Fall is a spectacular time to hunt, with each area offering unique views and benefits. It is also a great time to travel, with the mild weather, spectacular scenery, and an abundance of wildlife offering a great chance to make some unforgettable memories. To entice you to explore some of Europe’s most beautiful locations this year, we asked our brand ambassadors to tell us more about October in their countries and why it’s a great time to visit. Here is what Riccardo Tamburini from Italy, Mark Lewis from Wales, Jón Rúnar Guðjónsson from Denmark, Julia Nowak from Poland, and Alexandre Miliàn from France told us.
Interview
Why do you think your hunting area is exceptional this time of year?
Riccardo: Because we, Italy, are the EU country with the biggest biodiversity. This means that you can spend beautiful days hunting chamois in the Alps. At the same time, you can go hunting pheasants, rabbits, or partridge with pointing dogs in the country. The temperature and the weather are always the best to spend hours or days outdoors, and the beginning of autumn is magic because many animals are involved in the rut offering an incredible experience not only to hunters but to all nature lovers.
Jón Rúnar: October offers a lot of hunting in Denmark. The normal deer season starts with all ages, sexes and sizes allowed to hunt. As the leaves of the trees change color from green to yellow and red, the end of October in my area means that the fallow deer usually are back in the part of the forest I have license to hunt in. That means some good hours finding the right animal to harvest. We have a few ponds on my Danish hunting grounds, so we can hunt deer during the day and ducks in the last hour of daylight, which is a very nice way to end a day. If it’s raining hard, the deer usually stay deep in the forest and don’t move that much, but then the ducks also fly lower and are easier to shoot. So no matter the weather, there usually is some activity.
This year, I will go on a rather special hunt for the first time. I took over a “problem” dog. The dog was obtained during COVID-19 by someone who could not manage him, and he, therefore, has learned some negative behavior. He is a very active dog of the Small Münsterländer breed, and I was allowed to hunt with him in my area. A small hunt, with me and him and maybe one or two shooters. It will be interesting to see how he will act during that hunt and if we catch a pheasant or woodcock. It is very important that the hunt is made for him. He will not be pressured or demanded to make no mistakes. We will build on our relationship and see if he has what it takes to build on to make him a working hunting dog. He has a great nose, and his hunting instinct is strong, but … his hearing of my commands is still a little lacking.
Alexandre: In October, many migratory birds are already on their way to warmer locations and stop in the South of France. This is the perfect time to observe them and hunt.
In my area, there are many fields of corn, and the wood pigeons stop by the thousands in the fields to eat before going further south for the more motivated or to stay here all winter. Naturally, many hunters in my region only hunt wood pigeons during this period – it really is the most hunted game in October.
Mark: October is a great month for hunting here, deep in the heart of Wales. Not only for its abundance of animals but October, along with camo, is my favorite color. The area that I hunt in is alive with activity this time of year. The nights start to draw in, the temperature begins to drop, food starts to become scarce as the arable fields have all been harvested and the grass silaged, and everything else is starting to die off, but the countryside is alive, with its foxes and fallow deer population looking for love and food to pack on essential weight to take them through the winter months ahead.
Julia: I think the fact that there are quite many broad-leaved trees in my hunting grounds makes it very special this time of the year because the leaves are changing colors and forests look magical. If you add a little bit of morning frost and sunrise to this, there is no better place than my hunting grounds in northern Poland to be in October.
We have a few ponds on my Danish hunting grounds, so we can hunt deer during the day and ducks in the last hour of daylight, which is a very nice way to end a day.
Jón Rúnar Guðjónsson
What animals are the most popular to hunt?
Mark: Hunting foxes this time of year is more of a challenge and suits the purest hunter as this year’s fox cubs are now almost three-quarters grown, making them a much worthy adversary. They have established their own territories and will soon be looking for a mate. So tactics and the calls to be used will be slightly different!
The fallow deer will also be out looking to pack on food to take them through the upcoming rut and into the winter months. As the woods become alive with the grunting of big bucks looking to draw in a mate to their rutting stands, this is the ideal time and the only time that you can call in bucks, and it is a spectacular sight to see.
