Fallow Deer "rewind"

Fallow deer hunting. Chronicle of an afternoon of hunting with an unexpected autumn gift

October, Maremma hills at the foot of the Amiata. The days are still warm, the light lingers in those red afternoons of leaves and sunsets that make autumn seem the sweetest season of the year. It is not just hunters who court the woods, but mushroom hunters and hikers are quite numerous during this time. Although with these premises the exit does not look particularly "fruitful", I gladly decide to accompany Renzo on the hunt for fallow deer. All sex and age classes can be taken except sheet piles.

"The density of animals here is not particularly high”Repeats Renzo as we leave the car shortly after the road. We are very encouraged by the sightings of some females and a fallow deer spindle in the previous days, but they can hardly compete with the "disheartening" signals that we find upon arrival in the hunting area. Horses in the wild are scattered in the large clearing that overlooks our position and two cars parked on the edge of the scrub remind us that the mushroom season is in full swing. With a resigned sigh we settle down thinking that an afternoon stolen from this fiery autumn will be a profitable investment, however it goes.

Renzo has the habit of arranging 4 poles with a shading cloth to blend in and by quickly maneuvering the tools he gives us a functional “stakeout” that we hope will prove useful and, above all, necessary.

Our wait doesn't last long. We skulk for a few minutes and soon the forest gives us a scene that makes our hearts jump. A deer quickly gains the clearing, stops, starts walking again. It is still early, it is not the typical time of the fallow deer. There is no mention of grazing, it is evident that it is an animal disturbed by mushroom hunters in the woods. We immediately understand that there is no time, the beautiful crossbow we have in our binoculars will not give us many possibilities to pick it up. Rangefinder 270 meters, it moves, I re-measure 250 meters.

Renzo is ready, the crossbow is about to re-enter the woods, as soon as he starts to stop before the last leap, Renzo's 300wm ball reaches him. I follow the scene with the camera on the tripod and eyes in the binoculars, but the proximity to the forest does not give me enough visual to judge the reaction to the shot. We only understand that the deer is not there, "I missed it!”Renzo sighs with more annoyance than disappointment in his voice. The camera is still aimed at the anschuss and at the same time we turn our gaze to the silent witness of a probable frying pan. What we see in the rewind of the shooting scene makes us take a breath. We wait for the canonical time but then like two kids we throw ourselves on the super crossbow that lies lifeless a few meters inside the woods, and at every step we fill our eyes with amazement and our hearts with happiness for this splendid and unexpected autumn gift.