European Hunting - Croatia

Just got back from Croatia, well not really, I got back yesterday, what I meant was, that I have just come round from a very exhausting trip that was pretty darn good.
The weather was not too good but the company, the terrain, the organisation , food and acommodation was terrific.
We didn't shoot many Boar but I think those that did will soon be posting pictures, what it probably won't show is their faces when we approached them at the end of the drive and asked the usual question "how did you get on"
Their faces lit up and then so did ours because it was great to see that the ones that did connect were 'newbies' and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a 'newbie' with his first pig.
One lucky bu***r not only shot his first pig but went one better and shot two, one of them quite a good one too, on one drive !!!
Thank you again John, I'm sure others will have more to say, complete with pictures.
As you have probably guessed I was not in the hot spot but enjoyed the trip immensly and I am sure this will not be my first and last with JR so thanks again to John Robson of European Hunting.
Oh I might as well mention too, that even without the hunting side of the trip, the company could not have been a better selected group had anybody tried.
I have not mentioned any names purposely because I probably couldn't remember them all and it would not be fair to leave anybody off - so thanks to you all for making this an enjoyable trip and I hope I meet you all again some time in the future.

PS, Ref the last paragraph, that's only if you feel the same way about me

 

[Jagare]

I had a great time. Had a fleeting shot at a boar but never got one. Great bunch of blokes and had a great laugh. Drank a load of beer and the grub was great. We did grill sausages on sticks but there was a lack of crisps and apples for lunch .

 

[tusker]

Hi Eddy, pleased you had a good time. Was the weather unusualy warm? and do you think it affected the hunting,when I was in Estonia it was 5% warmer than it should have been and I think it made the finding of game more difficult.
tusker

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

Thanks eddie, pleased we got on with a better footing then the net let us. LOL thanks for the comments. The trip would not have been so well run without my fabulous wife sues input in a massive way. And the teabags she packed in my bag. LOL.
Like you say a great bunch of lads I hope we can hunt again. Tusker, I think the 20c temps did make moving the game harder and the beaters and dogs did suffer in the heat.

 

[EMcC]

Hi Mark, John ,
Yes the temperature was a bit of a problem not only that the pigs were lethargic but when they did get up it was not always forward so it made it hard work for the dogs as well.
The only good thing about the temperature was that the rain was warm !!!!
As for your teabags John, I always bring a box of Yorkshire Tea bags too but you beat me to putting it on the table so I still have mine packed ready for next week !!
John, now that we have spoken you know why I asked all the questions and you can certainly say again, Sue sure did do her homework to come up with such a good trip.

 

[User00047]

Well done folks! it must be a heck of a lot of effort to organise a successful foreign trip like that, I'm glad that it all worked out well for you.

 

[Boarboy]

All sounds like a very positive trip. Well done!

 

[toad]

a big thankyou to everyone on the trip for your company, a very well balanced group as has been said . and a very big thankyou to sue not only for those tea bags that saved so many of us in the mornings but for all the work done behind the scienes.The first day the weather was lovely no wet gear needed the first 2 drives were in the mountain area. the sound of the beaters and there dogs was fantastic and the sound of gunfire increased the heartbeat even more but no pigs this time.the second drive was the same and we then broke for some more great food prepared by the croation boys with some very potent moonshine yi-ha.the last drive for the day brought us back down to the low land we were placed very close to the edge of the cover so i waited once more for sound of the beaters hollers and howling dogs. the rain came down heavy for time but i didnt
move a muscle, i then heard a noise which i was not familiar with but i new it was a pig but it passed to the gun on my right without me seeing it but i did hear the bang . i will let gelert talk you through that one. ten minuites later i heard the same pitter patter but this time it was coming straight towards me , the pitter patter stop and their it was a big black pig. the first shot out of my sako 308 just ****ed it off, the second one put it down but up it got making another 10 foot before the third dropped it again, this time it was not going anywhere but a forth came straight after just to make sure. what a rush .

 

[gelert]

Suitably refreshed and back at work, sadly.
Like Eddy mentioned, I would just like to say a big thank you Sue for all the hard work she put in over the last few months, in organizing and arranging the trip.
The paperwork must have been a nightmare to organize, along with everything else in-between and to try and accommodate everyone’s needs and queries and making sure everyone was accounted for, at times I can only imagine was testing.

I know everyone enjoyed themselves, despite the outcome, but it was an excellent collective group of like minded individuals.
The food and accommodation was spot on, with overindulging being the order over the three days.
The welcome from our hosts,and the locals,along with all the food at lunch by the camp fire was superb.

Like Toad described, the last drive of the day and I herd a very purposeful pitter-patter, before the beater started driving and dogs howling, then before me I saw a boar.
He kept moving, just behind some trees then stopped briefly, so I let Mr Mannering do the business and it was game over,1 shot 1 kill,1 pig, job done.

A very memorable trip, in truly great company, I hope to join John again and hopefully will be an ongoing annual trip for me.
John, looked after us all extremely well, and I would't have a problem recommending the trip to anyone.
Putting a name to so many faces was great,Eddy was made up for our first boar,which was very decent of him,as were all those other members.
I of course,would love to be in your company on a trip like this again.

