Ungulates are the large hoofed game animals: wild boar, red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, chamois, mouflon and, in some countries, introduced species such as sika. It is a slow kind of hunting, made of walking, glassing and waiting at dawn and dusk, in thick forest, hills or high mountains.
Hunting abroad means vast, well-organised territory: the Carpathians in Romania, the plains and estates of Hungary, Croatian and Balkan reserves, Scottish glens, big Spanish estates, all the way to New Zealand. Almost everywhere the foreign hunter is accompanied by a local guide, who knows where the animals are and decides with you which animal can be taken.
There are two approaches. Wild boar and female deer are mostly taken as management culling, often in driven hunts. A mature male red deer, fallow deer, roe deer or chamois is hunted as a trophy instead: the animal is measured and weighed, and the fee depends on its class. Rules, seasons and preparation differ accordingly.
On Wildoora you can currently find packages for driven wild boar hunts and for Carpathian red deer in Romania, offered by a local agency. This guide gathers what you should know before choosing: species, techniques, trophies, rifles, tracking dogs and bringing things home, so you can send your enquiry straight to the agency.
There is no single season. Roe bucks are usually hunted from spring to autumn, with the rut in summer; red deer in autumn, with the roar in the Carpathians between mid-September and early October; fallow deer in autumn, with the rut in October; chamois from late summer or autumn into winter; wild boar mostly in autumn and winter and, in some countries, almost all year. Females and young are generally taken from autumn to late winter. In Scotland, for example, hinds are hunted from late October to mid-February and since 2023 there is no close season for stags; in New Zealand the roar falls between March and April, because the hemisphere is opposite. Dates and quotas change every year and from one estate to another: the agency confirms the correct periods.
Wild boar is the most widespread and accessible quarry: it lives all over Europe and is hunted in driven hunts, from a high seat and sometimes by stalking. The trophy value lies in the tusks, measured by length; with some operators only big males are taken.
Red deer is the king of the forest: the Carpathian stag is among the most prized in Europe. Roe deer is smaller and shy, hunted mostly as a buck in summer. Fallow deer lives on plains and hills, notably in Hungary and in Transylvania near the Hungarian border. Chamois is the mountain quarry, with the most demanding hunt. Mouflon is an introduced species in several countries, found for example on Spanish and Hungarian estates.
In Romania the best-known areas are the Carpathians and Transylvania, for red deer, roe deer, fallow deer and chamois, while wild boar is found everywhere. Hunting rights belong to the state and the grounds are managed by companies and associations that lease them to operators and agencies.
In Hungary hunting is organised on estates with a compulsory local guide: fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar and red deer, with precise culling rules. In Croatia you hunt in reserves with roe deer, red deer, fallow deer and wild boar; in Spain the montería is common in the cold months; in Scotland deer stalking takes place on mountain estates; in New Zealand deer are introduced species and are hunted both on public land with a permit and on private land with a guide.
Before choosing, ask the agency which estate you will hunt, what the ground is like (hills, forest, mountain), how you get around and how many hunters there are per guide.
The driven hunt is a team hunt: beaters with dogs push the animals towards the shooters on their stands. It is done in groups of around ten people and for big game the operator often sets a minimum number of participants. The hunt leader explains the rules of the day: safety, shooting sectors and permitted animals.
High seat and stalking are individual hunts with the guide: you arrive by off-road vehicle or on foot, observe and decide calmly. Selection is the rule for deer: you choose a head of the right class, not just any animal. In some collective drives the operator cannot guarantee trophy quality, because the animal is not chosen at the moment of the shot.
Follow the guide's instructions: where to sit, when to climb into the high seat, when not to shoot.
Deer trophies are assessed with the CIC formula (International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation): lengths, circumferences, net trophy weight, beauty points and any deductions all count. Based on the score a bronze, silver or gold medal is awarded, with different thresholds for each species.
The trophy weight is usually estimated by the guide before the shot and checked after boiling: the net weight is obtained after a drying period, which specialist guides put at about thirty days. Medal thresholds vary by source and mouflon is not always covered: ask the agency which system it uses.
The fee per animal depends on class: for red, fallow and roe deer you often pay by trophy weight brackets, for chamois by CIC points and for wild boar by average tusk length. Females and young have flat fees, while a wounded and unrecovered animal or a missed shot may carry a separate penalty. In Hungary trophies are presented to an official assessment commission.
