Roe Deer Hunting in Germany~An American’s German Hunting Experience

Shawn Joyce, Diizche Safari Adventures with Roe Buck from Rätzlingen

 The evening before the hunt is always a special time but especially whenever it is shared with friends. Traveling to Walbeck, Germany to hunt Roe buck with my very dear friend Dr. Johannes Traumann has been a long anticipated hunt. Johannes and I met during the first Heym Challenge held in Germany. We became friends and had been planning this hunt since that time.

The night before our hunt was to begin we celebrated together in the town of Walbeck, Germany. Many in the community gathered around a large bonfire as evening fell.  The purpose was to celebrate the coming of a long anticipated spring. Traditionally, this annual bonfire is held on Easter and is known as the Easter Fire. This year, it had been so wet in the area that the fire was delayed until the last evening of April to celebrate the coming of May and hopefully some more spring like weather.  A great time was had by all that were present and the children seemed to especially enjoy tossing sticks on the fire and playing together.

Following the celebration we walked to Johannes’s home and stayed up late into the evening sharing stories of our many hunts around the world. Stories about close calls with elephant and buffalo in Tanzania seemed to rivet and hold the attention of all the listeners. The discussions about culture and tradition with regard to hunting in Germany really anchored my attention as well. Time got away from us and we finally headed to bed after midnight. Three-thirty in the morning came awfully fast but the anticipation of the hunt helped to drive away any thoughts about being tired.

For my upcoming hunts with Johannes I would be hunting with a Heym SR21 .30-06 bolt action rifle. This rifle was provided for my use and evaluation by Heym. The scope, a Leica 3.5-14X42 ER, graciously provide by Leica, and the ammunition provided by Hornady would help to assure our hunt would be successful. Thomas Wolkmann, Jacqui, Manfred, Bernhard, and Frank of Heym AG took great care to assure everything was prepared before my three scheduled hunts in the Walbeck area. You can read more about my review of the Heym SR21 in my recent blog article.

Shawn Joyce on the Sticks with Heym SR21

The alarm on my cell phone snapped me back to reality from my dreams of German landscapes and giant Roe bucks. I pulled on my thermals and hunting clothes and headed to the kitchen. After eating a quick piece of fruit and drinking a glass of water we were in the truck and off to our first hunting area. We would be hunting in Rätzlingen at the Drömling Nature Park.
 

After a short drive we parked the truck and started hiking to our high stand. During our hike we bumped a beaver that splashed into the creek alongside our primary trail. We continued hiking in the dark and located the connecting trail that would ultimately lead to our stand.  A few more twists and turns on the trail and we were there. We took turns climbing up the wooden ladder to our high stand. The back of the stand was open while the front and sides were partially covered. There was a roof over the stand which would help to keep us somewhat dry if it rained. As we settled into our stand I glanced at my watch, four-thirty.  

As time passed, the sky began to lighten ever so slightly and we were both glassing the field and edges of the cover for Roe deer and wild boar. This morning, we were hunting a lease that is managed by Peter Segeler and his daughter Janette.

It wasn’t too long before we spotted a red fox about two hundred fifty meters off in the distance. We watched intently as the fox scanned the field and then anxiously began hunting from area to area within our field of view. We enjoyed watching for about thirty minutes until he came to within seventy-five meters of our blind and then entered a tangle of heavy brush. Our hunt was off to an exciting and enjoyable start!

We began to spot Roe deer but none close enough to consider.  Still it was relaxing passing the time looking them over and watching their behavior. Spending time with my friend Johannes is always great fun but when it is spent hunting, those moments rise to the level of newly made lifetime memories.

Before too long we began to hear the report of distant rifles from other hunters, potentially signaling their success this opening day. We heard a close rifle shot not far from us and later learned that Peter, the lease holder of our hunting area, had seen the fox we had been watching. Shortly after the fox made its way past Peter a fantastic Roe buck also went past.  Peter’s shot was true and the Roe deer would provide food for many to enjoy.

Minutes in the stand slowly turned to hours. At seven-thirty we decided to climb down from our stand and conclude our morning hunt. We hiked back to the truck and traveled to a local gathering of hunters coming together from several other hunting lease areas. The group meets every year on the first of May to discuss the success of the first Roe deer morning hunt, share the beautiful animals killed during the hunt, and also to celebrate over a morning breakfast.

