21/04/2026
Capercaillie hunt story in Bulgaria -2026.
At 3:00 AM, the alarm is ringing. We wake up and by 4:30 AM we're already in the mountain.
Surrounded by darkness and silence, feeling only the gentle breeze, we smoked our last cigarette before heading towards at the capercaillie leks.
Capercaillie mating season is on.
Hunter, guide and I, begin our trek in complete darkness, using only a low red flashlight.
After a 30-minute walking, we reach at the leks.
We stopped. Our hearts and breathing are racing, and we need a few minutes to relax.
After two minutes relaxing, our ears are searching for the capercaillie's songs... and nothing.
We take another 10 or 15 steps … stopped ….and now …. Yes, we hear the capercaillie's songs.
Although the wind hinders us, our experienced guide points out the direction from which the song is coming, and we begin our stalk.
Now is a crucial moment. Our steps must be carefully calculated to ensure a perfect stalk to allow us to get as close is possible to the capercaillie.
The snow under our feet makes things more difficult.
Our experienced guide helps the hunter to take position directly under the tree where the bird is located.
Well-balanced 12-gauge shotgun is loaded with a № 4/0 cartridge.
Shooting distance 10-15 meters... And yes, perfect shot and the capercaillie is down.
www.cazahuntingbg.com
