Wild boar hunting in Turkey

Turkey is the country for record wild boar!! This has been my saying for the last 20 years! There is absolutely no doubt about it, because Sus scrofa atilla is accepted to be the second biggest wild boar sub-species in body mass and is only bettered by the largest species in the world, the wild boars of Ussuri and it is also generally known that the number 4 of the largest wild boar in the world was shot under my guidance there. Together with my professional hunter Murat we usually undertake 2 different forms of boar hunting in Turkey: A.) During full moon we either wait for wild pigs to appear on our feeding places, or we stalk them through cultivated country near the forest areas. B.) Wild boar drives, either with pointer dogs and their handlers or with a good group of beaters helped by pointer and hunting dogs. Hunting wild pigs with pointer dogs is reckoned to be the ultimate form of hunting. The excitement and the tension are unsurpassed in this classical form of hunting. It is still possible in a few areas of Turkey and promises good wild boar in the process.

Hunting during the moon phases is ideally done in the days just before the full moon and during the full moon phase. The hunter waits in a hidden position near feeding areas and properly equipped with night glasses has every chance to shoot a large wild boar. Great care should be taken not to mistake the boar with a large sow. One assistant can be assigned to the hunter, this will be particularly necessary during a moon light stalk. I can promise an exciting hunt! The boar hunts with beaters take place in large mountain forest areas.

The mature oak forests will immediately convey to the experienced hunter that he is in the habitat of his favourite game animal. We hunt for 5 days depending on the weather and snow conditions with either pointer dogs, or with an experienced troop of beaters. Several drives with beaters are possible in a day. The hunts with pointer dogs, governed by the nature of the dogs, are much slower and allow for only one long lasting hunt each day. The hunting areas are a 4 to 5 hours drive from Istanbul. The airport of Istanbul is being served by several German and other international airlines. We generally use the Turkish State Airline and our bookings are done by Suntop- Reisen, Frankfurt who will get for us excellent terms and conditions. Arriving hunting client are met by us at the Turkish airport customs facilities and then transferred in our small buses to the hunting areas. This guaranties maximum safety during arrival and departure. All clients are booked into very good hotels in a couple medium sized towns close to the hunting areas, which should guarantee a pleasant and interesting stay. Participants of moonshine hunts, maximum 3 hunters at the time, will be accommodated in a rented farmhouse with good kitchen facilities and sanitary conditions. Languages spoken are usually German or English and the understanding with the accompanying local Turkish hunting assistants is usually done sign language. Just a short translation for two Turkish words: ‘Domus’ means sow and ‘Koepek’ stands for dog. Good hunting luck will be translated for the hunter on location. Every experienced boar hunter knows what guns and other equipment he should take with him for a game drive or a moonshine stalk. Legally permitted are all normal hunting rifles, shotguns, or combination guns. All rifle calibres are permitted; we however recommend the heavier bullets like 9,3x 62 or similar. Further we recommend the hunter brings suitable night binoculars and / or night vision glasses. Hunting periods are determined by the ever changing moon phases. Ideally we like to take the days shortly before a full moon and the full moon phase. This is applies in general for the whole year.

Hunting periods with pointer dogs and drives with beaters for this season:

16. to 22. November
03. to 09. December
09. to 15. December
07. to 13. January
13. to 19. January
04. to 10. February
10. to 16. February

We are also prepared to arrange hunts on special request at different periods.

Here some information to the costs. Moonshine stalks or hunting from a stand can only be arranged for 3 hunters at the time. Ideally we recommend 2 hunters. The costs for a 5 day hunting trip per hunting client are € 1400,- and cover the cost for the custom documentation on arrival and departure and the transfers from the airport to the hunting area and back to the airport. For 2 hunters the price is € 1000.- each and by 3 hunters the price is € 900,- Not included is the air fare to Turkey, the daily licence fees to the Forest Department.(Which presently stand at $ 50/day, but there is talk that they are to be raised to 100/day.) These fees are to be paid in cash during the hunts directly to the department. The prices for game drives with beaters vary with the number of the participating hunters: For 5 hunters including transfers and custom documentation $ 1100 For 7 hunters the price is $ 1000 For 9 hunters the price is $ 900 Not included are the fees for the forest department.

In addition trophy fees have to be paid:

Sows and half mature boars $ 500.-
Big boars with:
tusks length under 16cm (6.5 inch) $ 600.-
tusks under 18 cm (7.2 inch) $ 700.-
tusks under 20 cm (8 inch) $ 900.-
tusks under 22 cm (8.8 inch) $ 1050.-
tusks under 24 cm (9.6 inch) $ 1350.-
tusks under 26 cm (10.4 inch) $ 1650.-
tusks over 26cm (10.4 inch) $ 1750.-

We have absolutely no influence on the trophy fees which are set by the Turkish departments. We can however recommend to the hunter to concentrate all his efforts in obtaining a big boar.