Romanian Brown Bear

[Buffalobwana]

Unfortunately, Romania closed their bear hunting, but not before I got this guy. Glad I went when I did.

They are essentially inland Grizzly. Same species as we have here.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I made two trips to get this one. These are essentially inland Grizzly, with all the attitude we have with our Grizzly here. Our bears and their bears are both Ursus arctos.

They don't score their Bears like our B&C system. They score the hide by squaring it and adding points for hair length and "beauty". Odd, but … you do you, Europe.

His skull measured 25 6/8. For reference sake, B&C Book for Grizzly is 24 and Brown Bear is 28.

He was the biggest this outfitter had ever taken.

They hunt their Brown Bear over bait. I would have preferred an Alaskan style spot and stalk, but the terrain and thick forests prevent it, so, you do what works best.

We hunted in all kinds of blinds, basic box blinds, to a concrete structure built for their previous dictator Nicolae Ceaușescuwho loved to hunt! He killed hundreds of Brown Bear along with Stag, Fallow Deer, Boar and Roe Deer.

We hunted all kinds of terrain and settings, mainly in the mountains, climbed mountains in mid calf deep snow to sleep in the corner of a blind while sitting on a log stump. Hunted a blind just outside a small village and finally in the valley, next to a wheat field and a paved road. That felt odd to say the least, but, it's hunting all the same.

In the end we got him sitting on a board nailed between two trees. A very basic 1x2 wooden frame with cardboard stapled to it. Not much between you and a "Grizz". It got exciting when my Bear and another bear got in a fight and chased each other around the tree I was sitting in. Our "blind" was about 6' off the ground, so that was exciting!

I doubt they will re-open Brown Bear there, but they are trying. Incidents of people getting killed by Brown Bear are rising since hunting is off the table as a management tool and the Bears seem to have lost some of their fear of humans.

I'd go back again. For a baited hunt, it was a heck of a lot of fun.

 

[Reemty J]

Thanks for sharing, well done!

 

[birddog 68]

What was your choice for rifle and caliber if you don't mind me asking?
And that's a awesome bear!

 

[Buffalobwana]

What was your choice for rifle and caliber if you don't mind me asking?
And that's a awesome bear!

First time I went, I took my 375 H&H. Import was a huge ordeal as the big boss from the main office was there and every one of the police officers were scared to approve an import permit in front of him.

Took over an hour to get it done.

Next time, I borrowed the outfitters rifle an 8x68 Blaser. Really nice gun. Probably great for Red Stag. He told me, I don't really like this bullet for brown bear. It's too small.

Great … let's go do this!

 

[FEENIX]

I made two trips to get this one. These are essentially inland Grizzly, with all the attitude we have with our Grizzly here. Our bears and their bears are both Ursus arctos.

They don't score their Bears like our B&C system. They score the hide by squaring it and adding points for hair length and "beauty". Odd, but … you do you, Europe.

His skull measured 25 6/8. For reference sake, B&C Book for Grizzly is 24 and Brown Bear is 28.

He was the biggest this outfitter had ever taken.

They hunt their Brown Bear over bait. I would have preferred an Alaskan style spot and stalk, but the terrain and thick forests prevent it, so, you do what works best.

We hunted in all kinds of blinds, basic box blinds, to a concrete structure built for their previous dictator Nicolae Ceaușescuwho loved to hunt! He killed hundreds of Brown Bear along with Stag, Fallow Deer, Boar and Roe Deer.

We hunted all kinds of terrain and settings, mainly in the mountains, climbed mountains in mid calf deep snow to sleep in the corner of a blind while sitting on a log stump. Hunted a blind just outside a small village and finally in the valley, next to a wheat field and a paved road. That felt odd to say the least, but, it's hunting all the same.

In the end we got him sitting on a board nailed between two trees. A very basic 1x2 wooden frame with cardboard stapled to it. Not much between you and a "Grizz". It got exciting when my Bear and another bear got in a fight and chased each other around the tree I was sitting in. Our "blind" was about 6' off the ground, so that was exciting!

I doubt they will re-open Brown Bear there, but they are trying. Incidents of people getting killed by Brown Bear are rising since hunting is off the table as a management tool and the Bears seem to have lost some of their fear of humans.

I'd go back again. For a baited hunt, it was a heck of a lot of fun.

Congrats on an excellent hunt/harvest. Do you have a link to outfitter?

Romania is a beautiful country. My wife and I spent a couple of days there on one of our European trips a few years ago.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Congrats on an excellent hunt/harvest. Do you have a link to outfitter?

Romania is a beautiful country. My wife and I spent a couple of days there on one of our European trips a few years ago.

I have been there three times. Twice to hunt and once to see Metallica in Bucharest.

 

[Rebell]

Thanks for sharing. Congratulations!

 

[Allen Kitts]

He is gorgeous. Congratulations!

 

[LRNut]

Congrats; a friend of mine, Wendell Reich has booked hunts for Romanian brown bears.

 

[crashlanding]

Well written story, put me right there with you in that tree, thanks

 

[Allen Kitts]

I have been there three times. Twice to hunt and once to see Metallica in Bucharest.

You flew all the way to Romania to see a concert?

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Impressive

 

[Bucklowery]

Wow huge bear.

Thanks

Buck