Shunneson says hunts at these prices are available in Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. You'll note these are all former Soviet Block countries, and Shun- neson says that has much to do with the cost and quality of the hunts available there. He says that because the Soviets allowed only high level officials to hunt, game populations in those hunt areas thrived and good accommodations were maintained. When the Iron Curtain fell, wildlife managers and others saw the potential for income from hunting, but in order to be competitive and attract international hunters, they have kept prices low.
Enamored with the hunting traditions of Eastern Europe, and looking for a bargain himself, Shunneson began exploring different destinations and has come up with a potpourri of places to hunt roe deer, moose, red stag and wild boar. The best place in Europe to hunt moose, he says, is in Estonia, where the hunts are spot-and-stalk affairs, as opposed the dog hunts typically found in Scandinavian countries. Moose in Europe, called elk there, do not have the great palmations of North American moose, but have long tines more like our elk.
Shunneson says a good moose in Estonia measures 38 to 42 inches and has three to four points per side, although a client of his took one with a 44-inch spread and triple brow tines with six and eight points and great palmation for a European moose. He says it was the largest he has ever seen there, and the trophy fee was........(continued)
