Surely there is big game in Russia (like um, Russian Boar?). Do people go on guided hunts there?

Heck yes! Pretty much all parts of what used to be the Sovjet Union have hunting in one form or the other. Locations could include: Bellarus, Ukraine, Russia (proper), Uzbekistan, Kirgistan, Tajikistan, Kasakhstan and various Siberian destinations (pardon my inadequate spelling). Some of the World's best and most varied big game hunting is available in this huge area - from Siberian roe over maral (Asian wapiti) to Marco Polo sheep.

There are a ton of agencies offering hunts in the former Sovjet Union. US agencies include Safari Outfitters or The Hunting Consortium to name but a few with a lot of experience in this area. Most larger agencies will offer hunts in the former Sovjet Union.

Anything specific you are looking for??

- mike

Kamchatka is a great place for large brown bear from reports. A Siberian peninsular on the Pacific coast.

YES, YES,ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Bears, big red deer and elk and wild boars, and many others!!!
And I have some contact there
bye

YES, YES, we go there, it got the biggest Wild Pigs in Europe and a trip there can be a real hunting experience of a lifetime

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:There is fantastic hunting in Russia and there is a very enthusiastic hunting community. Do go if you get an opportunity - the people are also among the friendliest I have ever met.

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</blockquote><font class="post"><br /><br />very true<br /><br />I have been visiting USSR/Russia, seven times. it is actually a very nice continent. Food is nice, soo is nature. If you get a russian as friend they will treat you as one of the family. If you are pissing them off they will treat you as a first class enemy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Cheers<br />/ NAHOJ

Crazyquik,

Be very careful when booking a hunt in Russia!!! Go with a reputable agent that has long term experience there. I got ripped off on a Bear & Boar hunt there. Don't book with Denny Geurink of Outdoor Adventures. Our hunt through him was a very bad situation and nothing was as promised.

When I was a Kid during the Cuban Missle Crisis, they had a program on Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchov , they had a clip of him shooting a running moose and dumping it with one shot. Also some kind of drinking party in the snow at the lodge. I always though better of him after that. Even more so after I read his memiors. My mom said there was a lot more to him than using his shoe at the UN. Hunting in Russia, you bet and then some, You could lose yourself in Seiberia for years if you wanted to. I was in Moscow back in 1995 and I could have gone Tiger Hunting if I wanted. No way to bring one of those home, so I when on a driven boar hunt, I had a blast. They can be very good hosts and good friends if the decide you are worth being a friend too.

How do the bears match up with those in Alaska, and is it more affordable?

Red

The bears on Kamchatka (sp?) peninsula are comparable in size to the Alaskan Brownies - big salmon eating monsters. It is always hard to compare prices, what do you get for what $$$, flights, hidden costs, trophy transportation etc etc?? It is my impression, that the Russian bear hunting is probably a notch below Alaskan in prices. You'd have to verify that on your own, though. Plus, as stated above, be picky when it comes to choosing the guy to sell you the hunt. Experience counts.
- mike

Well Kruschev wasnt the only one of the communist parties that hunted.

Tito hunted

The Hungarians hunted

Ceauscescu hunted

The East-Germans hunted very much, they had the weekly meeting on friday and if it wasnt anything extraordinary ,those meetings lasted no more than 20 minutes, after that they went hunting.

And their secretarys had to explain that "comrade Mielke is sic or busy or in a meeting" and so also for Honecker, they looked down on you if you didnt hunt!!

Well good that the wall is down and i dont know anything wery important!!

Yeltsin hunted

But not Putin, as far as i know he has newer hunted.

Can anyone comment on the hunting experiences to be found in European Russia? We hear a lot more about Siberia and the CIS states.

Does the red deer/boar hunting follow the Germanic hunting traditions? Are hunts conducted on state reserves, with the hunting agencies only adding an interpreter and better class of accomodation? Any experiences would be welcome.
Hawkeye, can you tell us a bit about your hunt?

The Siberian Roe buck,thats the name of them is larger than the the one in north and Central Europe,it can weigh up to 80 kg, thats like a deer!!

quote:

Originally posted by Boghossian:
Can anyone comment on the hunting experiences to be found in European Russia? We hear a lot more about Siberia and the CIS states.

How do you define "European Russia"?? Anything west of the Ural - which is normally considered the border between Europe and Siberia?? If that is the case, then I have hunted a few times in "European Russia" (plus once in the Ukraine). There are a lot of hunting opportunities surrounding Moscow - typically reachable in a long drive or via an overnight train journey. I believe the same holds true for areas around St Petersburg. Many years ago, I hunted pigs in one of areas close to Moscow, and I know bear, moose and (partially) maral are also offered. Most commonly amongst Continental European hunters, Russia is also the prime destination for black grouse and capercaille in the spring.

Further south, the area around the Don River used to hold Russia's prime areas for red deer hunting. There is still one fabled area called "Alexanderwald", where some incredible reds are taken (at pretty incredible prices as well).

Further south yet, the Caucasian mountains offer fabulous hunting for tur, reds, bear, pigs, chamois and what-not. Surely, in spite of its troubled politics, Caucasus must range among the World's prime hunting destinations.

quote:

Does the red deer/boar hunting follow the Germanic hunting traditions? Are hunts conducted on state reserves, with the hunting agencies only adding an interpreter and better class of accomodation? Any experiences would be welcome.

I believe it is rare to find hunting as much oriented towards stand hunting in Russia, so that alone sets it apart from the Germanic tradition. The areas are often too large and game populations too spread out for stand hunting to be effective. That said, when I hunted boar near Moscow, we sat on stands in the night - so that was not much different.

State reserves easily offer the best hunting, and are often the first choice when you go anywhere in Russia. Other areas are often plagued with poaching problems, and only the state areas have the privilege of being able to focus on good, long term game management.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mr rigby:
The Siberian Roe buck,thats the name of them is larger than the the one in north and Central Europe,it can weigh up to 80 kg, thats like a deer!!

I think 80 kg for a Siberian roe is excessive. 40 kg might be more like it - which is still about double the weight of regular (European) roe.
- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mr rigby:
Yeltsin hunted

But not Putin, as far as i know he has newer hunted.

It seems that Putin is after different kinds of real BIG game, like Chechen terrorists or wicked oligarchs.

http://www.diana.dk/file/4313

this a picture of the siberian roedeer.