DanielStefan
Member
The name of the forum is probably a good indicator of how most members will answer this question. However, I believe this is the kind of question that’s very difficult to answer for people from parts of the world where the culture of driven hunting is deeply rooted.
I live in Romania, where mountains and hills cover two-thirds of the territory. In these areas, the Sunday wild boar driven hunt is the hunt for most people and the most important social event of the week. This is how I started 23 years ago—I was only 14 when my father took me along because they needed an extra beater. For the next 10–12 years, this was the main type of hunting I practiced, aside from roe deer stalking.
After a while—especially because I consider myself quite unlucky at driven hunts—I became more and more interested in wild boar stalking. The general perception among hunters here is that stalking wild boar is somehow “less of a hunt” than driven hunting, either because it’s less engaging than when animals are chased by dogs, or because it’s seen as... too easy. Some oppose it, arguing that it depletes areas of valuable trophies.
I started wild boar stalking in the autumn, when the animals begin causing serious damage to corn crops. A high seat wasn't always available, sometimes the wind would ruin a two-hour wait—and I quickly realized how engaging this type of hunting can be. I also find it much more interesting, because you get the chance to observe the animal’s natural behavior. It's not just about making a quick decision to shoot or not based on the animal's sex. Like in this picture, taken on a rainy day—I ended up shooting a small one for the pot because the males weren't big enough.
Eventually, I began targeting old tuskers—and that’s when I truly realized... it’s not that easy! Especially if you rely only on natural light (moonlight counts as natural light, and in winter it's enough for a good x56 scope) and when thermal optics aren’t allowed.
Yes, shooting a random wild boar in winter (when the soil is frozen and food is scarce) over a corn bait isn’t challenging. You need patience and warm clothes. But an old male doesn’t survive that long by making himself an easy target.
I’ve seen them wait 45 minutes to make sure nothing moves near the high seat (and waiting in the cold was brutal).
I’ve seen them circle the area, trying to catch any unusual scent.
I once saw one come in with a younger companion, letting the younger one go out first and feed alone for 15 minutes before stepping into the open himself. "You go first! I'm not that hungry right now."
The most frustrating one was a male that always waited until I left. He would show up on camera 8–10 minutes after I was gone. I guess my positioning wasn’t good—he always knew I was there. For that one, I brought a companion with me. After two hours, I asked him to leave. Ten minutes later, the boar emerged confidently from the woods... and now he rests on my wall.
I’ve ended up with a nice collection of trophies—or memories, as I like to call them—a collection I hope will continue to grow. Until now, my personal best is this beast that weighed only 125 kg gutted but scored 135.5 CIC points.
I still attend driven hunts—it remains a very important social event here. But my favorite way to hunt wild boar is stalking. Sadly, when I got married, I forgot to include a prenup clause stating that I might spend many consecutive nights chasing wild boar ghosts.
I live in Romania, where mountains and hills cover two-thirds of the territory. In these areas, the Sunday wild boar driven hunt is the hunt for most people and the most important social event of the week. This is how I started 23 years ago—I was only 14 when my father took me along because they needed an extra beater. For the next 10–12 years, this was the main type of hunting I practiced, aside from roe deer stalking.
After a while—especially because I consider myself quite unlucky at driven hunts—I became more and more interested in wild boar stalking. The general perception among hunters here is that stalking wild boar is somehow “less of a hunt” than driven hunting, either because it’s less engaging than when animals are chased by dogs, or because it’s seen as... too easy. Some oppose it, arguing that it depletes areas of valuable trophies.
I started wild boar stalking in the autumn, when the animals begin causing serious damage to corn crops. A high seat wasn't always available, sometimes the wind would ruin a two-hour wait—and I quickly realized how engaging this type of hunting can be. I also find it much more interesting, because you get the chance to observe the animal’s natural behavior. It's not just about making a quick decision to shoot or not based on the animal's sex. Like in this picture, taken on a rainy day—I ended up shooting a small one for the pot because the males weren't big enough.
Eventually, I began targeting old tuskers—and that’s when I truly realized... it’s not that easy! Especially if you rely only on natural light (moonlight counts as natural light, and in winter it's enough for a good x56 scope) and when thermal optics aren’t allowed.
Yes, shooting a random wild boar in winter (when the soil is frozen and food is scarce) over a corn bait isn’t challenging. You need patience and warm clothes. But an old male doesn’t survive that long by making himself an easy target.
I’ve seen them wait 45 minutes to make sure nothing moves near the high seat (and waiting in the cold was brutal).
I’ve seen them circle the area, trying to catch any unusual scent.
I once saw one come in with a younger companion, letting the younger one go out first and feed alone for 15 minutes before stepping into the open himself. "You go first! I'm not that hungry right now."
The most frustrating one was a male that always waited until I left. He would show up on camera 8–10 minutes after I was gone. I guess my positioning wasn’t good—he always knew I was there. For that one, I brought a companion with me. After two hours, I asked him to leave. Ten minutes later, the boar emerged confidently from the woods... and now he rests on my wall.
I’ve ended up with a nice collection of trophies—or memories, as I like to call them—a collection I hope will continue to grow. Until now, my personal best is this beast that weighed only 125 kg gutted but scored 135.5 CIC points.
I still attend driven hunts—it remains a very important social event here. But my favorite way to hunt wild boar is stalking. Sadly, when I got married, I forgot to include a prenup clause stating that I might spend many consecutive nights chasing wild boar ghosts.
