Turkey Property | Sport in Turkey

Hunting in Turkey

Turkey offers a wide variety of animals for tourists to hunt in a well-regulated and sunny climate.

Bear, hook horned mountain goat (pamua), wild goat (Bezoar), wild boar, chamois, iibex, lynx, wolf, jackal, fox and even bear are among the faunae that visitors can target on their trip on this sport in Turkey, depending on the season.

The three major hunting regions that overseas visitors head for are the Golcuk lake area, a mere two hours from Izmir; Guzelcamli forest, around 30 minutes from Kusadasi; and the Gokova delta, which is only an hour from Marmaris.

Turkey's forest ministry distributes permits which allow overseas visitors engage in one of the most ancient of sport in Turkey. This is done with an organised tour from a specialist firm which can help visitors make the most out of their hunting holiday.

Any hunt must be conducted by an officially recognised agency and within national parks, forests or private grounds approved by the rural affairs ministry. Tours can be arranged individually, although some, such as boar hunts, require a minimum number, typically five. However, this can be a great way to experience a different holiday with friends or else to meet fellow hunters. Hunting holidays can last for five days, allowing the opportunity not just to hunt but to experience the magnificent Anatolian countryside first-hand.

These trips occur at different times of the year. The ibex and the chamois season is from the start of August until the end of March while the wild boar season is all year round. The other advantage of a wild boar hunt is that while Turkey is officially secular, its large Muslim population means that the pig's cousin is rarely eaten and so quite abundant. Hunting a boar can also be more exhilarating than other trips as they can be driven hunts, complete with a driver and dog. Yet probably the rarest treat for hunters is the hunting of the Asian brown bear, which runs for the same season as chamois and ibex.

Of course, many people may wish to hunt all these species and this is possible in a combined package. As with the single species hunt, transit, hunting etiquette lessons and notification of special equipment is provided for this sport in Turkey.

Hunters can hire equipment out there or bring there own and most guides will be happy to tell hunters what exactly they need. They can also specify the language requirements of their guide as many are multilingual and fluent in English, French, German and other major tongues.

For overseas visitors, the Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts are great places to hunt in as the activity can take place by the mountains, on the coast and in forests, a grand way to see Turkey. They can also hunt in the knowledge that they are doing so in a conscientious way due to the regulations and controls by Turkey's government which help keep animal numbers in check.

Turkey property owners can enjoy this unique sport in Turkey when visiting and Turkey property close to the hunting areas is popular with those who want to experience the sport.