The celebration started with the deer that were killed being brought to the area where we were gathering. Two bucks had been killed in addition to the buck shot by Peter. Several of the hunters played the Jagd horn (hunting horn). Janette played a larger “French” horn while the others played smaller horns that are referred to as Pless horns. The music played was traditional and was intended to announce the success of the hunt.

The Jagd horn was used traditionally in Germany during times long since passed but continues to this day with many hunters. It is often used during more traditional group hunts or during social or ceremonial gatherings. The songs are traditionally rooted in the need to communicate long distances during the hunt with others. After all, cell phones, satellite phones, and portable radios were not an option in the good old days. These hunting signals are referred to as Jagdleitsignale.

Different songs are used to announce the start of the hunt and the announcement that a hunt has concluded. During driven hunts signals are also used to direct the drivers to push to the left, right, to slow down, or to stop. There are also songs to indicate when an animal has been killed. Each animal has a unique song that is easily recognized by the hunters.

There are some songs that are played in a certain order during various times of the hunt. These are important as they signify a pre-hunt meeting and also an end of the hunt when weapons are unloaded. However, these are sometimes changed for informal events to gather or state that the hunt is over for more ceremonial purposes.

I have posted some YouTube links for those interested in hearing these hunting signals. This is what might typically occur during an actual hunt sequence:

The hunt would start with "Sammeln der Jäger" which signals the hunter gathering held prior to leaving for the hunt.  In the case of Roe deer being hunted, "Reh tot" signals a Roe deer is dead. Besides the Roe deer signal, if other animals are killed during the hunt their song would also be played. When the hunt is about to conclude, "Jagd vorbei" signals the end of the hunt (firearms are now unload for safety). When it is time to gather to eat "Zum Essen" signals let's eat!

During our ceremonial post-hunt morning celebration, a call to gather the hunters (Sammeln der Jäger) was played first. This was followed by a song signaling the Roe deer is dead (Reh tot). Next a call to announce the hunt is over (Jagd vorbei).    

We celebrated the hunters’ success with the passing out of an evergreen branch to each successful hunter by the lease holder. The hunters blowing the Jagd horns later played a call to gather for breakfast (Zum Essen) and we dined on roasted pork and other delicious foods. I can’t think of a better way to kick-off our Roe buck hunting adventure!

Later in the evening we returned to hunt the same lease area but in a different stand location. We saw ten Roe deer. Most of the bucks worth considering were in velvet so they would not be something that we wanted. While in our stand we heard a gunshot close to where we were hunting. It turns out that Janette shot a buck so we were able to celebrate her success in the evening!
 

Janette "Netti" with Her Roe Buck!

The next day arrived quickly. I was excited about our new hunting location and the possibility of what we might see. We would be hunting near the village of Eschenrode. This hunting area is a lease that is managed by Heiko Besser. We drove to the location and then hiked into the stand we would be using. When we got to the stand Johannes and I looked at each other pensively. Neither of us is very fond of heights and this was a very tall high stand.  Being the gentleman that I am I insisted that Johannes climb up first. This stand would give us a vantage of the edge of the forest. This would be a little over two hundred meters in the distance.
 

Front View from the Tall High Stand Looking Toward the Forest

We saw a total of six Roe Deer, two were bucks. One of the bucks was just too far away to our left and the other was a bit far off as well.  We thought we might be able to make a shot on the closer buck at a little over one hundred ninety meters behind us. I was a little unsure of my hold because of the height of the stand and the angle of the shot. I decided I would give it a try if an opportunity presented itself.
 
The Roe buck stopped walking for a moment. I aimed at my spot in the upper third of his body and gently pressed the trigger. I could see that the shot went high over his back and the buck ran off. The stand was very tall and the angle steep so in hindsight I really should have aimed much closer to dead on instead of so high in the body. This is something that I am familiar with but still managed to make the mistake. As with all misses I believe the secret is to learn and not become heavily bogged down with the error. I absorbed the knowledge and lesson learned that had just been reinforced and tried to move on mentally.

Heiko Examining the Heym SR21, Leica Scope, and Hornady Ammunition



For the evening hunt we drove to an area adjacent to a military training area. The lease in this area was managed by Ottmar Dielefeld. Ottmar mentioned that we might hear military small arms fire but the animals would still move around in our area. We drove out toward where the stand was located and then hiked in the rest of the way.

