Drive tonight, hunt tommorow

[addicted]

The time has come. in a couple of hours Fire4effect and i will be leaving for a 2 day push hunt on the other side of germany for Red stag, Wild boar, and Reh. I'm super syked and I've got my 8mm ready to go. Hopefully i will get on saturday with lots of pictures and a good story. I'll bring the video camera but i dont think i'll have the oppourtunity to use it. Last time they held this hunt there was 75 hunters and 175 pieces of game shot. 

[saylean]

Red stag and wild boar...im jealous! Have fun! Taking the autobahn?

[shoot-em-dead]

good luck and a question- How safe is that to hunt with so many people?

[addicted]

Red stag and wild boar...im jealous! Have fun! Taking the autobahn?

you betcha.  we'll be in his new JK so we wont be hauling ass but it definately makes travel easier.

good luck and a question- How safe is that to hunt with so many people?

 

They put a lot of time and effort into the planning and placement of the hunters and drivers. The hunt starts on a horn blow of a certain tune and ends on a horn tune called Han and Rue. This is the only time in germany when hunters where orange as well.  The animals are primarily pushed by dogs and if a dog is on the tail of the game your supposed to let it go to protect the dog. It seems unfair and unsporting but it isnt easy. I went on one a few weeks ago with 35 hunters and we came up with a fox and that was it.  The DruckJagd is primarily used during this time of year when the local forester needs to make his quota of kills in his area so Official formal invitations are sent out.  There is a ton of tradition and and a lot of history that goes into the event as well as the camradory of great hunting buddies.

the heard management over here is much more closely watched and much better planned than in the states alowing just the right amount of animals in the area.

[Curly]

Sounds like a good time.  I'll be looking for pics.

[rasbo]

sounds like it will be a cool memory in the making...

[cohoho]

I only wish I experienced the hunting while there (6 years)....  I liked the German girls and beer better at the time..  Your definitely an ambassador for American with getting involved in these activities for sure...   Get some good pictures....

[addicted]

cars all loaded up. see you guys in a couple days.

[Machias]

Be safe, have fun and LOTS of photos!!

[AngelFace]

I am sure they will have a ton of fun and they will take lots of pictures.
I handed him the camera as he walked out the door so he has it. 

Taking the autobahn?

I think it is funny when people ask us that. The autobahn is basically just our freeway over here. I drove down to Paris on it and I was going about 105 mph the whole time and that was normal. And people were passing us. =)

[addicted]

It was a good hunt. I have to go plow the runway so i wont be able to post anymore pics for about 13 hours so i will give you a couple for the road and come back later for the story. 

Fire4Effect could get on and tell you his story.

[smdave]

Well that looks cool when were you going to tell me?

Dave

[rasbo]

get that damn runway plowed and get some story going on

[addicted]

I got on the comp at work so i cant post pics but i can start out a little story.

This is the Annual German American Friendship hunt in Hohenfells Germany.  The hunt is held on the hohenfells army post where there is almost no pressure on the animals for most of the year however this is a high fence hunt by no means.  The area we hunted the first day was 3,000 hectar and the area we hunted the second day was 7,000 hectars.

We started our day our day at 0500 and 13 degrees farenheit. with a slight new trace of snow on the ground.

This is a Drive hunt which is a very traditional and social hunt. We arrived the night before and went to they meet up point in the morning. There we probably 60+ hunters, both germans and americans. It is really a great way to meet people. They start out the morning with the blowing of the the horns to call the hunters together. Once the hunters are gathered the Person hosting the hunt, A forester in this case begins with a very high and formal speach. Welcome to the hunt...... I am so and so..... thank you for coming....

then for this large hunts like this one there is a holy man brought in to bless the hunt and pray for safety and a good hunt.   There was one german guy from a local church as well as an army chaplain for the americans.


After this the forester hosting the hunt goes over the menu for the hunt. This included

Red stag(put in groups from largest to smallest of 1A 1B 2A 2B 3 and 3B)
any spike unless it had a split anter at the top.
any 3 level stag without a crown
any 2 level stag without a crown
and any 1 level stag if you could afford it.(not me)
any red stag calf
any red stag cow not leading a calf(unless you shoot the calf first)

Any female Roe Deer.

Any wild boar with the exceptoin of the leading female.


Usually foxes are good to shoot but the area has a rodent problem so they were holding off on shooting foxes.


After the forester goes over the animals, the safety rules, and timeline for the hunt there is another horn tune blown for the beggining of the hunting day.  After this the hunters break into predetermined groups so they can be dispersed in precalculated hunting stands.

Our forester in charge of our group placed my buddy Fire4effect and I in semi close stands because we road in the same car. Unfortunately i didnt get ahold of my camera until later in the day so i didnt have any pictures of the first sit.  As i walked up to my stand i heard a shot a couple hundred yards away and looked up to see 6 stag crossing a hillside in the trees about 300 yards away. From that point on I was buzzing with excitement.  I quickly got in my stand and scanned the area like a hawk.

[addicted]

Alright. home from snow duty now. here are the pics to go with what story i've told.

first pic is the hunters in the morning with fire4effect center left.

second picture is the horn blowers(note the 12 year old. there is usually one or two at these big hunts. they end up doing a lot of work. good kid)

then guys about to give the invocation.