Julia: Autumn is actually the “hot season” because you are allowed to hunt for many species, both small and big game, and in October, you can hunt both individually or do driven hunts in groups.
Alexandre: Wood pigeon hunting is a real religion in the Landes. It is even said that in my region, the month of October is the month with the most divorces because all the hunters are constantly hunting and rarely come home to see their wives (laughs).
Riccardo: You can choose what you prefer: from ducks to pheasants, from big mammals like red deer, boars, chamois or fallow deer to the small game like wood pigeons or other migratory bird species. It depends only on what you prefer to do.
Jón Rúnar: This year, as all other previous years, I hope to get a duck. The first duck I shoot every season is the one that makes a part of my Christmas dinner. Though last year, I didn’t get any. Besides a duck, I will hunt for roe deer and fallow deer in Denmark.
This year for me, there will be a mixture of hunting in Sweden and Denmark. I have a driven hunt in Sweden, and some easy-going hunts on the Swedish hunting grounds planned this fall. This year, I have got access to a new area, where I am looking forward to learning to get to know the area and the other hunters using the grounds. We will hunt for moose, fallow, red, roe deer, and wild boar on those grounds.
Every hunter has its own prey, or game if you will. We all have different access to hunting grounds with different species. Some hunters go for the good company of other hunters on pheasant or duck hunts. Others go for solitary stalking or high seat for the good meat of deer. It is hard to say what is the most popular game in Denmark. For some, it is woodcock, others – roe deer or a good stag. Every year in Denmark, hunters harvest about 2 million wild game: about 100.000 deer, and the rest is birds and small game.
Riccardo Tamburini
I prefer to use high-end devices, like the Merger LRF XP50 or Helion 2 XP50 PRO, which are the best in the wide Pulsar offer. Also, Axion 2 XG35 LRF is a good option due to its pocket size and the option to measure distance with its precise rangefinder.
Interview
What Pulsar devices would you recommend bringing for this time of year?
Julia: It is a great time to hunt wild boars in the forest, as many delicious nuts, like acorns or beechnuts, are available and wild boars really like to eat them! But as time with daylight is getting shorter and shorter, I think it is good to have Digex C50 with you and, for example, Merger LRF XP50.
Jón Rúnar: We aren’t allowed to use them in Denmark, but in Sweden, it is allowed on wild boar. So I will bring different thermal devices and night vision devices on those hunts. As the leaves fall off the trees, you can see further in the forest, and a spotting thermal scope with good low NETD is better on longer distances for recognition. Therefore, the Helion 2 XP50 PRO with its 640 chip and 25 mK or the new Axion 2 XG with 640 chip and 40 mK will be my first choices for spotting boar in the forest. The exact device depends on the terrain, day and type of hunt I will be going on.
For sighting scopes, I will be using Thermion 2 XP50 LRF PRO for the open areas and probably the Digex C50 or Forward F455S while in a high seat. If I am lucky, I will get my hands on the new Talion XG35 to try that one out. That one I have been waiting for.
Alexandre: My favorite Pulsar device for hunting this time of the year is the Axion 2 LRF XQ35 for the image quality, lightweight and the opportunity to observe both night and day.
I also use the Krypton XG50, which is a little heavier but also has exceptional image quality.
Riccardo: During this season, hunters are often involved in census activity. Between September and October, we have the red stag rut season, and in October, we have the fallow rut season. When we are out to hear big males roaring, we also have to count the other animals we see in the field. And we should be as precise as possible. Some years ago, it was impossible to see a big animal in the dark at twilight or during the night. Now, thanks to thermal devices or 2nd generation of NV units, we can easily understand the sex and age class of mammals quite far from us. A precise and realistic counting allows our Wildlife Dept. to prepare real and objective plans for the following hunting season, so the chance to have a clear and perfect image is very important. This is why I prefer to use high-end devices, like the Merger LRF XP50 or Helion 2 XP50 PRO, which are the best in the wide Pulsar offer. Also, Axion 2 XG35 LRF is a good option due to its pocket size and the option to measure distance with its precise rangefinder. Then, the new Digex C50 is probably the best quality/cost ratio unit for short-mid observation.
