Company: Hunt Romania

PH: Marius Merutiu

Area: Transylvania, near Oradea and Dej, Romania

Dates: September 16-22, 2019

Terrain: rolling hills, pastures, fields and forest edge.

Guns: Borrowed Blaser rifle in .300 win topped with a Swarovski scope.

Weather: Spectacular clear and cool weather with one morning of slight drizzle.

Accommodations: hotel accommodations very close to hunting areas.

Game taken: 1 Red Stag, 1 Roe buck and 3 Wild Boar (1 not recovered)

Game seen: Red Stags, Roe deer, Wild Boar, pheasants, rabbits, fox, badger.

Last winter I had spent far too much time visiting sporting shows and reading hunting/fishing books and articles. Add the bad New England weather and it was a perfect storm of cabin fever. That’s when I saw Marius’ post offering a stag hunt in Romania. A short discussion with my lovely wife, a check of the FF mile account was quickly followed by an email to Marius and set up a hunt for September.

I hunted with Marius a few years back and had a wonderful time in the beautiful and pastoral foothills of the Carpathians. Romania remains as bucolic as I remember; shepherds with dogs guarding their flocks, Gypsies and their horse drawn wagons and the ever present hayricks in the fields. The only thing missing is the river in this "wind in the willows" type landscape--or perhaps-- Grimm's fairy tales.

It was almost over before it started...

We drove out the afternoon I arrived to sit for the evening in a high seat overlooking a hillside clearing. Within 5 minutes a stag appeared on the edge of the field. Other than photographs, I had never seen a stag before and have no idea what a good trophy looks like. I turned to Marius who said it was a good one. I clicked off the safety on the borrowed Blaser .300 win and put the cross hairs on the stag at about 250 meters. Cosim the game ranger started roaring---with a conch shell no less--- but the stag didn’t stop. I clicked the safety back on at 270 meters as the stag walked out of sight. I remember distinctly thinking as I clicked off the safety--" seriously? I'm going to be done in 5 minutes?", but I have a rule on guided hunts--Don't Guide the Guide-- if they say shoot, shoot. We sat until dark seeing another young stag, a female Roe and a small wild boar.

The first 5 minute stag

https://photos.smugmug.com/Rom...20/IMG_7281-1920.mp4

As we walked out of the woods in the dark, the hills were alive with roaring in every direction. Obviously, we were in the right area and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to my first chorus of roaring stags!!

We were out early the next morning in a misty drizzle but that did not keep the stags from roaring. It was here I learned that a stag hunt is more "hear and stalk" as opposed to "spot and stalk" and we started moving in the direction of a couple roaring stags. After a long stalk through briars and brambles very similar to a think New England grouse cover, the game ranger Cosim spotted a stag in the thickets along a field edge. As we glassed him, I was told he was a young stag and likely not the one roaring. Creeping closer—thinking all along I wish I had my filson chaps and coat for the thorns-- we saw a female and heard another roar. More glassing located antlers in the brush and Marius said "Nice Stag!" He was seemingly unaware of our presence --the wind was in our favor, but he kept hidden in the briars and brush only showing horns and occasionally his head. He was following the female and she eventually stepped clear and he began raking bushes and roaring--it was pretty exciting! I was now up on the sticks and in position for a shot. He dropped in his tracks at 175 meters.


A beautiful 7x6 stag with dark horns with ivory tips. Absolutely spectacular!










On to Roe deer and wild boar hunting.

We moved to an area near the city of Dej--the same area I hunted --and was enchanted with--the last time. The boar hunting was done by sitting in a high seat over game trails and bait stations. Unfortunately, the fields in the area were all still full of corn and there is a bumper mast crop. The first evening nothing showed up except a badger and a fox--which was still very enjoyable to watch! I’d never seen a badger before.

The next evening, while sitting in a high seat that offered a spectacular view of the mountains, several boars came in. One—obviously larger, was chasing around the others. At the shot he went down in a heap and laid there without moving for a full 2 minutes and then Marius saw him start to twitch--"Shoot him again if he gets up" but before I could get back on him the boar dragged himself behind some logs. No matter we thought, he was hit very hard and couldn't have gone far.

We never found him....


Marius called in some friends and 10 people arrived to help in the search--nothing. We returned the next day with dogs ---nothing. A good, but short blood trail--- then nothing. I felt awful but upon reflection it was a good shot and we did everything we could. The word has gone out to the local shepherds and there is some hope of at least finding the trophy if not the meat. So far no one has reported finding him. It’s hunting and it happens --but it’s an awful feeling.

The boar is around here somewhere

https://photos.smugmug.com/Rom...e47c9a15e74d-640.mp4

This is some great looking grouse cover;
ferocious briars and thorns. If this was in New England there would be partridge everywhere.





Even Paco the Transylvanian Hound couldn't find him for me.



The next boar hunt went better.

I was able to shoot two in one sitting. The first Boar was a nice one but the second was around 175 kilos (385lbs) and an absolute brute--even my inexperienced eye could see he was a very big boar. I could see his tusks protruding from his lips as he came in. He also dropped at the shot, but I quickly added another for insurance not wanting to lose another big boar. We needed to call a tractor to come in and drag them to the truck.



Much to my chagrin, Marius told me the one we lost was even bigger than this one...

I was able to participate in a driven hunt with the local club too. I'd never been on a driven hunt and found it to be safe, exciting and a lot of fun. I didn't see any boars from my peg/stand but enjoyed seeing the other hunters have success and I saw a couple fox too. And just being in the woods and fields was amazing.

one hunter scored a nice boar though



Aside from Boar we did several stalks for roe deer. I really enjoy these hunts as they are in the fields and pastures. We crept along, eating the ever present plumbs (used to make the rocket fuel called Palinka) from the trees and grapes off the vines as we went and I just enjoyed being in such a beautiful place—it’s such a different landscape from what I am used to in the heavily forested New England uplands.












I was able to shoot a roe buck on my last morning. I rushed my shot and the buck ran off. It was a lethal shot, but time was needed to recover him and unfortunately I had to head to catch a ride back to Budapest. The Game Ranger recovered it later that day.

Then there is the food--an important part of any trip to any destination. Getting to know the culture through its food and drink.














I was able to bring home the boar tusks in my luggage--the Roe and Stag will follow later. spectacular additions to my "Fortress of Solitude"



It was a wonderful week in Transylvania. Marius is a terrific guide/outfitter and made sure everything was taken care of. I look forward to hunting with him and in Romania again. I hope my wife can make the trip next time—she would love the place.

Wonderful I want do do this hunt!

Good hunting

Carl Frederik

Absolutely fantastic looking trip! I need to force myself to just do it solo because none of the crew I hunt and fish with ever will.

I bet that was a lot of fun. Nice trophies!

Sounds like a fun hunt. Thanks for sharing with us.

I love the well formed crowns on your Stag. Thank you for sharing your hunt with us.

I just booked this hunt for my 2 friends and myself. Looking foreward to september 2020!

Good Hunting
Carl Frederik

Looks like a dream hunt, thanks for the motivation!

Thank you Atticus for nice report. Was a real pleasure to meet and hunt with you again. Carpathian red stag is one of the most beautiful hunt that someone can have in our country.

Thanks for sharing! Wonderful adventure. Someday for me....


Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

Lobe the color on that bull...black and that’s what you want from trophies, good heavy and dark.
That one boar is a keeper...mother of god, what a pig

Great report. If you want a great hunt in Romania, Marius is the man!

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Great report. Solid stag and pigs! Congratulations. Eastern Europe has some great hunting! Thank you for sharing!

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