BIG GAME · QUOTA HUNT

Quota species · subject to permit

Brown bear hunting in Romania

Romania holds the largest brown bear population in the European Union. Quota-based annual permits, high seats over natural forage clearings, and a one-shot ethic. Availability is decided by the Ministry every spring.

Get notified Trophy prices

Duration3 or 4 days
Hunters1 (1:1 guide)
MethodStalking · hide
Window15 Mar – 15 May · 1 Sep – 31 Dec
HabitatForest valley
DifficultyDemanding

ABOUT THE HUNT

What to expect

Romania has the largest brown bear population in the European Union — more than 10,000 animals concentrated in the Carpathian arc. Bear hunting is regulated by annual government quota; permits are scarce and almost always allocated to repeat clients.

We hunt from elevated high seats overlooking natural forage clearings — beech mast, berry slopes and the edges bears work on their own. Romanian law forbids taking a bear over bait or at the den, so the hunt is built on reading movement, not on drawing an animal in. The hunt is one-on-one with a senior guide; you sit from late afternoon into the night. Shot opportunities typically come in the last 20 minutes of legal shooting light. We will not put a hunter on a hide unless the guide has read fresh sign that same day.

Two seasonal windows: spring (mid-March to mid-May, just after the bears leave the den) and autumn (September through December, pre-hibernation feeding). One rule governs every shot: a female accompanied by cubs under two years old is never taken, whatever she scores. Pick a duration first — both 3-day and 4-day packages run in either window. The longer package is recommended when conditions are marginal (warm spring, late autumn snowfall) since the extra evening materially improves odds.

Good to know

Airports

Oradea, Cluj, or Timișoara — whichever is closest to your hunting zone. Airport transfer arranged on request (not included in the package).

Lodge

Hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin — depending on your hunting zone.

Rifle

Common Romanian choices for bear: .338 Win Mag, 9.3×62, 9.3×64. Illuminated reticle strongly advised — shots come in the last 20 min of legal light.

Rental

Rifles, shotguns, and ammunition can be rented on site — bring a valid hunting permit from your home country and we’ll sort the rest at booking.

Clothing

Heavy cold-weather kit. Freezing temperatures possible in both spring and autumn windows; quiet immobile-sit layers a must.

Best for

Experienced hunters with patience, time, and the budget for a quota species. Provisional booking; no deposit until permit confirmed.

Carpathian brown bear in a forest clearing

Choose a package

Both durations are available in the spring or autumn window — pick what fits your travel calendar. Package price covers the hunt, lodge, and paperwork; the trophy fee is quoted separately on CIC score (see the trophy-price table below).

Recommended

3-day bear hunt

One guide per hunter · spring or autumn window

from2,300EUR

Non-hunting companion: 4 nights × 170 EUR = 680 EUR

3 days of hunting
4 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
4×4 transport to the hide

Not included

Travel to and from Romania
Airport transfer
Rifle rental service
Alcoholic drinks
Trophy fee + preparation — per the trophy-prices table
Personal hunting gear

Get notified

4-day bear hunt

Recommended when conditions are marginal

from2,900EUR

Non-hunting companion: 5 nights × 170 EUR = 850 EUR

4 days of hunting
5 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
4×4 transport to the hide

Not included

Travel to and from Romania
Airport transfer
Rifle rental service
Alcoholic drinks
Trophy fee + preparation — per the trophy-prices table
Personal cold-weather gear

Get notified

WHAT EVERY PACKAGE COVERS

Included services

The same ten services are part of every hunting package on our calendar — paperwork, hospitality, and on-the-ground organisation handled end-to-end.

Lodge accommodationHotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin — venue depends on the hunting zone.
Full pensionThree meals a day, traditional regional cooking, non-alcoholic drinks throughout.
Hunting permitRomanian hunting permit filed on your behalf before arrival.
Temporary firearm permitTemporary import + hunting-firearm permit for the duration of your stay.
Official hunting invitationIssued by us; the document your home authority needs to clear travel.
Border-crossing assistanceEntry and exit, from rifle paperwork to customs questions.
Hunting organisation on the groundBeat selection, hide setup, drives, scouting — handled by our team daily.
Dedicated translatorEnglish, German, or French speaker present at every briefing and drive.
Specialised technical staffForester, professional guide, beater team where the hunt format calls for one.
Internal transport on the hunting ground4×4 / minibus inside the hunting area; transfers between lodge and beats.

