Typical Day & Tactics

This adventure starts at the Timisoara airport where our friendly and English-speaking outfitter greets hunters and drive them through the western Romania countryside. Pass through the ancient and beautiful gothic provincial city of Arad arriving to your accommodations, which are lovely. Settle in, have a light dinner and plan to meet at the breakfast bar in the wee hours of the morning.

If you are targeting Fallow deer, find yourself at the regions clubhouse to sign-in, and then onto what might become the best morning of deer hunting ever experienced. A few miles later exiting the vehicle and the raspy croaking of dozens if not hundreds of rut crazed Fallow bucks fills your ears. Dawn begins peeling back the fog revealing herds of Fallow crisscrossing the landscape, croaking, fighting, and breeding. It is typical to start the morning from an elevated shooting house offering a bird’s eye view but proceed to spot & stalk tactics if the situation dictates. Take a break for lunch back at the lodge and unwind on the veranda over the small river or take a midday nap back in your room. Come mid-afternoon head back into the woods in pursuit of Fallow till after dusk. Be pleasantly greeted by an impressive spread once back and changed for dinner. Continue this pattern until your Fallow buck itch has been scratched.

With any extra time, turn your attention to the additional species if you wish, also hunted morning and evening and only payable upon successful harvest on a flat-rate fee. When its time to go, hunters are driven back to the airport by the outfitter or his staff. Should your flight be extremely early, there is an option to stay in a hotel in Timisoara next to the airport at no charge.

Landscape & Climate

Fallow deer are generally creatures of the lowlands, and as such, they are hunted in either open plains or forested settings. In addition to vineyards and rich agricultural land, shepherding safeguards much of the lowlands to sheep pasturing lands. Where these brushy pastures border on timber provides excellent Fallow habitat. The forests are generally managed, ranging from dense, young plantations, to primeval old-growth hardwoods. Locust, Walnut, Oak, and Beech trees are prevalent. The land is generally flat aside ravines from several slow-flowing rivers and overall is not necessarily a physical challenge.

The weather this time of year is pleasant. Rain isn’t typical, neither are high winds. Usually, dawn brings with it calm cool mornings. Any fog and mist hugging the plains burns off midmorning and the afternoons warm up. October is a lovely time to be in rural Romania. The weather is nice, and the fall harvest is in full swing. Enjoy scrounging for the abundant apples, grapes, plums, and walnuts as you hunt and tour the backroads of western Romania. For detailed weather data, Wikipedia is an excellent resource for historic weather trends found in the “Climate” section available for any city worldwide.

Meals & Accommodations

One of the high points of this trip is the food and lodgings. Stay in a beautiful old hotel set at the base of the western Carpathian foothills in the rural countryside near all the hunting areas. The structure was originally an old mill converted into a lovely rustic hotel complete private rooms and full ensuite bathrooms, antique furniture, wifi, quiet common areas, verandas, rose gardens…and a small river flowing through it all. What completes it, is a wonderful adjoining bar and restaurant. People travel from miles around to eat here, but as a hunter simply order 3 meals off the menu each day – all included in each package.

The food here is wholesome, locally sourced, traditional and delicious. Popular items are stone oven personal pizzas, chops, schnitzels, stews, soups, and the various sharing platters. Its an interesting but incredible lineup, lending its roots to blends of Austro-Hungarian, Turkish and Slavic ingredients. Local beer, wine, and plum brandy round out each meal nicely.

Key Equipment Suggestions

This hunt only requires basic equipment. A day pack, 10x binoculars, rangefinder, comfortable walking boots, rain gear, and a digital camera covers the essentials. Remember to bring a European double adapter to charge your electronics.