Typical Day & Tactics

This adventure starts at the Timisoara airport where our friendly and English-speaking outfitter greets hunters. Pass through the ancient and beautiful gothic provincial city of Arad arriving to your accommodations, which are lovely. If you arrive early enough in the day you may head out in the field that evening however, otherwise settle in, have dinner and plan to meet at the breakfast bar in the wee hours of the morning. The plan for each day depends on our hunter preferences. Trophy boar hunts are usually conducted in the evenings and into the night. In this case mornings and middays can be relaxed, unless there are plans to hunt pheasants on late fall/early winter hunts, or pursue trophy Roe deer on late spring hunts. These are great options for the mornings as the wild boars are largely nocturnal. Boar hunts start in the evening over bait, and if a shooter does not present himself the guides normally stalk the hills aided by night vison or thermal equipment. Rifles are often rigged with spotlights for the moment of truth. It’s certainly an experience and the rewards can be huge! Pheasants are hunted with various pointer breeds, blockers and beaters covering strategic strips of crops or cover which concentrates wild pheasants during this time of year. Fallow or Chamois combos are options to trophy boar hunts in early November, and Roe Deer in early May.

Driven hunts however are an all-day affair. Hunters usually leave the lodge in the morning, only returning after dark with a nice midday lunch break in the field. Here big groups of hounds and beaters drive the hills to push large groups of Wild Boar during daylight, channeling them past hunters waiting in high-seats from carefully selected locations for fast action shooting with no limits! After a closing ceremony from each day’s hunt, head back to the lodge for a hearty dinner. When it’s time to head home, hunters are shuttled 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

Wild boar require thick cover to feel safe and decent on crop fields at night if seasonal natural foods like grubs, apples and walnuts are unavailable. They can inhabit a variety of environments ranging from farm country to alpine mountains, but some of the best concentrations are where rich agriculture meets the dense forests of the foothills. Locust, Walnut, Oak and Beech trees are prevalent. The farmland is generally flat while the foothills can offer some steep forested slopes and ravines.

It’s a long season and weather varies depending on the month. Late fall and early winter has the leaves down, and light snow and accumulation would not be uncommon come December. Rain isn’t typical unless its unseasonably warm. Temperatures hover around the freezing mark. Slightly below at dawn often warming up throughout the day. Mid-winter hunts from January into March hunts are generally seems temperatures below freezing and accumulations of snow are typical. April to May seems warmer and greener conditions generally above the freezing mark as spring progresses. . 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 highpoints of this trip are the food and lodgings. Stay in a beautiful old hotel set at the base of the western Carpathian foothills in the rural country side 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. 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 line up, lending its roots to blends of Austro-Hungarian, Turkish and Slavic ingredients. Local beer, wine and plum brandy rounds out each meal nicely.

Key Equipment Suggestions

This hunt only requires basic equipment. A good layered clothing system, day pack, 10x binoculars, rangefinder, comfortable walking boots, rain gear and a digital camera covers the essentials. Any night vision or thermal equipment could be extremely handy for trophy hunts. Remember to bring a European double adapter to charge your electronics. Hunter orange can be required for driven or pheasant hunts.