Hunting Grounds in Bulgaria

ARAMLIETS - red deer, wild boar, mouflon, roe deer, wolf

The hunting ground lies in Sredna Gora (foothills of the Balkan range), 30 km southeastern from airport Sofia, and spreads over a total area of 10.500 ha. This is terrain with low hills and mainly broad-leaved trees (oak, beech, hornbeam).

It is amazing that you can find so good and rich game stock near Sofia. The hunting success for tusker, mouflon and roe buck is guaranteed. Red and fallow deer game as well as small game can be hunted too. Trout fishing is also possible.

The guests are accommodated in luxurious hunting lodge, set in the forest. It offers 5 double rooms with shower/WC and a room with fireplace.

BALCHIK- small game (birds), roe deer, red deer, mouflon, wild boar, fallow deer

The hunting area BALCHIK is situated in the southeastern part of Dobrudzha Plain with an average altitude of 150 m. It borders Romania to the north and Black Sea to the east.
The proximity to Black Sea results in a mild climate and the snow cover rarely lasts more than 5-6 days.
The total territory is 132 041 ha, 7 495 ha of which is the big game hunting area. Most of it is located in the Batova River valley, very close to the Black Sea resort “Albena”. The distance to Sofia is 450 km, and 45 km to Varna Airport.
The hunting lodge is located in the central part of the Hunting Area. It’s very cozy and nice place and provides 4 bedrooms with their own Du/WC, a large dining hall with fireplace and fantastic garden.
The common game species are: red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar and mouflon.
The heaviest red deer trophy (19.100 kg) has been gained in the region of “Balchik”.
Mouflon with horns length from 82 to 84 cm and wild boar tusks with a length from 24 to 26 cm have been shot; the finest roe deer trophy has been evaluated to 148.3 CIC points. The area is specialized in the small game hunt. From August to October there are large passages quails and doves. In November and December comes the woodcock (bekass). And in January the big lakes connected to the sea are home for lot of geese and ducks.

BOROVO - red deer, wild boar, chamois, brown bear, capercaillie

Borovo along with Kormisosh is the most popular area in the Rhodope Mountains. It lies in the Western Rhodopes and has the surface of 15.200 ha. The typical terrain is mountainous and it is rugged and uneven in some parts. The average elevation above sea level is approximately 1.300 m. Deciduous and coniferous forests cover 95% of the whole territory.

The hunting for red deer, wild boar, chamois, bear, capercaillie, roe deer, predators is very successful.

Borovo has one hunting lodge with 6 double rooms and 1 apartment available. Each room has shower/WC. The service is unexceptionable.

CHEKERITSA - small game (roe deer, pheasants, grey and rock partridge, hares and doves)

Chekeritsa, a typical small game hunting ground, is situated in the northeast of the second in size Bulgarian town Plovdiv. It spreads over an area of 13.275 ha. The terrain is flat, with deciduous forests predominant. The aviaries offer ca. 3000 pheasants and 1200 grey and rock partridges yearly. Deer stalking with dogs and battue hunting are arranged.

The dove hunting at the end of August is very successful too. 50 doves per day for a hunter can be easily shot.

And also ca. 80 hares and 7-8 roe bucks are shot per year.

The region has 2 very luxurious hunting lodges with first-class service available.

CHERNI LOM- red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, predatory animals (wolf) , roe deer

The distinguished area Cherni Lom which has a total area of 130 000 ha, lies round the town of Popovo in Northeastern Bulgaria. Forests cover 28 000 ha of the area. The agricultural fields with maize and other crops cover a high percentage of the land as well. The terrain is rolling. The elevation above sea level is from 125 m to 486 m.

Although Cherni Lom has became famous for its red stag hunt many other game species are successfully hunted in the region. The excellent abundance of food and the permanent preservation of the game ensures the high quality of the trophies in the area.

Last year foreign hunters shot 23 red stags, 4 fallow bucks, 5 wolves, 130 heads of wild boar. Predatory animals are very successfully hunted for the past years. The hunting of wolf, wildcat and jackal is particularly emotional.

