Hunting in Croatia

Croatia is widely recognized for its well-preserved natural landscapes. Of the country’s total 5,659,400 hectares, surveys show that conditions suitable for establishing hunting grounds exist on about 5.5 million hectares. Today, 1,086 hunting grounds are officially registered across this area. To qualify as a hunting ground, the area must form a compact unit of at least 1,000 hectares.

In practice, the average hunting ground in Croatia spans around 5,000 hectares, with many stretching to more than 10,000 hectares. Approximately 500,000 hectares of these hunting grounds lie within protected areas such as national and nature parks. Here, the remarkable richness of flora and fauna is safeguarded not only through hunting regulations but also by strict nature protection laws enforced by public institutions. Croatia is home to 2,492,676 hectares of forest, covering nearly half of the country’s territory (49.3%). Of this, 2,097,318 hectares—or 84%—are state-owned. Wildlife management responsibilities differ depending on ownership: for forest owners, they are governed by forestry regulations, while for hunting right holders, they fall under hunting regulations.

In practice, this means that anyone using these resources is obliged to safeguard biodiversity and ensure the preservation and sustainable use of game populations.

Each hunting ground in Croatia is governed by a mandatory professional document known as the Hunting Management Plan. This plan, prepared by authorized professional services when the ground is established, is valid for a 10-year period. It sets out the species of game present, protection measures, habitat improvements, hunting seasons and methods, as well as species-specific quotas. Under Croatia’s hunting regulations, supported by an inspection system that ensures compliance, hunting right holders are required to manage game populations within the biological capacity of their grounds, as determined by expert assessment. At the same time, the framework allows for sustainable hunting practices that balance conservation with use.

What makes Croatia a truly unique hunting destination is the diversity of its climatic zones, which provide hunters with an exceptional range of game species and hunting methods.

• Just an hour’s drive separates forested hunting grounds—home to red deer, bears, wolves, and lynx—from Mediterranean karst landscapes where mouflon, chamois, woodcock, and grey partridge can be found.
• Only two hours north, hunters reach the vast and game-rich areas of continental Croatia. These sparsely populated hilly regions (up to 300 meters above sea level) feature beech and lowland oak forests, as well as floodplains along the Danube, Drava, and Sava rivers, with their pristine deciduous forests and reed beds.
• In the agricultural lowlands, hunters can still enjoy sustainable hunts for roe deer, pheasants, grey partridge, and hares.

Adding to its appeal, Croatia’s Adriatic coast—already world-renowned as a summer destination—lies close to many attractive hunting grounds, making it easy to combine a seaside holiday with an unforgettable hunting experience.