Mark: When I go nighttime foxing, I never leave home without a fox caller, shooting sticks, my trusty Tikka T3 .223 fitted with the new Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XP50 PRO and the Axion 2 LRF XQ35 spotter. They both really are game changers and increase my nights out in the field, being able to work in fog and rain, allowing me to account for so many more problem foxes getting the job done quickly and humanely, whilst saving livestock and helping the farming community.
Early morning and daytime foxing is also very productive this time of year and a great way to account for lamp-shy and the elusive switched-on nighttime foxes. For this method, again, I use the compact and very lightweight Axion 2 LRF XQ35 spotter to observe them coming into the caller just before or after the first light, and they are accounted for with either my semi-auto shotgun or rifle.
For the fallow deer, I normally sit out overlooking a big patch of forestry and wait until I hear the forest come alive just before dark with various bucks calling. Now is the time to start calling yourself, but you must keep an eye on the dense forest. This is when a good thermal spotter like the Axion 2 LRF XQ35 comes into its own – these bucks appear very fast! So the sooner you get a heads-up and know that they are there, the better. When they eventually break the cover of the forest, you need to be ready as the action is fast and furious.
I never leave home without a fox caller, shooting sticks, my trusty Tikka T3 .223 fitted with the new Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XP50 PRO and the Axion 2 LRF XQ35 spotter. They both really are game changers and increase my nights out in the field, being able to work in fog and rain.
Mark Lewis
Interview
What are some other reasons why hunters should come hunting in your country/area at this time of the year?
Mark: Wales this time of year is at its best with its crisp, clean, fresh air, glorious scenery, mountains, rolling hills, waterfalls, forests and woodlands of changing colors. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets are a sight to behold as well as the autumn salmon run, the flights of wildfowl, high-soaring unshootable pheasants, flighty deer and challenging foxes make for any hunters dream that, accompanied with the correct gear, can only bring success.
Riccardo: Italy offers an incredible variety of scenarios. October is my favorite month to go hunting due to the incredible colors of the timbers; I probably spend more hunting days in the summer than in the autumn, but my eyes are more pleased in autumn. Mario Rigoni Stern, a famous Italian hunter who was also a writer, wrote that “Praying is staying silently in the woods”. During October, this it’s easier than in the other months.
Julia: Autumn and winter are the time of driven hunts for big game species, and I think for many hunters, including those from abroad, it is a very attractive way of hunting.
October is also the time of fallow deer mating season, so it is a great opportunity to listen to specific sounds that the stags make during this time, and it is also a very special time for observing and hunting fallow deer.
In general, I think Poland is very beautiful and with a lot of nature, so October, the middle of autumn, is a perfect moment to visit my country. I have mentioned my region in the north above, but I highly recommend visiting some of the mountain areas, too. Of course, hunting there is more challenging – you need to hike with all the hunting gear – but believe me, the views are worth it, especially when all the trees look so colorful right now.
Jón Rúnar: Hunting in Denmark during October is always a pleasure. There are many traditions during Danish hunts and a lot of beautiful places to visit. Many of the traditions remain of the times when only the king and the nobles could hunt. But nowadays, everyone can take part. You can buy a stay at a castle with a traditional hunt as part of your stay. Many of the old castles have been changed into hotels with great restaurants and golf courses, and other leisure activities, and you can take part in hunts. This is often very booked during October, but possible. It’s best to be about one year or two in advance on these kinds of hunts.
Besides the hunts themselves, there is a big tradition for Danish chefs to use local ingredients for the wild game, and collecting good mushrooms is a part of this. The forest floor is usually filled with good mushrooms in September and the beginning of October. October marks the beginning of driven hunts season, where the animals are usually set in motion by a dog handler. This is also a very interesting type of hunting, where the hunters’ shooting skills are set to the test.
Julia Nowak
Autumn and winter are the time of driven hunts for big game species, and I think for many hunters, including those from abroad, it is a very attractive way of hunting.
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.