Historical Tradition
Hunting has a rich and long-standing tradition on the Bechyně estate, which began in 1569 when Petr Vok of Rožmberk purchased the Bechyně estate. Among other things, between 1570 and 1571, he established a pheasantry near the castle. Shortly thereafter, he had the castle reconstructed into a Renaissance chateau with a park, which included this pheasantry. In 1596, Vok was forced to sell Bechyně to the Sternberks, and in 1715, Jan Leopold Paar inherited it through marriage. The Paar family owned the chateau and the Bechyně estate until 1948, when their property was confiscated by the state. The Paars continued to develop hunting practices. At the beginning of the 19th century, the pheasantry was expanded into a smaller game preserve and fallow deer were introduced. This laid the foundations for the preserve, later known as Obůrka, with sources indicating the year 1817. In 1957, mouflons were introduced into Obůrka. Both species of game continue to be kept in the preserve to this day.
