Helia hunting

CHAMOIS – RUPICAPRA, RUPICAPRA L.:

Most commonly wild goats are hunted with waylaying. The hunter and his accompanying hunting representative, takes position, usually close to wild goats habitat. The essence of this waylaying is based on the short daily migrations of these animals from graze points to the rest points. Usually goats move along selected routes and steep, rugged, rocky terrains. Therefore ambush sites must allow a good precise overview to those terrains. Waylaying is suitable for mating season when fully grown males possessing good trophies travel more in search of females. Thus likelihood that they will go out and be a target greatly increases. In some hunting grounds waylaying of goats is practiced from high altitude fixed ambush sites near villages, which the animals regularly visit, but that is rather called ground bait hunt. Waylaying on high altitude mountains or cliffs not always give advantage for shooting. When choosing the ambush site not only the wind must be monitored, but the better camouflage also, according to terrain. Stalk hunting is even more difficult. Thereby hunter must be in excellent physical shape and be ready to climb cliffs, walk over sharp rocks and crawl for hours on stones.

GREY PARTRIDGE /HUN/ – PERDIX PERDIX /L/

The partridge is a tough bird for shooting and therefore it is suitable using of stark or concentrated combat weapons. Over/Under double barrel 12 gauge shotguns with Choke and medium Choke is a good solution. Cartridges can be 70 mm, but even better is using a Magnum – 76 mm. Cartridges used for hunting partridge are typically with concentrators – from classic pellets with No. 7 to No. 5. However, in the first outings for the season may be hunted with cartridge No. 6 to No. 8, because the birds go up at close range, and yet have winter plumage.

MOUFLON – OVIS MUSIMON PALL.

Its same as hunting of wild goat – waylaying, stalking and calmly raising. In the past, mainly during the mating period, has been hunted with lure of estrous males as hunter skillfully bleating like female Mouflon, hidden behind stone. The best shot is slightly behind the shoulder of the animal. Another good place is the middle of the neck but the shot must be very precise as to affect the spine. It is best to wait for Mouflon to stand sideways to the hunter. The difference of hunting Mouflon is the use of larger gauges, because the animal is pretty tenacious to shot. Even when it is shot on clean hit run 200-300 meters and then falls. Used weapons are only rifled threaded barrels, the average distance the cautious animals are fought is 150-250 meters. The most commonly used weapons in Europe are in the following gauges: .243 WIN, .270 WIN, .308 WIN, .30-06 SPRG. Mouflon horns hide persistence and power. Knowing how difficult is stalking these wild rams, those trophies really gives honor to every hunting collection. In Europe, the beautiful Mouflon is dreamed hunting venture. That’s why many Western country Hunters travel abroad to shoot their mighty trophy. In our country population of Mouflon is stable despite the poaching hunt after fall of totalitarian watchful wood guardians and protectors.

WILD BOAR – SUS SCROFA L.

Wild boar hunt is interesting and emotional. In our country on the Danube islands the hunt of pigs is very good, although most of our national hunters are convinced that the island pigs are intentionally conveyed to grow on their own. Traditional hunting of wild boar in our country is team hunt on packs. According to law a pack could count up to 20 people. The Head of pack determines the direction in which the drive hunters and the dogs will go as well as the ambush sites and the position of individual participants. Shooting at this armored large animal require hard hit and sure strike. For this purpose it is recommended smoothbore barrel hunting shotgun 12 gauge. It is recommended because most of gunpowder in the cartridge makes heavy blast. Typically, most hunting cartridges which contain soft pellets are made in sizes of 70 mm. Any 12/70 shotgun in condition with tight choke tubes is good for shooting with hunting bullets. Semi autos like the 12 gauge autoloader are also used with interchangeable chokes. Rarely used are rifled / thread / barrel carbines with an average gauge of .30-06 Sprg, 7 Remington Magnum, .308 Win. Thread barrel carbines hit well until distance of 150 meters using mechanical aiming devices.

BEECH MARTEN /STONE MARTEN/ – MARTES FOINA L.

Most successive way to hunt Martens is using dog to find the hole, and then pulling it out to the nearest tree, becoming an easy target. Another effective method of hunting is from high seat to hide-out, especially during the winter. In the past Martens were hunted with traps, but now that has been forbidden. Martens have to be shot with a simple smoothbore barrel hunting shotguns. Most often this is Over/Under double barrel 12 gauge shotguns. The first shot is crucial, so the semi-autos don`t give big advantage. When hunting by waiting is better to use a .22 gauge for head shots, because this preserves the animal leather. The hunting cartridges are mostly fours double-barreled. This animal is considered to the harmful for nature range of animals.

