SMALL GAME · MIGRATORY
Woodcock in the autumn beech
The most prized migratory game bird in Europe — singletons in dense cover, flushed by close-working pointers, snap shots through the canopy gaps. Carpathian beech forests are one of the species' best autumn corridors.
- Duration2 or 3 days
- Guns1–4
- FormatWalked-up with pointers
- SeasonSep–Feb · best Oct–Dec
- HabitatBeech + oak forest
ABOUT THE SHOOT
What to expect
Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is the singular trophy bird of European autumn shooting. They migrate south through the Carpathians from late September, dropping into beech and oak forests with damp leaf-litter to feed on earthworms before pushing onward to Mediterranean wintering grounds.
The hunt works exclusively with pointing dogs — English pointers, English setters, German wirehairs. Dogs work close in dense cover, find the singleton, lock onto point. You move in, the bird flushes inside fifteen metres through canopy gaps, and you have about a second-and-a-half to take a clean shot. Misses are normal; this is the wing-shoot most hunters return for specifically.
Bags are modest by waterfowl standards, but the trophy fee reflects the species' status: €150 per piece. Pairs naturally with our pheasant shoot (same lodge area, different rhythm) or with a roe deer stalk for a mixed European-bag week.
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 choice: 20 or 28-ga over-and-under; open chokes (skeet or improved-cyl), #8 or #9 shot. Light, fast-handling.
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.
Sturdy ankle-protecting boots, briar-resistant trousers, brimmed cap — woodcock cover is thorny.
Wing-shooters chasing Europe's most prized migratory trophy. Misses are normal; the species is the trophy.
Choose a package
2-day shoot
Two full days with pointing dogs
from1,040EUR
- 2 days of walked-up shooting with pointers
- 3 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
- Pointing dogs + handlers
Not included
- Travel to and from Romania
- Airport transfer
- Shotgun rental service
- Alcoholic drinks
- Per-bird fees — per the trophy-prices table
- Ammunition — bring your own
- Tips for handlers
- Primary trophy preparation
3-day shoot
Three days · best when the migration is active
from1,420EUR
- 3 days of walked-up shooting with pointers
- 4 nights of accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, or hunting cabin)
- Pointing dogs + handlers
Not included
- Travel to and from Romania
- Airport transfer
- Shotgun rental service
- Alcoholic drinks
- Per-bird fees — per the trophy-prices table
- Ammunition — bring your own
- Tips for handlers
- Primary trophy preparation
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.
15 Sept – 28 Feb
15 Oct – 15 Dec
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.
- Daily bag limit: 3 birds per hunter.
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
| Per piece shot | Price |
|---|---|
| Woodcock — Sep 15 – Feb 28 | 150 € |
Optional services
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Temporary hunting permit | 50 € |
Trophy fees, preparation, and penalties are always billed separately from the package price — no trophy is ever bundled into a hunt.
BOOK YOUR HUNT
Request a bookingWoodcock Hunt
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 Small Game hunts
Other small game packages in our Carpathian programme.
2 or 3 days- Pheasant
Pheasant Shoot
Walked-up and driven pheasant shooting in Transylvania
- 4–6 hunters
- Driven
2 or 3 days- Rabbit
Wild Rabbit Shoot
Walked-up rough shooting in southern Transylvania
- 2–4 hunters
- Driven · Stalking
2 or 3 days- Quail
Quail Shoot
Summer-fall stubble shooting with pointing dogs
- 1–4 hunters
- Stalking
2 or 3 days- Song Thrush
Song Thrush Shoot
Autumn migration shooting in vineyards + orchard edges
- 1–4 hunters
- Stalking
2 or 3 days- Common Starling
Common Starling Shoot
Pest-control wing-shooting in vineyards + cherry orchards
- 1–6 hunters
- Stalking