This was a very nice stand that had just been built! Ottmar wanted to assure everything would be perfect for my hunt. A stand had been in this location previously but we were the first to hunt the newly reconstructed stand. The overall stand height was just right for the location and the construction was very sturdy. The door was located on the side of the stand but allowed for unobstructed viewing in all directions. The back of the blind was closed but it had a Plexiglas window so you could still see behind. Finally, everything was lined with carpet to keep noise to a minimum and very warm too!



Ottmar and Shawn Visiting at the Hunting Lease

As the evening hunt progressed we heard a great deal of automatic weapons fire in the distance and a tank. As luck would have it we did not see any game but we still enjoyed ourselves as we glassed the forest for Roe deer. If there were a star rating that could be assigned for hunting stand comfort and construction this would have to be a five star rated stand. It was solidly constructed, really comfortable, quiet, and functional.

Friday morning found us back at Heiko’s lease in Eschenrode. We decided to try a lower high stand across from the really tall high stand we had hunted the previous morning. While we did not connect with an opportunity for a buck we did see two foxes, several rabbits, and also pheasant. When we climbed down from the stand after the morning hunt we decided to do a little still hunting and possibly stalk some game. We were able to locate and stalk five bucks and a doe. Although we did not find anything we wanted to pursue we had a great time.

Shawn glassing Below A Standard Height High Stand at Heiko's Lease

For our evening hunt we decided to head back to where we hunted our first day. We would be going to Peter’s lease again in Rätzlingen. Before going out in the field Johannes and I met with Peter and Janette at Peter’s home. As soon as we arrived Janette and Peter presented me with a deer hunting trophy and a note. The note was in German and said “Zur Erinnerung an Deine Jagd in Rätzlingen bei Peter und Netti im Drömling” (In Memory of Your Hunt in Rätzlingen with Peter and Netti in the Drömling Nature Park). This was a very special gift to receive from my new friends. It now resides in a special place in my home office and I am enjoying it as I write this story.

The Deer Hunting Trophy Presented by Peter and Netti

After presenting me with the beautiful trophy, Peter discussed his game management plan and then gave us the go ahead to kill any size buck. Because we were early in the season, this flexibility would still fit into his game management plan and also give us a great deal of latitude should we need it. We would be hunting Peter’s lease in an area where a bigger buck had been seen several days earlier. The possibility that this buck might return was in the back of our minds.

While on our stand that evening we saw a doe that began feeding-in from about two hundred meters behind us. The sun was at our backs so it made it very easy for the doe to see us if we moved at all. After about thirty minutes, the doe ultimately fed to about sixty meters behind us in the open.  She bedded down behind us and of course was facing us. I am happy to report that Murphy is alive and well in Germany too! If anything can go wrong it probably will.

We realized the difficult situation we were now in but continued to be patient. We were hoping that the doe would eventually get up and move away and not wind us in the process. Minutes ticked on like hours. It is times like these that I tend to find the humor in all things. I began whispering to Johannes joking with him about wiggling around and moving too much. Johannes of course was as still as a brick building which made it all the more fun to give him a hard time. I used his body as a shield as I moved around and stretched since the deer was on his side of the stand. I mentioned that it was too bad that he couldn’t move or get relaxed but to take comfort in knowing that I was feeling just fine. We both laughed…quietly of course.

As time dragged on my attention was diverted to three deer running through the woods in front of us and off to our right about two hundred fifty meters or more in the distance. I cautiously pulled up my Leica binoculars being careful not to spook the doe right behind us. As the deer were bounding through the dense ground cover and trees I was able to make out one buck in velvet, one doe, and a fantastic hard horn buck as they each passed by a small gap in the foliage.

I dropped my binoculars and saw that Johannes was trying to track them with his binoculars. He was using a pair of ten power Leica binoculars with a built in range finder. They were absolutely perfect binoculars for the rapidly unfolding task at hand. I carefully picked up my rifle, got as steady as possible, and tried to pick-up the deer in the Leica scope. I caught a flash of the big bucks antlers as they caught the sun as he tore through a small gap in the brush between the thickets of trees. I could tell he was exactly what we wanted and I told myself to keep my eyes off his antlers if and when I saw him again. He was that nice and I did not want to be distracted after I confirmed he was going to be the one.

