Hunting trophies
At the castle you can't help but notice the many hunting trophies that bear witness to another time, but it is also the story of the count who was both an adventurer and a Danish hunting official.
More about the castleProminent figure
in Danish hunting
In both the Hunting Room and the Deer Hallway at the castle, you can't help but notice the many hunting trophies that adorn the walls. These have their roots in Count Michael's grandfather, Gregers, who, like his own father, was a master hunter and deeply involved in ethnology, history, nature and hunting. Count Gregers' passion was archery, and through self-instruction he became one of the leading archers in the country. At the great hunting exhibition in Forum in 1934, he exhibited bows, arrows and trophies that he had shot in this way.
Gregers distinguished himself as one of the most prominent figures in Danish hunting governance and his commitment and passion for collecting and bringing home trophies from this endeavor makes the hunting rooms at Egeskov worth a visit.
An adventurer!
Gregers' passion for hunting led him to Africa, where he was captivated by the people, game and nature. He went on a hunting safari to Kenya and Congo in 1937, where he killed game with bow and arrow. He studied the weapons, customs and game of the natives and published a vivid description of his experiences in the book Impala from the same year. Just four years later, he also published Modern Archery.
Gregers was a leading figure in ethnographic, zoological and hunting expeditions to Africa in 1947, 1951 and India in 1954. These have led to the works Tandalla, Over mountains and valleys and Hunter, hunting and wild world.
Gregers was Hofjægermester and a central part of the development of Danish hunting administration. In 1939, he became a member of the main board of the Danish Hunting Association and was part of the committee that set up the Hunting and Forestry Museum in Hørsholm. He was also a board member from 1947 to 1970. By this time, he was already a hunting consultant and in 1959 he became chairman of the Hunting Council.
His experience combined with these positions of trust meant that he became a key player in committees dealing with hunting, such as the Hunting Law Commission, the Wildlife Service and Kalø Jagtgård, where the training took place. Finally, the then Count of Egeskov became a member of the Conseil International de la Chasse in France and was appointed chairman of the Danish branch and member of the presidium of the World Wildlife Fund.