Masquerading, no spirits and whispering conversations - our correspondents went hunting in the Belynich forests

Correspondents of the “People’s newspaper”, disguised on the tower, listened to the “songs” of deer during the race and tried to understand why the daredevils are so drawn into the forest with a gun

Autumn is a time of hunting happiness. Open season corral hunting for ungulates, fur animals and even lynx. So let's go get the guns! Who lives in our forests, what trophies do foreigners come for? To get answers to these questions, we, together with the photojournalist, asked for a hunt in the Belynich forestry farm. About how this "blitzkrieg" ended - in our report.

Two hours - and after the "stone jungle" of the capital, we get into the fabulous beauty of the Belynichi forests. The sun is warm. Birch trees, maples, poplars, linden trees - each tree "lights" with bright autumn colors. At the same time, you can observe the gradient of the color transition from muted and calm to bright and spectacular. Nature, as an artist, makes landscape sketches with broad strokes. The picture is amazing! We admire and enjoy the incredible views until the cold winds and prolonged rains brought gray tones.

- Oh you, journalists, who is going to hunt? - After evaluating our capital's causal outfits, Denis Lytyakov, a hunting engineer of the Belynichsky forestry farm, says with reproach.

He gives me and the photographer huge warm jackets. Although the sun is shining and the weather app shows +18 ° C, the interlocutor says with a smile, they say, wait, it’s not evening.

- From August 20 to September 30, there is a trophy hunt for moose, noble deer and deer during the gong period. Coming?

Sure! I had the most distant idea of what a deer race was. It was comforting that the partner-photo correspondent also not far away, although he was hunting more than once, only not in the usual, but in the photo. As for Denis, he is a specialist in these matters. It became clear on the way. As a curious journalist, I asked a lot of questions, and the interlocutor readily answered them.

- You think hunting is a shot, that's all. It wasn't here. The process itself gives a special connection with nature, helps to test endurance, endurance, gives excitement, recharges, and the shot is only the final point. Hunting is not reduced to shooting, meat mining (although they are actively coming for it, the main thing is to know how to cook tasty). But it's not an end in itself. The main thing is a special atmosphere, our accompanying person philosophically argues. The lands of the Belynich forestry farm occupy more than 114 thousand hectares, moose, deer, roe deer, foxes, wolves, bears and other animals live here. An experienced hunter knows their habits, routes, and even worse, an agronomist understands what crops the fields are sown, than forest inhabitants like to feast on. We're coming to a huge field. I see a tower in the distance. We'll wait on it. Denis took out a gun, jackets, noise-cancelling headphones. We look much more modest in the background of pros. With a camera and a notebook in hand – this is how the miners!

- Turn off the sound on smartphones, we speak in a whisper! - Denis strictly warns. Loud and sharp sounds scare away animals – they have excellent hearing and perceive noise as a signal of danger. Perfume, by the way, can not be used: unnecessary smells instantly unmask the hunter. You also need to catch the direction of the wind - if it has changed, you have to make a wide hook to again be in a favorable position when the air currents carry the smell in the opposite direction from the beast.

It's time to make our way through the spacious field to the visible tower.

- By the way, I forgot to warn, says Denis. - Don't pick up any ticks.

- I'm staying in the car, I said almost seriously, but gathered my spirit, carefully followed.

Denis Lytyakov knows how to organize an interesting and exciting hunt. Giants looking for brides and here we are. Slowly climbing up the wooden tower. We're in position. We wait. The sunset paints the forest in amber tones, and the whole field is surrounded by gold – the spectacle makes the heart freeze. Better than any meditation! Once it crunched in the bushes, we froze. Sitting, quiet, waiting.

- You can track the beast for several hours, and sometimes nothing, Denis whispers when he asks how long we have to sit.