Johannes was helping me to identify which one would be the good buck as the deer continued changing positions while running through the tangle of trees and heavy cover. I knew if an opportunity presented itself it would likely be fast and fleeting. Our only hope would be for the deer to slow slightly from a dead run, we would have to sort out the one we wanted, and then cross our fingers for a small opening to allow for a quick shot. Johannes was trying to call out range and position of the correct deer whenever he would catch a confirming glimpse.

That moment in time that we both wanted to happen presented itself for a fleeting moment and I pressed the trigger. The range ended up being about one hundred meters. As the rifle recoiled I could see the front end of the buck appear to collapse and then saw the buck I shot at and other two deer continue forward through the tangle. We immediately lost sight of them at that point.
 
I was certain that I made the best shot I could for the situation at hand. The next thing I knew Johannes shouted, “What a shot! You hit him, great shot!” He slapped me so hard on the back that I almost flipped forward out of the stand. We both continued trying to pick-up the deer visually but we could not see them. This is when you begin to second guess yourself and begin replaying everything over in your mind.

As we started to climb down from the stand, Johannes’s cell phone started vibrating. It was Peter. He had heard the shot and had high hopes. We told him we got a shot at the buck we wanted. Johannes and I began heading for the tangle of brush and trees to see if we could find anything. As we searched I found blood and we began to try and follow the track in the thicket.
 
The next thing I recall is Johannes heading toward a snag and a downed log just a few feet from where we last saw the buck. He began pulling the buck out from under the downed tree, through the brush and the tall grass. Johannes seemed really excited and exclaimed, “He is a monster…what a buck!” We both took a moment to admire the beauty of this fabulous buck that we had taken together. I could not have made it happen without Johannes on the binoculars helping to sort things out visually while I took the shot. It was a team effort all the way which made the success all the sweeter.
 

Shawn Joyce and Dr. Johannes Traumann with their Roe Buck

As we were admiring the beautiful buck Peter was driving up in his truck. We could see the smile on his face from one hundred meters away. He was just as happy as we were. As I was speaking with Peter, Johannes was making short work of field dressing the buck.

We talked about how everything had unfolded perfectly and took several pictures together. I could not help but think about how this great hunt with my friends Johannes and Peter, and the regal and majestic buck that we were able to hunt, all came together. Every aspect of our friendship and this successful hunt beautifully showcased the fine SR21 rifle Heym had assembled, Leica had scoped, and Hornady had loaded with ammunition they provided. Everything came together as if it were precisely orchestrated. 

Peter and Shawn Sharing their Success

The three of us met at Peter’s home. His daughter Janette later met us and we celebrated together. We of course toasted the beautiful buck and our success with Jägermeister and some delicious German pilsners. Johannes asked what I had planned to do with the trophy of the beautiful Roe buck. The hide was not in the best of shape this time of year so I told him I would like to do a European mount. Johannes mentioned we could have his taxidermist prepare the mount or we could just prepare the skull for my taxidermist to put together. Johannes offered that alternatively he would really like to prepare the skull personally for me. He offered to boil and bleach the skull, make a plaque as he normally does for his European mounts, and then assemble the European mount. I told him that would be my preference and the European mount would have a very special place in my home. What a great tribute to our hunting memories.

Shawn's Friend Johannes Preparing the European Mount

Saturday arrived and we had an enjoyable hunt in the morning. We did not have an opportunity for any shots at bucks that we wanted but still we had great times and made good memories. One thing really stands out in my mind about our Saturday morning hunt on Heiko’s lease. It was really very cold. I had on thermals, two jackets, gloves and a beanie and was still chilled. Johannes and I were both jiggling around trying to keep warm without moving too much.

While trying to stay warm we barely noticed that a buck had snuck up behind our stand. He was probably about thirty meters away when we spotted him. He was not the one we wanted but it made for some exciting moments. We were both happy to climb out of the stand that morning so we could finally warm up. We did a short stalk and managed to locate two bucks in velvet. We passed on these as we wanted hard horn bucks. Note to self, next year bring heavy thermals just in case.