Cherni Lom has 3 hunting lodges available: "Elenovo", "Goliamo Gradishte" and "Marinka Laka". All the three of them are very large and luxurious and offer high-leveled catering and service.

DIKCHAN - red deer, wild boar, mouflon, capercaillie, roe deer

Dikchan lies between the Mesta River's valley and the Dospat Dam Lake and covers a total area of 20.000 ha. The region is with an average altitude of about 1.100 m. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory. The deciduous forests predominate.

The southern position of the region affects the growth of the mouflon game stock. At least 3 mouflon bucks with trophy length over 80 cm will be available for hunt this year. The red deer, fallow deer and wild boar are also wide spread. 3 to 4 capercaillies are shot yearly too.

Dikchan has 1 new hunting lodge with 6 double rooms. Each room has its own shower/WC. Board and service are very good.

IZVORA- red deer, wild boar, mouflon, chamois, brown bear, capercaillie, roe deer

The ground is located in the Middle Rhodope Mountain and spreads over a total area of 9.370 ha. The terrain is typical mountainous and it is rugged and uneven in some parts. The elevation above sea level is from 800 m to 1800 m. Deciduous and coniferous forests cover 95% of the whole territory. The coniferous forests predominate.

Red deer, wild boar, mouflon, chamois, brown bear, roe deer, predatory animals are successfully hunted in Izvora.

In Izvora the guests are accommodated in 2 hunting lodges with 9 double rooms. Each room has its own shower/WC. The hunting lodge is very large and offers unexceptionable service.

JENDA - mouflon, red deer, wild boar, fallow deer

The region lies in the heart of the Eastern Rhodope Mountains and spreads over a total area of 5 300 ha. The terrain is typically mountainous. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory and the deciduous forests predominate.

Red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon are successfully hunted in the region. Here particularly valuable are the fallow buck's antlers: big and light.

Jenda has a very comfortable hunting lodge with a total of 6 double rooms and offers excellent service. Each room has shower/WC.

KORMISOSH - red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, chamois, brown bear, roe deer, predatory animals

The region lies in the Middle Rhodope Mountain and covers a total area of 24.200 ha. The terrain is typical mountainous and is rugged and uneven in some parts. The elevation above sea level is from 380 m to 2 001m. Deciduous and coniferous forests cover 95% of the whole territory.

Red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, chamois, brown bear, capercaillie, roe deer, predators are successfully hunted in Kormisosh. The success rate in the last 3 years is more than 90%, which is quite impressing.

Kormisosh offers 3 hunting lodges with 15 double rooms total. Each room has its own shower/WC. All three hunting lodges are very large and the service is unexceptionable.

MAZALAT - red deer, wild boar, small game (roe deer, pheasants, grey and rock partridges, hares)

The area consists of two parts.

The first part is situated in the southern declivities of the Middle Balkan Mountain. The terrain is typical mountainous, predominate the broad-leaved forests.

Hunts for red deer buck (up to 9 kg), tusker (up to 24 cm), chamois, brown bear and roe buck (up to 350 g) are arranged in the region.

The second part lies in the Trakia Plain next to the town of Stara Zagora. The region is ideal for small game hunting - pheasant, rock partridge and hare.

Up to 50 trophies daily per hunter is a realistic number.

MIDJUR - red deer, wild boar, predatory animals, roe deer / driven hunt

The region lies in the Western Balkan Mountain and has the surface of 19.500 ha. The terrain is typical mountainous, predominate the broad-leaved forests. Red deer buck (up to 9 kg), tusker (up to 24 cm) and roe buck (up to 350 g) as well as predatory animals (wolf, fox, badger) are hunted here.

Midjur has 2 hunting lodges with a total of 5 double rooms available. Each room has shower/WC. Catering and service are very good.

PALAMARA - red deer, wild boar, roe deer, predatory animals / driven hunt

Both Palamara and Sherba are the first hunting grounds in Bulgaria founded long ago in the year of 1932 by the Tsar of that time Boris II.

Today Palamara is a seat of the red deer game stock in Bulgaria. About 40 to 60 red deer animals yearly are moved to other hunting areas.

