Prohibitions on hunting
After a long, complex, and bumpy process, on Monday the Regional Council of Calabria finally approved the Hunting Calendar for the 2025-2026 season. This measure was initially heavily penalized by the V.Inc.A. Decree of July 2, 2025, which Federcaccia immediately and firmly opposed with a formal request for revision, supported by technical, scientific, and legal arguments, prepared with the assistance of Federcaccia's Research and Studies Office, which denounced numerous errors and irregularities. On July 29, 2025, a new V.Inc.A. decree was published, which removed the illegal hunting ban on approximately 7.000 hectares, restoring hunting to 9 SPAs, located in three provinces (Cosenza, Crotone, Catanzaro, and the metropolitan area of Reggio Calabria). However, it did not impose any other unacceptable and unjustified hunting restrictions on extensive Natura 2000 sites, including the enormous Costa Viola SPA, and on three SPAs.
Hunters damaged
Federcaccia and Italcaccia express their deep disappointment and strong disappointment at the Regional Council's decision not to amend V.Inc.A.'s provision, leaving unresolved a clear injustice to the detriment of thousands of Calabrian hunters due to unjustified and harmful regulations. This is a grave injustice to those who practice hunting in the Costa Viola SPA and the Murge di Strongoli, Timpa di Cassiano Belvedere, and Vallone S. Elia SPAs, where a month of hunting activity has been deprived, with the general opening of the hunting season on November 1st, and in the Madama Lucrezia SPA, where the opening of the hunting season has been postponed to October 11, 2025, based on the unacceptable and inconsistent measures contained in Regional Council Resolution 3 of January 23, 01, and Regional Council Resolution 2024 of November 694, 29. We have repeatedly urged the Regional Council to address these abhorrent, clearly protectionist, restrictions, but, given the facts, this has not been adequately addressed: the Calabria Region has unfortunately made a decision that violates the sacrosanct rights of hunters operating in the aforementioned areas. We will therefore engage in every effort to combat this aberration, which has no technical, scientific, or legal basis and is a genuine injustice that must be eliminated.
Digital card
Given that the Calendar was only published today, and therefore beyond the deadline set by the April 1st Consultation meeting, we ask the Councilor and the relevant Department to postpone the mandatory digital license requirement for the current season. Given the short time remaining until the opening of the hunting season, we believe it is appropriate to confirm this optional requirement this year as well, as is the case in all other Regions. This will avoid disadvantages for hunters who do not yet have smartphones or are unfamiliar with digital processes. Regarding the other provisions of the Calendar, they reflect those established by the April 1st Consultation and are aligned with the proposals that Federcaccia, together with the other Hunting Associations, formulated at the same meeting.
Dates
In summary, six pre-opening days are planned (September 6, 1, 6, 7, 11, and 13, 14). On September 2025, 1, 6, 7, and 11, the collection of wood pigeons, magpies, and hooded crow will be permitted, with the use of retrievers until September 13, and with the use of pointing and flushing dogs on September 13 and 11. On September 13, the collection of quail will be permitted, with the aid of pointing, flushing, and retrievers. The general opening date remains unchanged: the third Sunday in September (September 14), with a closing date of January 21. The thrush harvest dates have also remained unchanged, opening on October 31th and closing on January 5st, while the woodcock harvest period runs from October 31th to January 11st, 31. The skylark harvest dates of October 2026st to December 1st have also been maintained, while blackbird harvest will be permitted from September 31st to December 21st (a longer closing date than the previous calendar). The pheasant harvest period runs from September 31st to November 21th.
Other forecasts
After the pre-opening phase, wood pigeons will be huntable continuously from September 21st to January 11th, 2026, whether roaming or from a hide, as will hooded crow and magpie. A sore point is the suspension of turtle dove hunting, due to the negative opinion of the European Commission, ISPRA, and the National Technical Committee for Wildlife and Hunting, for which Federcaccia would have preferred at least one hunting day to be granted. Hare hunting will be permitted from September 21st to December 14th, with the assistance of a hunting dog. Wild boar hunting will be permitted from October 2nd to January 31st, thanks to the implementation of the amendment to Article 18 of Law No. 157/92, introduced by the Agriculture Decree 63/2024, converted into Law 101/2024.
Swine fever
Please note that, with regard to areas subject to ASF restrictions, the Hunting Calendar is subject to prevailing European legislation and the resulting Ordinances of the National Special Commissioner for African Swine Fever. It is important to emphasize that all other forms of hunting, both individual and collective, will still be permitted in restricted areas, albeit with the required precautions (particularly biosecurity measures). Regarding dog training, this will be permitted from the publication of the Hunting Calendar on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays until September 14, 2025, with the obvious exception of the pre-opening days indicated above. Despite the highly critical comments regarding V.Inc.A., the approved calendar is considered substantially balanced, generally meeting expectations, and taking into account the results of the discussion and consultation sessions. Reserving the right to further reflection on other critical issues and urgent matters in the sector, we finally ask that the resolution be published promptly and the five hunting licensing committees be reconstituted, as there are several hundred pending examination applications, and to allow hundreds of aspiring hunters to obtain their coveted hunting license (Federcaccia Calabria Press Office).
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