Hunting in Russia - All
Hunting Deer by Calling — A Tactical and Seasonal Art Now in Full Swing Across Russia
Calling deer — or “hunting by lure” — is a highly skilled and strategic method in which the hunter mimics the vocalizations of either a rival male (buck) or a receptive female (doe) to provoke a response from a wild deer. This technique is especially effective during the rut — the annual mating season — when bucks are driven by hormones, territorial instincts, and competition to seek out rivals or mates. A well-executed call can trigger curiosity, aggression, or desire in a stag, drawing it within range of the hunter’s position. Hunters use specialized tools such as grunt tubes, bleat calls, or even handmade wooden or plastic callers to replicate the nuanced sounds of deer — from deep, guttural challenge grunts to soft, alluring doe bleats.
This method requires not only technical skill in sound imitation but also deep knowledge of deer behavior, wind direction, terrain, and patience. A single misplaced step or poorly timed call can alert the animal and ruin the entire setup. Success often depends on the hunter’s ability to read the landscape and anticipate deer movement — turning the hunt into a psychological game as much as a physical one.
Deer Calling in Russia: Tradition Meets Modern Tactics
In Russia, deer calling is a widely practiced and respected hunting technique, particularly for species such as the red deer (благородный олень), roe deer (косуля), and Siberian wapiti (марал). Across the vast expanses of Russia — from the forests of the Urals and Siberia to the woodlands of Central Russia and the Far East — hunters have long relied on calling as a core method during the rutting season.
The rut for most deer species in Russia typically begins in late September and peaks through October and early November, depending on the region and local climate. As autumn deepens and temperatures drop, stags become increasingly vocal and combative, making them more responsive to calls. In many regions — including Krasnoyarsk Krai, Altai, Tver, Yaroslavl, and the Republic of Buryatia — the official hunting season for deer via calling methods has already begun, with regional hunting authorities issuing permits and setting strict quotas to ensure sustainable populations.
Russian hunters often combine traditional knowledge — passed down through generations — with modern equipment. While some still use hand-carved wooden calls or simply their own voice to mimic deer sounds, others now employ electronic callers or high-fidelity mouth-blown devices imported from Europe or North America. However, regulations in many Russian regions prohibit the use of electronic callers to preserve the “fair chase” principle and prevent overharvesting.
Season Is Now Open — But Rules Apply
Across numerous federal subjects of Russia, the 2024 deer calling season is officially underway. Hunters must possess valid licenses, adhere to regional bag limits, and hunt only during designated hours and zones. Many regions require hunters to report their harvest within 24–48 hours and may restrict calling to certain dates within the broader hunting season to avoid disturbing deer outside peak rutting activity.
Local hunting societies and wildlife departments often organize guided calling hunts or educational seminars to teach newcomers the art of deer vocalization and ethical hunting practices. In recent years, there’s also been a growing emphasis on conservation — ensuring that while the thrill of calling a majestic stag out of the forest remains alive, it doesn’t come at the cost of ecological balance.
In Summary:
Deer calling is more than just a hunting tactic — it’s an immersive experience that connects the hunter with the rhythms of nature, the behavior of wild animals, and the ancient traditions of the chase. As the rut intensifies across Russia’s forests and fields, hunters are heading into the woods, calls in hand, ready to test their skill against some of the country’s most iconic game animals. Whether you’re a seasoned caller or a curious beginner, now is the time — but always remember: respect the animal, respect the law, and respect the wild.
The season has begun. The forest is listening.
Mikhail Sholokhov — the Nobel Prize-winning Russian author best known for his epic novel *And Quiet Flows the Don* — was not only a master storyteller but also an avid outdoorsman whose deep love for hunting and fishing profoundly shaped both his personal life and literary output. Born in 1905 in the Cossack region of the Don River, Sholokhov spent much of his life immersed in the natural landscapes of southern Russia, where the rhythms of rural life, the changing seasons, and the bounty of rivers and steppes became integral to his identity — and to his art.
Love for Hunting and Fishing
Sholokhov’s passion for hunting and fishing was rooted in his Cossack heritage and the environment of his youth. The Don River region, with its vast steppes, reed-fringed banks, and abundant wildlife, offered endless opportunities for outdoor pursuits. He hunted game birds — ducks, geese, pheasants — and larger animals like wild boar and deer. He fished for sturgeon, catfish, and pike in the Don and its tributaries, often spending entire days or nights on the water.
Friends and contemporaries described him as a skilled and patient hunter and fisherman — not one who hunted for trophies, but for the experience itself: the quiet before dawn, the camaraderie of fellow hunters, the smell of damp earth and gunpowder, the thrill of the chase or the tug on a line. He often invited fellow writers, editors, and even political figures to join him on hunting or fishing trips — these excursions became legendary, blending leisure with intense conversation and, at times, political maneuvering.