Palamara lies in the Northeastern Bulgaria in the heart of the "Ludogorie" region and has an area of 7.500 ha. From it 5.000 ha are covered with broad-leaved forests (oak and beech predominant) and 2.500 ha are covered with agricultural fields (maize and crops). The terrain is flat-to-rolling with an average altitude of 350 m.

The great number of big game on such small territory is based on the abundance of food. According to the last game counting from the spring of 2002 we have in Palamara ca. 690 heads of red deer, ca. 180 heads of wild boar and 70 heads of roe deer. 15 - 20 red deer stags with trophies ranging from 6 to 13 kg, 10 - 15 tuskers with trophies ranging from 4 to 25 cm and 5 roe bucks with trophies ranging from 250 to 450 g are shot yearly.

Very successful are the individual hunts for red deer (stags, hinds, fawns), the driven hunts for wild boar and the predatory animals chase (wildcat, jackal, fox).

Palamara has 3 hunting lodges available - the main lodge "Palamara" (1 apartment, 4 double rooms, 1 single room), hunting lodge "Dabrava" (4 double rooms) and hunting lodge "Nikola Kozlevo" (4 double rooms). Each room has its own shower/WC.

RODOPI - red deer, wild boar, chamois, capercaillie, roe deer

The region is situated in the Middle Western Rhodopes and covers a total area of 20.000 ha. . The terrain is typical mountainous, rugged and uneven in some parts. The average elevation above sea level is approximately 1500 m. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory and 90% of them are coniferous forests.

Red deer, wild boar, chamois, capercaillie, roe deer are successfully hunted in the region. The tusker trophies are especially valuable and beautiful here.

Rodopi offers 1 hunting lodge with 5 double rooms and excellent service. Each room has its own shower/WC.

Rossitza - red deer, wild boar and roe deer hunting, bear

"State Hunting Area “Rossitsa” is situated about 220 km from the capital Sofia, on the northern slopes of Central Balkan range which are covered with centuries-old beech forests and succulent mountainous meadows, cut by valleys and gullies. Its total area is about 17 000 ha and the relief is typically mountainous to alpine. The altitude varies from 350 to 1 850 m.

State Hunting Area “Rossitsa” offers hunt for red deer, wild boar, roe deer, brown bear and predators. The driven hunts are very good organized and with high success quote. The lodge is new renovated and very comfortable with the 9 rooms for the guests.

RUSALKA - red deer, wild boar, brown bear, roe deer

The region's former name was Apriltsi. It lies in the northern declivities of the Middle Balkan Mountain, below its highest peak Botev (2376 m). Rusalka has the surface of 8.500 ha. The terrain is typical mountainous, rugged and uneven in some parts. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory, predominate the virgin beech forests.

The hunting success rate for red deer, wild boar, brown bear and roe deer is very high in this area. The tusker and bear trophies are especially valuable here.

Rusalka has one very luxurious hunting lodge with 3 apartments and 4 double rooms available. Each room has its own shower/WC. High-leveled service is provided.

SHERBA - red deer, wild boar, mouflon, predatory animals, winged game

Sherba (together with Palamara) is the first Bulgarian hunting area founded long ago in the year of 1932 by the Tsar of that time Boris II. The area was specially selected. The natural environment and the favourable weather conditions assure the richness of the game.

Sherba is situated in the northern slopes of the Eastern Balkan Mountain and is 40 km away from the airport Varna. It has an area of 13.500 ha. The terrain is low-mountainous, covered mainly with broad-leaved trees.

In Sherba the hunts for red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, mouflon, predatory animals (wildcat, jackal, fox) and small game (woodcock, pheasant) are very successful.

The region offers one of the most beautiful hunting lodges in Bulgaria. The building is large and impressive, has 3 apartments and 3 double rooms.

The cultural program here as well as the family vacation in combination with hunting could be very interesting.