Thanks again
Arwel


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[toad]

not that i am counting arwel , but is that 2-0 to us welsh boys

 

[EMcC]

not that i am counting arwel , but is that 2-0 to us welsh boys

Ah Yes, but we were being diplomatic

 

[Sika98k]

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I just have to ask....Is that a sausage dog in the barbecue ? Sorreeee

 

[toad]

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I just have to ask....Is that a sausage dog in the barbecue ? Sorreeee[/QUOTE]
yes mate its a local speciality its actually nicer than the boar.

 

[EMcC]

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I just have to ask....Is that a sausage dog in the barbecue ? Sorreeee[/QUOTE]

Angus, some of the ground those dogs went through made them so wet they weighed twice their own body weight !
The only way we could expect them to go out again after lunch was to dry them out by the fire.
You should have seen the ones we had hanging on the washing line

 

[jungle_re]

Ah Yes, but we were being diplomatic

by my counting Herefordshire were 3 vs 2.5 up, on the boar at least; table football it is clear you skived off school too much!
It was a strange trip in the the end, the boar didn't reach expectation but the camaraderie went far beyond; I can't in fact remember how long ago it was since having so much fun. The guys on the ground, beaters and dogs really put in the effort buts that's hunting and the expected bag wasn't to be. Having being beasted up the nearest mountain (nearly losing one guy on route are well!) I took my first pig, head shot with a 338 win mag stops them in the tracks. Sadly for me and Matt it was right on top of the hill with the route the heavy sow wanted to take down right through a 10ft brambles from hell gully; Matt again hats off for the help couldn't have got it down without you. If the majority of the same guys are going again next year you can put my name down and if the old man behaves I might bring home along again too!

as a side note thanks to John for the efforts made in country it was appreciated, little things make all the difference

 

[matt_1029]

That slog up the mountain was hard graft , i had just drifted off to sleep when that boom of a 338 woke me up .It was defently hard work getting that pig down the hill. I think we both sweated the previous night and morning drinking session out of us. Them boar weight alot more than you think to look at them .
I had my spot of luck on the last day, one came charging right at me so let it have 2 shots, then i ran down the hill where it was just getting up the bank , then luckly it fell over from where i had hit it , so i ran up and gave him one in the head. Number 2 pig sort of just appered in fount of me , i couldnt belive the pig needed 2 chest shots to bring him down at 20ft.
Well done to all the beaters they were very good and were very happy when we shot a pig , lots of hand shaking and slaps on the back. And all the guys that went were a good laugh , coundnt of got a better set of blokes to shoot and drink with .The locals in the bar were good as well , ecpecialy mario and zultan. A good trip all round. Happy i shot my first pig . Couldent have happened without the good work of john and sue.

 

[toad]

That slog up the mountain was hard graft , i had just drifted off to sleep when that boom of a 338 woke me up .It was defently hard work getting that pig down the hill. I think we both sweated the previous night and morning drinking session out of us. Them boar weight alot more than you think to look at them .
I had my spot of luck on the last day, one came charging right at me so let it have 2 shots, then i ran down the hill where it was just getting up the bank , then luckly it fell over from where i had hit it , so i ran up and gave him one in the head. Number 2 pig sort of just appered in fount of me , i couldnt belive the pig needed 2 chest shots to bring him down at 20ft.
Well done to all the beaters they were very good and were very happy when we shot a pig , lots of hand shaking and slaps on the back. And all the guys that went were a good laugh , coundnt of got a better set of blokes to shoot and drink with .The locals in the bar were good as well , ecpecialy mario and zultan. A good trip all round. Happy i shot my first pig . Couldent have happened without the good work of john and sue.
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hey matt hows things pal , i never noticed that growth you had on you left shoulder until now no wonder you snore hope you managed to get home ok
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[matt_1029]

yo ken , Yea got home in the end . we got a bit lost round heathrow. Never noticed that funny looking growth before, looks a bit welsh lol . Right better get off , got to be at the YFC bonfire in a min , some cider is calling out for me .

 

[Jagare]

Hej Matt,that looks like a Kevhump on your back on your back .

 

[kevhumps]

Glad I was on this trip, as all have said, a great bunch of blokes! Pigs were thin on the ground, but **** happens, and how you deal with it is what counts. Thanks John, like the way you work!!
Got my chance on the second afternoon, after being stood for well over a hour, I heard leaves rustling and a boar broke cover, flat out, moving right to left, about 60 yrds away, I shot behind it with 3 shots, I could have squoze a fourth off but it was getting a bit close to the ridge to my left, so I watched it dissapear only to hear a single shot from over the brow. Bugger, my chance gone, and someone else had cleaned up for me!! (or so I thought)
4 or 5 minutes later, this time about 40 yds out another, half grown boar broke cover, again this one seemed jet propelled too! I flanked it with the first round, missed with the second, stopped it with the third, it was still kicking, I didn't need it getting up, so a forth round into its neck, finnished the job. I was buzzing, the practice at Minsterley, was a doddle, not so easy threading a round through bushes and beech trees, so to have one on the deck was pretty satisfying.
A few minutes later, I heard more movement out to my left, this time a fox was trotting my way, waited till he was about 40 yds, squeaked, he paused, and I got a shot off, and it ran back, only to fall after 20yds. I'd gone through 8 rounds in about 8 minutes, and only had two left, but the drive finnished without another chance presenting itself.
I managed another fox from the high tower that evening, just before the wind picked up and torrential rain scuppered the session.
Thanks to Sue for the organisation, and everyone on the trip for their company!
Kev.
P.S. Still not fathomed out the riddle of the 12g slug and airport security!

Does that make it a draw at 3 each??
Kev.