Can someone recommend an outfitter in either Scandanavia or Russia to hunt these birds with good success. Thanks

Greg, let me talk to a friend of mine and get back to you shes hunted them numerous times.
LDK

Greg, she recommends Sweden, Norway or Bielorussia. She is currently in France but will get you some details ASAP. I will forward to you. Regards, David

Thanks, David. If you can get the name of the outfitter, that would be great. Greg

Here you go Greg...check out the video then feel free to contact me.

http://youtu.be/qMhBZryvIXk

Best place for Capercaillie is Sweden. You can also get the Black Grouse on the same hunt.

P.S. If you want to bring the trophies back to USA for taxidermy then Sweden is the best option. If you go to Russia you will have a great hunt but you will not be able to bring the birds back into USA for Taxidermy.

Collector, thanks. I will check out elite hunting. Just curious, why won't USFW not allow importation from Russia?

Hi Greg,

Here is the thread from my Sweden Capercaillie hunt.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...4121043/m/2221027561


RUSSIA:
USDA has restrictions on certain countries from where any kind of birds cannot be imported because of Bird flu virus (H5N1). There is no restrictions on going there and hunting those birds, as long as you do not bring the birds back into the United States for taxidermy.

More pics from the Capercaillie hunt.

Capercaillie is the biggest grouse in the world.


Beautiful coloration on head. Eye combs are spectacular.


Massive thick necks...males can ruffle up their neck feathers and they look twice their size for their courtship displays.


This is a huge Caper...as big as they come.


Feet get hairier and hairier as winter approaches.


Cabin with electricity, hot showers, comfortable beds.


Lunch is usually done out in the woods but dinner is prepared back at the cabin....one of our guides is a professional chef.


A hen Capercaillie hanging out in the old forest.

Sweden is definitely agreat destination for Capercaillie. See the thread in my signature: Scandinavian Safari 2. Hunting them with finspitz is awesome!

This is the hunt for me. As soon as I get my taxidermists kids through college with my last 2 safaris, I will begin saving for this hunt. I think it will make a magnificent mount, and enable me to see Sweden, which is one of the few Euro countries I haven't seen and yet really want to. In fact I might add a tour of Finland to the trip, and "kill 2 birds with one stone" so to speak. Thanks for posting this great thread.

Do it wintertime with skies and you will have one of the best hunts Sweden can offer

nice photos collector ,very interesting .

Wow!
how many pounds are these birds?
Shotgun or rimfire?

Greg, info sent

quote:

Originally posted by Norseman:
Wow!
how many pounds are these birds?
Shotgun or rimfire?

8-11 pounds. Old stories of 12-13pounds are told, but as far as I know never proved.

Shotgun and dog in autum, a good rifle in wintertime (the birds sit in top of trees). I would say minimum 222Rem, 6,5x55 is probably the most used caliber.

quote:

Originally posted by collector:
Here you go Greg...check out the video then feel free to contact me.

http://youtu.be/qMhBZryvIXk

Best place for Capercaillie is Sweden. You can also get the Black Grouse on the same hunt.

P.S. If you want to bring the trophies back to USA for taxidermy then Sweden is the best option. If you go to Russia you will have a great hunt but you will not be able to bring the birds back into USA for Taxidermy.

Is it possible to hunt capercaillie in the spring?

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:
she recommends Sweden, Norway or Bielorussia. She is currently in France but will get you some details ASAP. I will forward to you. Regards, David

David, is the spring hunting possible in Sweden or Norway, but i think - the spring is the best time for this hunt.
you can see our video in Belarus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc77kmhq6ww&feature=player_embedded

Spring hunting is not legal in Norway or Sweden.

quote:

Originally posted by Muntjac:
Spring hunting is not legal in Norway or Sweden.

Thanks Muntjac,

I know that the spring hunting is possible in:
1.Russia
2.Belarus
3.Kazakstan
4.Letland
5.Romania
6.Bulgari
7.Austria

other countries?

Here's what I have found:

The Scandinavian countries offer fall and winter hunts. In the early fall they use "Barking dogs" to locate and distract the birds. In the winter, you use cross country skis to move about the Forrest until you sight a bird. Most of the time, the birds are shot with something like a 223, but a shotgun is possible. The winter hunts will be cold but the scenery breathtaking.

In Russia and Belarus, the hunting can be done in the spring. Best time is about the 3rd week of April when the males are singing their mating calls. I have been told the Russian birds are the largest in size. Here, you move slowly at dawn and only take steps while the bird is singing. Apparently, for a few short seconds, while it sings it can not either hear or see. You move when they sing and freeze when they stop. Someone referred to this as the "Cappacailie two step". Once you get to 30-40 yards, you use a shotgun.

