Echoes of Tradition: The Art of Stag Calling

At the national stag calling championship in Dortmund, German hunters showcased their skill in mimicking red deer vocalizations using traditional and modern instruments. The event, rooted in ancient traditions, enables hunters to evaluate stags during rutting season. Fabian Wenzel emerged as the winner for the fifth time.

In a spectacle combining tradition and skill, hunters from across Germany gathered in Dortmund for the national stag calling championship, aiming to replicate the vocalizations of a bellowing red deer with utmost accuracy.

The event, steeped in centuries-old tradition, harks back to a time when hunters would mimic a stag's rival to draw it out during rutting season, allowing for better assessment before a potential hunt.

Participants, clad in traditional hunters' attire, used various instruments like ox horns and triton snail shells to amplify their calls. Fabian Wenzel from Bavaria claimed victory for the fifth consecutive year, and will compete at the European Stag Calling Championships in Lithuania this October.