10大狩猎地

Top 10: Hunting Locales

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of the hunt: spying game, tracking it and coming back with a trophy for your wall. However, a world-class hunting locale can turn an everyday hunting trip into the experience of a lifetime. Warm hospitality, a wide range of game to pursue and a beautiful environment to explore all help make exotic hunting trips some of the most rewarding sports experiences possible. So if hunting is the name of your game, be sure to enjoy these 10 locales before you meet your own demise.

Number 10
Texas, USA
Game: Whitetail deer, Rio Grande turkey, spring alligator, quail, dove, bobcat, bison, coyote, raccoon, chukar, and wild boar.
Hunting season: Varies depending on animal, but generally runs from September 1st to February 1st.

There’s a reason J.R. Ewing loved living in Texas: it possesses an expanse of premium hunting habitat that is unsurpassed in both beauty and character, and it's brimming with game, both big and small. To make the most of your trip here, stay at Stasney’s Cook Ranch, located in Albany. Situated on more than 25,000 acres, the Ranch's mild climate and plentiful vegetation ensure that there’s always abundant wildlife for the taking. And with craggy canyons, deep valleys and limestone deposits full of fossils, you’re assured surrounding beauty. As well, you’ll receive delicious meals and entertainment every evening, and sleep in modern lodges complete with king-size beds and working fireplaces.

Number 9
New Caledonia, South Pacific
Game: Deer, cattle and pig.
Hunting season: Rusa stag hunting season runs from mid-July to the end of August.

Captain Cook enjoyed a spot of hunting in the South Pacific, so why shouldn’t you? Hunting in this sub-tropical region isn’t just about what type of game there is -- deer, cattle and pigs, to name but a few -- but about where the game is hunted. Whether it’s tracking along the unspoiled beaches, the unexplored nooks of the eucalyptus forests or across snow-capped mountains, hunting in the South Pacific is about more than just the kill. If the scenery wasn’t enough, the locals are a friendly, hospitable bunch who provide great local food, comfortable lodgings and boisterous entertainment to hunters. Highly recommended is hunting rusa stag in New Caledonia; the conditions aren’t too demanding, and because it is a French colony, the hunt will provide a touch of culture to your trip.

Number 8
Baden-Baden, Germany
Game: Wild boar, roe deer, red deer, moose, and small game.
Hunting season: European moose-hunting season runs from the beginning of October to mid-December. Wild boar hunting season runs all year round.

A rewarding challenge for hunters, Baden-Baden is one of Germany’s most extensively wooded areas, making for extremely good hunting. The locale also boasts an extensive network of lakes and a dense population of high-quality wildlife. Take a trip to the culture-soaked city of Baden-Baden and stay at Brenner’s Park-Hotel & Spa. In cooperation with the town’s forest commission, the kind people at Brenner’s will help organize your hunting trip in the nearby Black Forest. There, you’ll be able to hunt a variety of game, including red deer on request. Guests must hold a valid hunting license.

Number 7
Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria
Game: Wild boar, deer, hind, wood grouse, fox, wolf, wildcat, pheasant, partridge, quail, and dove.
Hunting season: Male wild boar hunting season runs all year; female wild boar hunting season runs September 1st to December 31st; deer hunting season runs from October 1st to December 31st; male hind hunting season runs from May 1st to October 30th; female hind hunting season runs from September 1st to October 30th; and wood grouse hunting season runs from April 15th to May 15th.

One of the best red deer populations in the world and the world-record-holder for wild boar, the Balkan Peninsula in Bulgaria attracts no less than 2,500 foreign hunters every year and ranks second in the world for high-quality trophies. With natural conditions and a strict observance of game law, you’re assured a hunting trip to this part of the world will be more than satisfying for your needs. What’s more, you’ll be able to stay in five-star accommodations and eat sumptuous meals for very little cost, as Bulgaria does not have the same kind of industrial base as Western Europe and North America. Take to the forest-covered lowlands or the sub-Alpine mountains carpeted with snow for the best stalking opportunities.

Number 6
Qinghai, China
Game: Bharal/blue sheep, goat, deer, ibex, gazelle and takin (be warned, not all kinds of Chinese sheep can be imported into the U.S.).
Hunting season: Blue sheep hunting season runs from November 1st to March 31st.

Home to more species of goat and sheep than anywhere in the world, China takes your passion for hunting new game to the next level while offering the least-expensive sheep hunting in the world. Pursuing the small Chinese sheep -- otherwise known as bharal -- across the valleys of Xining in the Qinghai province on horseback also affords you wonderful sightseeing opportunities, such as a portion of the magnificent 3,700-mile Great Wall. The challenge with hunting in China is that the country is so big, meaning different types of game may be hundreds -- if not thousands -- of miles apart. Organize your trip through The Hunting Consortium for the best deal.

Number 5
Estancia Alicura, Argentina
Game: Cougar/puma, deer, antelope, water buffalo, dove, wild boar.
Hunting season: Black buck antelope, axis deer, fallow deer, dove, water buffalo, and male wild boar are hunted all-year round in Argentina; cougar/puma hunting season runs from January 1st to July 31st; and female wild boar hunting season runs from March 1st to July 31st.