Ungulates are hunted with a rifled rifle. Industry guides suggest medium calibres for red deer and wild boar, such as .30-06 or similar; for roe and fallow deer one operator also lists smaller calibres such as 6.5x55 or .270. Some countries set a minimum muzzle energy: in Croatia, for example, local guidance mentions about 1,000 joules for roe deer and 2,500 for wild boar, with slug guns allowed only by exception.
The number of weapons and cartridges is limited and must be declared at the border: in Croatia, for example, up to three weapons per hunter, and in Romania one operator mentions a maximum of 50 cartridges per weapon. These limits change: confirm them with the agency. Silencers, semi-automatics and night-vision devices are banned or restricted in several countries.
For air travel tell the airline, keep the weapon unloaded in a hard case and cartridges in their original box. Alternatively, rent a rifle on site.
Recovering a wounded animal is an integral part of ungulate hunting. Tracking dogs such as the Hanoverian and the Bavarian Mountain Hound are specialists: they are used after the shot, on the blood trail, and do not hunt with the pack.
When the animal is not down, the dog is put on the track and follows it even hours later (up to about a day). It usually works on a long lead; once the animal is found it signals by barking, and if it is still alive it holds it at bay so the handler can finish it.
On many estates the recovery service is offered by the agency, sometimes as a paid service. The hunter must stop, mark the point of the shot and not chase the animal. The penalty for a wounded and unrecovered animal is set in the contract.
Coming back with meat and trophies depends on the country and the species. For wild boar you must consider African swine fever: health authorities advise cleaning and disinfecting clothing, equipment, vehicles, trophies and dogs on site, gutting only in designated areas and not bringing meat or parts of wild boar from risk areas. In some European countries bringing in wild boar meat from restricted zones is forbidden.
Trophies should arrive clean and treated: the veterinary services of several countries accept ungulate trophies that have undergone complete taxidermy, while fresh trophies and raw or salted skins require special procedures. That is why it is best to have the trophy prepared (boiled and cleaned) in the hunting country or by the agency, which can also ship it. A CITES certificate, when needed, is usually requested through the agency.
In Romania bear and wolf are fully protected and no hunting licences are issued. Before leaving, ask the veterinary service of your local health authority (ASL) which documents are needed for meat, skins and trophies of that species and that area.
Prepare with proper training: walking uphill, standing still in the cold, shooting from a rest. Practice at the range with your own rifle at distances up to 200 metres is the best way to arrive confident.
Bring technical layers, a waterproof jacket, boots you have already worn, gloves, a hat, a pack, a headlamp, binoculars, a rangefinder and trekking poles. For driven hunts you need a high-visibility garment; for stalking, neutral colours and quiet fabrics.
Ask in advance about lodging (usually full board near the hunting area), how to reach the nearest airport, whether the guide speaks Italian or English and how to communicate where there is no signal.
Below is the current list of destinations with active ungulate packages, each with its own page and agency offers.
A team of beaters with dogs moves the animals towards the hunters, who wait on stand. The agency explains the rotations, the safety rules and the animals allowed.
It depends on the country and the agency: permits are needed for firearms and ammunition, and many agencies offer rentals. Ask when you send your enquiry.
It depends on experience. Driven wild boar asks for group discipline more than physical endurance, while roe and fallow deer by selective hunting are calmer but require precision. Mountain red deer and chamois are more demanding. The agency will advise you according to your fitness.
On top of the package fee, the animal taken is paid for according to its class: for red, fallow and roe deer usually by trophy weight, for chamois by points and for wild boar by tusk length. Females and young have flat fees. Always ask for the classes and fees before booking.
You stop, mark the spot and search with the guide and, if available, a tracking dog. If the animal is not recovered, many contracts provide a penalty for a wounded or missed animal: check how it works in yours.
Often yes, but with rules. For wild boar the African swine fever restrictions weigh in, trophies must be cleaned and treated, and some species require veterinary or CITES documents. Ask the agency how to ship them and your local health authority which documents you need.
Usually in autumn: in the Carpathians between mid-September and early October, in New Zealand between March and April. Dates vary from year to year and with altitude, so confirm the period with the agency.
For a foreign hunter almost nowhere: in countries such as Hungary and Romania you hunt with a local guide who decides what may be taken. Some hunts on public land, for example in New Zealand, are an exception, but still require permits.