Erik

Congratulations. A fine Royal stag.

Can I ask where Masuria in NE Poland is? Which major town would be closest?

I note you mention the roar. Were you roaring (calling) as well to attract the stag?

I would love to hunt a European bison one day. Especially since finding out bison roamed the same region at the same time as when my ancestors left Europe for Australia (1838).

NitroX,

Thanks a lot! Masuria is the former East Prussia and the area we hunted, the Puszca Borecka, is close to Gizycko in the triangle towards the north east (Goldap) and the east (Olecko) - maybe a map might help you:


I think the roar is the English name for the red deer mating season (?), and we heard stags roaring quite a lot, but neither my guide nor myself had a call to imitate the roar - actually I found that quite a pity - in several situations I think the roar could have worked quite well and would have helped us to see the stag before he had seen or smelled us (we had quite problems with the weather - too warm, rainy and quite windy - and worst the wind was not steady...). That's something which I will definitively train at home for the next hunt. We still have a red deer call at home from my grandfather and I think also some old calling training records

If you are interested in your ancestors and also like a good hunt then I would definitively recommend to go there, but I'm not sure that you would really love to hunt the Bison - it is quite expensive (I think about 8-10.000� for a gold medal bull), and I would probably invest that amount of money into red deer AND cape buffalo hunting - should be more exciting.

Best regards

Erik

Erik



Thanks for the reply.



Red stag calling is an art I also have to learn. Many keen Aussie and Kiwi (NZer) hunters are very skilled but I have never hunted red deer in the roar. I think if I tried it they would run away.



I have several CDs of various deer calls and when interested listen to them. I have tried these on my own stags (fallow deer in a deer farm) but I think the CD stag sounds bigger and he doesn't come near. Plus he has all the girls already. Will try it oneday on wild stags and see if they react.



I was lucky to attend (by chance) a eleven country (Czech, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Swiss, Slovenia + ?) competition in the Czech Republic (I forget the town) where one of the competitions was stag calling with several classes using such tools as conch shells, plastic pipes etc. Very good and believeable calls from the master callers. Another competition was for the best goulasch.



My ancestors did not come from East Prussia but from East Brandenberg in 1838. Were there bison then there? I would not have thought so but in 2002 I saw a bison trophy hanging in Konopiste castle in Southern Bohemia dated 1838 and with the location of the town of Meseritz which was to the North of my ancestors home. Still plenty of red, fallow and roe deer there plus boar and small game. One day I hope to go back for a hunt.



Yes bison are very expensive and a few more buffalo may need to come first.



Congratulations on your fine stag again.

NitroX,

you are right - red deer calling in the roar is an art and quite difficult to master when you are not having a lot of practice.

From my previous experiences hunting red deer the guide also was able do some roars and I think that's what I will also strive to learn, so in such a situation with a calling deer I could at least get his attention... I think that should not be too difficult to learn. (I've also attended once a Red Deer Roaring Contest, but only the German "championship" - which was quite an experience)

I think in the area where your ancestors come from there has always been a smaller fenced population of European Bison owned by a count - that could explain the trophy, but from my knowledge the European Bion only survived in the wildness of the forest of Bialowieca; it was also re-introducted into the Pusca Borezca I think about 25 years ago.

Best regards

Erik

ErikT,
First of all congratulations to you and your dad on your hunt! I had no idea that Bison roamed Europe until I saw your pictures. You sir have educated me. Thanks-JDL