Hello, Folks. I am away to Estonia next month for the first time (first time hunting anything other than pheasants abroad) and was wondering if anybody could give me any pointers as to what to expect. As far as I know it will be mainly Boar and possibly Moose on the menu. Anybody been before wiling to share their experience?

Cheers

S

Dont forget Rupert the Brown BEAR !

Surely your guide or host have confirmed with you already what is on the menu and cost ?

I have hunted there previously on 02 occasions and both times hunting licences was applied well before arrival by the host who is a local resident.

Great country and affordable if you have the correct contacts.

125 - 200 euros a day shooting boars with local hunting clubs.

If you know somebody local then he or she can get you a big game tag for PEANUTS

Thanks, Londonhunter. Im going as a guest of someone, hence the information at the moment is a bit patchy, looking forward to it,though.

Bring something meaty if you are allowed to shoot a moose however I think the season starts later in October / November (correct me if I am wrong)

I am due there again in January.

Hope the creatures are ANGRY and CHARGE

I have hunted in Lithuania next door.
The minimum bullet weight for Boar there is 180g
Be prepared to drink a lot of Vodka.
Customs at Riga are pretty easy with import and export of firearms and you only need a European Firearms Pass.
You will of course need your UK certificates to take guns out of the country.

Trapper

Any more cheap deals for boars in Lithuaina this year ? PLease drop me a PM

I have got such an itch this year need to fill up all my weekends with hunts

Londonhunter,
Pretty fully booked this side of Xmas with one thing and another.
I don't think we are organising anything until February now.
I'll send you a PM when I know the details.

THanks trapper

Boar or no boar I enjoy nice company like yourself rather than BIG trophies.

I believe we might be game shooting together in the next few months as well correct ?

Sorry to say, but:
Expect poor or none English spoken among the locals.
Expect pretty poor organising of the hunt with a lot of waiting.
Expect the trophy fees given not be valid.

I've never arrived to Estonia from the UK but from Finland it's a breeze with no customs or passport bureaucracy whatever.

On the upside: lots of boar (that will come fast), lots of moose, and lots of roe deer.
The locals' preferred game is boar.
With luck you may shoot wolf or lynx of which there are also a lot. Especially wolf seem to be exceptionally plentiful this year.

Whatever you do, don't shoot a sow - that'll cost you an arm and a leg.
If there is a "train" of pigs running, don't shoot the first or the last: they're the sows. The ones in the middle are the piglets.

If you get a chance, do the evening hunts from a stand at the feeds. You'll need plenty of scope: x56 with illuminated reticle. Note the word "scope", a Tasco, Leupold or like mickey-mouse tube with lenses will not make do.
This for the evening hunt.
For the daytime driven hunts screw the magnification of the scope as low as it goes: field of view is key. A red dot sight would be even better!

Caliber-wise anything from 6,5x55SE on up.
Use good bullets like Norma Oryx, Nosler, Barnes etc. The pigs can be pretty darn big, and if wounded, aggressive! Also the skeleton of the moose is tough, indeed, and although moose is a fairly easy kill, I would not want to shoot it with toy bullets.
A combo gun or shotgun with slugs is often used but I have never seen the benefit over a rifle. (This also speaks that the shooting distances tend to be short.)

Shooting distances tend to be short unless you're standing on/by a field. At this time of the year that is unlikely, however.
Morning hunt for roe may also call for approx. 150m long shots in dim light.

Rain is very likely and when it rains, the ground is shit (clay: wet and slippery and it's pretty damn deep!) so make sure you have good wellies rather than low-cut leather shoes or like.
Night-time it will get cold and the temperature may easily be below zero Celsius.

For driven hunt you'll need a red or orange vest or jacket and cap. I recommend orange as it is most visible.

- Lars/Finland

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:
THanks trapper

Boar or no boar I enjoy nice company like yourself rather than BIG trophies.

I believe we might be game shooting together in the next few months as well correct ?

Londonhunter.......yes, I'm really looking forwards to it and so is the dog.

Schaukis, yes you are right, a small amount of English but a great willingness to get along and share.
Lithuanian Hunts are very organised but still a lot of waiting. It takes time to deploy everyone around a forest block.
Hi-vis hats and waistcoats a requirement
Trophy fees were only on forestry land but you need to offer drink or food on hunts at least
No Moose, Red Stags, Wolves or Lynx but lots of Boar, Red Does and Roe where I was.

Thanks everybody for all the info, just what I was looking for. Off next week so hopefully some of them big moose have made their way down from Russia.........

Trapper,

Salius mailed me a couple of days ago and there is some boar shooting at the end of November available.

I'#ll call him back and see what the form is. From what I understand it is drive hunting in the day followed by an evening in the high seat.

Ben where are you shooting this year?

Rgds,
K

quote:

Originally posted by Trapper Dave:

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:
THanks trapper

Boar or no boar I enjoy nice company like yourself rather than BIG trophies.

I believe we might be game shooting together in the next few months as well correct ?

Londonhunter.......yes, I'm really looking forwards to it and so is the dog.

Schaukis, yes you are right, a small amount of English but a great willingness to get along and share.
Lithuanian Hunts are very organised but still a lot of waiting. It takes time to deploy everyone around a forest block.
Hi-vis hats and waistcoats a requirement
Trophy fees were only on forestry land but you need to offer drink or food on hunts at least
No Moose, Red Stags, Wolves or Lynx but lots of Boar, Red Does and Roe where I was.

Trapper are you getting you dog over to Lithuania ? Is it a lot of hassle ?

I have got access to a lot of woodcock shooting, literally unbelievable amount but without a dog its pointless.

Londonhunter,
No the dog say's he isn't going further than Blackham and then isn't going to do anything if:
a) He doesn't get a bigger bit of my bacon butty at the start and
b) He isn't allowed to have a good sniff around the Beater's Dog's butts and
c) He isn't allowed to look on scornfully as I miss a sitter with both barrels and
d) He doesn't get to mooch round and scrounge for food during the shoot lunch/dinner.

Sometimes I wonder if he's any use at all......but then he thinks that about me!

But there are already some good dogs in Lithuania which we might be able to recruit.

I have somehow never got somebody else's dog to work the birds for me.

Even when the owner is next peg to me

I find rented dog always work the birds towards the owner even though he is not shooting.

What's your secret ?

Tuesday he disgraced himself by stealing a hanging pheasant and biting the head and wings off.
Bad boy, in the doghouse!

Yesterday I shot two bucks since the season is ending and I needed to cull some, the second ran in fading light and we had to search for it.
Needless to say, it was his nose that followed the blood trail and found it in a patch of soft rush a short distance away but left of where I was searching.
good boy! Well done!

Dogs........love them one minute, cuss them the next!