HUNTING AND FISHING
Wherever you are, you are not
far from Romania a peaceful haven for all kinds of wild animals of the
temperate zone. Are you a keen hunter? Then, just a few hours by plane, and you
will find yourself in the pleasant dilemma of having to choose a starting point
amongst Romania's wide variety of hunting grounds stretching from the waters of
the Danube to the peaks of the mountains.
Whenever you come, wherever
you choose for your base and whatever mode of hunting you prefer, your success
depends on your skill and equipment. Resides, Romania's expert game‑keepers,
who are there to help you at any time, and the excellent facilities of the
hunting grounds ‑ observatories, overhead blinds, shacks, log‑cabins etc. ‑give
you no excuse for failure.
What, and where is the game
to be found in Romania ? The range is extensive ‑ : all kinds of birds and
water‑fowl in the Danube Delta, bustards in the plains and capercailzie (large
fowl‑like birds) in the mountains ; mammaliferous game in the plains and hills;
and red deer and bears in the Carpathian forests.
The antlered and horned game
is carefully tended in its natural surroundings. The particular feature of big
game in Romania is its size and weight ‑ the fully developed stag often weighs
over 250 km. and the bear over 300 kg. This is one reason for Romania's
reputation at international hunting exhibitions.
Romania is one of the few
countries in Europe with such a harmonious relief, as if it were an enlarged
model of one of the citadels to be found in so many of the villages throughout
the country. Here, wild life feels at home and free in the mountains, the
plains, the hills and the waters of Romania.
The lakes, the meadows and
the craggy heights of the Southern Carpathians are the home of the chamois.
Here, you can combine the thrill of the hunt with the equally thrilling
experience of beautiful Alpine scenery. Romania has held the world record for
chamois horns ‑33.7 cm. ‑ since 1934.
The forests are inhabited
by the following : The Carpathian
stag ‑ weighs 550 lbs. with antlers of 30 lbs. when full‑grown.
The brown bear ‑ which can weigh wore than 350 kg. when full‑grown.
The easiest hunting method is baiting ‑ but there are of course various other
methods, such as when he is feeding on the spring grass of Alpine meadows, or
picking the October fruits in the wide open spaces. Bear hunts, using beaters
and hunting dogs, takes place in Autumn.
The boar ‑ weighs up to 300 kg.; it is found on meadows or
cultivated fields near to forests as well as among the reeds of the Danube
Delta.
The roe‑deer ‑ highly prized by hunters, and found between the
mountains and the sea‑coast. It is hunted by calling, stalking or by still‑hunt.
The fallow‑deer ‑ the species is rapidly increasing in the lowland
where it has recently been introduced.
The lynx ‑ found in the large forests of the Romanian
Carpathians. It is often caught unexpectedly ‑ when the hunter is actually
after the roe‑deer or the capercailzie.
The capercailzie ‑ hunted during the "display period", in
early spring.
The bustard ‑ the largest of Romania's game birds is found in the
Baragan plain ‑ between the banks of the lower Danube and the sub‑Carpathian
hills.
Other game includes : Wildcat, wolf, marten, badger, fox, hare, pheasant,
partridge, quail, black game, hazel‑grouse, dove, woodcock.
The Danube Delta, the
"paradise of water‑fowls", impresses the hunter with its remarkable
variety of flying birds. The shooting of the following is, however, prohibited
: Pelican, mute swan, whooper swan, groat and small egret, stilt, spoonbill,
shelduck, ibis.
Instead, you may shoot many
kinds of geese, ducks and other water‑fowl during the open season, as well as
hog, wolf, otter, muskrat, fox, mink, ermine and wild cat. These are found on
the "plauri" ‑ the reed jungles and the floating reed islands.
What about another from of
hunting ‑ a much milder and relaxing hunt this time : fishing. Romania is a
country rich with game fish such as pike, bass, catfish, zander and many other
non‑game fishes.
Ordinary fishing can be practiced
anywhere, but if you are after something special, then try the mountain rivers
and brooks, where you will find trout, huck , grayling, barbell and chub.
Large, leaping trout live in the still waters of the lakes in the black goat
country. Anglers will find huck in the lakes of Bicaz and Bistritza, and
grayling in the lakes near to Oash Valley and Gurghiu Valley.
Angling, especially for
catfish, pike and zander, is also common all the year round along the canals
and among the "plauri" of the Danube Delta.