Carpathian Red Deer

28 July 2004, 23:50

Boghossian

Carpathian Red Deer

Hi,
Has anyone heard of these? Is it a subspecies or just a regional variety?
I was supposed to hunt these with my dad in Slovakia this year, but my schedule does not allow it so my dad gets to do the dirty work. Just want to know what I am missing...

29 July 2004, 02:19

Steve Malinverni

Boghossian,
by my opinion it define only the hunting region, nothing else except, the dimensions or weight, but in my IMVHO it is a very very big maybe.
An Italian Red deer is a veryl little bit smaller and lighter than a Danubian that is a veryl little bit smaller and lighter than a Siberian one.

29 July 2004, 02:41

NitroX

I believe I remember reading the Carpathian red deer herds produced exceptional trophies. And probably price tags to match.

And what an 'exotic' sounding place to hunt - Carpathian mountains.

29 July 2004, 03:55

Steve Malinverni

Nitrox,
I agree with you: about trophy quality no doubt, about prices also no doubt, very expensive.
1472ï¿½ to pay the organization for a 4 days hunting in Romania, this were the last info that I had, without the trophy fees, of course based on the weight or the CIC points.
But what a wilderness......!!

29 July 2004, 09:04

Boghossian

I found a small tidbit on an outfitter's website that said they weigh more than an average red, and the antlers are heavier and longer with fewer points.
Well, I think the same thing will happen this year as last, where he called in the middle of class to tell me he had shot a bit trophy urial

BTW steve, how much does the average Italian stag weigh? I read somewhere that some deer were brought there from Chambord in France, is this true? How was the game fair? I missed it again

29 July 2004, 11:56

mho

Quote:

Hi,
Has anyone heard of these? Is it a subspecies or just a regional variety?

Red deer hunting in the Carpathian mountains is about as classic a red deer hunt as you can find in Eastern Europe. The Carpathians themselves stretch over a multitude of countries - ranging from the central part of the range in Romania, the northen parts in Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia and the southern parts coming down towards Serbia. If you look for classic Carpathian red deer hunting literature, the central (Romanian) part makes up the lion's share. Most books I have encountered about this subject have been in German, though.

The Carpathians were (and are) heavily wooded, and the classic hunting is often described as taking place in primeval forests, with long foot hikes to reach hunting areas, spending the nights in miserable forest huts, and calling deer in the thickest possible vegetation. Not easy hunting, but all the more challenging. It is obvious that in such conditions, some stags had the opportunity to grow old, and their trophies would bear sign of the age. It is probably also true to say, that if you are simply looking for the biggest trophy (then and now), there are more promising places to go. Bulgaria produces some amazing antler weights these days, as does Alexanderwald in Russia - for those with pockets deep enough to pay. For those who would prefer the challenge of Carpathian stag hunting, I think you'd better set your sights for a trophy size between 6-8kg - obviously with the opportunity of the odd larger set of antlers. That makes Carpathian stag hunting both an exiting and (comparatively) affordable option - at least compared to other Eastern European destinations.

Are Carpathian deer a species apart? I'm not sure what the taxinomists would say, but in the literature you find references to "typical" Carpathian antler and "introduced" antler attributes - the difference often described as the "typical" being less heavy than the "introduced". More of a mountain stag, to over-simplify matters.

Pity you could not go this year, maybe next?
- mike