Typical Day & Tactics

The adventure begins in Timisoara, Romania. Our friendly, English-speaking outfitter or his staff greet every hunter at the airport.  Pass through the ancient and beautiful gothic provincial city of Arad arriving to the lovely accommodations. Should hunters arrive early enough in the day, it’s always possible to head to the field that evening. Otherwise unpack, settle in, enjoy dinner and meet at the breakfast bar very early the following morning.

While Roe deer are widespread, strongest populations and best trophy quality exists in the fertile crop fields and woodlots in agricultural regions. Start the day at dawn covering likely areas on foot or vehicle assisted looking for Roe deer out in the open. Once spotted, meticulously inspect them with quality optics withing 200 yards say, to confidently judge and evaluate these handsome deer. The objective is always to connect with mature bucks, sporting desirable heaving beading, overlapping bases and antler mass.  While medal class trophies are always sought after – comparable to B&C class whitetails, it is not always easy! While plentiful, Roe Deer are similarly cagey, cautious, and make for a worthy challenge afield.

Most hunts employ spot & stalk tactics.  A Roe buck maintains a small core range, say about one square kilometer, and in the rut, they are very susceptible to calling. With this, some scenarios call for ambush from an elevated high seat. Waiting on, or calling to a specific pre-scouted buck, again much like Whitetail hunting. And so, hunt the first few hours of the morning, spotting, judging, and inventorying as many bucks as possible. The days are long this time of year, so come mid to late-morning, head back to the lodge for a delicious local brunch, recount the highlights, make an afternoon game plan, and enjoy a nap.

Resume looking for Roe deer within minutes of leaving the lodge in the early afternoon, rechecking traditional haunts, and other likely areas. Once a shooter buck is located the energy totally changes. Confirm the buck and devise a game plan to get within shooting range. Usually, all that’s needed is a slow, methodical, strategic stalk, lining up some cover with the wind in your favor. Most shots are within 150 meters, and due to crops or taller grass, are often taken off shooting sticks. Continue hunting each day until dusk. After a shot of local moonshine celebrating the day, head back to the lodge for a hearty dinner.

This is an exciting hunt in a target-rich environment. Most hunters take three or more bucks in a 4-day hunt, always looking for something bigger or different for their next buck. The learning curve of judging and ground-truthing deer without breaking the bank is what makes this hunt so popular. As with local customs, a successful hunt includes a quick traditional ceremony honoring the animal.

As far as options, keep an eye out for Wild Boar as they grow huge in Romania and are very plentiful, also available flat rate. Or consider a September Red Stag or Carpathian Chamois hunt with combines well with Roe Deer as a secondary species. Or should the focus be Fallow deer in October, Roe deer season remains open until the middle of the month as a bonus.

Upon concluding the hunt, clients are shuttled back to the airport by the outfitter or his staff. Should flights be extremely early, there is an option to stay in a hotel in Timisoara next to the airport at no charge. Should hunters wish to plan some sightseeing or tourism before or after the hunt, our outfitters can also assist with those logistics and planning.

Landscape & Climate

Roe Deer do not require extensive cover to feel safe, and so they do well in a wide variety of environments. Alpine mountains, foothills, dense forests, and farm country all hold Roe Deer. Again, like Whitetails, they thrive along “edge” habitat, with some of the best concentrations of deer occurring where rich agriculture meets the hardwood forests of the western Carpathian foothills. Mixed high-density crops such as corn, cereals, various vegetables, canola, sunflowers, or pastures are connected by brushy fence lines, irrigation ditches, or streams. These meander through woodlots which ultimately back up to unfragmented foothill forests. The terrain is generally quite flat or gentry rolling until reaching said foothills.  Locust, Walnut, Oak, and Beech trees are typical. Hunters are sure to encounter iconic European non-target species such as hares, pheasants, hedgehogs, foxes, ferrets, and badgers, who also call the region home.

Being on a different schedule than other deer in the northern hemisphere, prime Roe deer hunting windows include May into early June (considered the early season), as well the rut, which occurs in late July and into August. And while Roe Deer season is technically open from May to Oct, the crops or grass are simply too tall mid-summer. The rut however coincides with early harvest, at which point various crop fields have been cut and visibility is partially restored. May to August can be warm throughout the day, and expect some mosquitoes in the forest at dusk. Rain is not prevalent but always smart to plan for it.

Meals & Accommodations

Key Equipment Suggestions