I am headed out next week. I ended up buying a slot some Schweiss hunters booked on a 1000 hectare revier SE of Frankfurt, or about 100 miles NE of me in Kaiserslautern.

I'll be out there for a week in May and a week in July.

Hopefully with a good result.

Anyone else headed out?

3 bucks for 650 Euro, and extra bucks at 100 per buck or 200 per buck if they are over 200 grams. Hard to beat those prices. I don't expect anything but a good time, and hopefully some good weather.

Seth,

Good luck and Waidmannsheil!

Don

Thanks, this is the first time I have been out really hunting since 2014.

To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement.

Suterday i will drive to Romania!
1 may roedeer season opens there!

Go get them.

Killed 2 bucks, had a Merkel ratchet rifle failure to fire on a third.

First two bucks were the first night on the 3rd of May. Within 30 seconds of one another.

1st is a 2 or 3 year old gobbler (4 point (2x2).

2nd is a 2 year old gobbler that is quite a bit smaller.

3rd buck I am claiming, and sending a bill to Merkel for, is a nice really old but not very big six point (3x3). He was 40 yards out and didn't give me a chance to fix the rifle.

I am done with rifles that make a lot of noise when you work the bolt. Merkel Helix, Blaser, Heym SR30, any of that nonsense.

Good going BWW. What was the issue with the Merkel?

Just like a piece of shit Blaser you have to slam the bolt shut for it to fire.

The RCH's that lock it shut require a firm hand.

It is another stupid rifle like a Blaser.

At least the Lynx uses the system from the Swiss K-31.

Was hoping someone else would ask this so I would not be the one, but it falls on me.

Can we see some pictures?

I hate that your first hunt in years and equipment let you down.

Background details.

We have eternal wonderlust as a family. We move a lot. So hunting opportunities are usually screwed up by chasing rainbows in career mode.

I took the German hunters course last year, and paid for a 3 year license and 3 years of insurance once I passed. We had 2 fail out of 30, and thankfully I was not one of them.

So I have been kind of sitting on this as a duck with no pond so to speak for a while. I hunted a couple of nights for pigs with a local guy in hopes of getting on his revier, that didn't happen. Had some other attempts at getting a local revier, and wasn't happy with the situation (all pigs in the forest and no roe deer) or something weird like can only shoot female deer. Either way I ended up finding a 3 buck hunt not far away and got into that, as a group hunt.

We had 13 hunters, a mix of Swiss, German, French and me. We killed 12 bucks, and 1 pig.

I had good luck the first night was on deer on my way to the stand. I bumped a buck that I didn't see, and wasn't ready with the rifle until I got to the seat.

About 30 minutes later I got to redeem myself after waiting for the sun to pass and the two bucks to stand up. About an hour later I had two dead little bucks and was very happy.

I spent all day Friday and Saturday staring into the forest waiting for something to happen and it never did. I saw lots of pigs, but pigs were off the shoot plan in the forest. Never saw a fox or badger, but they are closed anyway.

Sunday morning came and I fell asleep in a drevjakt tower looking the wrong way. Something woke me up and I turned my head to see an old buck. Settled the rifle in my tripod saddle (rock solid shooting system) and pulled the trigger only to hear a click. I worked the bolt and found a round still in the barrel and it took a bit to clear it. The buck was gone to parts unknown.

So 2 (3 ) bucks in 3 days, great trip.

The rifle is a Merkel Helix RX or something like that in 7x64 Brenneke. Man what a great cartridge that 7x64 is. All the Swiss except one were shooting it, and it is a really flat round.

I was using RWS HIT 140 grain, as that was what the rifle was sighted in for by the owner. I bought him another box.

Scope was a Schmidt Bender 2-13x56, it was really nice.

I used my own Minox 8x56 binos that I purchased a few days prior.