On most hunts, you can also shoot black cock and Hazel grouse. In Russia, you can shoot additional Cappacailies for a trophy fee. Most hunts are 4-5 days. I have seen prices from anywhere Fromm $1500-$3000 all inclusive. On the Russian hunts, you fly to Moscow and get picked up and dropped off at the airport without overnighting. The drive is 3-5 hours north. In Sweden, you can either take a train from the capital or a smaller plane to get to the hunting grounds.

Birds from Sweden, Norway, etc are importable into the US. I was told originally that birds from Eastern Europe and Russia were not importable into the US. However, this is not the case. Birds from Russia ARE importable to the US as long as they are treated by a taxidermist and there is an attestation to this.
If you ask the USFW, they incorrectly say they are not. However, the CDC recently rescinded the previous edict, and you CAN get an import permit from the USDA. I received all this info from my good friends at Flaura and Forna in NY. I have a copy of the import permit application in hand.


Right now, I am researching outfitters and references. Whether hunting with dogs or skis in Sweden and spring hunting in Russia, it sounds like a wild adventure. Going to have to do them all. These birds are just awesome!

Greg

Greg, please dont forget a Belarus.
the capercaillie hunting in our hunting area in Belarus.

quote:

Originally posted by just-a-hunter:
This is truely awesome. I have never heard of these birds before.

What shot do you all use? Are they usually shot on the wing if using dogs?

Beautiful birds!

Todd

Hello Todd,

we use the shotguns 12/70
or .22 Hornet
The hunt is without dogs.
you can see this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ture=player_embedded

Fr hunting cappacaille in Norway (and possibly Sweden) one could try contacting this company;
http://dintur.no/Holiday-in-Norway/home/?NavId=62

We are heading out for a Beaver hunt in Sweden in the new year and waiting to arrange the Capercaille exploratory hunt too. I want to combine it with black grouse too.

I don't think I am fit enough to do the skiing hunt this year but may have a go in the near future. It will give me an excuse to shed a few pounds!!

K

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Beaver hunt
K

You're joking I take it? The beaver hunt will be at night in the pubs followed by capercaille/black grouse during the day, right?

Hunting beaver is illegal here.....trapping is routine. I could kill a pile of them every year if I could shoot the ones slapping their tails outside my decoy spread.

Hi Norton,

I'm sorry to dissappoint but I am going to Sweeden to hunt big rodenty things!!

We will also be hunting Roe Deer as the season opens two days later and going for Capercaille in the autumn/winter next year.

I will need to get me a drilling first though...

Rgds,
K

FYI, Buyer beware. I booked a hunt through Igor (Profyhunter) and hunted with his contact in Kyrgyzstan for Ibex this past September, 2012. On that hunt we were arrested by the police because the outfitter did not properly fill out all the necessary paperwork or had the proper Governmental Person along on the hunt to make sure the outfitter hunted correctly. With the arrest they also confiscated our trophies, horns and the capes of the Ibex. The outfitter assured us that he would get back the trophies and ship them at his expense in 2 weeks and that we would not have to pay him the balance of the hunt until we received the trophies. On my return I notified Igor of this as he was the booking agent/ part owner of this operation. Igor then changed the date to December. Well guys December is gone and now Igor and his outfitter want us to pay them in full for our hunt before they will ship us the promised trophies. I believe they just wanted to suck us out of our money and not ship us the hunted trophies we took. I believe the skins are bad or damaged at this point and they will be shipping to us either rotten or someone else's animals not our own. First off Kyrgyzstan is a corrupt country and everyone should not be trusted, secondly Igor made all of these promises that he runs this outfitter and he calls the shots with him. Instead of making the situation right , he as added to the shamelessness of asking for our payments before we have in our possessions the skins in hand ( Bribery !!!) Now to add to all of this I was promised and set with our Booking Agent Igor, that we would combine our Ibex hunt with a Roe Deer hunt, well guess what again. The outfitter made every excuse in the book to not take us on the Roe Deer hunt , The Deer hunt that was booked with Igor. Igor uses this web site as free advertising for his bookings and uses the cancellation hunt as a means of attracting clients. We bit on this and got screwed. I can tell you that his pricing he states in the cancellation is exactly the same deal you can get from the outfitter anytime, it is no savings, they are trying to get you to fill an open spot.. If you want more info PM me back here on this forum. There were three of us on this hunt and I will get the other as well to post theirs on here too.
Steve - USA Hunter