One of the hunts that has always fascinated me is perhaps also one of the oldest that man has practiced: the Hare Hunt.
I read somewhere that hare hunting was practiced already in ancient times, perhaps long before the Romans and so I said to myself: "Could it be that I have been a hunter for so many years and I have never hunted the Hare, the Queen Mustachioed ?! ". Finally, however, the opportunity presented itself to do it in the best way and so when Lorenzo invited me for a joke with his father, he did not hesitate for a moment to accept. Lorenzo is a dear childhood friend of mine who is passionate about hunting like me and in his family there Hare hunting it has been a tradition for generations; his father and grandfather have always practiced it not to mention their experience as hounds. I couldn't have hoped for a better opportunity, I really think I'll have fun. Lorenzo's father, Mr. Girolamo, despite his age loves to personally train his dogs, magnificent specimens of Italian Hound which, from what I know, is among the best breeds that can be used for hunting the hare; from what Lorenzo then tells, the dogs trained by his father know how to prove that they are true professionals in the sector.
Finally the day I was waiting for has arrived, last night I hardly slept for the desire to start and I jumped out of bed before the alarm went off. The equipment is ready, for this special day I decided to bring my semiautomatic Benelli Vinci 12 gauge with 70mm barrel and 2-star choke, magnificent shotgun. For the cartridges I got advice from Lorenzo and I brought 36 grams with 5 shots for the first shot and 38 grams with 4 shots for the following shots. A quick breakfast at the village bar with Lorenzo and his dad then off to the hunting area. The guide is obviously Mr. Girolamo who at six in the morning has already taken us to the hunting ground, the countryside outside Rispescia, a few kilometers from Grosseto on one side, and from the Maremma Natural Park on the other; the landscape of the area where we are is a beautiful plain generally cultivated with wheat but which does not disdain some vineyards scattered here and there not to mention the boundless fields of alfalfa; the regularity of the cultivated countryside and the rows of vineyards is interrupted at times by corners of wild vegetation, generally between one limit and another, and by some agricultural huts. The atmosphere of the first light of dawn immersed in this landscape always gives a certain magic that perhaps only hunters can fully grasp.
While I am still a tourist and I enjoy the landscape, there are those who do not waste time: Mr. Girolamo has already let the dogs out of the jeep to start making them stretch their paws and in the meantime he reassures us, "the place is good, you will see that today it will be fun ”. The old man seems to speak with good reason because many other times he has already hunted the big ear around these parts with excellent results and knows the area well. The Hares come to pasture in these lands, Lorenzo explained to me, but being very large as an area, the dogs will probably struggle a bit to find the right track. In fact, it must be said that in this type of hunting dogs do most of the work. Hounds are generally trained to follow only and exclusively the trail of the prey that interests the hunter, in this case our long-eared friend, without being distracted by the traces left by other animals such as wild boars, roe deer and other furred game. Once free on the hunting ground, the hounds will begin to turn in search of the right trace, the trace left by the passage of the animal, the facts, any trace in short that gives certainty that the Hares have recently passed through these parts to eat; in this phase the conductor, with his experience, will help the hounds to overcome any uncertainties if the trace left by the Hare is very complex with false traces, double, various turns to finally arrive at the den where he hides. So while Lorenzo and I find ourselves two places, well apart from each other, where we can wait for the Hare to escape if the dogs manage to find it, Signor Girolamo starts the dogs on the Hare's trail. The stalls we have chosen are located on almost obligatory paths for the hare on the run and I, as I am not very experienced in this type of hunting, let myself be guided by Lorenzo who chose the post for me; from where I am I can see my hunting companions very well, I have the dogs in sight and my view is almost completely free from obstacles that could disturb a possible shot. Meanwhile, we follow the dogs with our eyes as they make their reconnaissance tour skillfully led by Girolamo who sometimes approaches to direct them on the track or calling them back if they get too close to some agricultural hut. Girolamo seems very focused on understanding every slightest movement of his dogs, every reaction as they rummage the ground in search of that particular trace different from any other. The Italian Hounds are exceptional dogs, true professionals in this type of hunting, they seem able to find what they want in any situation and against any difficulty.
Until now, during an abundant half hour of incessant search, the dogs have given at most some scagno and some wagging but without concrete follow-up: something is there but it seems that they are not sure. For me, who am not used to this type of hunting, the wait is unnerving, I am inexperienced and every bark seems to me a positive sign but Lorenzo explains to me that it is not so. Dogs communicate with each other by coordinating and signaling the traces found by following the most insistent smells that signal a more recent passage of the wild, distinguishing and discarding the less important ones instead. Furthermore, in this period of the season the Hares are much smarter and often, before the throw-in, they travel the so-called double, that is a sort of pirouette that suddenly interrupts the olfactory trail often managing to confuse even the most experienced hounds. Finally, after about ten minutes we hear the dogs bark at times as if they were calling each other and exchanging information for confirmation, as if to say: “The track is there and it seems the right one. A hare has passed by here and it must not be far! ”. From this moment on, a frantic search begins by the hounds to find the hare in the place where it has taken refuge accompanied by a soundtrack of well-timed and increasingly frequent vocalizations. Our attention on the dogs increases with every moment and suddenly a shrill and prolonged bark rips through the countryside while at the same instant a dark lightning crosses the portion of the field where the dogs were to head right towards us. Lorenzo rejoices "Here it is!" and immediately takes up his shotgun but the Hare seems too far away for him. Nonetheless, one more second and Lorenzo tries the shot but, not only frighteningly pan twice, he also causes a sudden change of direction of the Hare who, frightened, is now running towards me.
An adrenaline rush runs through my body. It is the first running Hare that I see live, it is right in front of me and I am in shooting distance during a joke. hunting. I can hardly believe it but I am in the right place at the right time; thoughts overlap but, as if it were an instinctive and automatic reaction, I take my 12 gauge and everything in my mind clears up. I follow with the viewfinder that dark lightning that crosses the field in front of me. It is very fast! I am about to try to shoot but suddenly I hear a loud and prolonged whistle. I stop for a moment to understand what is happening and I realize that Lorenzo is the one who whistles. He had talked to me about this technique but I had forgotten about it and, frankly, I didn't even believe so much. In fact Lorenzo also confessed to me that it does not always work but this time, incredible but true, the Hare slows down its wild run almost stopping in the middle of the field probably to understand where that prolonged sound comes from. It's my time. I can't miss this opportunity. It's just me and the Hare. FIRE!
For an instant it seems to me that I no longer hear any sound after the shot but the wild barking of the hounds reaching the downed prey brings me back to reality. My first "Mustachioed Queen", honor to her, rolls on the ground and finally remains motionless. I do not believe it! I killed my first hare. Mr. Girolamo was right, hunting the Hare is an unforgettable experience full of twists and turns. I haven't felt so excited since I first went hunting with dad and grandpa, I will never forget this day.