# Grafenwoehr, Germany Red Stag (Rothirsch)



## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

This might bring back some memories for some of you who either trained or were stationed at Grafenwoehr, Germany. Last Fall I hunted a couple days at Grafenwoehr, Germany, a 230 sq kilometer (~90 square miles) military training area. In fact, the largest for the U.S. outside the U.S. There is no farming, no pesticides, just woods and fields, and of course ranges and impact areas for training warfighters.

I did not have to do much to prepare, just switched a scope, sighted in, and loaded up some ammo.

Rifle: R93, 300 Win Mag w/Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 Ill Dot.
Ammo: H4831SC pushing 200gr Swift A Frame
Bino: Leica 10x42 Geovid, with built in Rangefinder

I stayed in a small village near the installation, cozy and the Schnitzel was good!









The area is rolling hills, with fields and woodlots dispersed throughout.









The weather was great, frosty nights but clear and dry daytime, highs ~15 C or in the 60's. There are old tanks scattered around and in the impact area quite a few rockets, mortors, etc. I hunted the NW area, between Ranges 301 and 305 if anyone has done their time there!

















Grafenwoehr is mainly only hunted for a couple months in the Fall, and the animals grow up there, so the distant military shooting did not hinder them and they were about in the daylight. Here's a fox just 50 meters from the High Seat. We had good wind so he had no idea he was being observed.









Graf has a very large population of Red Deer, all sizes! Here's a good Hirsch, but too young. In a couple more years he will be a Capitaler! Did not see any lesser Stags the first Day within range.









In Europe, the larger the trophy the more the cost rises. I was not hunting for an old one, but rather the younger ones that did not show great potential. I was successful in shooting this younger 8 point, or Class B Hirsch, dressed 90 kilogram. High shoulder shot at a very reasonable 135 meters, dropped on the spot. I never say any shot is easy, but I was actually prepared and am comfortable to take a 300 meter shot because a lot of them were a ways out there!









I think I forgot to mention that there are a LOT of Red Deer on Graf  They were still grouped up for the tail end of the Brunft, or Rut, but will disperse into smaller groups soon. A couple good Stags put on quite a show for me. I enjoyed the hunt, it was quite intersesting. When we dressed and hung this Stag I met the old Berufsjaeger I hunted Graf back in 1995 with, brought back sweet memories of another nice Autumn hunt there, Waidmannsheil, Dom.


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

Very cool!


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

What month was you there? Very good pictures.


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

The above hunt was October 2010.

Gonna have to get back out there more often, the below pic is when I hunted Graf 15 years earlier.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

My wife and I are going to Germany in Sept to the area where I was stationed back in 1970-71-72 and will be traveling all over. When I was there I used to see the stags once and a while and always would have liked to hunt them. I was in the Kaiserslautern area.


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

That would be a great hunt. Thanks for sharing .


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## Aaron Ploss (May 5, 2004)

I was there a few times and seen some monster looking through the sight of a M1A1. LOL wish icould have hunted the. How can you hunt them now?


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

Aaron, you could always hunt Germany if you completed the Hunting Course and got a License. One license good for all of Germany and you can hunt 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, good for all game hunted during their season. Here's a couple soldiers from 4th ID, early 1945! But I don't think they bothered to get a license


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## Bearblade (Dec 30, 2005)

Thanks for sharing the pics! Are there many other hunters out and about in that area? Are you in Germany for business or pleasure when you hunt? Thanks again..


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

Bearblade said:


> Thanks for sharing the pics! Are there many other hunters out and about in that area? Are you in Germany for business or pleasure when you hunt? Thanks again..


I guess you'd call it business and pleasure  US Army type so I live and work here. There are quite a number of American hunters over here that are either in the Army or work for the Army, if they have NATO SOFA agreement they can take the US Forces Hunting Course and then get a hunting license. Since this hunt was on Federal German Land but a US Army Training area, US Forces hunters don't have a problem in hunting on Graf.


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## Peter the Great (Feb 8, 2008)

Thanx for the memories,was in Grafenwoehr,was in the German Army for 8 years .and went there alot.moved 2 Michigan 14 years ago .i love michigan.my friends call me the German Red Neck ,dont know wy


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

Hallo Peter der Grosse :lol: Or do you go by Bubba . . . we had a Jaeger from Freistadt Bayern and we called him Bubba.

Just don't be getting ready to do something and say to your Buds, "Watch this" :tdo12:


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## HSV1936 (Jan 18, 2007)

I don't want to be a smart *** but Peter der Grosse was Russian and it's Freistaat Bayern, it's a state not a city. Sorry, couldn't resist.:sad:

Dom, how did you manage to hunt in Germany? I assume you did not go thru the $4,000 Jaegerpruefung (hunter's certification) and how did you get permission to hunt the area? Don't you have to be invited? Or is it considered US territory?


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

HSV1936 said:


> Dom, how did you manage to hunt in Germany? I assume you did not go thru the $4,000 Jaegerpruefung (hunter's certification) and how did you get permission to hunt the area? Don't you have to be invited? Or is it considered US territory?


HSV, my mistook, you are correct Staat is State  Since Peter is German was just ribbing him on the Great part.

Anyway, US Forces hold Hunting Courses for members to get licenses, so it is mucho cheaper. Graf is not US Territory but US have been hunting Graf probably since 1945 or shortly after


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