Kyle Hanson spent just under three weeks in Hungary in September, arriving September 1 and departing around the 17th or 18th. He personally hosted two weeks of clients—week one at the South Estate and week two at the Southwest Estate—making 2025 the first full client year after a vetting year.
Outdoors International operates seven locations in Hungary under one outfitter. Kyle describes five distinct areas: the South Estate (largest stag genetics, averaged 8.5 kg, best for serious hunters, also offers trophy fallow and roe buck later in fall); the Southwest Estate (historic old-world lodge, high stag density, non-hunting activities including spa and deer-feeding tours, good for families); the West Estate (wellness spa hotel base, medieval castle nearby with jousting twice a week, a dedicated couples package with non-hunter program); and two northern estates, one of which sits inside a 5,000-acre high-fence with stag, fallow, boar, and mouflon, rated the most professional operation in the country.
All hunts are flat-rate, all-inclusive, non-size-restricted free-range programs structured as four days/five nights with a bonus first-evening hunt and a bonus departure-morning outing. Stags in Hungary are native wild animals managed by government-issued tags; guides use a 12-point checklist covering age, tine length, mass, and points, and estates lose future tags if sub-standard animals are taken.
Kyle took his first free-range red stag on a frontal shot at under 100 yards at first light from guide Gabor, less than a half mile from the South Estate lodge. Days later, with guide Gabor's partner, he called in and shot a second, much larger stag at roughly 250 yards off shooting sticks—a quartering-away heart shot that broke the offside shoulder. That stag was confirmed as the largest taken by the entire outfitter in 2025 and is referred to in European tradition as 'the champion.' Kyle also added a roe buck, an $800 add-on paid only if successful.
Kyle flew to Hungary with his personal firearm and learned two key rules through the trip's travel agency: Frankfurt Airport requires a separate firearms permit applied for up to four weeks in advance, and international airlines must be notified at least three days before departure when a passenger is traveling with a weapon. Both rules would have caused problems without the travel agency. Outdoors International is now incorporating a concierge travel agency into all international hunt packages as a standard inclusion.
Client group highlights from week one included Travis Stevens and his brothers from South Dakota, who were delayed a day after missing a connection in Chicago. Kyle plans to require all clients to arrive in Budapest one full day early starting next year to allow for travel redundancy and a bonus first-evening hunt. Guest Steve also shot two stags during the week, with the second approaching 8.5–9 kg.
- 0:00 Intro & Trip Overview
- 3:14 Hungary's Five Estate Areas Explained
- 17:35 Week One Clients Arrive, Travel Snags
- 21:05 Traveling Internationally With a Firearm
- 25:25 Kyle's First Free-Range Red Stag
- 42:24 Hunting Ceremony & Traditions
- 53:07 Stalking the Champion Stag
- 1:06:55 Season Results & Lessons Learned
