Czech Republic's hunting grounds attract foreign visitors
The hunting season in the Czech Republic is in full swing. On Tuesday, the small game shooting season opened, allowing licensed hunters to shoot hare, rabbit, duck and pheasant. Each year the autumn season attracts lots of hunters from abroad and it's not only the favourable exchange rate that inspires them to come.
"The Czech tradition of game management appeals to foreign hunters. They admire the rituals accompanying the hunt. They are also attracted by the fact that compared to other European countries game is still plentiful here. This year we hosted a falconers' conference and the participants were amazed at the numbers of animals in our hunting grounds. But of course, they used to be more numerous in the past."
"It's not common in all European countries for hunting to involve sustainable landscape management, benefiting all species. Our members feed the game all year round, plant spinneys and create favourable conditions for the animals. These efforts help keep the numbers of animals up. In some countries it is just a sport. They don't have the term 'myslivost' or 'thoughtful management'. 'Myslivost' isn't hunting."
The popular nature of hunting in the Czech Republic does not deter the bluebloods of Europe from using its hunting grounds, most recently the kings of Sweden and Spain. Before he became president, George W. Bush shot a moufflon in the Czech Republic. As Ludek Kralicek of the Czech Hunters' Union says, they travel incognito - and not just for security reasons.