Sholokhov himself wrote about these passions with vividness and affection. In his letters and memoirs, he frequently recounted hunting adventures — the mishaps, the triumphs, the beauty of nature at twilight. He once wrote: *“To me, hunting is not just a pastime — it is a return to the roots, to the land that gave birth to my characters, to the spirit of the Cossacks.”*
Influence on His Literature
Sholokhov’s love for the outdoors didn’t just serve as recreation — it seeped into the very fabric of his literary world. His descriptions of nature in *And Quiet Flows the Don* and *Virgin Soil Upturned* are not mere backdrops; they are living, breathing entities that mirror the emotional and historical currents of his characters’ lives.
1. Authenticity of Setting
His firsthand experience with the rhythms of hunting and fishing seasons, the behavior of animals, the moods of rivers and weather — all lent his writing an unparalleled authenticity. When Grigory Melekhov stalks ducks at dawn or rows across the Don under moonlight, readers sense the author’s own pulse in those moments. Sholokhov didn’t imagine nature — he lived it.
2. Symbolism and Metaphor
Hunting and fishing scenes often carry symbolic weight in his novels. The hunt can represent the chaos of war, the fragility of life, or the primal instincts that drive human behavior. Fishing scenes — quiet, contemplative — often accompany moments of introspection or transition for his characters. Nature becomes a moral compass, a silent witness to human folly and nobility.
3. Character Development
Many of Sholokhov’s Cossack characters are hunters and fishermen by tradition. Their relationship with the land and animals reveals their values: respect for nature, self-reliance, courage, and sometimes brutality. Sholokhov understood that to write truthfully about Cossacks, he had to write truthfully about how they lived — and hunting and fishing were inseparable from that life.
4. Philosophical Reflections
In later works and essays, Sholokhov reflected on the ethics of hunting — the balance between man and nature, the responsibility of the hunter, the sacredness of life even in taking it. These themes echo through his fiction, where characters often grapple with moral choices in violent times — war, revolution, collectivization — paralleling the hunter’s moment of decision before the trigger is pulled.
Sholokhov Legacy
Even in his later years, as his fame grew and political pressures mounted (especially during the Soviet era), Sholokhov retreated to the countryside to hunt and fish — it was his sanctuary. His home in Vyoshenskaya, on the banks of the Don, became a kind of literary and natural preserve, where he entertained guests, wrote, and pursued his passions.
Critics and biographers agree: Sholokhov’s literature is inseparable from the land he loved. His hunting and fishing weren’t hobbies tacked onto a writing career — they were foundational to his worldview and artistic vision. As he once said: *“I write about the Don because I know its waters, its winds, its birds — because I’ve tracked game through its thickets and felt the bite of its winter frost. Without that, my stories would be hollow.”*
In the end, Mikhail Sholokhov’s love for hunting and fishing wasn’t just personal indulgence — it was the wellspring of his genius, grounding his epic tales in the tangible, sensory reality of the natural world, and giving his characters a soil to stand on, a sky to look up to, and a river to cross — again and again.
Quiet hunting in Russian Empire
In Russia, mushrooming is affectionately known as "тихая охота," or "quiet hunting"—a poetic term that reflects the serene, contemplative nature of the activity. Unlike conventional hunting, this pursuit involves no weapons or loud noises, only the soft rustle of leaves underfoot and the quiet excitement of discovering hidden treasures in the forest. Armed with a wicker basket and a keen eye, mushroom foragers venture into the woods during the damp, cool days of late summer and early autumn, when the mycelium thrives beneath the trees.
Quiet hunting has long held a special place in Russian culture, deeply rooted in both rural tradition and urban leisure. It is more than just a way to gather food—it's a cherished ritual that connects people with nature, family, and generations of folklore. Knowledge of edible mushrooms, passed down from grandparents to grandchildren, is considered a vital part of Russian heritage. The forest is seen not as a wild, untamed place, but as a generous provider, offering mushrooms, berries, and herbs to those who know how to respectfully harvest them.
This tradition was not limited to peasants or common folk; it also found favor among the Russian elite. Even members of the imperial family participated in quiet hunting as a form of recreation and communion with nature. A notable photograph from 1913 shows the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II—Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanov—engaged in a mushroom-picking excursion. Dressed in simple, practical clothing and wearing simple hats, the young grand duchesses can be seen bending over mossy logs and forest undergrowth, carefully selecting mushrooms and placing them in their baskets. The image captures a rare moment of informality and familial warmth within the otherwise formal and secluded life of the Romanovs.
The photograph, taken at the imperial family’s estate at Tsarskoye Selo, reflects the broader cultural significance of quiet hunting in pre-revolutionary Russia. It illustrates how this humble activity transcended social class, uniting peasants and aristocrats alike in a shared seasonal ritual. Even today, quiet hunting remains a widespread pastime across Russia and other Slavic countries, with families and friends spending weekends in the forest, continuing a tradition that blends sustenance, spirituality, and deep respect for the natural world.
