Not sure I got the spelling right, but I shot my first pig in Austria yesterday. Interesting experience. Was here on business working with another small company interested in reselling our software in the EU. He took me hunting and paid for it out of his own pocket. The generosity displayed by most host was most touching. The ceremony around the hunt was quite interesting.

Weidmannsheil on a successful hunt!

- mike

quote:

Weidmannsheil

Weidmannsdank

One other thing: the amount of hochsitz in Austria is stunning. If there a field 100 m by 100m, it has a hochsitz in it. Austria is hunting country!

My first hunt overseas was Austria. I was so moved by it my life was changed a little after that.
After that I hunted all over Europe but for the most part the Austrian Alps is hard to compare.

I did have a simalar expiriance in the German alps but we could have thrown a rock into Austria from there.

I want to try Switzerland next and they do have the beautiful Alps there but I think they have some of there own traditions that will make a hunt wonderfull and unique.

Waidmannshiel AZ You will always dream of the Austrian countryside now and the memories will be sweet.

Please some photo's

Not that it matters, but what's the difference between Jaeger (can't do umlauts here) and Weidmann? Is one German and the other more Austrian?

quote:

Austria is hunting country!

DEFINITLY !

quote:

Originally posted by Shack:
Not that it matters, but what's the difference between Jaeger (can't do umlauts here) and Weidmann? Is one German and the other more Austrian?

"Weidmann" is a traditional expression for Hunter (German: Jäger). In the German hunting culture (largely adopted - with modifications - in countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium and parts of France), the hunters have their own expressions for a bunch of things. This "special" lingo is known as "Weidmannsprache" which translates directly to "Hunters' Language". In this language, a hunter is referred to as a "Weidmann".

Other parts of the German hunting culture deal with issues such as hunting ethics ("Weidmännisch"), horn signals, treatment of quarry (e.g. "Letzte Bissen" - "Last Bite" - and "Bruch" - attributes of a successful hunt signalled with little branches) etc etc. It is all very interesting and - to outsiders - probably a bit quaint.

There is an endless discussion whether the correct way of writing "Weidmann" is with "ei" or "ai" - as in "Waidmann". I shall not attempt to persuade anybody in either direction, but simply observe that you will find both methods of spelling.

- mike

Thanks Mike, that's interesting..there are actually references on youtube to both spellings. I see that both spelling variants are used to describe on youtube this excellent march selection - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkNzvm12d3c

Hi to all,
my contribute to the topic, today, on a Italian Hunting Magazine, I found an article on these traditions. They belong to that countries that have been under the Empire and the Prussian Reign (both finished in the 1918 after the IWW). In fact these traditions are present also in Romania, I saw the Austrian-Hungarian Imperial border rocks between Bucharest and Brasof, that was named Kronstad.

Now it is less evident, because near 100 years passed and, of course, the Romenian administration worked to change the old Austrian-Hungarian traditions, but they still resist (this info are "flour of my sack" as is usually to be said in Italy.).

Also in Italy we have areas where this traditions are present and they were part of the A-H empire, they are the North-East Alpine region like Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli. There is however the attempt to share this traditions also in other north Italian regions, even if I think that it is the mentality of that hunters that should be explained and spreaded.

About the endless discussion whether the correct way of writing "Weidmann" is with "ei" or "ai" - as in "Waidmann", the article says that it that the older version is "Weidmann", and that "Waidmann" is a newer way to write it strongly supported by the ReichJagdMeister Goering. I think that both can be considered correct.

As my native language (Norwegian) has old German roots, we use both the old term Veidemann (Weidmann) and Jeger to describe a hunter/stalker.

As we have never been a part of the Europeean Aristocracy (spelling ?), Norwegian hunting has always been for meat, and done by the common man.
Our hunting traditions (the way to threat the carcass after shot) are therefor better left unspoken.
It goes to the freezer without any hornblowing or other seremonies as soon as it tender enough

On the other hand, I have the utmost respect for the old Continental Traditions.

Edit: AZwriter...and of cource, congratulation!!

Much like Arild, hunting in New Zealand has no traditions surrounding the taking of game and paying respect to the animal afterwards (aside from a humane kill of course).

I admit to feeling slightly guilty when I have shot a deer, as usually I just cut the guts out and chop its head off, and throw them in a bush. The carcass is then unceremoniously carried to wherever I can hang it, to be cut up into the various cuts.

I think it's nice to see what many Europeans do, it must add to the experience.