Russia is going into the last days of football fever. But this place has another fascinating sport, only for the upper class in the winter: Hunting.
Aristocratic sport
First, it must be confirmed that hunting is legal in Russia, provided that a license is granted and only certain species are hunted, at certain times of the year. On the journey of traveling in the vast territory of Russia, the Football correspondent has learned a lot of stories about hunting pleasure of the giants in the winter.
The World Cup took place in the summer, so I could not have had the opportunity to follow the hunting expedition into the thick forests of Russia to experience this noble sport. Hunting activities only take place in the winter or spring because this is not the breeding season, and when there is snow, it is easier to follow the animal’s footprint.
In Russia, hunting is only for the elite. License to hunt about 3,000 USD in the area near Moscow (but only small deer, squirrels, rabbits or porcupines). If hunting elk, hunting costs range from $ 1,500-8,000 for hunting, depending on the duration of the trip (3-12 days). Bear hunting is even more expensive, costing up to $ 15,000.
In addition, hunters must “foster” the guide about 500-700 USD / hunting session. The chaperone is responsible for rearing and training hounds to wait for the hunting season, and to guide the hunters in the forest on the way back, which species and which species (some species are numbered) can hunt.
In addition, this sport requires good health to cope with the cold weather, as well as ensure movement in dense snow conditions. Not many people satisfy these two most important conditions (health and economy) to pursue hunting.
In addition to serving the Russians, the Russian government also opened its doors to foreigners to experience hunting here. Of course, the regulation of bringing weapons into Russian territory is strictly controlled.
Diverse fauna system
Russia is the country with the largest territorial area in the world, experiencing 2 continents of Asia – Europe with many wild areas, so the animal system in Russia is very diverse. Depending on the time, hunters may be allowed to hunt many different species such as elk, muntjac, squirrel, rabbit, otter, porcupine, wild boar …
The animals mentioned above are in the main “menu” of hunting athletes, but they live in areas far away from each other. So every ticket to hunt in a forest can only hunt certain animals. For example, beavers are abundant in areas near the border of Belarus – Ukraine, bears are concentrated in Siberia …
For hunters, their unit of measurement is the animals that were shot down and their masses. For example, at the end of 2015, hunter Peter Maximov became famous for shooting down a boar weighing up to 535kg, shoulder height up to 1.70m in the Ural Mountains. It should be noted that in Eastern Europe, the average index of adult boars is only 300-350kg weight and 1.20m shoulder height. Maximov had to mobilize trucks to pull the spoils.