Yesterday, Saturday 18 February 2018, the Pietro Beretta Room di Gardone Val Trompia welcomed a very interesting initiative by Arci Caccia concerning the woodcock management. After visiting the Beretta Museum, it was the turn of the speakers who explored various issues related to the species. Giuliano Ezzelini Storti, number two of the hunting association, spoke of the need to promote events of this type, while Maurizio Zipponi (president of the scientific committee of the UNA Foundation) illustrated the purposes of the foundation to which it belongs.
Gian Luigi Gregori, president of the Club della Beccaccia, illustrated how the abandonment of the woods, the increase in the wooded area and the reduction of wild grazing are creating problems for the woodcock. No less influential are climate changes and fires that have destroyed the broods. A new forestry agricultural management was proposed as a solution. Marco Tuti, wildlife technician, deals with the collection and analysis of data obtained from game bags and censuses: the doctor remarked the importance of reading the wings and the observation of the gonads, which determines the incidence of the sampling on male and female specimens.
Paolo Penacchini, president of FANBPO, was eagerly awaited and talked about the woodcock situation in Western Palearctic. The health of the species is not yet good, but a standardized scientific method approved by the international community is still needed. The day ended with the intervention of the number one of the Arci Caccia, Sergio Sorrentino.