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Although not as common as red deer, fallow are found
throughout most of Poland and the numbers have been
growing over the past 15 years. The best areas are around
Poznan in western Poland and also in regions close to
Gdansk near the Baltic Sea and in eastern Poland near
Lubin. The rut is always in October and, like red deer, hunting
is on a one-to-one basis with morning and evening stalking.'5,9(1:,/'%2$5
This form of hunting is incredibly exciting! Standing poised,
rifle ready, you will hear the cries of the beaters as the
animals approach. There’s a rustle of dry leaves and then
suddenly a group of wild boar emerges at top speed, racing
away from the beaters and dogs. The adrenaline is pumping
and you have to pick a suitable animal and waste no time!
For Polish hunters, driven wild boar hunting is a way of life
and parties return year after year to hunt the same districts.
Korsholm has access to a wide range of areas throughout
Poland, both in State Forestry districts and with hunting
clubs. All areas have trained, experienced and very
responsible personnel. Often, dog handlers, who work
throughout the hunting season, are hired for a specific hunt.
The day starts at dawn with a briefing from the head
organiser, who will explain how the hunt is arranged and,
most importantly, detail safety procedures during the hunt.
Normally, driven hunting takes place over four days with
three days of hunting and eight to 10 Rifles are required to
cover all the six to 10 drives each day.
Korsholm Hunting Tours has access to areas in west
Poland renowned for many wild boar, and also regions that
produce not only boar but also red deer, fallow and roe does.
Roe bucks are out of season in the autumn. In addition, in
co-operation with some of the best State Forestry districts,
Korsholm has created driven hunts over extensive areas.
These hunts are extremely popular and very safe. There are
often 30 to 50 Rifles and three drives each day. All hunters
are placed in high seats to ensure safety and game does not
move as fast as it does on regular driven hunts.
The government has decided to reduce the number of wild
boar due to excessive damage to forestry and agriculture. In
addition, in some areas, boar have been found dead as a
result of swine fever and the government is trying hard to
control the outbreak. Clients are not sent to these areas.
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There are in the region of 300,000 red deer in
Poland, from the German border in the west to
the Ukrainian border in the east. There are also
red deer in the Carpathian mountains. The rut,
which takes place in September, provides the
best opportunity for hunting. The quality of red
deer has greatly improved over the past 15 to 20
years in line with deer management. Stags with
trophy weights of 6-8kg are readily found, and many
areas produce animals with heads between 7 and 9kg,
while a few stags weighing more than 10 or 12kg are shot
every season.
The hunt is normally on a one-to-one basis in the morning
and evening with a local guide. The hunt is walk and stalk
and guides are very good at calling stags. Guides will always
try to get clients as close as possible for a clear shot, which
may be from 30 to 250m. In the rut, stags are hard to kill
and a second shot may be required.
All private hunting clubs and State Forestry areas
annually receive a number of licences for red deer and they
must ensure that the number stipulated is met in order to
control numbers and help to reduce damage to farmland
and woodland.
During the driven hunt season from October to January,
hinds and red deer calves normally compose 40% of the
daily bag, the remainder being wild boar, raccoon dogs and
roe does. If there are any stags left on licences, they can
also be shot, but must be paid for as per the price list.
SPORT ABROAD WITH TONY JACKSON
»
If you’ve
never shot driven
boar before, it makes
sense to visit a range
that offers this moving
target to practise on
before you go.http://www.rifleshootermagazine.co.uk 75ABOVE: The quality
of red deer has
improved greatly in
the past 15-20 years