Lovy v Jeseníkách a na Vysočině – Sztwiertnia Pavel (2017)

Pavel Sztwiertnia was born in Třinec in 1949. In 1973, he graduated from the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Agriculture in Brno. He worked as a forester in the Beskids, Jeseníky, and Žďárské vrchy at a time when there was still a sufficient population of deer in the local hunting grounds. In the Jeseníky region during the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was not uncommon to encounter both capercaillie and black grouse. Many remnants of the original mountain forests, where this rare wildlife lived, still existed here. Chamois stayed on the clearings from spring to winter. They were so widespread and accustomed to the presence of humans that encounters with them were completely ordinary experiences for tourists. The author photographed a lot, filmed, recorded animal sounds, and promoted both summer and winter tourism. He was particularly interested in deer and capercaillie. Today, he only engages in hunting in a specialized form, which his father once introduced him to. He collaborates professionally with Polish foresters who successfully manage the artificial breeding of the capercaillie. He has developed a particular fondness for this rare species.