Saturday evening would be our last hunt together before I left the next day to hunt Bavaria. During this last evening hunt with Johannes we would be participating in a group hunt with multiple hunters. Two lease holders with adjoining leases came together to coordinate the hunt. Hunters would be on the lease belonging to Heiko and also on the adjacent lease managed by lease holder Hans-Jürgen.  

The group of hunters and lease holders had a brief gathering and discussion about how the hunt would be conducted and what type and age of animals could be hunted. Johannes and I drew the skyscraper of a high stand on Heiko’s lease that we had sat previously. While we had a great time hunting we did not have any luck finding the buck we wanted. We managed to see numerous rabbits, a rooster pheasant, six bucks, and two does. One of the bucks was hard horn and very nice but just too far away.

Natural Lighting from the Torches During the Celebration

Roe Deer Prepared for the Post Hunt Celebration

Following our evening hunt the group of hunters met again on Heiko’s lease to join in celebration and gather for a Barbecue. Five torches were placed in the ground and lit for ambience and lighting. The four bucks and one doe that the hunters killed were laid out for viewing. Many of the traditional songs were played on the Jagd horn as mentioned previously in this article.

Traditional Songs Being Played on the Jagd Horn

In preparation to honor the hunters’ successful harvest, evergreen branches were placed on each animal by Heiko. One at a time a branch was rubbed inside the deer to gather a small amount blood. Heiko then called up the successful hunter. Hats were removed; a recognition of “Waidmannsheil” was given to each other followed with a handshake as the branch was given to the hunter. The hunter then affixed the branch to his cap on the right side. This was done for each hunter with their animal.

A branch was left on the animal and also a branch in the mouth (last feeding) to show respect toward the animal taken out of the habitat.
 

Hunters Being Honored for their Successful Hunt

Following the ceremonies drinks were had to celebrate. There were delicious beers that contained alcohol as well as alcohol free beers for those that would be driving afterwards. The barbecue that was prepared consisted of deliciously prepared pork steaks and bratwurst. Everyone gathered and shared stories as the evening continued. This was a great way to end my hunt with Johannes. I felt happy to have had an opportunity to hunt with my friend and to have been able to learn about and participate in traditional style hunts and celebrations during my visit. I was told by Heiko that I was the first hunter from America to hunt with them and participate in these traditions. I felt very privileged and humbled to have been allowed to do so.

As the evening drew to a close we called it a night and Johannes drove us home. After we arrived, we stayed up talking about the great times we had shared together and quickly began making plans for our next hunts together.

The next morning was filled with great food and lots of discussions about future plans. We loaded up the car and said our goodbyes. I had a wonderful time with Johannes and his family and look forward to spending time with them again very soon!

The second leg of my German Roe buck adventure would take me southeast to Bavaria.  Despite my best intentions, I was off to a late start for the drive to Cham. Since I enjoy driving the Bundesautobahnen, I made up a great deal of time on the road whenever it was possible. I arrived in Cham early in the evening and met with my good friend Dr. Jürgen Bornhaupt.

After a few quick greetings and hugs we unloaded the car and then made our way to the lease holder’s home for a late dinner. Willi Hutterer is the lease holder of the areas I would be hunting near Cham. I met Willi and his wife over a delicious roast pork meal with all of the trimmings. Willi had prepared the meal himself!

As we finished dinner, Jürgen translated that Willi was asking if we wanted to go out and hunt a little before dark. I had pretty much written-off any prospects of hunting that evening as it was getting so late but if Willi was game I was all in.

Willi disappeared and returned quickly with four cartridges and an absolutely beautiful single shot rifle. I had never hunted with a rifle such as this and to be honest I was a little uncertain if it would be the best choice for me. I always embrace functioning outside of my comfort zone whenever it is necessary to do so. I immediately changed my mental picture about my uncertainty and replaced those thoughts with positive internal self-talk about the rifle in my hands.

Waffen Juch-Grund Ferlach 7x65 R

Jürgen translated that Willi would be honored if I would use this particular rifle during my Bavarian hunts. I graciously accepted the offer and had Willi give me a crash course on the weapons functionality, set trigger, and how to cock the rifle quietly. All was in order so off we went into the last minutes of daylight. Depending upon how each of our hunt days could be organized, I would be hunting with either my friend Jürgen or with lease holder Willi.

