I have had a hunting love affair with Hungary for more
than 30 years. It started in the late 1980's with
walkup pheasant shooting in a small village at the
Tisza river.Run well for a couple of years, but
degraded and finally shut down by the cooperative.
Doves in the sunflower fields followed and pigeons
in the cattle farms. Reared mallards has been something
to be avoided both in Hungary and Czechia as it has been
nearly always a poor story.
With son and his friend at a place east of Budapest and
near Czorna.
But the Hungarian ultima ratio is waterfowl in the puszta
marches. It is this flat archaic land, nothing comparable
to other places in Europe, all there wild ducks and
geese, esp. the teal-like ducks very,very fast flying
birds.And above all the dominating geese flight in late
autumn, could be flocks of hundreds of geese in the air,
even out of range for an AK47.
With this waterfowl usually a one-digit bag, in case of
dense fog the geese would come down and provide the
chance for an increased bag.
Compared to the bags of Argentinian waterfowl hunting
this is rather bird-watching than hunting.
The advantage there no anakondas or piranhas around
you in the water lurking for prey, or even a croc
like in Yucatan/Mexico.
After 3 noshows on pigeons near Czorna I decided to
cease to go there and switched to Czechia for pheasants -
now for 6 years.
A hunting buddy of mine "Baron von L." approached me
and told me he has an offer for driven pheasants
"English style" in Hungary in cosy distance to the border.
With the bad experience of the pigeon noshows I did not
want to go as I considered it pure hype of the agent.
My buddy returned more than once and finally paid the
Hungarian short-term hunting license, so he got me and as a
matter of courtesy I could no longer deny.
It has been a short highway drive to a place near
the town of Panonhalma.
We were 5 hunters from Austria.
Already with the first drive I realized this is something
real, no hype and has been worthwile to have
gone there.
To make it short, I have never been on such a high-and-fast
flying pheasant shoot in my life.
The pegs were in the valley and birds driven out from
the hill by beaters with dogs, flying 30 to 50 m high
in full speed.
No box-pheasants ("Kistle-Fasane") kicked into
the air at all.
I have included 3 photos the agent has made.
I can not judge if this has been a one-off exercise not
to be repeated.
Let the photos speak for themselves.
..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/554141st drive
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/554153rd drive
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/554164th drive
Its "Baron von L." in his umimitable
graceful pose bagging a very high bird.
He is a Browning-afficionado, his tool a deluxe-custom-D5G
and a very proficient shot with it.
He is a banquier-emeritus. Has not been amused,
when I told him that John Moses Browning has turned in
his grave finding out that engraving of the D5G
is outsourced to all-mighty China.
Sic transit gloria de Liege.
..
Felix Neuberger