I wore traditional green/brown hunting clothes on the first night, and camo the rest of the weekend. The Swiss mostly wore their own local camo, I'll wear green the next time the whole trip. All the Germans wore green and the frog did too. I wore a mix of Kuiu and Cabelas Zone western camo. I was comfortable, but should have worn green the whole time.

Camo causes problems when you are not hunting in the shops. I got dirty looks every time.

Was an enlightened 3 days, I probably learned more German in that 3 days than I have in the 18 months I have been here. I was really force fed it.

Thank you. Will you be able to get back after the old boy?

Thanks for the report and congratulations!

I dunno, coulda been operator error . . .

Waidmannsheil on a couple bucks, don't make it sound like a catastrophe.

I been using Blaser since 1997, haven't had a dry fire yet . . .

I actually had the same problem with "softly" closing the bolt on all the R93s I owned.

There were 3 or 4 hunters in camp that laughed and exchanged tears as they had similar stories from the ratchet guns.

One guy had it happen on an ibex in Schweiz.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Thank you. Will you be able to get back after the old boy?

Not sure, I am grounded by the War Department until further notice. She cut her hand while I was gone. Then the 4 year old daughter had to go to the emergency room when the 2 year old daughter and 6 year old daughter pushed her off her bike on the concrete patio while I was gone.

I was told all shore leave was cancelled for a while.

Locally I was offered 2 bucks, so hopefully those offers bear fruit.

Waidmannsheil on two nice looking roebucks. Sorry about number three. Keep heading to the woods, after the War Dept. grants you shore leave. LOL

Don

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Thank you. Will you be able to get back after the old boy?

Not sure, I am grounded by the War Department until further notice. She cut her hand while I was gone. Then the 4 year old daughter had to go to the emergency room when the 2 year old daughter and 6 year old daughter pushed her off her bike on the concrete patio while I was gone.

I was told all shore leave was cancelled for a while.

Locally I was offered 2 bucks, so hopefully those offers bear fruit.

I cannot wait to see your next report.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I actually had the same problem with "softly" closing the bolt on all the R93s I owned.

There were 3 or 4 hunters in camp that laughed and exchanged tears as they had similar stories from the ratchet guns.

One guy had it happen on an ibex in Schweiz.

A friend of mine who is a PH in Namibia hates Blasers for exactly the same reason.

And a Merkel Helix...…….lol

Nice bucks

Waidmannsheil

I do not understand the issue being presented with closing a Blaser "softly". Place round in chamber, slide bolt forward as slowly as you like, ensure bolt is in fully battery, decock. Its the equivalent of turning the bolt handle down on a standard bolt action and placing the safety on. The Blaser/Merkel system is not perfect, its not my favorite, but to call a rifle a "piece of S***" because you are not familiar with system before going hunting is careless at best. Regards

quote:

Originally posted by H-mantel:
Waidmannsheil

I do not understand the issue being presented with closing a Blaser "softly". Place round in chamber, slide bolt forward as slowly as you like, ensure bolt is in fully battery, decock. Its the equivalent of turning the bolt handle down on a standard bolt action and placing the safety on. The Blaser/Merkel system is not perfect, its not my favorite, but to call a rifle a "piece of S***" because you are not familiar with system before going hunting is careless at best. Regards

Ok, I have owned 5 R93s. Not everyone of them would do it but all but one would not operate to fire if they were closed in battery slowly without force.

"Piece of shit" is the terminology that comes to mind! Yes!

Would you trust this contraption 100%? On a 30,000 Euro Marco Polo Hunt? Or an elephant at close range?

Not me!

Wow, Its just seems strange that a gentleman would buy 5, yes 5 piece of s*** rifles of the same model and type, hmmm. I was attempting to go gentle, yet here we go. You attempt to sound like a like a well accomplished hunter/traveler living Germany, You acchieved the German Jagdshien yet still wore Kuiu Camo as if you were chasing Desert Sheep in the Rockies. You knew better. I am an American hunter living and hunting in Europe. To hunt in Germany for absolute free only requires three things, willing to work on the hunting area, a decent ability to learn and embrace hunting culture, and being a likeable dude. It isn't difficult.

