Tim, thanks a lot! I owe you smile Hope you'll take the time to read the story too, it's hilarious and, sadly, still rings true...

Lagopus, that's one of the classic Russian hunting anecdotes. It's totally fiction, of course, but sort of based on real events. With Communist rulers one never knows for sure, but there are documented instances of Czars treating foreign ambassadors to "bear hunts" where bears were completely tame.

Continuing on the topic of bears and Russian hunting https://youtu.be/lnev6QILIYk

This is an extract from comedy movie "Particuliarities of the National Hunt", another hilarious and oh so realistic take on Russian hunting. This one's in Russian, but most of the stories are clear without words.

https://youtu.be/xL3HYoLQNtI

There's a version with English subtitles but it ain't free...
http://www.opensubtitles.org/en/subtitles/4085490/osobennosti-natsionalnoy-okhoty-en

Russian Hunting Shotguns