectors also puts a green or red spot on your horns, if you shoot the right or wrong animal.

Some people in the carrer loop doesn't have time for wild life management and hunts in other countrys where they don't have to bother.
I will go to kraut land this atum hunting Boars and red stag.

[This message has been edited by JOHAN (edited 08-20-2001).]

Stefan,

I would check with the Forestry Commission direct. They are still producing information in many languages and as far as I am aware are taking out many nationalities. Foot and mouth may have curtailed things for a while but things are more or less back to normal in most areas I think.

Pete E:

Yes, I got your e-mail.

Right now I�m not sure where I want to go or if will be able to go at all. Polen is not out of the disscusion yet. If I go to Poland I will get the chance to hunt wild boar at the same time as roe deer...and that�s something I would really love!
Where I go will also depend on how much money I have to spend. I will keep on looking for info until it is time to buy the hunt. Poland looks like a great hunting country...lots of game! but for some reason I trust english people more....what am I going to do?!

1894,

When you say Forestry Commission, do you mean them or Forest Enterprise?? As far commercial stalking goes, I'm not really sure which body deals with what these days???

Pete

German hunters have pushed the prices in Poland well over my means. The great advantage of Scotland, is that the trophies are very light, and you end up hanging very nice antlers on the wall without paying huge fees. But the season is now well advanced.

Pete E,

Indeed I did mean Forest Enterprise. I think I may have been a little bit quick of the mark about things being more or less back to normal after FMD.

I just had my best Roe head CIC assessed. On a very, very short cut it weighed 300g and was not going to be a medal, not only because it didn't really weigh enough but because it was a bit short.

[This message has been edited by 1894 (edited 08-22-2001).]