Na zdar! (To success!)
Unlike the lone-wolf culture I was used to, Czech hunting is deeply communal. When a hunter takes an animal, they place a sprig of spruce or oak in their hat. They kneel. They thank the animal. They offer the Poslední leč (the last hunt call). czech hunter friends
We drank Slivovice (plum brandy) that burned a hole through the frostbite. We told lies about the ones that got away. We cleaned the rifles in silence, then sang old hunting songs off-key. Na zdar
But the ritual starts before the trigger is pulled. They kneel
My first drive, I was nervous. I saw a shadow move at 80 meters. I raised my rifle. Jarda gently pushed the barrel down.
Then I watched 72-year-old Radek place his hand on the flank of a magnificent roebuck. He whispered something in Czech. When I asked Jarda what he said, Jarda replied: "He is asking for forgiveness and promising to use every piece. The meat does not belong to us. We are just borrowing it from the forest."
April 14, 2026 Location: The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands