Wingshooting Adventures Presents...

Wingshooting in Hungary

Gunning in Hungary means driven pheasant shooting at its best. This former Eastern Bloc country has long had a tradition of game management, but for many years it was enjoyed almost exclusively by the exclusively by the Communist hierarchy. Happily, that has changed, and game managers and Hungarians openly welcome American sportsmen.

 

The game managers (jaegermeisters or master hunters) are well versed in their trade, and both the number and quality of the pheasants reflect this. In Hungary, driven pheasant shoots have been raised to very high level of perfection.

 

Each year, thousands of pheasant chicks are raised in pens to flight stage, at which time they are set free to develop into hard-flying birds as wild as any South Dakota ringneck. One look will convince you these are not penreared, recently released birds.

 

Driven pheasant shooting in Hungary means far more than just seeing large numbers of hard-flying birds. Tradition is important here. Each drive begins with a trumpet call and ends with another call to suspend the shooting. Birds taken are treated with a full degree of reverence. At the end of each day’s shoot, the pheasants bagged are laid out in a neat tableau, surrounded by fresh evergreen boughs while the participants salute the birds with a toast.

 

When the three day shoot reaches a conclusion, the birds are arranged in a careful fashion and a traditional fire is lighted at each corner while the area jaegermeiste gives a final trumpet salute to the game. As the fires die, with the dark woods of Hungary in the background, few hunters can go away without feeling they have been part of a very special experience. There is a genuine touch of the old world and type of hunting that every American sportsman should experience once, simply for the feeling and contrast it provides.

 

What to expect: the climate of our hunting area strongly resembles the American Midwest both in terrain and climate. Expect temperatures to approximate those found in Indiana at the same time of the year, and expect the birds to come flying over stands of oak, poplar, sycamore and evergreen.

 

Your jaeger (hunter) will serve as your loader and assistant, carrying your equipment between shooting stations and generally helping to make you more comfortable. Safety is of primary importance, therefore only over-under or side-by-side shotguns are used.

 

While hunting is the main reason for your trip, we also spend time exploring Budapest, a city for the ages. Here you an see evidence of Roman and Turkish occupation. Walls pock-marked from World War II fighting stand as a reminder of the fierce siege that took place here.

 

Occupied and ruled for 400 years by the Turks, 200 years by the Hapburg Dynasty and forty by the Communists, it is a city, and county, beginning to find its true identity once more. The people are friendly and gracious, and have a true liking for Americans.

 

The Hungarians love to eat, as evidenced by the many excellent restaurants to be found here. Many shops are filled with reasonably priced local produced items such as fine embroidery, laces, crystal and pottery. With so many interesting shops, even the most hard-core hunter is quite likely to turn shopper.

 

Ladies are most welcome on our trips. The package includes an overnight sightseeing and shopping trip to Vienna for the ladies with an English speaking guide.