PHEASANT – PHASIANUS COLCHICUS /L/

The pheasant today is mostly artificial displaced bird for hunting. Without bird breeding farms it would not be present in the hunting grounds of Europe or long ago would be protected by law. However in our country the common pheasant is recorded as a threatened from existence animal in the Red Book. Another peculiarity of pheasant hunting is that it pretty quickly loses its wild instincts. Farm breaded birds sometimes are unable to adapt to life on the field because of their gullibility and quickly become prey to predators and poachers. In fact the rough truth is that without constant artificial restocking of hunting industries such beautiful birds would have vanished long ago. But let us go back to the objective of this session – the pheasant shooting. According to official hunting data statistics and the Agrarian Ministry in our country were breaded around 600-700 thousand pheasants per season. Approximately half of them were placed in our nature habitat. In 1988 for example, have been displaced 383,000 game pheasants, while in 1991 they were only 33,000. But most terrible was the situation after the financial and banking crisis – which took place in 1997 when just 19 000 birds were breaded. This stocking collapse is now reduced, but in spring pheasant census stock does not exceed 80 to 100 thousand birds. For the pheasant hunt the long barrel shotguns 12 gauges are good loaded with magnum 76 mm magazine ammo. They should have a sharp blow providing sufficient density of the pellet beam on distance. Suitable are the over under shotguns with chokes – medium chokes or hunting auto weapons with powerful screw in win choke. With those we have a chance after the second cartridge. Munitions should not be underestimated. The trophy can`t be seen every day, so it is best to use only factory ammo. You can shoot a load of pellets number 6-7.

EUROPEAN QUAIL – COTURNIX COTURNIX

Old males fly off first, then grown ladies and then the young birds. In this period – end of August to September through Bulgaria passes the flocks nested in the North. They are known to hunters as “quail’s passages” which are hunted down because they often go down for a day or two to take a rest in some of their favorite regions of Bulgaria. For small quail trophies hunt are good light weight weapons. First because of the long walk hunt and second because it is a lot of shooting. In Europe, hunters often have their guns with shorter barrel tubes and lightweight barreled box made of duralumin. Other options are straight 16 gauge weapons, and even 20 gauges. In our country a few can afford that, but seems that the outcome is to take a shotgun with two sets of barrels. The first have a length of and 68 cm cylinder skeet and or modified choke. They are suitable for all migratory game species. Second semi choke-full choke barrel tubes most often having length of: 72 – 76 cm, with magnum munitions. With them we can start hunting waterfowls, rabbits, predators and of pigs. For quail have to be used the thinner pellets ranging size: 13 to 11 number at all. Moreover cartridges with a bigger charge will be placed in the second barrel for the overlap of omission from first shot. Only in the autumn passage quails, which are fat and more resistant to shots may be hunted with buckshot pellets – even, № 10 but from the second barrel.

BROWN BEAR – URSUS ARCTOS L.

Bears shall be hunted mainly at dusk or early morning as well as on moonlight nights. Must be used powerful rifle / thread / barrel shotguns only. In most cases, an ambush is made on a high seat for temporary cover. Optics and binoculars are best implied. In our country the main method is to waylay near watering points, near wild game plain ground, feeder or corpse of killed animal by the beast. Bear must be hunt only with a really powerful and reliable weapon. The most proven choice are the over/under shotguns. They have two rifle bore tubes with two separate trigger mechanisms. This excludes completely the possibility of a double hitch. These gauges are used for hunting in African – .375 H & H Mag, .416 Rigby, .458 win Mag. They are heavy bullets that knock with one shot even elephant. Of course, a bear may be shot with threaded hunting carbines of the most powerful more common gauges like .300 Win .308 Win, but their reliability in this hunt is not so great. Using smoothbore barrel weapon is also possible, especially the semi-autos, but only in close distance – up to 30-40 meters. When searching in packs for injured beast, every weapon is good for immediate use. When hunting bears appropriate to wear heavy pistol or revolver for self defense in case of unexpected actions by wounded bear, it can start attacking people without notify.

HARE – LEPUS EUROPEUS/ PALL/

In Bulgaria when going for a rabbit hunt usually is carried 12 gauge weapon. Some years ago, there were hunters which had a 16 gauge weapons, but now they are exotics. In Western Europe, so far rabbits are hunted with light long recoil shotguns, sometimes even with 20 gauge magnum. But for today we only had 12 gauge. The Over/Under double barrel shotguns containing semi chokes or full chokes are classics. The pump shotguns are also good, but they only have an advantage because of the space for cartridges in their magazine. In fact when shooting a running rabbit as using cold-blooded leading aiming is the key for success rather than bombarding it with rapid 5 or 6 shots. The cartridges for rabbit hunt are best to be factory made, despite all discussions for the winter and summer home-made charge ammunitions. As for the number of pellets in charge – never consensus has been achieved. On the first outings can be used smaller – number 4, because in October till the end of November rabbit fur is not yet thickened with pooh for the winter. When hunting in November and December is good shooting with pellets number 2 or 1 .Bigger must not be loaded because they do not assure striking, and increases the rate of injuries, making the game considered lost.

FALLOW DEER, CERVUS DAMA L.

The ways of hunting fallow deer are the same as those for red deer, as well as the shooting conditions. Difference is that it can be shot during day time. Used gauges are mostly mediums 300win, 7rem, 308 win, 30-06Sprg and others. In our country there are many suitable places for breeding deer. It convenes to be close with people and it is successfully bred in National Parks. The game stock of the fallow deer is still low and hunting is limited.