Red deer and Alpine ibex hunting in Austria

Red deer and Alpine ibex hunting in Austria 

Always the hunting in Austria is being organized by professional hunters. Every hunter receives a jeep and a guide-consultant who is ready to help during whole hunting and gives advices depending of the hunter’s wishes.

The opening of the hunting was on 1st of August and the long-standing friend of mine, Pavel S., arrived from Moscow, accompanied by his wife and daughter, with intension to shoot 2-3 trophy red deers. He was accommodated at 4-star hotel with all SPA facilities. The next day after his arriving he visited the hunting territory and during the driven hunting he was very delighted from the incredible Alpine nature and the game population. The male red deers already were with bare horns, they were the masters of the Alpine landscape with proud risen heads and beautiful horns, and they already were searching for their females on the game field. The rutting period started too late in Austria and that time continued unusually long and often the red deers bawled even in October when they collected in herds. August is a very good month for red deer hunting because the red deer are still very calm, it doesn’t fight with its rivals and the risk of broken antlers and horns is almost impossible that is why all hunters who wish to shoot a big deer with a record trophy always prefer hunting in August in the Alps where is beautiful, green, cool without rains and which are able to fluster the hunting and shiver of the hunter.

Pavel, whose hunting habits were from the enormous Russian steppes and forest and who had crossed all over the world, was categorical – only stalking hunting without any baits and feeding of the game. For our joy the hunting was organized on quiet hunting area, far from the populated points, near the Alpine private houses and outhouses.

Early in the morning of the first hunting day he saw a big amount of game – fallow deers, mouflons, Alpine wild goats, but the red deers were with smaller trophy quantities and were not interesting for this high erudite hunter. Later from distance of 250 m. shown through the range-finder, we saw a deer with very enormous horns, with excellent crowns, antlers and very big swing maybe up to 118-120 cm. A pursuit immediately started. There were not row deers which to give out our presence but the wind was not with us and the professional guide leaded us passing round route and to come closer walking by the side where the wind was against us. Just 10-15 minutes later the passage opened before us a nice view of Alpine landscape. In the end of the field near the forest the red deer was feeding on the fresh grass and didn’t know about the hunter’s intention. The hunter was ready to shoot from a distance of 150 m. but the red deer turned on right side and stood in bad pose with its back to us and with lifted head up and with excellent lineament of the horns, the swing of the horns was good but unfortunately this pose brought risk in case of shooting. The hunter who was breathing hard, still hesitated whether to shoot, when the red deer suddenly jumped up because the deer us afraid by something and the deer was an enemy for us and it went with quick steps to the forest, and the end of the forest was just 15-20 meters from the place where already the deer had stood for 30 minutes. The hunter who had such situations several times in his life, immediately lifted his carbine Blaser 300 Win Magnum R93 up, aimed momentarily and shot in the deer’s blade and it jumped and after 2-3 jumps by its back feet it disappeared in the forest on the direction of the nearest mountain stream and it disappeared from our sight. Immediately with recharged carbines the hunter and the professional guide ran to the direction where maybe the wounded handsome deer ran away. Although I was without hunting gun, I fallowed the hunters and still being on field, I saw the big blood trace and I understood that the red deer was not far in the forest. After a brief pursuit on a distance not more than 40-50 meters from the place of shooting, the red deer lay without movement and leaned on maybe 80-90-year pine tree, old but beautiful.

Hunting signals and congratulations for the exact shot started, we put green branches on the hunter’s cloths and we continued our victorious walk for hunting on second red deer.

When we walked to the peak of the mountain, after around an hour and quarter an Alpine wild goat appeared on 350-400 m., which crossed the road and jumped with energy to the rock path and stood with grace on the rock for 10-15 minutes. Of course it was impossible for the hunter to shoot from this distance not only because of the remoteness of the goat but because of the fact that the hunter’s carbine, which was charged with heavy cartridges and tried from 100 m. for red deers, had no chance for success.

