WILDLIFE

All species of European game can be found in Romania, including the brown bear. The game you can hunt on your holidays is not fenced and there are no fake trophies. Below, is a short descriptions of the main game species and their natural habitats.

                          Red deer – Cervus elaphus

  The red deer is found on an area of approximately 1000 km, the area where  the    Carpathians lie in Romania. The population is well represented in the  mountains  and in a few parts of hill and lowland forests. The red deer  population in  Romania owes its vigor to the specific natural selection of the  Carpathian region.  As a result of the natural selection in the Carpathians the  body size of the deer in  Romania is superior to those that live in west Europe,  the males reaching a  weight of 280 kg. The body length of the male deer is  between 220 and 260 cm  and 150-160 cm in case of female deer. Their height  at withers is of 150-160 cm.  In summer the color of the species is reddish-  brown and grayish-brown in  winter. Between the years of 1981-1985 the  world record belonged to Romania  with a 261,25 CIC points trophy. The  national record for this species was  acquired in 2003(264,51 CIC points). The  legal hunting season for males start on  the 1st of September and ends on 31th of December. The best period for shooting males is between 20th of September and 5th of October during the breeding season. For females and fawns the culling is made between the 1st of September and 15th of February. Red stag may be hunted in a few ways as: stalking in the morning and evening or waiting on high-seats at the places that are frequented.

                                                              European roe deer – Capreolus capreolus

The roe deer is the smallest representative of Cervidae family in Romania. As the countryside in Romania is much diversified, roebucks can be found nearly all over, apart from very high mountain areas and some very wet lowland areas. In the flatland of Romania, there are enormous amounts of roe deer. Their fur is reddish in May, June and their color becomes grayish in September. Their body length is 95-135 cm. Their height at withers is of 65-75 cm. The roebuck’s body weight (eviscerated) is 20-25 kg and the female’s body  weight is 18-20 kg. Romania’s roe deer record is 211.67 CIC points. The legal hunting season start on 1st of May and ends on 15th of October. The best time is in the first 4 weeks and in the rut , between 25th of July and 10th of August . In most areas the trophies bucks are of normal seize, that is to say with a trophy weight of between 250 and 350 grams. As this is a very special hunt, there are very few openings.

                           Fallow deer -Dama dama 

The fallow deer can be found spread in all European countries, in North- and South-America, Australia and New-Zealand. Fallow deer had been indigenous in Europe, but the last ice age caused its extinction here, however, it was preserved in Asia Minor. Thanks to the resettlement you can find the fallow deer in Romania again in different parts. This species during the time was adapted very well to the natural conditions and at the moment the strongest population can be found in west of Romania near the Hungarian border. The hunt of the fallow bucks is made mainly in October –November during the mating season. The hunting methods are : spot & stalking and high-seat. The national record trophy was harvested in 1983 in Socodor forest and was scored at 204.06 C.I.C. points .

                                                              Carpathian Chamois –Rupicapra rupicapra

 The chamois is spread all over the world and can be found in 8 large  geographic areas: Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Balkan Peninsula, Asia, the  Carpathians, Caucasus and New Zealand.In Europe there are seven  known subspecies of the chamois. The rocky peaks of the Romanian  Carpathians represent the habitat of the most vigorous population of  chamois in the world. From October until spring they are black or dark  brown. In the summer months they have a light rusty color. Their body  length is 125-130 cm and the female is a little bit smaller. The male’s  height at withers is of 70-90 cm and they weigh 40-60 kg. The Carpathian Chamois has some of the best Chamois trophies in the world. The world record for chamois was shot in Făgăraş Mountains in 1934(141.1 CIC points). The hunting season start on 1st of September and ends on 15th of December.The Carpathian Chamois may be hunted during the day, between 1,800 and 2,500 meters height. From above the tree line and down into spars forest in the valleys below. Stalking and waiting at the places that are frequented is the main method. As with all mountain game the hunt for Chamois a great experience with breathtaking views but also that kind of hunting that takes its toll on ones condition. When sitting beside your hard earned Chamois you know it was all well worth the effort.

                                Wild boar-Sus scrofa attila

In Romania the wild boar is spread from the high mountainous areas up the Danube Delta. Their body length is between 100 and 200 cm and their height at withers is 100-120. They are brown, dark brown or black. The legal hunting season start on the 1st of July and ends on the 31 of January  for sows and piglets. The males can be shot during the year.  The best shooting season is during the winter. The hunting methods are: driven hunt , high-seat & stalking .The best results for trophy boar are obtained in July- August in the agricultural fields, when the boar hunt can be combined with the roe deer hunt and in the period when the soil is covered with snow and in this case the boar hunt can be combined with wolf hunt(December-February). Normally specimens weighing 150 kg are collected, but there were some cases when specimens weighing over 250 kg have been also collected. The Romanian national record is 144.00 CIC points and the first 10 trophies in the rank are over 137.00 points.