And then I shudder. The forest behind it is filled with a powerful laryngeal roar. It turns out that males compete in strength and endurance, attracting the attention of female “brides”. In the Belynich forests, a majestic animal is an expanse. Therefore, the roar, which will last approximately until mid-October, spreads far around. As Denis explains, "concerts" are arranged mainly by adult males during the mating season - this is the time and is called gon. The sound is long, trumpet, heard somewhere in the distance. But the more we sit on the tower, the closer and clearer the animals remind of themselves - the range of "songs" is wide: from hoarse and jerky sounds to low, mooing-like sounds, and are carried from different sides.

- In the wild, everything is built according to strict laws: females choose the loudest and strongest contender. The dominant deer, as a rule, and the "harem" is the most numerous. Usually at this time, deer are already out on the field, but today they apparently have more important things to do, our accompanying person shrugs. In the sky against the background of sunset there is still a bright stripe, but in the forest it has already become dark. In the meantime, we've been in an ambush for over two hours. It's cold. But the deer, as if suspecting something, were in no hurry to show themselves to uninvited guests. Suddenly our escort grabbed binoculars at lightning speed. I'm watching, too. A graceful female appeared on the other side of the field. But it was so far away from us that even a photojournalist partner could not clearly catch it with the lens of his professional camera.

- And do hunters sit like this all night long? - I ask Denis with disbelief, rubbing my frozen palms.

- Sometimes, from sunset to dawn guards, smiles the interlocutor. Twilight periods – early morning and late evening – are golden times for hunting. For example, during the autumn race, males lose caution, they actively search for females, arrange fights and give a voice, which makes them more noticeable. When twilight begins, deer come out of thick thickets into open clearings, meadows to feed themselves.

It was me and the photographer who came light. And professional hunters go to the forest in special equipment. Clothing should protect from rain and wind, retain heat, do not rustle when moving. Particular attention is paid to waterproof high-quality shoes. In winter, with a long ambush, an indispensable thing is a vest or heated jacket.

- The desire to improve your equipment is as natural as a regular change of car: you want newer, better, says Denis Lytyakov. Hunting really requires serious investments: from weapons to special devices and equipment. I think when a man goes on a hunt, he wakes up the instinct of a miner, because since ancient times there is a realization of himself through the search and receipt of trophies for the family. But many men would like support from their soul mates in this hobby, and then often sound only reproaches and reproaches. Another interesting trend is that the hobby is not getting younger. The modern generation has its own interests, they go into virtuality. Older people come to the hunt.

- The beasts are pitiful, they are killed for nothing, I take the conversation to the ethical and moral aspect of the process.

- Hunters say not “killed”, but “caught”, – corrects Denis and immediately adds: – Animals are caught within the established limits. Older individuals have already given birth and are no longer involved in improving the population gene pool. In the wild, animals live a free, natural life. While livestock spend their whole lives in pens. Overpopulation of wild animals leads to an increase in the number of road accidents and other troubles. Control of their numbers is necessary. Hunters play fair game by following strict rules. Shoot accurately so that the animal does not suffer. Leaving a tray is considered cruel and inhumane, the animal should not be doomed to long torture.

Meanwhile, no one came out of the woods to our company. Having assessed me and my partner with a sympathetic look after hours of waiting, the hunter commanded us to gather. Alas, this time the hunt failed. The animals, clearly smelling something wrong, lurked in a dense forest. And me and the team go to the base - to the hunting and tourist complex "Gluharin current", maybe the vacationers were more lucky?

While we are going to cheer us up, Denis Lytyakov says: to get the beast from the first time, you need great luck and coincidence. He is also attracted by amateur hunting, however, now in the season to work in the forest has no weekends. But in the spring, he hunted the woodcock, enjoying the process itself and waking up after winter nature.

