Bulgaria’s impressive game diversity is due to the country’s geographic location and unique natural wealth. Its large forests and mountains are the habitat of the entirety of game species typical of the European-Siberian and Mediterranean zoogeographic regions.

Bulgaria has 17,000 red deer, 3700 Fallow deer, 1600 roe deer, 1600 wild goats, 800 bears and thousands of boars, hares, pheasants, partridges etc. This wealth and diversity have contributed significantly into Bulgaria’s reputation as a hunting tourism destination. Annually, the country attracts 1600 tourists for hunting, with revenues reaching EUR 1.5 million. A major portion of this amount is allocated to the sustainable development of populations for hunting in the game breeding stations. Every year depending on the shape of the country’s game resources, the number of specimen for hunting is fixed per hunting regions. The chairman of the Union of Hunters and Anglers in Bulgaria Hristo Mihailov says that over the last 15 years weakened centralized control has impacted negatively the unique game wealth of the country.
“Unfortunately, game is often perceived as an inexhaustible natural wealth, and little attention is given to the fact that it needs care and management. Let me recall that Bulgaria’s game farming was the world’s No. 1 prior to the start of transition. Data from the World hunting organization indicate that in 1980s Bulgaria and Austria were leading the world in terms of content and diversity of game resources, of the proportion of predators as an indicator of the system’s balance and of wild bird diversity. In the early 1990s however weaker centralized control resulted in a major decline in game resources.
Since 2001 however, there has been some improvement. In Bulgaria game is state property. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the forestry units are in charge of its protection and sustainable development. These state bodies control not only game populations but also the conduct of hunters. One of their key target is to curb poaching which is still widely practiced”, says Hristo Mihailov.
Close to 85% of hunting territory in Bulgaria is state-owned. By the spring of 2006 their concession will be regulated through upcoming amendments to the Law on hunting and game protection. Some 118 game farms will be granted in concession for 13 to 15 years. This will boost game populations in Bulgaria experts believe.
“As far as game populations are concerned, the state works with at least 10-year plans for development. Regional hunting programs are devised as well, based on research and forecasts. The revenues from hunting tourism are not enough to ensure sustainable development of game farms in the country. The hunting organization in Bulgaria invests EUR 3.5 million annually for guard, breeding and resettlement of game in hunting regions,” concludes the chairman of the Union of Hunters and Anglers in Bulgaria Hristo Mihailov