My hunting partners liked the Kuiu. Half of our group had on camo.

A guy finally gets to go hunting after years. He comes home to hell has broken out on the domestic front.

And we are going to give him grief about his hunting clothes.

I get that camo is not the norm or standard practice in Germany/Europe. But if no one else cared on the hunt, then why should we.

I wore blaze orange the first time. No one said a word to me. I asked this most recent trip time, and was told not necessary sense it was not a driven or group hunt. But you know what no one said a word to me.

This year an American with a whole lot of experience every where (sheep, lion, elephant, ibex, you name it) wore camo on Chamois. No said a word to him or looked at him cross eyed.

If I were hunting in the dead of winter, you better believe I would be wearing camo. It is the warmest stuff I got.

you can wear a pink bunny suit in a high seat(don't matter to game). It certainly matters to to the tradition to the german hunter. Im sure your Swiss buddies and/or young German Hunters raved about the awesome camo look. The single greatest way to never get an invite to a revier(hunting area) or especially a druckjagd ( drive hunt) is to be Johnny RealTree. Im a southern fellow and not high brow, but i know
how to give proper respect to the privilge to even have the oppertunity to hunt in Europe, especially beautiful Germany

You did read where he was offered two more bucks. So, apparently no one cared. I love tradition, but to piss on someone who is celebrating and sharing his first hunt with his first hunt in years is bad form.

You want to defend Blaser go right ahead. I will not say a word about that, but clothing etiquette on a hunt you were not apart of. That is a bit much.

It wasn't a free hunt, I paid to go.

I was invited on a big drive hunt in Germany as a result of this hunt for next year.

I was also invited to go hunting in the winter by the only young German on the hunt a PHD from Frankfurt who looked like a Blaser/Harkila model.

The Germans were all mid-50's-early-60s except the Dr. Half had on camo.

The Swiss were pretty much all in camo or mountaineering clothes.

Glad you are so worried about what someone in Germany is doing. Did you E-stalk all my last post, and sniff around to figure out what color underwear I had on for the hunt?

As far as the Blaser's sucking, it has something to do with the headspace not being in full alignment unless there is enough force to lock the collet into the barrel.

Not a bad system for a drive hunt, but for sitting in a high seat for roe and close range it was less than ideal.

I don't know any German reviers offered for free in my area. Typically 1000 Euros for pigs and reh for a small revier.

There are some bigger reviers for a lot more.

I live in your area and you are known. 1000 Euro is laughable. A forrest service seat is 600 euros. Most area around you are FREE if you are willing to hunt and kill pigs.

Headspace alignment? that an absolutly obsurd statement. show some kind of proof. Im no Blaser apologist I just feel you lack knowledge and spew bullish** were you think you have a voice.

I also feel you are a standard issue American blowhard that talks much, yet has limited (at best) experience.

Im American is I can smell a bullish*** opinion

If you're going to pay to hunt you can wear pink polka dots, it's only a reflection on you.

However, if a Jungjaeger and you want to fit in the hunting community, especially one who has earned a Jagdschein, you know better. This will assist in getting hunting access "kostenlos" . . .

It is one thing after having established your status and hunting ability to wear whatever, it is another to get to that point. This is especially true if you hunt and assist in a Revier and do not pay cash to hunt. Assistance and helping to maintain the Revier is just good manners. Most times you are not going to be asked to lift a finger, whether you do or not is up to you and will determine your future hunting opportunities.

I enjoyed the hell out of hunting private Reviers in Germany for well over 20 years, and the owner had a Gasthaus so a whole lotta venison and boar was served to a whole lotta customers!! If you made good shots and few 'mistakes' you were welcome to hunt 24/7 365.

To each his own . . .

Sir,
Why did you remove your trophy photo pics?
Those were great bucks