We continued our hunting but with intention to return to our jeep when suddenly a female wild deer crossed the path around 100 m. from us together with 10-12 piglets. The Austrian guide immediately cried: “Schiessen für die Küche” – shoot for the cuisine which meant that the piglet would be free of charge for the hunter and he immediately lifted the carbine up and shot, recharged and again shot directly to one of the piglets, running after the mother. After the precise shot of Pavel two orange piglets fell on the field around 110-120 m. from us. The professional guide on the spur of the moment cried “wunderbar, ausgezeichnet” (nice, excellent) and congratulated the hunter and told that during his 30-year practice he hadn’t such a case of  a client who shot so precisely and skillfully  a game which was  running quickly. Yes, Pavel was amazing shooter and I recalled how once in Bulgaria before the twilight when he and I were walking to the high seat during our big wild boar hunting in the end of January in the mountains of Etropole, an afraid and running wild boar crossed the path where we were walking around 40-50 m. distance from the wild boar. The hunter shot the wild boar which was 120 kg. and it felt before it was able to cross a small mountain stream. After the shooting of the piglets we went to the jeep with intension to return at the hotel and after 40 minutes walking we didn’t see any game. The sun already was very high and the August warm rays compelled the game to return in the cool forest.  

A plenty table with breakfast was waiting for us at the hotel and we together with the wife and daughter of Pavel started testing the Austrian specialties; the breakfast was in the trophy hall where after several successful hunts already many high-standing persons were eating there – hunters such as the Spanish king Juan Carlos who often came to hunt on driven hunting for every game in the hunting territory and he came with his royal suite and his friends not only from Spain but also other royal persons from Europe and all over the world.

The afternoon and evening outings for stalking hunting finished unsuccessfully because of the big August heat. When we were waiting until the dark twilight we saw one big alone wild boar but because of the uncertainty of the hunter to shoot in the dark the he denied to shoot and we had to return at the hotel where at the prepared for us hall in accordance with wish of the hunter and his family we ordered Tyrol dancers and Hungarian gipsy orchestra who arrived special for us from the city of Linz. The evening was very fun and the excellent atmosphere was thankful of the dancers, singers and orchestra.

On the second day the goddess Diana was on our side. Pavel wished to shoot a record red deer for him (the red deer which was shot on the first hunting day was 12 kg.) and when we went hunting I interpreted the guide Hans the wish of Pavel and he offered the hunting to be from high seat and in case if there was no result after 1 – 1 ½ h. to continue on stalking hunting. “I agree”, - the answer of Pavel was and we went by the jeep to other hunting reserve which was far and around one hour and we had to arrive before the dawn and to be on our places. Unfortunately the high seats were small in Austria and I had to climb in the nearby high seat where I understood later that I would observe the same game field where it was expected the appearance of the big red deer. The hunter had to shoot from the nearby high seat and from that high seat there was a full view of the every part of the enormous game field. So, I knew my place on the high seat, I opened my window because I didn’t want my smell to be kept in the high seat (upon recommendations of old hunters with experience I always don’t wash with soap before the hunting in the morning, also I don’t have a shave, I prepare anti-cough pills and nose drops and this my habit helps me against morning sternutation, cough, etc.) and I started patiently waiting for the game. There was a practice in Austria to mount automatical feeders which were programmed to give grains and the game had the habit to visit mechanical and electronic feeders in exact hour of the twenty-four-hour period.   When I saw that such a feeder was near the high seat of Pavel and Hans I became anxious that the hunter would not shoot from such close distance if the game which was artificially baited by the help of a modern feeder because the Russian hunter had the habit to hunt on wild hunting in Siberia, Altai, Middle Asia and Kamchatka and it was under his dignity to hunt from high seats. I already had had a case in Bulgaria when a Russian hunter although he was shooting from a distance of 40-50 m. on stalk hunting and after that he denied to take the trophy although he paid for everything– for the trophy and the hunting service - after his return in Russia. Just a trophy and the good luck were not enough, the process of the hunting and the feelings were very important if you would outwit the game. My experience, the hunting expectation of Pavel and my memories about the abandoned trophy although my insistences to bring it by myself in Moscow, I again received the refusal of my permanent client Valeriy who told me later that he was not able to put on the wall in his trophy hall a trophy which he shot without shiver of the ancient hunter who was walking all the days even with his primitive weapon and who was stalking and harvesting game – important for him and his family survival i.e. to find food, hides, etc.

