Hunting woodcock (Szalonka) in Hungary in the area of Zrinyi Miklós Hunting Company.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being invited to hunt woodcock in Debrecen in the east of Hungary. A friend of mine, Silad from the veterinary university invited me. Silad is already a veterinarian and also an avid hunter. I left Budapest on Friday afternoon and came to Debrecen in the early evening. After a quick meal, we headed out for some hunting, I got to borrow a Berretta Semiautomatic shotgun from my friend, and it fit me quite nicely.

The spring hunt for the woodcock is famous and highly valued here in Hungary. The woodcock or the Szalonka as it is called here, are flying in the dusk and dawn. It is passing trough Hungary on its way to the breeding grounds in northern Europe, its flies during the night, but at the same time they use the dusk and dawn for finding a partner, and challenge rivals. It’s is only then the bird will give the hunters a chance.

It is a fast bird and has a very irregular in flightpattern. You are standing in a small clearing in the forest, and you need to be very alert. You only get short glimpse of the birds, flying just in line with the treetops. It proved to be one of the more challenging shooting I have ever experienced.

The first evening I went out with Silad, his brother and father. They also had a Short Hair German Pointer to help with recovering birds. As the guest I got a prime spot to stand, we spread out with about a 100 meters between us. Me and Silad got a nice start of the hunt, we where standing around talking about how the birds fly and that it would not fly until about 7 o’clock, 5 minutes before 7 o’clock Silad shouts out, and points! I managed to get a short glimpse of the bird passing well within shooting range, but there was no way to get a shot at it! So Silad jogged on to the place he was supposed to stand. And the hunt started.

It didn’t take more than 10 minutes before there was some action, a bird passed me, and I shot at it, tree shots, only after the shooting I realised that I had shot at a duck… A bit shameful I found that I had misjudged the distance between the bird and me with about 30 meters, not a very nice start, Silad's father came with the dog, and I had to explain that I had missed and that it was a duck…

10 minutes later I got a new chance, 2 birds, Szalonka this time, flew right over my place, I managed to get of 2 shots, but again, I missed, and right before the shooting light disappeared, I missed an other couple… So there where lots of birds, but poor shooting on my part. Both couples had passed over Silad’s brother first, but with typical Hungarian hospitality he had let them pass, to no avail.

Saturday morning Silad and me was out at about 4.30. He had talked to the game keeper that said that there would be light at 5 o’clock, it wasn’t… At 5.20 there was still not really much lighter and we where a bit cold, swearing at the gamekeeper that probably hadn’t set his clock for summer time. Suddenly Silad hears the unique sound of the Szalonka and points out the direction for me, he dives down, giving me a clear shot at the bird that appeared a few seconds later. One shot and the bird collapses. It fell down on the other side of a small stream, me and Silad got out our touchlights and ran to find it, the Szalonka are so well camouflaged that you must try to find it immediately or it will disappear in the dense bushes and undergrowth. We heard the bird flapping in the bushes and after 10minutes, that seemed like 30, Silad found the bird.


Me and Silad with the first bird

After a big Hungarian breakfast we got some sleep before going clay shooting. After lunch, we had a trip around Debrecen, a very nice town, and the second largest in Hungary. Maybe most interesting for a student like me was the huge university with its impressive buildings and campus. Definitely worth the visit.

Then it was time for hunting again, we had a quick coffee and chat with an other member of the hunting corporation, before going out. I chose a different place to stand this time. And sure enough only a few minutes after I got there, the Szalonka swipes into range. Double miss. It passed over Silad too, but too long range.

I had ducks passing over me this time to, but I had learned my lesson and held the shot. A little later a new chance came, and a Woodcock, flies straight for me, this time I got a good shoot and the bird went down like a rock. It landed in the clearing and was easy to find. This was all we saw evening. We decided to skip going out on Sunday morning, and I went back to Budapest in the afternoon.


