After twenty years of hunting Roebuck in Hungary, I felt it was time to let you in on this unique deer hunt. The Roebuck is a 40-pound buck with 9 to 12 inch horns. It is considered “Royal Game” in all of Europe. During my early years of hunting in Hungary (from 1984), I usually came upon a good Roebuck when hunting trophy stag or wild boar (the new world record boar was shot in Hungary 2004). They would seem to appear by a hedgerow, as if by magic. My partner in Hungary, Toni Török, started to teach me of the history and lore surrounding these deer. One hundred fifty years ago, the nobles in Hungary would hunt the Roe by stalking or driving. I have hunted Roebuck in Spain, England, Scotland, the Czech Republic and Romania, as well. By far the finest Roebuck hunting is in the eastern part of Hungary, on the Pusta (Great Plain). The quality and quantity of heads is found nowhere else in Europe. We have worked diligently the last ten years to find the best areas and book them up to a year in advance. You can hunt small, medium, or big bucks. The choice is yours. Last year our groups took 67 bucks of which all scored in the SCI book and 46 in the CIC medal class. You can expect to see 12 to 25 bucks per day. The Gamekeepers are true experts on the Roebuck's habits. They start watching the bucks a month before and make sure they are not disturbed. Poaching is still on the small side, and when we arrive every year for opening day (April 15) the bucks remind me of New York bucks between 6:15AM and 7:30AM opening day. Of course, each day the Roebuck seem to get smarter and smarter (especially the “big boys”), who may be six to eight years old.  Two years ago one of my clients, Chris Wyatt, took the heaviest Roebuck (758 grams) in all of Hungary. This year we managed eleven gold medals in the first month alone. In a location twenty minutes away from ours (where we shoot duck, pheasant and boar, every year), they took the # 1 Roebuck in Hungary and possibly the world, 810 grams. In Hungary you pay for Roebuck trophies by the weight of the horns and part of the skull. Bucks can cost from $400+, depending on your luck. What we do with our group is decide who wants to shoot what bucks before hand. The guides know their bucks and can usually figure within 10% of the weight. When you get to the big bucks (over 550 grams) it can become a little more difficult. You may have no other big bucks taken in the area, yet depending on the winter, the weather and the feed available, Roebucks with large horns can be light or heavy. We stay in the same small hotels each year, about 15 to 30 minutes from the Roebucks home ground. The food and rooms are all top quality. Just a word of caution, you better go on a diet before you come on this hunt, as there always seems to be an abundance of good food about.

The traditions of hunting in Hungary go back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hungary is a new adventure for the true deer hunter. After fifty safaris and twenty-five trips to Hungary, it still excites me to be up early opening morning for a chance at monster Roebuck.

Budapest “The Paris of the East” is worth exploring a couple of days before or after you hunt. We can also arrange sightseeing during the day for, for those interested.