Cogitating, anxious what the behavior of Pavel would be, when it was already light I saw on the opposite side as a diagonal from the high seat where the hunter was and not more than from 60 m. from me three red deers which came from the forest and one of the red deers in my opinion was above 14 kg., with enormous horns and it went with grace typical of the old deer directly to my high seat where there was neither grain neither other bait. I instinctively turned my sight trough the opened window of the high seat and I saw without doubt that Pavel turned his rifle to the deer; the barrel, which was seen from the window of the high seat, was aimed at the walking red deer and the distance was probably 180-200 m. The shot was late; probably the hunter was waiting for better shooting position or maybe the coming of the deer to his high seat.  I was anxious what could happen in the next moment but also I settled down that I wouldn’t receive criticism about the automatic feeder from Pavel and really he was in such a situation which was typical many centuries ago. The hunters had shot the game from natural or special prepared shelters. I didn’t move I was afraid that the wood of the high seat could creak. The opened windows helped for the good view and the opportunity to record this incredible situation for hunting on the video camera but because I was afraid to fail the shooting of the trophy which wished my client I sat inside of the high seat and turned my head at one moment to the red deer and at the another to the high seat where the muzzle of the hunter’s hunting carbine was protruded. In that situation, nervous for me, and probably more tense-anxious and nervous inside of the other high seat, the red deer slowly changed its direction and went by diagonal in the middle side between the both high seats giving the opportunity for the hunter to shoot perpendicularly of the deer’s body. Unfortunately there was a big bush on the field and the deer postponed its walk behind the bush where it was pasturing with leant head and I supposed (and later I understood from the hunter’s story) that all the animal body couldn’t be seen by the hunter and when the deer made one step ahead and when I took a look to the other high seat I saw in the coming light morning, the brightness of the carbine muzzle’s fire, strong fire and, turning my head to see the deer, I saw how it jumped, ran around 10 meters and fell on the ground, because it was shot in the heart. Pavel was very happy because together with the emotional hunting he shot a nice trophy which weight was 13,550 kg after the treatment.

            The hunting finished in such way and two nice trophies were shot for two days during the hunting and that trophies were the proud of the hunter and the hunting reserve. I was very happy too because of the very emotional hunting.

            We were hunting for mouflons after the noon, but we couldn’t come close enough to the old mouflons with good trophy quality. The mouflons in that hunting reserve were up to 90 cm. length of the horns but unfortunately the good mouflon was in the forest not more than 70-80 m. from us but it quickly went to a territory without a good field of vision for us. 

            Pavel saw an excellent leopard with wide shoulder blades maybe around 4-4,5 kg. and its horns were very good shaped but Hans expressly forbad to shoot because the hunting season started from first of September. 

            Pavel was very contented by the two-day successful hunting and he decided to fly to Moscow via Vienna on the next day. He made order for leopard, mouflon and two red deers hunting during the rutting season in October. 

            As I always made, I spent one additional day to wait the final trophies’ treatment, their estimation and giving for the taxidermy in Vienna. 

            Of course later, as every hunter, Pavel had told his friends about his amazing red deer hunting in Austria. After 5-6 days, Alexander from St. Petersburg called me by phone when I already was in Bulgaria and with very anxious voice he asked me: “Vasil, do you have good red deers in Austria for me too? I will hunt there for ibex and wild goat in October, please speak with Herman, our long-standing friend, I want together with the ibex to harvest a good symmetrical red deer."

            Of course, he flied to Vienna on 17th of October but unfortunately without his wife who suddenly had fallen ill. He was accommodated at the same hotel and the next day the Alpine ibex hunting started. He had ordered an ibex one year earlier but because of the big snow the hunting had to be annulated preliminarily. That time he was troubled because already several times he was not able to shoot ibexes and other two ibexes were lost during the shipping from Spain and although we had the fact that an ibex with 183,5 CIC points (golden medal – 165 CIC points) had already been shot in Austria, he already didn’t believe in the goddess Diana. 

