Woodcock hunting in the Crimea

Woodcock hunting in the Crimea: Since mid-October, Crimea opens its doors to foreign tourists who have eagerly awaited the opening of the woodcock hunt. Surprisingly, the hunting trip could prove to be an excellent opportunity to discover a suggestive, rich and stimulating territory.

Woodcock, whose scientific name sounds much more complex (scolopax rusticola), is a bird as fascinating as it is solitary, stocky in shape, with a long and robust beak and a wonderful camouflage plumage, which offers it the opportunity to blend in with the foliage.

For this reason it is practically impossible to observe it on the ground, even if it proves difficult to admire it in flight, a lover of the night and endowed as it is with excellent eyesight and surprising hearing. It can rarely be seen during the day as it prefers twilight for its awakening and for looking for food. His typical dinner is based on worms, insects, crustaceans and molluscs, spiders or maybe seeds and sprouts.

It certainly cannot be said that it is a sociable bird, inhabitant of humid places, preferably close to woods and pastures. But whoever is waiting to be able to devote himself to hunting this suggestive bird knows all these things very well. What is often overlooked is that Crimea is a paradise for woodcock hunting. For this reason, between October and December its hunting reserves are literally invaded by Italians and Europeans with a passion for the queen of the woods.

If you have in mind a hunting trip of this type, the advice is to contact an association that can follow you both in the organizing phase of the trip and during your stay, showing you the most interesting hunting grounds.

Among the most popular places in Crimea we must at least mention the surroundings of Yalta Ai Petri, Bahchisarai, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Feodoxia and Cold Mountain. Usually the hunter, or the group of hunters, find accommodation in tourist bases, in hotels, or at best in hunting lodges. However, these are structures that are really not far from the places where the hunting activity will take place, usually reachable in less than half an hour.

The hunter will be transported by Jeep to the hunting site, accompanied, according to the agreements, by a local guide who knows the territory by heart and will have the possibility to bring his own animal and his rifle with him or preferably, he can rent one and the other upon arrival.

Normally the slaughter limit per hunter per day is around 10 woodcocks, but obviously each reserve has its own rules that it is good to know precisely.

Naturally the richness of the hunting areas that will host the lovers of hunting, will allow you to test yourself not only with the cunning and fleeting woodcocks, but also with quail, ducks, partridges, wood pigeons etc.

These are all species that can be found, for example, in the Bahcissary hunting reserve, with its 53 hectares of land made available. No less fascinating is the Bielogorsk reserve, characterized by humid and hilly areas, an ideal habitat for woodcock.

Aloushta, a wonderful hunting reserve, is also inhabited by many woodcocks. The territory is rich in groves, rocky environments and steep slopes that plunge directly into the sea; in short, a daydream. However, it is an area that requires a certain physical preparation, as it is particularly demanding.

Pheodossya, on the other hand, is a reserve of 26 hectares bordering the Black Sea. The plain alternates with banks and ravines, all covered by a dense flora. Gray partridge and woodcock are at home here.

In the 47 thousand hectares of territory belonging to the Soudack reserve, the hunter can instead devote himself to exploring the mountainous Crimea, and hunting woodcocks, deer, roe deer and wild boar. Ducks, waders, geese and snipe instead inhabit the swamps on the shores of Lake Sivash.

To reach Crimea, Italian hunters are usually reserved for charter flights, a solution that is not only quick, but also particularly economical. All those who choose Crimea as a hunting trip destination will have the opportunity to discover a rich, fascinating territory, alive with traditions and culture.