Not included: travel to and from Romania (airport pickup can be arranged at cost), ammunition, trophy fees and trophy preparation per the published trophy-prices table, optional firearm / optic rentals, and alcoholic drinks beyond the welcome dinner.

WHERE YOU HUNT

Where this hunt takes place

Where this package puts you in Romania, and what the country is like there.

Transylvania
Maramureș
Muntenia & Oltenia
Bucovina & Moldova
Crișana & Banat

Hunting regions for this package, marked on the map of Romania.

HUNTING SEASONS

Season status

Status

No open season. Romanian law lists this species as one whose hunting is prohibited; it can only be taken if the Ministry issues a derogation for a specific case, which sets its own dates. We publish those dates only once a derogation exists.

Rules that bind this hunt

Firearms only — bows and crossbows are not lawful hunting means in Romania.
Thermal and night-vision sights are not permitted for this species.
A bear may not be taken over bait or at the den.
A female accompanied by cubs under two years old may not be taken.
Strictly protected. Huntable only when the Ministry issues a case-by-case derogation — never on a standing season.

Reference dates only. The Romanian Ministry of Environment's annual hunting order is authoritative; quotas for derogation species (bear, wolf, lynx) shift independently. We confirm the operative rules at booking.

TROPHY PRICING

Trophy prices

The trophy is never included in the package — every trophy fee, preparation charge, and penalty is billed from the table below. The package above covers the hunt, lodge, meals, permit, transport, and translator only.

Trophy prices

Trophy (C.I.C. points)	Price	Over base
< 350	6,000 €	–
351 – 400	7,000 €	–
400 +	7,000 €	+60 € / C.I.C. point

Penalties

Item	Amount
Missed shot penalty	300 €
Wounded but not recovered	3,000 €

Optional services

Item	Amount
CITES permit (foreign hunters)	200 €
Initial trophy preparation	200 €

Trophy fees, preparation, and penalties are always billed separately from the package price — no fee is ever hidden inside the package.

FROM THE FIELD

Trophy wall

Recent trophies from this programme. Click any photo to see it full size.

FROM THE JOURNAL

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to what hunters ask before booking this hunt. The full terms are on the Rules & Conditions page.

When is the hunting season?

15 Mar – 15 May · 1 Sep – 31 Dec

How many days does the hunt last?

3 or 4 days

How many hunters can take part?

1 (1:1 guide)

How demanding is this hunt?

Demanding

What does the package price include?

3 days of hunting, 4 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin), 4×4 transport to the hide. Trophy fees, preparation, and penalties are always billed separately from the package price — no fee is ever hidden inside the package.

What is not included in the package price?

Travel to and from Romania, Airport transfer, Rifle rental service, Alcoholic drinks, Trophy fee + preparation — per the trophy-prices table, Personal hunting gear.

Which airport should I fly to?

Oradea, Cluj, or Timișoara — whichever is closest to your hunting zone. Airport transfer arranged on request (not included in the package).

Where will I stay?

Hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin — depending on your hunting zone.

Which rifle or shotgun should I bring?

Common Romanian choices for bear: .338 Win Mag, 9.3×62, 9.3×64. Illuminated reticle strongly advised — shots come in the last 20 min of legal light.

Can I rent a gun on site?

Rifles, shotguns, and ammunition can be rented on site — bring a valid hunting permit from your home country and we’ll sort the rest at booking.

What should I pack?

Heavy cold-weather kit. Freezing temperatures possible in both spring and autumn windows; quiet immobile-sit layers a must.

How much is the trophy fee?

Quoted on request: the fee depends on the specific derogation issued.

Is a deposit required?

No deposit is taken while the booking is provisional. It becomes due only once a derogation slot is allocated to you.

How do I book?

Send us the package, your dates (or a flexible window) and how many hunters you are. We reply with availability and a fixed quote as soon as possible.

Read the rules & conditions

Tell us to keep you posted

There is nothing to book while this species is suspended. Leave your details and we will write to you if the Ministry issues a derogation quota — no dates to choose yet, and no deposit is taken.