Me and Silad with both birds

2 birds is an excellent result for a first timer, and I was very happy about it. As a trophy, you take out two small feathers from each wing, which is hard as bone, and one from the tail that is shaped like a small paintbrush. When you get 10 or more they can be made into a small rose to but in your hunting hat. The first bird I got will go to a preparator, and preparated in the traditional way, hanging from its feet. I also got 3 bird that I will cook this week.

I have to thank Silad and his family for the hospitably and maybe especially for the great food, eggtoast, pancakes, bean soup, chicken in sour cream and paprika, tokaj wines, schnapps, home made ham and deer sausage to mention a few.

Hope to be back in autumn for some more hunting, but now it’s back to the books here in Budapest




Johan

A wonderful story and photos, Johan

Thanks, what a good post.
It was good fortune when I was a student to rent a cottage which was on the Woodcock flightpath from the woodland on the other side of the vally. They were predictable too, and when the fancy took me I would pop out in the evening a bag a brace.
Tell me, did you eat the entrails? There is nothing better to eat than Woodcock.

Hi

I cut out the breasts, keept the keelbones and hearts too, I'll fry the breast very lightly in some butter. The bones and hearts I will boil to make a stock for a nice, creamy sause I'll do it toninght.

Johan

Johan

Thanks for the story - I'm glad you are still managing to hunt whilst studying!

Is there any chance of shooting for big game once the seasons open up? I know the populations of Deer and Wild Boar are exceptional...

Rgds Ian

Allright Johan - good shooting too, woodcokcs are soft - one pellet is all it takes, tho those shots are realy demanding,.

We used to hunt them untill 1994 when greenies here closed them down - pathetic - Italy, Hungary, Austria and Croatia are hunting them but tiny Slovenia in the middle would save them

Weidmannsheil!

This is a very traditional and highly thought of hunt in Central Europe. The German name is "Schnepfenstrich" - Schnepfe = Woodcock. Sadly, there are few places where populations still allow this hunt to take place.

- mike

Tillykke!!
I went with some companions to Hungary also at Easter for this sport.
Here in Ireland we have our fair share of woodcock in the winter.This season we were particularly well favoured. However shooting woodcock at dusk and dawn has been banned here long before I picked up a gun[nb,not particularly long in the tooth].
But we felt ,well you got to try lifes experiences, and the price wasnt staggering.The season is only March 10 to April 10.Walking them up over dogs is not allowed so this really turned us on our heads.I went in the Autumn for some pheasant shooting.There were cock in some of the drives but we were forbidden to shoot them.
Like Johan we were out of our beds ,orribly early,330 for a 4 am start.Summertime had not started.
We had 3 days shooting.It rained,snowed and was pleasant.Unlike Ireland, snow in Hungary is the deathknell of shooting,cock so there was a blank day.
What I did learn was the noise woodcock make travelling. This is different from the males roding call.Its a call I have often heard at night out lamping foxs and often wondered what was flying overhead. Our knowledge grows with our experience.
We heard a lot of woodcock,saw a good few,shot at some and managed to put some in the bag.I added a pig to the bag 1 evening from a highseat.Our guide invited one of us to try each evening so I took him up and used a drilling,a weapon I have previously shied away from as being to complicated to operate when the adrenalin rush kicks in.Ya know what I mean?
But I had sufficient time to acquaint myself with all 3 barrels doing eenie meenie minny mo in the high seat to myself and the job got done.
Hungary is very rich in game and worth a visit although the trophy fees can be a bit staggering but it depends on what you are used to

IanF

I hope to get some more hunting in the fall, but it depends on time and money. I think I behaved well enough to get invited again, since they where already talking about rabbit and fasan hunt in september/october. They release several thousand fasans on the land of the hunting company, they also have good populations of pigs, red-deer, fallow deer and roe deer. The trohys that where on display at their house was very impressing. I lost count of all the nice roebucks...

Red deer and roe is maybe not so high up on my list since I can hunt these at home, but boar is indeed very interesting game. There where lots of sign of pig activity at the place we shot the woodcock. Male pigs and piglets can be taken year round.