            Such way, early in the morning before the sunrise, Alexander, Herman and I went to our hunting by Mitsubishi jeep. After one hour we were above 1700-1800 m. altitude in the AlpsI had to observe the game movement from one place with a good view and Alexander and the guide continued to walk upper in the mountain. The Alps was a hard area to climb and although the hunter was young he was walking with difficulty because of his weight of 95-100 kg. The ibex hunting in the Alps always was being organized upon hard mountain conditions and the climbing was not possible for every hunter. Often I was seeing Alexander’s movement from my observing place, sometimes he was hidden in a low ravine, sometimes he was climbing to the rocky ridge, sometimes I lost him from my view. I was observing the hunting through binoculars and I saw a small wild goat herd 2-3 times which were not seen and were not shot by the hunters. Yes, I had been on wild goat hunting in Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia but it was very difficult to shoot a wild goat in the Alps. But suddenly Alexander lay behind one too big but good for the situation rock and I thought that he had found the wild goats which I was observing. In spite of the big distance form my place I saw trough the binoculars and after 1-2 minutes through the long-range tube how Alexander breathed heavily during he was aiming. Later I understood that he had seen the ibex from around 200 m. which proudly stood on a rock. Of course the ibex was not able to wait when the hunter would settle down and hid itself in the low side of the rock. But after 2-3 minutes the hunter and Herman stood up from their place and started pursuing for the ibex with calm walks and at that moment I saw it which was walking calmly on the path which was good seen from my place and the place of the hunters too. Probably Alexander was with fever of the hunting passion and because he was sure that he ibex was not afraid he stopped before a tree, aimed and just after 10-12 seconds a shoot was heard. He was incredible shooter, the ibex made just 2-3 steps and fell down, stabbed from 270 m. and as I understood later - directly in the heart.  

            The next day, Alexander shot a mouflon with not very good trophy quality. His success in this hunting was the shot from 160 m. but in a situation which was difficult for the hunter. He had to aim at the mouflon slowly walking between the narrow glades between the trees which were a serious obstacle for easy and exact shot. Also the mouflon was on low place and walking ahead; it hid its body behind the bushes. The professional guide saw the herd of the mouflons and at the moment when he wanted to orientate the hunter to shoot, already the hunter aimed although the situation was very hard and shot without chock, from the lowest part and he transfixed the chine of the mouflon near its neck. The mouflon was running 10-15 m. when Alexander repeated his shot. The handsome mouflon had nice horns with length of 82 cm. 

            We were searching for a red deer with nice antlers and big body which to be good for taxidermy until the end of the hunting day. To Herman’s thinking, the professional guides had seen a very good red deer with nice crowns but at that time, on October, 10-15 days after the rutting period it removed on a new place and although it went out almost every day but because of the lack of roe deers it didn’t stay on the feeding field a long time. On the third day after the beginning of the hunting when the ibex and the mouflon were shot we turned to another hunting territory which was not so high (up to 800-1000 m.) and we were stalking for a good red deer. Unfortunately the red deers which we saw were with good massive horns but with few antlers and they didn’t satisfy Alexander’s wish. We returned at the lodge tired and without success. Early morning on the next fourth day we again visited the area where the deer with more than 25 antlers inhabited and we stood in a small but very high above the ground seat, above 5-6 m. height and it was the guarantee that the red deers would not feel our presence. After 3 hours waiting on the game field no deer and other game appeared. Probably the deer was searching for a new place or joint to other deer herd after the end of the rutting period.

             Starting from 9 a.m. the hunter wished to hunt a wild goat but because of the remoteness of the aria we decided to stop the morning hunt until 3 p.m. and such hoping to find the big red deer we were in the same area in the early afternoon where we already had been the same morning. We decided to reach the field from afar on foot where we were expecting the red deer with many antlers. Our surprise was very big when more than on 1000-1200 m. altitude Herman suddenly stopped and pointed at one alone deer, feeding on a small field shined by the autumn sun on 120-130 m. from us but the wind was blowing against us and it was good for the shooting; the area was almost flat. This was the red deer which the hunter was searching for. By first sight and even without the binoculars the hunter approved the deer, lifted the carbine up and shot. The second control shooting hindered the deer to run far and several minutes later we saw the result of our two-day hunting. The red deer was transfixed in the blade and the hunter was very contented. The red deer was loaded on the special for this purpose jeep and we returned at the lodge and we had a jolly time at the trophy hall until late night. 

            On the next day when the deers’ hide was flayed and after the treatment of the deer cranium and the official estimation, it was found that the trophy was only 11 kg, but with 31 antlers. It was rare in my practice when the red deer was thick with a big amount of antlers but the trophy was light, handsome and deserving for Alexander’s trophy collection. 

            Austria was famous with its long terms for red deer hunts (from August to the end of February); also we had to mention the high qualification of the professional guides, the hunting skills, the traditions, the service and the precision during the organizations of the hunting outgoings and on the final farewell dinner Alexander warm tanked for the efforts which were made to organize his hunting by organizers and he promised to come on Alpine wild goat and big mouflon hunting during the next season. 

            Good luck!