Capercaillie?

[wildfowler.250]

Folks has anyone done a capercaillie hunt in Europe before? Got an outfitter you’d recommend?

My understanding is Austria stalks them early AM in the spring. Sounds interesting but I also believe tags are quite thin on the ground. It looks like it’s 1 bird,(assuming successful) for the trip

Finland / Sweden seems to have reasonable bird numbers. I’d want to shoot something in full plumage so it’s probably a ski hunt. I can’t really ski,(done 3 days). Points for being an adventure but con is it would be blooming freezing - which is fine but may be harder to rope the family in with me.

Any recommendations would be fab. It’s a bit daunting booking abroad without reliable feedback. Probably looking for 2026 so lots of time.


Cheers!

 

[Firebird]

Send a pm to Redleg-he also has a report on here that is good reading. Check into Sweden!

 

[Red Leg]

Fabulous hunt, and it had been a lifelong dream of mine. Martin Neuper of FN Hunting gets several permits each year. https://www.fnhunting.com/ Below is the hunt report. And yes, it was a dawn stalk which is the traditional way to hunt one of the big grouse. Most these days are taken with something like a .22HP from a blind. But, like you, I was interested in a traditional German/Austrian opportunity. Just a fabulous experience.

Thread 'AUSTRIA: Stalking Europe's Big Bird - Hunting The Capercaillie (Auerhahn) In The Austrian Alps'

May 18, 2023

This hunt truly begins in the early spring of 1977. A small group of friends stationed in Northern Bavaria decided to take two-days leave in conjunction with a weekend and head off to Kitzbuhel, Austria for four days of skiing before a pending summer training deployment to Grafenwöhr.

Sometime during the weekend, I found myself over my 180 cm Olin Mark III skis (now there is a collector item) on what was termed the “new course.” It was a lovely winding slope through a conifer forest that had opened earlier that season. About halfway down, I looked to one side and along the tree line saw...

• Red Leg
• Replies: 38
• Forum: Hunting reports Europe

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[Nyati]

You can find them in Scandinavia, the Baltic region, the Alps, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain (protected).

 

[Green Chile]

Super cool hunt that's on my list. That mount is perfect @Red Leg.

 

[Pirkan]

Depending on when you go it shouldn´t be too cold in Sweden and you´ll be skiing so I thinl you´re worrying a bit too much about that part. The nature in the mountains of north western Sweden/eastern Norway is also absolutely stunning. I don´t know any outfitter of the top of my head that I´d recommend but im sure you can find one. Capercaillie hunting in Swedish is tjäderjakt which might help you find some here which I really think you should.

Just as a fun annecdote in regards to Capercaillie, my great uncle was ordered by an officer when he was doing his military service in the 60s to hunt some with a Swedish K submachinegun because the officer wanted some for a fancy dinner he was hosting and knew that my great uncle was a good shot.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have watched a couple videos of hunting them in Scandanavia, primarily Finland. Often elkhound dogs are used. The hunter is in white camo on skis with high powered rifle. The dog is allowed to range far ahead. Dog flushes the bird into nearby tree, barks underneath, hunter gets as close as possible, and shoots the bird in tree. By the time he reaches the bird the dog usually has it torn to pieces. Not my idea of hunting!

My first Lab was very good at this when hunting ruff grouse. They are not so wary of dogs. Usually the birds only flushed to the nearest tree or bush. Once they're into a tree, they are reluctant to move. Then they rely on excellent camo plumage. I would follow the barking and then just look up where she was looking. Yep, there it is! Bang! Bird in the bag. But unlike the elkhounds, Cocoa was a typical soft-mouthed Lab. No damage to grouse. Sure, it's less "sporting" than shooting them on the wing, but I'll take those sweet-meated little buggers any way I can get them.

I have often wondered why Canada doesn't try planting cappercaillie in our vast boreal forest. Surely they would do as well here as Sweden, Finland, Estonia, etc. If they took hold, imagine what a boon it would be for Canadian hunting tourism! I shudder to think what @Red Leg invested in that Austrian tag given out to property owner only once every four years. By all accounts the species is struggling. Why not explore new habitat for them? I can't see how they could adversely affect indigenous Canadian species as similar grouse species coexist fine with them in European boreal forests. Seems a no brainer to me.