It's good for a norwegian meat-hunter to get out and see some proper hunting culture

Johan

Waidmannsheil Johan, enjoyed your story. Unfortunately the spring hunt is also long ago banned where I'm at, Dom.

Now I can confirm that woodcock are excellent eating. I wrapped a thin slice of bacon around the breasts and fried them in butter until they where pink in the middle.

I made a stock from the bones, with some unions and juniperberries. Then I reduced it down to about half, added cream, salt and pepper. Served it up with rice, some green beans and of course a slice of green paprika on top. (It is Hungary I’m in). And just a sprinkle of parsley for colour.

A cold Hungarian beer and some nice company and the night were set. As a starter we had some paprika with home made deer-sausage I got from Silad’s father. Mmmmmm

For those that haven’t tried woodcock, it tasted and looked very similar to grouse, maybe a tad milder in taste, but definitely very nice game flavour.

I recommend it highly!

Johan

308

That is a nice report and thanks for posting. I was on Islay about 5 years ago now and we had a total bag of 88 Woodcock within the 4 days I was there. Like you we were flighting them on dawn and dusk and shooting the Woodcock on his terms. I think it is much different to just waking them up out of bed in the daytime.

The guys the previous week had never shot them on dawn and dusk and when hearing no shots on the first evening the guide enquired to ask why. The guys replied that they had seen no Woodcock but loads of bats darting around

One thing I am not aware of is the noise they make when travelling. Maybe I am but just not aware of it. I know the roding call but not sure I know what you mean about the other call. Is it similar to the roding call at all?

Anyway thanks for the report and it sounds like you will be going back at some stage. When you do lets us know what goes on.

Thanks

Don't do it in Italy, it is forbiden.

jokivanat, nagyon jo

Welcome in the EEC, this late season shooting will soon be a thing of the past, when your legislation is adapted to European laws....

Nagyon jo! That is the word (Means very good)

I think Hungary will get out of the EU if they take away this hunt, and yes they have tried....

And about the calls, there are two very different calls, I can't really tell you how they sound, because my brain stopped recording much when the birds came.... I would know them if I hear them though...


Johan

Nice going! Thanks for sharing.

KG

Jon2

Found a site where you can hear both sounds.

http://www.junglewalk.com/popup.asp?type=a&AnimalAudioID=9069

Johan

Nice one .308

Thanks

A little update on an old tread.

The hunting of woodcock in Hungary is now banned thanks to EU regulation..

Its a bloody shame.

Johan

wot a great trip
such a shame about the ban but atleast you managed to get in one last time

i took these one night whilst out lamping foxes one night



then as he started to walk about , so i changed the settings on the camera

Regards

Those are some nice looking birds and I suprised at their size as the one's I've shot in the US have been much smaller.

I've never acquired a "taste" for their flavor but have friends that do like them. As an aside, I've never hunted behind a dog (and they were all well trained) that would pick one up and retrieve it -- the best they would do is to run up to a fallen bird and stand over it until someone picked it up.

I did some woodcock shooting like this back on the farm when I was a kid 40 years ago. We had a road running between a river and swamp area. We shot them in the fall at dust. It was a good time.

We have trouble some nights lamping rabbit, these guys can look similar to bunnies emerging from burrows out on the ridged up cultivated ground, you have to get the bino's on them to make sure, Also was amazed how many Woodcock are present on Arran, they are like sparrows in numbers on the island.

quote:

Originally posted by 308winchester:

I made a stock from the bones, with some unions and juniperberries. Then I reduced it down to about half, added cream, salt and pepper. Served it up with rice, some green beans and of course a slice of green paprika on top. (It is Hungary I’m in). And just a sprinkle of parsley for colour.


Johan

Do you have any idea of how many American women you can have grovelling at your feet just by uttering that statement?

I did have a nice Norwegian girl over for dinner Don't know about the americans doh, the ones that are here doesn't seem so into the whole hunting thing or eating the spoiles, the norweigans, sweds, germans, czech, hungarian and greeks on the other hand...

Johan