Hunting is a spectacular and interesting process, you need to prepare for it for a long time. Many choose the trophy, so that, for example, sweeping deer horns remind of skill, tactics, an unforgettable adventure. This season, the Germans and the Austrians were on holiday. Among the requests often sounds: we want to get a deer with unusual, exclusive horns, for example with growths and unusual shape. And our experienced gamekeepers help find such specimens. Everyone's requests are different. Some like to wander for a long time in fields, swamps and paths, others like to watch from the tower as the animal comes out of the forest, feeds. Recently, foreigners wanted to get an old deer. The ranger was monitored for about a week, at what time the same one appears, whether there are other animals with him, studied his habits, routes of movement. As a result, everything worked out. The tandem of a huntsman and a hunter is in many ways a delicate psychological work, and not just an escort on the ground. The success of hunting often depends on how much a professional knows how to “calculate” the state of his guest, to understand the level of his preparation, the interlocutor shares his observations.

I got my hunting license in 1990. In Germany, this process takes two years. Our lands are divided into small hunting areas, and in Belarus there are spacious forests – there is a place to roam. I am always greeted warmly and hospitable. It is convenient that you can come without a visa, without unnecessary paperwork. While hunting, I managed to get a stately deer, although we slept a couple of hours today: the result was worth it. The best and most memorable hunt is the one you are on. What matters is not the shot, but the moment. Emotions that you get by watching the interaction between animals, nature and man. Plus it is also an opportunity to be alone with yourself, relieve the psyche. For a long time, I held leadership positions in the financial sphere - hunting immerses in another world, gives positive emotions, helps to relieve the accumulated load of tension, admits a gray-haired hunter from Germany.

Denis Lytyakov confirms that foreign guests have repeatedly heard that in Western Europe there is a large population density and very small hunting farms, there is nowhere to go. In Belarusian forests, the situation is different. And income from foreign hunting tourism replenish our treasury. The beast in our forests and many Russians are being targeted. Book autumn dates in advance, the peak - almost a year. There are eight gamekeepers in the state - each hunter is allocated his own. This season, Belynich specialists can boast of active wolf prey.

- Do you have chupacabra? – I am interested in the interlocutor.

- Such a mysterious creature I have never met, laughs the hunter. Although fear has big eyes, who knows what someone might imagine in the woods, then they make up fables.

There are real bears here. Taking this opportunity, I discuss with a professional the shocking news: in Altai, the beast pulled a tourist out of the tent at night and dragged her into the forest. The girl's dead. Why did the tragedy happen?

- Due to the lack of usual food, bears can look for food near tourist sites. Perhaps he smelled the remnants of dinner, and when they tried to drive him away, he interpreted it as an attempt to take away food and showed aggression.

Like all animals, the bear is afraid of man and tries to avoid meeting him. But under stressful conditions, predators can develop dangerous behavioral deviations, aggression. When facing a bear, it is important not to create fuss. Do not try to contact an animal, shoot a video, you need to keep the beast in sight, calmly step aside. It is better not to look into the eyes of the bear and not turn your back on it, the expert shares his advice. For interesting conversations, time runs unnoticed. But it's time to go home. Although today we were left without a trophy, but with a powerful charge of natural energy, new knowledge and emotions. Finally, Denis winks: we are waiting for a hunt in the spring, then we will be lucky!

On October 1, the season of corral hunting for ungulates began, among them elk, noble deer, spotted deer, deer, deer, deer, mouflon and boar. Hunting is allowed only in daylight hours. At the same time, it is allowed to extract ungulates of any sex and age, taking into account the rules of withdrawal established for hunting farms.

The BOAR reminded that the user of hunting grounds has the right to limit or prohibit the use of certain hunting tools, including cartridges. For example, in many farms on corral hunting, the use of card cartridges is not allowed.

- Pursuit hunts are an area of increased risk and require their participants even more responsibility, especially from the leaders of the hunt. The main causes of accidents are shooting at hunting animals along the shooting line, unauthorized descent from the room, shooting at noise, rustling or at an obscurely visible target.

The BOAR was also informed:

- From October 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027, the lynx hunting season will last. There is interest in this direction, and this is understandable: the lynx is a secretive forest predator, a meeting with which, even for a person who regularly visits the grounds, remains a rare event.

Hunting lynx in Belarus was banned for about 40 years and allowed by law only from 2025 due to the increase in the number of this animal in certain regions of the country.

hilkok@sb.by