Hunting in Croatia: More Than A Thousand Hunting Grounds

Hunters from all over the Europe enjoy the most beautiful environment, excellent gastronomy and rich cultural heritage of Croatia. Croatian hunting grounds represent unique natural habitat that has great variety of nature phenomena on a relatively small area. Attractive hunting spots, longstanding tradition and diverse wildlife are all tied up in a wonderful bond of the Mediterranean, the Alps and the Pannonia. There are numerous undisturbed natural oasis where all three of great European predators abide: bear, wolf and lynx.

In 1881, the Government of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia decided to confirm so called “Hunting Rules” developed by “Society for defense of hunting in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia” and already in 1882 the society published “The First Common Croatian Hunting and Fishing Cultivation Society Courier ”. Even before these decisions and actions the well-organized hunting already existed, which was mainly due to people from the existing social elite, who have contributed to the common understanding of overall hunting development in Croatia.

Today, there are 1060 hunting grounds of which 30% belongs to the state and the rest to the counties. In the eastern lowland Croatian regions, Slavonia and Baranja, it is possible to hunt deer, roebuck, wild boar, and the small, hairy and feathery fowl. In central Croatia it is also possible to hunt all the wildlife above, while in the area of Lika and Gorski Kotar it is possible to hunt bear and grouse. On the coast of Dalmatia, the special attraction is hunting chamois and mouflon, and the specific types of small birds that inhabit high altitudes like the rock partridge and grouse.

The biggest hunting grounds are in Koprivnicko-Krizevacka County with more than 45 000 000 hectares of ground and the island of Brač with just a little over 35 000 000 hectares. Biokovo is also a hunting ground worth visiting. Osijek, Vukovar, Split and Zagreb county are the leading ones in the number of hunting grounds.

Foreign hunters have recognized local prey pursed areas and just in 2010, 6500 permits have been allowed.