                                                               Brown bear –Ursus arctos

 The brown bear is the largest carnivore in Romania. It owns the natural  hilly and mountainous areas, being spread throughout the Carpathians  in  Romania. Its body length reaches 2 to 2.5 m, it is 1.2 to 1.5 m tall and  it  weighs about 350 kg, sometimes exceeding these dimensions.  Romania  has today the biggest population of European Brown Bear  and absolutely  without doubts the biggest trophies. The world record at  bear fur is hold  by Romania with a 687.79 CIC points trophy shot in  1983. As for the  skull, Romania was holding the world record between 1997 to 2000 with 69.47 CIC points trophy, shot in 1994. The world’s 10 most valuable brown bear furs are from Romania and of the first 10 skulls, 5 were collected in this country. The bear may be hunted during the spring and during the fall. The spring hunting season for bears start on 15th of March and ends on 14th of May. The fall season start on 1st of October and ends on 15th of December. There are two different ways that bears are hunted. During the spring and the fall season they are mostly still-hunted . During the fall season the bears are often shot on a bear-driven. During the bear driven hunt there is also the possibility to shoot other games species as: wolf, boars etc. Females with cubs are fully protected.

                                Wolf – Canis lupus

The natural forests and the difficult accessibility of the Carpathian Mountains represent one of the few refuges of the wolf population in Europe. Here can be found a strong population, which is expanding in number and territory. Their main natural prey is represented by the red deer, followed by the wild boar and the roe deer. It weighs 40-60 kg, but there were instances when the wolf weighed 80 kg. The wolf’s color varies and depending on the seasons and areas where is living ; it can vary between light gray to yellowish-grey, having blackish shades. The used hunting methods are the high-seat hunting and driven hunt. The best time for shooting wolves is during the winter when can be combined with trophy boar hunting. Wolves may appear randomly at chases organized for wild boars or while still-hunting bears, but the hunter who wants to hunt only wolves has to reserve his time. Romania holds the world record of the species and occupies five positions among the world’s most valuable 10 wolf furs; as for the skull, it holds the third position. The world record for the fur is 186.17 CIC points and the best skull-trophy is 45.30 CIC points. In rank the first 10 furs are over 154 CIC points, and the first 10 skulls are over 40 points.

                                                                                   Lynx – Lynx lynx

 It is spread throughout the whole Carpathian Mountains. This species  prefers large forests with many thickets, rocks, cliffs, in one word the  most difficult places. The largest representative of the Felidae family  from  the European forests has a strong and vigorous population in  Romania.  The main prey of this species is the roe deer, but there have  been many  cases when red deer specimens were also knocked down by  this predator.  At the moment the hunt of this species is forbidden.The  national record is  represented by a fur of 173.37 points CIC and by a  skull of 28.05 points.

 

                          European Wildcat- Felix Sylvestris

It can be found from the lowland area to the mountains. There are fewer wildcats in the places where there are lynxes. They are protected species in Romania, but they can be hunted if the population of this species reaches a particular density in a given area. The best shooting season is during the autumn and winter. As hunting methods we use the predator calls, driven hunt and high-seat hunt.

                                                                               Red Fox -Vulpes vulpes

 This species is present all countryside areas. The fox is particularly  prevalent in small game terrains where it does considerable damages.  This game species can be shoot al year long. The used methods are:  driven hunt, burrow hunting, hunting on bait and hunting with calls. In  Romania, foxes are on the second place in rank after the hares, among  mammals that are hunted. The top series of Romanian trophies is  represented by a skull of 25.30 CIC points.

 

                            European hare – Lepus europaeus

The hare can be found on areas covered by forest and on agricultural fields. The highest densities in Romania are registered at altitudes below 400 meters, where it is warmer and it doesn’t rain a lot. Hares can also be found at altitudes higher than 1,500 meters or even in the alpine environment. Hares can be hunted during the 1st of November and the last day of January. The most common method of hunting is the driven hunt. In terms of numbers, hares are on the first place in rank concerning the interest in hunting of this mammal.

 

                                                                             Pheasant- Phasianus colchicus

 The pheasant was brought in Europe a long time ago from Asia. This  species can  be found spread on whole continent. Currently in Romania  the pheasant  populates almost all hunting terrains from the hill and plain  areas. The hunting  season start on the 1st of October and ends on 28 th  of February. The most  common hunting method is “the driven hunt”.  Another method is hunting with  dogs.

 

                           Partridge – Perdix perdix

Populations have grown in the plains and hills, where the snow is not so big as to prevent access to food. The hunting period is between October 15 and December 31. The mostly used hunting method is with the dog.

 

 

 

                                                                                     Quail –Coturnix coturnix

It is a migratory species. It arrives in spring , late March-April and leaves in September. The hunting season start on 15th of August and ends on 15th of November. The most beautiful and interesting hunting is with dogs. Quail  hunt can be combined with dove hunting.

 

 

  Capercaillie –Tetrao urogallus

 The biggest of the Tetraonide  species lives in large spruce-fir forests, among deciduous and coniferous  trees, in the Carpathian Mountains, at altitudes above 1,200 meters,  where there is a fauna that completes the capercaillies vegan food. The  highest densities can be found in the Eastern Carpathians. At the moment  the hunting of this species is forbidden.