I have decided that I can't live another season without a Cappercaille. Anyone have an outfitter to reccommend with high success?

Greg

In Sweden?

well, NOT in Georgia for sure....

How do you want to hunt them? In spring during the mating "leking" season, over pointing dogs, baying hounds or on skis during winter as they sit high in the pine trees? Shotgun or rifle?

Looking to do it somewhere in Europe. Scandanavia would be perfect. I have looked at all hunting methods and they all look like fun? I have heard November through January are best for plumage. It's a little sketchy trying to research for outfitters.

I'm interested as well. I will follow along. I did hear Russia and the former eastern provinces are better than Sweden for sheer numbers of birds. The down side is they do not have as deep a hunting culture, so it may be more of a bird killing depending on who you go with. I would talk to "Collector" here on AR. He is the most knowledgable international bird hunter I know of.

I have heard the same things about Russia. More birds and they hunt them n the Spring. Unfortunately, you get all the Russian"amenities" that go with them. Hoping someone has had a slam dunk positive review of an outfitter as this is somewhat of a unique hunt. Just gotta have one.

If I was red hot to get one, I would move this to the bird forum and Collector will see it. But that's me.

Did not know there was a bird forumn. Now I do. Thanks. See you over there tomorrow.

Greg, i can recommend Henrik in Sweden. We hunted twice with him and his finspitz. See Scandinavian Safari 2 in my signature. Or PM me.

Orvar

I'd go to belarus or russia in the spring to hunt blackcock and capercaillie.
You could take a few days more and hunt roe deer, wild boar or brown bear.

Interresting thread, I've self ordered trip to Bulgaria, the end of April to hunt Capercaillie on courting grounds, so I'm excited to see if we have some experienced Capercaillie hunters here who can supplement with some experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg Schubert:
Looking to do it somewhere in Europe. Scandanavia would be perfect. I have looked at all hunting methods and they all look like fun? I have heard November through January are best for plumage. It's a little sketchy trying to research for outfitters.

Dear Greg,

the best hunting time : middle of April till the first week of May.
You can see the video from the hunting area in Belarus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ndex=10&feature=plcp


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...sYrOE3MqQ&playnext=0

http://www.hunt-club-taiga.de/...blog&id=44&Itemid=55

So it looks like I have a choice to either hunter eastern Europe or Russia in May to hunt during the mating season.... Someone referred to it as the "cappercaille 2 step" and you could also throw in some other hunting too. The second choice is to go to Scandanavia during the fall and hunt with "barking dogs" or on skis in the snow. All of them look like they could throw in Black cock as well. I am going to have to do both as this seems to get better and better. I am going to do some extensive homework on outfitters in the next week and hopefully have a summary as well. I will try posting in the bird hunting section as well to see if I can get some more outfitter intros. In the mean time, thanks for everyone's help and send me outfitters that you can recommend.

Remember that you can also shoot them over pointing dogs if you wish. For many of us who live and hunt where capercailie are found, it is still a very big deal when you get one. Blackgame is quite a lot more common, most places, and are hunted the same ways.

If you youtube "toppjakt", you'll see more of the winter hunting. Youtube "jakt med spets" to see the hunting with hounds.

For the winter hunts, have a seriously accurate rifle...

This response may be a little late in the season for this year but if you decide to go next year...

A group of buddies and I went to Miekak just above the arctic circle in sweden. You meet the helicopter in Arjeplog and they fly you out to your camp. Ours was on a lake with 4 berth cabins. They can provide food or you can cook your own. They can also provide guides with pointers or you can bring your own. They have a couple managing the camp and making sure that the Sauna is hot and the beer cold when you come back very tired but happy after each days hunting.

How much you use the helicopter service is up to you. You definitely need it to get to camp as there are no roads for probably fifty miles but how you get from camp down by the lake to above the tree line is up to you. They can fly you up each day or you can hike. There are birds below the tree line but the hunting is more scenic up on top.

That is also where the all white birds live (fjällripa or mountain Capercaille) The birds below the tree line are white and brown (dalripa or valley Cappercaille).

This is a spectacular hunt in my opinion. The cabins have 12v power and kerosene stoves and lanterns. Potable water is right outside in the lake or any stream. And delicious at that.

The accomodations are not luxurious. You can stay at a castle or manor in central or southern sweden and hunt deer or boar, but somehow that is not why you go to the largest wilderness in europe. If a wife or girlfriend, or boyfriend, I don't judge, isn't interested in hunting, it is more than wothwhile just for the scenery. Bird population varies year to year so I would chat with a local or just hope for the best and view it as an adventure.

You can check out www.miekak.com. Scroll down to the bottom for the english flag.

You know what? I just realized that Capercaille isn't at all what I thought. The english name for what I was thinking of is Ptarmigan!

So, if you are looking for a ptarmigan hunt, see above...

Just got my big Capercaillie back from the taxidermist.




Feel free to PM me any time you would like to go hunt these magnificent birds. I usually post in the Bird Hunting forum here on AR. Thanks.

Beautiful!