From feeding animals to hunting tourism: get acquainted with the work of a hunting expert of the Belynich forestry farm

Belynich forestry is the leader in the country in terms of profitability of hunting. At this point on the map of the Mogilev region, miners from near and far abroad come. Guests are attracted by the beauty of Belarusian nature, endless expanses, wild game-rich forests and constant hospitality. Fans of their business work in the forestry farm, and one of them is a hunting engineer Denis Lytyakov. We visited him on the eve of Forest Workers Day.

Now the specialist has a busy time - the height of the hunting season for elk and deer. He meets journalists after a sleepless night: there was an exit to the forest for Austrian tourists. Guests admired the autumn dawn and fog, breathed fresh air and extracted a huge deer. Traditionally, the hunter put a green twig in the mouth of the animal as a tribute and gratitude for his life, and placed the second in the lapel of his hat. A whole philosophy, smiles Denis Lytyakov:

Hunting is a very spectacular and interesting process, for which you need to prepare for a long time. Everyone's requests are different. For example, modern foreigners hunted an old individual that has already given birth, that is, served its population. In their understanding, you can not shoot young and promising.

The gamekeepers were looking for a suitable candidate for a week: they looked for photo traps, tracked using a thermal imager - the animal is looking for food at night, so you can not do without modern gadgets. It was important to understand where and at what time the deer appears, whether there are other animals with it. For example, if he gathered females around him, then in the near future he will not go anywhere - he will guard the harem, devotes a hunter to the nuances: - Each huntsman carefully collects information about the beast, its habits and routes of movement. And also perfectly oriented on the terrain and no worse than an agronomist knows where the agricultural fields and what culture are sown. The same canola for cloven-hoofed as chocolate for a child: juicy burdocks attract moose, deer, deer. And this greatly simplifies the search and hunting of the beast. Denis Lytyakov, although his profession involves paperwork, does not sit in the office. Along with the huntsmen himself immersed in the process of hunting. Carbine in the hands takes rarely - there is not enough time, but receives unforgettable emotions from communication with hunters, helping them to get the desired trophy. In the process, he teaches the wisdom of the craft, talks about the habits of the beast - this creates an indescribable atmosphere of hunting:

- I try to listen to the hunter’s requests and even make his psychological portrait. Hunting is a sacred moment, and I need to understand with which huntsman to pair a forager - a team should be formed. Some like to walk along fields, swamps and paths, others like to watch the beast from the tower - as it comes out of the forest, feeds. So do the huntsmen: one, for example, has wooded areas and more moose, the other has forage fields and more deer. Hence, I understand how to do the arrangement: if the puzzle is formed, everyone is satisfied.

Denis Lytyakov graduated from the Belarusian State Technological University with a degree in forestry. He worked as a forest master and an engineer for forest protection, but his soul was attached to the case of a hunting expert. The choice of career path was not accidental, he smiles:

- His father worked all his life in forestry: he was a forester, a forest master, a forester, a hunter... When I was six or seven years old, I used to take hunting with me — I grew up in this environment, which predetermined interest. Now my office is more than 114 thousand hectares of hunting farm, the whole Belynichsky district.

Growing up in the countryside, he helped his parents keep a large household: cows, horses, pigs. Since childhood, he understood the laws of nature and that mining is a natural process. Not mindless extermination, but a competent approach to regulating the number of animals, reducing damage to farmland and the risk of an accident involving quadrupeds, Denis Lytyakov explains: If animals have a sufficient feed base, they increase their livestock. But put 40 cows in one shed when it has a capacity of only 20, and you will get sickness and lack of food. In hunting the same principle as in agriculture. We calculate the optimal number that we can feed and keep it at the level. Uncontrolled growth has serious consequences. Hunting economy keeps the balance - counts animals, protects them, supports them in winter with fodder and humanely regulates the growth. For example, few people know that a hunter before meeting with a beast is taken to a shooting range: the huntsman must understand how accurately he shoots and from what distance he can be trusted with a shot.

Mid-summer among hunters and hunters is a slight lull, and from August 20, the extraction of male elk and deer begins. From October 1, females and herbs are added, that is, young animals. The season closes on January 31.

Belarusian latitudes consistently attract foreign tourists who enjoy admiring the local nature. Only this autumn, three hunting tours with Europeans are planned, Denis Lytyakov says:

- They are interested in our forests, swamps, plains. In Western Europe, a large population density and very small hunting farms are nowhere to go. And we sat down in the ouazik with a huntsman - you go and eat, and the road does not end. The guests of the hunting industry are surprised by the presence of a diverse beast on our territory - they admire how we preserve and multiply all this.

Profession hunter Denis is committed finally and irrevocably - does not represent himself in another business. And in general, for him, forest workers are people who are united by a love of nature and all living things. Nature is a resource that we have got for temporary use and requires rational management. It is important to take care of it in order to pass it on to future generations. We do not see the results of our work immediately: we use the wood that our grandfathers planted, and we ourselves lay forests for future generations. We love our work and are ready to benefit others.

“In general, in the industry in August, we reached 2,520 rubles of average monthly wages,” said Sergey Uldinovich. At the same time, we are talking about the fact that in most working professions we have piece-premium wages. This means that there are no limit values: it all depends on the results. The same operator of logging equipment today can receive a salary and 7-8 thousand rubles.”.