Peter Lewis Horn - Hunting Across the Danube: Through Fields, Forests, and Mountains of Hungary and Romania

Advance Praise

Peters words ring true to the spirit of Romania and Hungary. Having spent almost thirty years living each hunting season from the Puszta to the Carpathians is quite evident in this authoritative work.

Cavaliere Ugo Gussalli Beretta, president of Beretta

Of all the great game lands across the planet from Alaska to Africa, none offer the pageantry and history of that found in Hungary. And no one knows more about this country's unforgettable stalking and shooting than Peter Horn. For him, hunting is an immersion into culture that binds sportsmen around the world even if they do not share a language. He is, quite simply, the American hunting ambassador to one of Europes most spectacular sporting destinations.

Chris Dorsey, president of Orion Entertainment

Peter Horn has the soul of a hunter and the heart of a lion. On my over twenty safaris to Africa, I always preferred to go one-on-one, unless I was hunting with Peter. He is one of the most traveled and knowledgeable biggame hunters extant.

Alex Brant, founding president of the tristate chapter of Safari Club International, author of The Complete Guide to Wing Shooting

There is not a better outdoor experience than with the hunt master himself. His incredible eastern European adventures offer the finest in nature, wildlife, accommodations, cuisine, and camaraderie. Turn back the clock and experience grand hunts of the past in this unspoiled part of the world.

Joseph P. Clayton, president and CEO of DISH Network

One of the pioneers of the post-Ceauescu hunting era.

Petre Grgrea, head of the Romanian hunting department

Peters knowledge of European hunting traditions and his love of the hunt make a trip magical, which is evident in this book.

Brenda Potterfield, co-owner of MidwayUSA

There is no one who knows so well the Hungarian hunting regions and games as Peter Horn. It was no accident that he has received the Hubertus Cross and the Pro-Turismo Awards. Peter's book provides a great experience for all of us. He takes us on a journey around the Carpathian Basin's enchanting landscapes and wonderful hunting challenges. I am convinced that his readers are not only going to have a lot of fun but sooner or later will visit Hungary as well."

Dr. Zoltn Budai, director of the Hungarian National Tourist Office in New York

Some people are excellent hunters. Some writers can capture the passion of the hunt. Rare is the person who can do both. Peter Horn is one of those rare people. The hunter that finds joy in the literature of the hunt will be richly rewarded by savoring the pages of Mr. Horn's latest contribution to this inspiring genre.

Michael G. Sabbeth, ethics lawyer and author of The Good, The Bad & The Difference

Copyright 2014 by Peter Lewis Horn II

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Jane Sheppard

Cover photo credit Toni Trk

Print ISBN: 978-1-62914-187-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62914-321-7

Printed in China

THE PHILOSOPHY OF
HUNTING ACROSS THE DANUBE

This is the first book written in English about two of Eastern Europes premier hunting destinations. The book is animated by my desire to share this little-known sporting paradise with educated hunters. The chapters detail game I have hunted over the past three decades, including stag, boar, roebuck, bear, wolf, chamois, capercaillie, pheasant, mouflon, and duck, in areas that regularly produce world-class trophies yet remain unknown amongst the most experienced hunters. The hunting culture and traditions of Romania and Hungary, which figured so prominently in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, profoundly influenced the development of European and international hunting. By sharing the latest facts about the finest hunting areas, seasons, firearms, and equipment, I hope to awaken an appreciation for all the best that Hungary and Romania offer sportsmen.

The water is not only for sheep.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Lewis Horn II is an international hunter, outdoorsman, and conservationist. Since 1991, he has been the senior partner in Pannonvad, a Budapest company that organizes and leads hunting trips across Hungary and Romania. Mr. Horn has hunted extensively in Hungary since 1985 and in Romania from the moment the country was reopened to sportsmen in 1990. In the same year, Mr. Horn was the first American sportsman invited by the national government to hunt Romanias famed Timisoara region after Nicolae Ceauescus reign of terror ended. Mr. Horn formerly worked as professional hunter in Africa and served as the President of Safari Club International Conservation Fund (SCICF). He is the Vice President of Beretta USAs Retail Division, General Manager of Beretta Gallery Expeditions, and the author of many articles and book chapters on hunting throughout the world. Mr. Horn is a member of the International Order of St. Hubertus, the Order of St. Hubertus of Hungary, a Fellow of the Explorers Club, and in November of 2013 received the Pro Turismo Award from the Minister of Economic Affairs in the Hungarian Parliament for his twenty-five years of bringing hunters to Hungary and promoting its tourism.

Waiting for our last pheasant.

Table of Contents

Hunting is often a solitary profession. There are lodges, the fellowship of the hunt, and the camaraderie of time well spent in the field, but hunting is ultimately about an individual, nature, and that moment of truth when the trigger breaks the silence. We hunters love to be amongst the wild things, but we live with people who know that hunting season often means long absences unless one is as fortunate as I am to be married to someone who shares the passion. My wife, Debbie, has supported my obsession for hunting and been my partner on adventures from the far corners of the Sudan to the cozy fields of Hungary. She is an integral part of the foundation of this book. She edited each and every page, and this work is as much hers as mine.

My mom, Mickey, always understood my need to wander among wild things. I am most thankful for that.

Toni Trk, my partner in Pannonvad, helped ignite my love affair with Eastern Europe that is now in its third decade. Without Tonis expertise, this book and so much else would never have been possible.

Cavaliere Ugo Gussalli Beretta gave me the tools to develop American hunting in Hungary and Romania. Thank you, my boss and my friend, from the bottom of my heart.