Czech-Moravian Hunting Union celebrating 100 years

Exactly 100 years ago, on 22 April, a hunting union was established in Brno, at that time under the name Czechoslovakian Hunting Union. More than 140 major trophies from 1923 onwards, and thirty-five of historically strongest trophies from Slovakia will be on display at the exhibition. These are unique trophies that will probably not be seen soon anywhere else. On Saturday, a gala evening and a hunters' ball will be held, and the European Deer Calling Championship will also take place.

Are you wondering how the European Deer Calling Championship is judged? Andrea Güttlerová, marketing specialist of the Czech-Moravian Hunting Union and, of course, a woman who is completely absorbed by hunting, answered this question for us. "A judge comes from each country participating in the championship. In Brno this will mean twelve countries, including the Czech Republic. In preparation, they will draw lots for the various disciplines, which mimic the entire deer rut. The judges do not see the competitors personally during the championship, they are "closed" in booths." We can only add that the Czech Republic's representative, Jan Brtník, already several times European Champion, is also a favourite to win.

The trophy show will be an integral part of the hunting exhibition in Hall G1, and there is much to look forward to. You will see over 120 trophies, including a trophy dating to 1730. It is not easy to get as many trophies as that, however, and the reknowned expert Martin Vacha, has helped a lot. "There are trophies not only from hunters but also from museum collections," says Jiří Janota, chair of the Czech-Moravian Hunting Union, adding: "It's all about the friendliness of the people, but you will find the most important things in Brno. From Slovakia, they will bring national records of deer, mouflon and chamois from Slovakia. The Czech Republic will not only boast its national records, but also the oldest trophy from 1730, owned by the enthusiastic hunter Eleonore Schwarzenberg; it is a European deer, shot in the Český Krumlov hunting reserve."

Jiří Janota has been a hunter since 1986, so he answered the question of what has changed in almost 40 years. "The number of women who are hunting has been growing constantly. And they are often led to it by hunting dogs, which are immensely popular. That is one of the substantial changes compared to the past. Another thing is that hunting used to be based on small game breeding, but now we are dealing with an increase in game that causes damage. So, using some exaggeration, half of society is yelling at us for shooting animals and the other half is yelling at us for not shooting enough."

Hunters also must deal with invasive predator species such as the mink, raccoon dog, and raccoon.