Home to some of the most remote mountain ranges in the world as well as sections of the Amazon rainforest, it’s hardly surprising that Argentina ranks as one of the best hunting locales on the planet. Despite many of its species being protected -- including the jaguar, spectacled bear, marsh deer, pampas deer, and two species of huemul -- Argentina still offers up cougar, puma, white-tailed deer, two species of brocket deer and peccary to the snare. What’s more, Argentina has imported a number of exotic species that have adapted well and now need management, including red deer, axis deer, blackbuck, fallow deer, and wild boar. Check out the 200,000-acre area of Estancia Alicura for a wealth of wildlife that would put a smile on even the most experienced hunter’s face.

Number 4
Alaska, USA
Game: Bear, moose, sheep, and wolf.
Hunting season: Grizzly/brown bear hunting season runs from August 10th to May 31st; black bear hunting season is open all-year round; moose hunting season is from September 1st to September 15th; sheep hunting season runs from August 10th to September 20th.

Grizzly bear has to be one of the best trophies to take home from a hunt, and you’re certain to find lots wandering the wilderness in Alaska. Head to Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountains for the best shot at snagging yourself a six-foot grizzly and a hot new rug for your bare floorboards. With beautiful scenery and game-rich areas hidden deep within craggy valleys and deep ravines, as well as changeable weather conditions (expect snowstorms one minute and searing temperatures the next), Alaska has become a firm favorite with serious hunters. What’s more, the area receives little pressure from anti-hunting locals, meaning big trophies are frequently taken. If you don’t live in Alaska, however, you’re required to hire a hunting guide, who’ll know where the bears are likely to show up. To best cover the area, stay at the Stephen Lake Lodge and in well-equipped tent camps.

Number 3
Tayside & Fife, Scotland
Game: Deer, goose, duck, pigeon, rabbit, hare, and fish.
Hunting season: Roe buck season runs from April 1st to October 20th; roe doe season runs from October 21st to March 31st; red stag season runs from July 1st to October 20th; red hind season runs from October 21st to February 15th; fallow buck season runs form August 1st to April 30th; and fallow doe season runs from November 1st to April 31st.

Scotland is one of the most scenic places to hunt deer in Europe. If you can forget Bambi’s mother, try stalking roe buck in Tayside or Fife. As you hunt deer, you’ll also spot wild rabbits and hares sprinting between the heather, as well as birds flocking overhead. Feel free to fire away and see what other game you can come back with. Organized through Woodmill Shootings, your hunting trip will be punctuated by meals that make the best use of local produce and your game, as well as country house-style accommodation with lavish bedrooms and a fit-to-bursting bar in the well-appointed drawing room. This is the way hunting was meant to be.

Number 2
Kamchatka, Russia
Game: Bear, wolf, lynx, Siberian moose, deer, snow sheep, elk, rabbit, fox, wood grouse, duck, and wild boar.
Hunting season: Hunting season depends on the animal and where it is being hunted. Brown bear hunting season in the region of Kamchatka runs from the end of April through to May and the end of August through to October.

Home to abundant forests, shimmering lakes, roaring rivers, and intimidating mountain ranges, Russia is more than accommodating for hunters looking for exotic game. Hunting there will also remind you that it used to be a sport of the elite, oozing with glamour and grandeur. From the Arctic tundra in the north to the Mongolian steppes and Central Asian mountains in the south, Russia is as diverse in landscape as it is in game. Stay at “A Bear’s Place” hunting lodge, located 112 miles from St. Petersburg in the Novgorod region. Adhering to the international rules of fair-chase hunting, the professionals here will ensure you’re in the right place at the right time to collect that trophy you’ve been dreaming of. Boasting the largest brown bear population in the world -- located mainly in the European region, the Kamchatka peninsula and the coastal regions running alongside the Pacific -- a hunting trip in Russia is similar to those experienced in Alaska, with helicopter transfers and horses frequently used to get from one site to another.

Number 1
Muhwesi, Tanzania
Game: Lion, elephant, leopard, and buffalo.
Hunting season: Safari hunting season runs from July 1st to March 1st. Closed season runs from April 1st to June 1st.

Tanzania offers 363,000 square miles of the best hunting ground on the planet; if you can’t find decent game in this expanse, then you might as well pack up your rifle and go home. Most of Tanzania’s land is divided up into open hunting areas, controlled areas and demarcated hunting blocks in game reserves for the sole purpose of safari hunting, all of which help to maintain an ecological balance of the species found there. Because Tanzania is so big, you’ll need air charter to get from one hunting block to another. Try your luck in Muhwesi, a 19,700-square-foot locale in the southeastern boundary of Selous. Here, in the Miombo woodland, you’ll find mainly elephant, lion and leopard. On a trip with Global Hunting Safaris, you’ll have all your permits organized for you and an itinerary that makes the most out of your hunting time. After spending a few nights in a self-pitched tent in the forest, you’ll feel like you’re back at summer camp.

ready, aim, travel
While hunting will always be a controversial sport, it is needed in order to manage wildlife and to ensure the survival of certain species. The world we live in offers spectacular hunting locations for both experts and rookies, combining jaw-dropping scenery with top-of-the-range game. Whether it’s a rampant wild boar, an oversized elephant or a darting antelope you’re after, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for here. All you need to do now is sharpen up that aim.