Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Europe Question from an ignorant American

True dat.

I learned a lot when I came to Sweden from Canada and the USA. Hunting traditions in Sweden go back to 1350 AD.

I have been unable to watch more than a few minutes of most American hunting shows, but I think I know what you mean.

John

Not yet hunted in Germany (although I intend to when i get the chance), but one thing I would add is that this ceremony is performed at the end of what I would term a very formal?organised hunt usually a driven hunt, with lots of hunters, beaters and others doing the organising.

That said, from the European hunters I have met in the UK, even on "informal" hunts, where its just a hunter and a guide stalking deer on foot, once the beast is taken, the Europeans still tend to show the highest respect.

From what I've seen, its usually in the form of placing the "last bite" in the animals mouth, plus sometimes the twig on the side of the carcass.

What I have never seen is any whooping and hollering, or "high fives"..The few Europeans I have guided are usually quite solemn/reserved after the shot, and any celebrations usually consist of a smile, a shake of your hand and a simple "Thank You"..

What I particularly like is that the taking of a doe or cull buck is treated with the same respect, as it should be...

Exactly.....




In my mind a true hunter will mourn as much as celebrate at the kill....

Pretty good question, with some pretty interesting answers.

Thanks, all...

OK guys but what is FKK ????

fkk

Freik�rperkultur


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freik%C3%B6rperkultur

OK ... Thanks ... not for me ... too much ticks in stalking season ... too cold in driven game season and the dog tends to bite sausages .

Also if you look at the twigs over the heart they are actually placed over the bullet strike (at least where I was in Germany). Looking at the stem they are either pointed forward toward the antlers to indicate a male animal or down roughly toward the genitalia to indicate female. Each species has their own song and the trumpeters play the song of each species taken. If you are really lucky there may be a large banquet that night with fun kangaroo courts, much drinking and song singing reminiscent of a WW II movie with traditional hunting songs.

This is the musik for a dead red stag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3EvSiWkSqM

Fallow Stag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_Fi4jlrjI&feature=related

Mouflon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFNX8LOULO8&feature=related

Roe Deer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD-E0puviCE&feature=related

Boar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_5FPfvwB9M&feature=related

Fox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sf5UUtpfy0&feature=related

Hare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Yoris2JAo

Trumpets also signal various events in a formal hunt such as the beginning and end of a drive (fire and cease fire). Perhaps this is the most important of all!!!

Zum Essen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_mwHgq7PS0&feature=related
(Too Eat) :-)

When dining and drinking in the company of J�gers, and someone toasts with "Waidmanns Heil", use your left hand. Use of the right hand may cost you a round of drinks for the table. Don't ask me how I know.

and always have a knife and a cartridge in your pockets. If challenged by another who has such items and you cannot produce yours then you are again subject to buying a round.

This is from the tradition of a knighted person. Once you were knighted you did most things with your left hand other than hold the reigns of your horse.

Many ceremonies upon the completion of the hunting class include a knighting ceremony. It was a very emotional experience.

Our Knighting ceremony was conducted In a castle in Kusel Germany. The owner of the property was a hunter and was very happy to accomodate us.

I wouldnt mind retiring to live in germany, but the wife said no. It is a hunter's paradise.

The "v�nerie trump" (trompe de chasse) was a communication instrument among hunters with one particular song for every time and event of the day, from the awakening to the good night, the game seen or just its track, and a song for every kind of game.

When rendering the honors here in South Belgium, and I see it in France too, we don't have music played all the time but when we have music it is that kind of music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klm4AaFVPtc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuSgLletMeY&feature=related

It is not the same kind of instrument and sound, much complicated, but very emotional.

Sometimes you just have one or two players normally dressed, sometimes you have more of them in traditional uniform, but it is not so easy to have such players on a hunt and if you don't have a player among the hunters you have to rent one or more, which is costy. It's good to hear that music besides the taken game some days of the season.

Well, as a German I wouldn�t call it a hunter�s paradise. I prefer BC over Germany every time. Hunting in Germany is just very expensive and as everything in Germany regulated by too many laws and guys who just want to have even more laws.

The grass always seems to be greener away from the homeland

Yes the traditional start up for a German hunter is unfortunately expensive. Having to spend 10-15 thousand euros just to get started coupled with not allowing youth to hunt makes it very hard to get new hunters in the field.

At my daughter's wedding, I hired some horn blowers :


NB : I'm standing left on the stairs, half hidden by the parasol and puffing on a big cigar

Andr'e, I bet it was a beautiful wedding!!! Jagd, as an American hunter in Germany I had some great hunting in the 1980's and early 90's. Honestly about the best I ever had. However, by the 1990s the program was already dying. My son is there now. As a E6 with three children hunting is just out of his financial reach with the now defunct hunting program gone. It is I am afraid another case of paradise lost.

That is fantastic. I only saw music on larger, formal drive hunts in Germany.