Single Shot Action

Highly Engraved

For this evening’s hunt, Willi dropped Jürgen and me at a stand tucked away in the corner of a field next to a nicely wooded area. We saw a few Roe deer before we lost all of our light but nothing that we were hoping to see.

We hunted the next few days in a variety of locations on Willi’s lease area. The areas that we hunted were all great. We almost always saw Roe deer and on one early morning before light we saw some wild swine as well. Seeing game with any regularity always seems to help keep a hunt exciting.

On several of my hunts in Bavaria, Willi and I hunted together without Jürgen present. Not having Jürgen with us on the drive out to where we hunted or while hunting was interesting. Let’s just say I could benefit from language DVDs or online language courses. Somehow we managed to communicate with each other just fine. Willi would talk endlessly in German as we drove to our hunt location. I think he secretly enjoyed watching me struggle to understand and was probably amused as I then proceeded to butcher the German language as it is spoken in Bavaria.
   
We continued hunting on our quest for the right buck. The moment finally came late one evening on a dandy buck. Unfortunately, I had a two hundred meter miss on this deer that I thought was an absolute slam dunk. I am still uncertain what went wrong but the shot was a miss so no harm except my bruised and battered confidence. We were shooting through branches that were overhanging our stand but I felt certain that I was clear of any branches when I shot. Misses will happen to all of us and the secret is always evaluating for lessons to take along and then shaking it off and not holding on to residual frustration. Good advice but it is always easier said than done.

Several Roe Bucks from Willi's Hunting Lease

During our hunts together Willi asked me to try and stalk close to several deer that were two hundred plus meters in the distance. I was able to close the distance to twenty-five meters before I backed off and we headed to the vehicle. Willi seemed excited that I was able to get so close. He made it a point after that to stalk as many deer as we could whenever the opportunity presented itself. I could tell that for him it was a preferred method of hunting. It is also something that I prefer as well.
  
The success of our hunt finally came down to the last day and the last evening as hunts so often do. I was satisfied with all of our hunts up to this time. I could have easily left Bavaria knowing that I had a great time with great friends even though no buck had been killed. The stand that we had for our final hunt was about ten feet off the ground and was completely open on all sides with no walls.

As Willi and I sat in our stand together, we were both scanning slowly for any signs of movement. Just before 2000 hours Willi caught movement about one hundred thirty meters off to our left and in front of us. I slowly pulled up my binoculars and could see it was a buck.

I looked at Willi and he whispered to shoot the buck. I slowly moved the rifle into a shooting position, pulled the front trigger, and slowly cocked the rifle while keeping the trigger pulled. I slowly released the trigger and then let the cocking arm slowly come forward and assured myself it was locked back. I found the buck in the scope and quickly focused on my breathing rhythm.

Thinking back, I probably should have taken the shot then and there but instead I decided to try the set trigger. I slowly put the cross hairs just behind the deer’s shoulder as it fed across the field maintaining the same distance from us. I carefully pulled the rear set trigger until I could hear the front trigger softly click. While still holding the reticle on my spot I carefully reached for the front trigger. I made certain that my breathing was correct and then softly touched the trigger.

In the very moment that I began to think shoot in this natural breathing cycle pause and began to gently press the trigger the rifle fired. During the recoil of the rifle I could see the buck lurch back as if to pull away to turn and then fall to the ground. Because the grass was high and Roe deer are relatively small, I could not see the deer once it fell. I immediately emptied the rifle, reloaded, and kept the rifle safe.

When I looked over at Willi he slowly looked at me but did not say anything for a moment. The pause was palpable and intended. “Waidmannsheil” he said as he hugged me and then shook my hand. We waited for a few minutes and then climbed down from our stand.



Willi with our Roe Buck

We walked up to the deer and I could see that Willi was pleased. This was our buck that we had worked for over the past four days together. It was important and it held special meaning for us. Willi carefully began searching for, selecting, and then pulling specific branches from two trees. He placed one of the branches in the mouth of the buck and we took a few pictures of each other.

Shawn with his Final Hunt Day Roe Buck

Willi then placed an evergreen branch on the deer’s side. He pulled a sprig from the evergreen branch on the deer, rubbed it in the deer’s blood, shook my hand, said “Waidmannsheil,” and placed the branch on the side of my cap. Willi said he would prefer that we gut and clean the deer at his facility which was just a few minute drive from our stand. We carried the deer to the vehicle and headed-out.

