BIG GAME · STALKING · SEPTEMBER
The Carpathian rut
Dawn at fifteen hundred metres with a 12-pointer answering the next ridge over. The most prestigious hunt in our calendar — and the shortest window. For one to five hunters — and we will not compromise on trophy quality.
- Duration2 or 3 days
- Hunters1–5
- MethodStalking
- WindowMid-Sep–early Oct
- AltitudeBy trophy size sought
- DifficultyAdvanced
ABOUT THE HUNT
What to expect
Red deer (Cervus elaphus) rut in the second and third weeks of September. The stags come down from above the tree line into the alpine meadows to roar; nothing in European hunting compares to dawn at 1,500 metres with a 12-pointer answering the next ridge over.
We stalk on foot from a high-camp cabin reached by 4×4 plus forty minutes of hiking. Days are 04:30 starts, return for late breakfast, midday rest, then back out from 16:00 to last light. Two-and-a-half days of hunting plus one travel buffer day.
We hunt the Carpathians, the Apuseni, and the Gorj mountains; the altitude we work at depends on the size of trophy you are after.
Good to know
Oradea, Cluj, or Timișoara — whichever is closest to your hunting zone. Airport transfer arranged on request (not included in the package).
Hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin — depending on your hunting zone.
Common Romanian choices: .270 Win, 7×64, .30-06. Flat-shooting calibre for 150–250 m ridge shots; quality 2.5–10× scope.
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.
Layered pre-dawn cold-mountain kit, broken-in hiking boots, 8×42 binos — non-negotiable for glassing.
Hunters chasing the iconic Carpathian rut bugle — short window, demanding stalk, the calendar's marquee trophy.
Choose a package
The 3-day package captures the full rut window. The 2-day package is for tighter schedules — same guide, same area, fewer mornings.
2-day rut stalk
Short window, intense — mid-September
from1,040EUR
- 2 days of dawn + dusk stalks with a 1:1 guide
- 3 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
Not included
- Travel to and from Romania
- Airport transfer
- Rifle rental service
- Alcoholic drinks
- Trophy fees + preparation — per the trophy-prices table
- Personal cold-weather gear
3-day rut stalk
Full rut window — the recommended way to hunt the Carpathian roar
from1,420EUR
- 3 days of dawn + dusk stalks with a 1:1 guide
- 4 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
Not included
- Travel to and from Romania
- Airport transfer
- Rifle rental service
- Alcoholic drinks
- Trophy fees + preparation — per the trophy-prices table
- Personal cold-weather gear
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 accommodation3★ hunting lodge, manor, or village pension — venue depends on the hunt.
- Full pensionThree meals a day, traditional regional cooking, non-alcoholic drinks throughout.
- Hunting authorisationRomanian hunting authorisation 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.
HUNTING SEASONS
When the season opens
Both the gov-regulated opening window and the prime sub-window when this hunt produces the best trophies and the densest action.
10 Sept – 15 Nov
10 Sept – 5 Oct
Peak trophy quality and activity inside the legal window.
- Firearms only — crossbows, bows, traps and snares are not lawful hunting means in Romania.
- Thermal and night-vision sights are not permitted for this species.
- This species may not be hunted at feeders, at salt licks, in drives, or with driving dogs.
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 weight (kg) | Price | Over base |
|---|---|---|
| < 7.0 | 1,780 € | — |
| 7.00 – 8.00 | 1,950 € | +7.5 € / 10 g |
| 8.01 – 9.00 | 2,700 € | +8 € / 10 g |
| 9.01 – 10.00 | 3,500 € | +10 € / 10 g |
| 10.01 – 10.50 | 4,500 € | +21 € / 10 g |
| 10.51 – 11.00 | 5,550 € | +22 € / 10 g |
| 11.01 – 11.50 | 6,650 € | +26 € / 10 g |
| 11.50 + | 8,950 € | +60 € / 10 g |
Penalties
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Missed shot penalty | 250 € |
| Wounded but not recovered | 1,500 € |
| Bizarre trophy fee | 1,500 € |
Optional services
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Temporary hunting permit | 50 € |
| Trophy preparation | 50 € |
| Red deer hide | 100 € |
Trophy fees, preparation, and penalties are always billed separately from the package price — no trophy is ever bundled into a hunt.
FROM THE FIELD
Trophy wall
Recent trophies from this programme. Click any photo to open the lightbox.
BOOK YOUR HUNT
Request a bookingRed Deer Stalk
Tell us which offering you want, your dates, and how many of you. We will reply with a full package quote as soon as possible.
STAY IN THE PROGRAMME
More Big Game hunts
Other big game packages in our Carpathian programme.
2 or 3 days- Wild Boar
Wild Boar Hunt
Stalking and driven hunts in the Carpathian foothills
- 1–30 hunters
- Driven · Stalking
2 or 3 days- Roe Deer
Roe Deer Stalk
Quiet morning stalks in oak forests
- 1–4 hunters
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2 or 3 days- Chamois
Chamois Stalk
Alpine stalks above the tree line in the high Carpathians
- 1–5 hunters
- Stalking
2 or 3 days- Brown Bear
Brown Bear Hunt
Quota-based observation hunts in remote Carpathian valleys
- 1–2 hunters
- Stalking
2 or 3 days- Fallow Deer
Fallow Deer Stalk
Lowland stalks on private estate land in southern Transylvania
- 1–4 hunters
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2 or 3 days- Mouflon
Mouflon Stalk
Trophy rams on managed Carpathian foothill reserves
- 1–2 hunters
- Stalking