According to John Brandt's Horned Giants, recreated aurochs live free on some large European estates as well an in the Bialowieza Forest in Poland. He alleges that on occasion, surplus bulls become availble for hunters. Has anyone had any experience along these lines? Does anyone have any connections? I like shooting pigs and cattle.

Sarge,

If your interested in wild cattle take a look at :
http://www.whitepark.org.uk/chillingham.htm

Not aurochs, but perhaps related to them? Although it does not say so in the web page I believe these animals are culled from time to time, but I don't think its done commercially..Since WWW2, a handful of people have been badly injured/ killed in the Park although I don't know the exact circumstances..

Also I believe the true wild Water buff from Asia was supposed to be far more aggressive and dangerous than even the Cape buff...I am not sure if any are left in the wild today as most water buff are the smaller domesticated variety which have gone feral and they are supposed to be alot meeker than the truely wild strains..

Regards,

Pete

Oldsarge,

The German Veterinarians Lutz and Heinz Heck re-created the historical aurochs from domestic cattle in the 1930s at the Berlin zoo. While the last wild one had been shot in Poland in the 1600s, the re-created ones are even bred for meat these days. One good source of information is http://users.aristotle.net/~swarmack/aurochs.html

Also check http://astronaut.agoff.umn.edu/ansc3221/aurochs/

I have been told by Johan here that in Belarus the European wild bison is sometimes referred to as aurochs, but that is OT.

Good hunting!

The closest living relative to the ancient auerochs are the Spanish "toros de lidia" or fighting bulls.

Already the young ones and the females are so wild and agressive, I´d rather not have them here in the wild! Central Europe is just too crowded for this kind of animal. The European bison in comparison I was told is much more shy when not attacked.

For some really nice pictures of those beautiful Iberian beasts see http://www.toroslidia.com/exposicion/index.asp.

Viva la Fiesta!

Oldsarge,

I've been in Eastern Poland last year - although directly not in the forest of Bialowieza, the forest administration where I was hunting is also responsible for Bialowieza.

The forest of Bialowieza has been the last refugee area for the European Bison. Nowadays they are so plenty there that they are captured there (no hunting in the Bialowieza national park...) and then released in other areas of Poland (like Borki for example where I was) and you can hunt them there.

To my knowledge, the re-created Auerochs was erased again by the Russians in / after world-war 2. The Munich zoo is currently again trying to create them, but is only having a very small herd.

Therefore I would be really surprised
-if there were any wild Auerochs
-which would be available for hunting!

Probably the European bison (Wisent) is meant by the author.

Best regards,

Erik

I know they are expensive but what does an average European bison hunt cost?

In Poland through www.diana.dk E8000 for a good one.

In Colorado with Tad Puckett on his ranch $4500.
www.whiteelkranch.com

Mehul,
I like that second link of yours: It is not as well known what part "aurochs tipping" may have had in teenage Neanderthal recreation. Me thinks perhaps not much.



Regards,
Martin

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
In Poland through www.diana.dk E8000 for a good one.
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A cow can be taken for about half of that. This species is still high on my list.

Best,

JohnTheGreek

Jean Bernard did some research for me. It turns out that there are eight thousand aurochs in France and at least eight breeders. I guess that my next step would be to find out which, if any, manage them strictly "hands off" and who might have an occasional spare bull to sell. However, I don't think that this idea needs to be transfered to the Spear Hunting and Fishing forum!