After we arrived at the processing location we immediately began the task at hand. Jürgen arrived along with our spouses and congratulations were exchanged. Less than forty minutes from the moment the trigger was pulled the deer had been transported, gutted, cleaned-up, and was hanging in the cool box at his facility. I told Willi I would like to keep the skull for a European mount. There are various ways to prepare the skull for this style of mount. Some leave the teeth on, some cut above the teeth leaving the eye sockets intact, while others like to cut through the center of the orbits. We cut the skull with a bone saw just below the orbits. This way I could re-cut the skull through the center of the eye sockets when I returned home if I wanted to do so.

We drove to Willi’s home and put the skull into a pot of water and started the boiling process. Once that was started, we went inside and toasted the hunt with hazelnut flavored schnapps and also enjoyed a delicious German pilsner. Willi had a large and impressive display of European mounts (Chamois, Red deer, and Roe deer) in his trophy room that we all enjoyed viewing and discussing. We spent time sharing many stories and looking through Willi’s albums of hunts from the past.

Willi Celebrating and Sharing Stories About the Many Hunts

 Since I would be driving to Frankfurt the next morning, Willi told me not to worry about the skull and antlers. He would assure that they were boiled and ready for the flight home. We decide we would all meet for breakfast in the morning and then I would be heading-out for the airport.

The next morning came fast. I showered and got everything packed for the journey home. I had been living out of a suitcase for about a month so the process took a little longer than usual. After I had packed everything Jürgen told me that he had something he wanted to give me. We went into an area of his home where he walked up to an item on a stand. Jürgen removed the item from the stand and said this is something that belonged to my father when he was alive and it is important to me that you have it.

The Very Special Gift from Jürgen

Jürgen turned to face me and presented me with a Fürst-Pless horn. I was at a loss for words, which for me is a rather rare occurrence. I of course thanked Jürgen from the bottom of my heart and assured him it would have a very special place in my trophy room. I would share the story about it with all who might come to visit.

A short time later, Willi and his wife arrived to join us all for breakfast. As Willi entered the room he was carrying an item that he had prepared to present to me. The Roe buck skull had been boiled, bleached, and dried. It was sitting on a bed of green plants and flowers that were on a wooden plate. The skull was tied to the plate with a light green colored ribbon that passed through and around the skull. It was absolutely beautiful. He had stayed up all night after we left to assure that everything was perfect. What more can be said about such a wonderful gesture to conclude this Bavarian hunt.

Willi Presenting the Beautifully Prepared Roe Buck Trophy

After breakfast we said our goodbyes and I headed out to the car and began my drive to Frankfurt to catch my plane. While flying home I thought about my hunts with Johannes and Jürgen. I reflected upon how fortunate I was to have such wonderful friends like Johannes and Jürgen. They had taken so much of their time to ensure I would experience wonderful hunts for Roe buck. During our hunts they had introduced me to the lease holders (Peter, Janette, Heiko, Ottmar, and Willi) and we have now become friends. We have already been making plans to reconnect during my next trip to Germany. I look forward to seeing them all again very soon.

I received an exciting email from Johannes after I left Bavaria. He had finished preparing the European mount of the buck we had hunted together. I can’t wait to get that mount home along with the mount prepared by Willi. Johannes also shared that Ottmar had renamed the stand that Johannes and I both liked so much. This was the stand with carpeting and the Plexiglas window that we both gave a five star rating. The stand is now referred to as “The American!” 

Lucie with the European Mount Beautifully Prepared by Johannes

If you have never hunted Roe deer and have an opportunity I would highly recommend doing so. It is great fun and it is not too strenuous for those that might have difficulty on more strenuous types of hunts.

I would like to take a moment to briefly mention a good friend of mine from Belgium. His name is Arnout Vandevyvere. Arnout is the director of Yeswehunt and is also involved in Jagdzeit Magazine. Yeswehunt is a multilingual internet site. It connects hunters from around the world where they can share their experiences and also exchange hunting opportunities. Jagdzeit Magazine is an international hardbound magazine that is just now being offered in an English language version. The magazine features international hunts, articles of interest, and beautiful photography. Both of these resources might be of interest to many of you reading this article. Until we meet again, Waidmannsheil!