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Mrki medvjed (Ursus arctos L.) - Hunting season: 01.10.-15.12. & 02.03.-30.04.
Hunting: Night waiting from the high stand
Rifle: Bolt action, lever action and semi-automatic rifle with excellent rifle scope
for night aiming.
The minimum caliber is 7 mm, bullet weight 180+ grains, energy over 3.500 joules.
European Brown bear (Ursus arctos), is a subgroup of brown bear
which was once spread all over entire Euro - Asia and North America. In Croatia, there is a
population living in part of Dinaric massif, and after the Carpathians, this one is the
second in Europe in number. Brown bear is almost exterminated from Westem Europe, remaining
populations are quite small, mutually separated and in process of disappearance.
Bears in Croatia together with those in neighboring Slovenia, are representing genetically
completely similar and stable population in the most western section, which is the last
possible source for salvation of bears in Europe. All that puts brown bear on the very
top of natural inheritance value in Croatia.
Brown bears are living in Croatia on about 10 000 km2 of mostly forestry areas in Dinaric
ranges - in Gorski kotar, Lika, or rather from Snježnik and Risnjak across the Plitvice
Lakes area to Velika Kapela, Mala Kapela, Plješivica and Velebit. The estimated population
counts about 600 samples which fits the capacity of the area.
Bears are the biggest continental carnivorous animals. In Croatia, bear females have in
average 100kg, and bear males 150kg, but some of them could go over 300kg. Although true
carnivorous animals by their body construction, 95% of their needs for food are satisfied
by vegetable food, mostly taken from invertebrates and big animal carrion.
Among vegetable food during spring and summer herbaceous plants and grasses are dominating,
joined by some soft fruits in summer and autumn as the main food for collecting of
underskin fat for winter reserve.
Bear spends winter in lair, but active individuals could be found during the entire winter.
The longest rest is that of gravid females which are delivering 1 to 4 blind youngsters
of 1/3 kg in January. The bears live in nature as long as 10 to 20 years, but the average
age of bear population meant for hunting is about 5 years. They need a large space for
living, because male bears are wandering around on more than 200 km2.
The brown bear population in Croatia is numerous and thus the bear can be hunted legally
without fear of endangering the species. The bears can be up to 400+ kg in weight and
the trophies are high quality.
Brown bears trophies can be from 300 - 400 CIC average, that is from 200 - 300 kg average,
but they can be up to 400 kg.
Hunting is usually organized as waiting from the high stand or cabin during the nights
with the moonlight. The hunter shoots the bear indicated by the gamekeeper. Shooting
distance varies from 30 to 50 meters.
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