TERVEL - red deer, roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer, predatory animals

The region, one of the oldest in Bulgaria, is a forest reserve since 1934 and covers a total area of 14 800 ha in Dobrudza-Plateau in Northeastern Bulgaria. The forests consist mainly of acacia and cerris oak. The agricultural fields with maize and other crops cover a high percentage of the land. The terrain is flat. The altitude is from 50 m to 300 m.

Although Tervel has became famous for its fallow buck hunt in the region are successfully hunted also red stag, mouflon buck and roe buck. The excellent abundance of food and the permanent preservation of the game ensure the high quality of the trophies in the area.

Between 1974 and 1990 the region was in its zenith. At that time 11% of the gold medal trophies were shot in Tervel.

Tervel offers 2 little hunting lodges, each lodge has 2 double rooms with shower/WC.

Tumrush - wild boar, mouflon ram, red deer, roe deer, capercaillie, brown bear, chamoise, wolf

The hunting area "Tumrush" is situated in the Middle Northern Rhodopes and covers a total area of 10.000 ha. The terrain is typical mountainous, rugged and uneven in some parts. The elevation above sea level starts from about 400 m and goes up to 2000 m. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory and 90% of them are coniferous forests. Red deer, wild boar, chamois, capercaillie, roe deer are successfully hunted in the region. The tusker trophies are especially valuable. Tumrush offers 1 hunting lodge with 5 double rooms and excellent service. Their own farm supplys the kitchen with fresh and ecological meat and vegetables.

VITINYA - red deer, wild boar, predatory animals, roe deer, winged game, fishing

In the past the region was a paradise for the hunters. Vitinya is situated northeast of Sofia in the Balkan Mountains and spreads over a total area of 15 000 ha. 30 min are needed to cover the 40 km distance from the airport to the hunting lodge. Woodlands cover 95% of the whole territory. The mixed deciduous forests (oak and beech) predominate. The terrain is rolling-to-mountainous.

The region was popular with the red deer, wild boar and roe deer game stock. And now it is rich only in wild boar game. The region arranges one of the best driven hunts here in Bulgaria. But the fact that excellent pheasant hunts are organized here is not so well-known. The best hunting season is from the end of September to the end of February. Groups of 2 to 6 hunters stalk with dogs.

The hunting lodge offers much comfort. 6 double rooms with shower/WC are available.

VITOSHKO - red deer, wild boar, roe deer, brown bear, mouflon ram, fallow deer, wolf

The Vitoshko region, with a total area of 19 850 ha lies in the Vitosha Mountain southwest of Sofia. 45 min are needed to cover the distance between the airport and the hunting lodge. Forests cover 12 595 ha. The deciduous trees are predominant. The agricultural fields cover a high percentage of the land as well. The terrain is mountainous. The average elevation above sea level is 1 350 m.

Vitoshko was the favourite hunting ground of the ex party leader Todor Zhivkov. The biotope is ideal for the diversity and growth of the game species. Red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, mouflon, brown bear, roe deer and predatory animals (wild cat, jackal, fox) are hunted successfully in the region. But we want to draw your attention to the roe buck and tusker hunt.

The hunting lodge is very large and luxurious and offers superb service and catering. The Todor Zhivkov's apartment is already renovated and can accommodate any guest.

VODEN- red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, wisent, roe deer

Voden, the best Bulgarian hunting area is a source of game stock in our country. It has its own price list that can be found in "Offers" under the name of "Arrangement Voden".

The region has the surface of 15 000 ha. From it 14 000 ha are deciduous forests (mainly oak and beech) and 1 000 are agricultural fields. The terrain is flat-to-rolling with an average elevation above sea level 350 m.

The great number of big game on such small territory is based on the abundance of food.

Red and fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar, bison and also predatory animals (fox, jackal and wildcat) are widely distributed here. The best fallow buck trophies are shot in Voden. It is quite realistic to expect trophies of 4.5 to 5 kg. Voden is also the only hunting ground where European bison can be hunted.

Very successful are the selective hunts for red deer (stags, hinds, fawns).

Voden has 4 hunting lodges available: the first lodge is very large and is often used for conferences and seminars. The other three hunting lodges are very luxurious and roomy. That just must be seen. The service and catering in all lodges are superb