The lark hunting technique: the use of mirrors, the position of the shed and the laughing stock. We will make a journey with which we will describe this mode of this hunt, which fascinates many hunters.
The framework law n. 157/92 regulates the hunting activity for the lark, a species that can be hunted from the third Sunday of September to 31 December. The lark, even if in a minimal part it is a sedentary bird, is mostly considered a migratory species. The "pass" begins in October and ends at the end of November, while the "review" occurs in March and April.
The lark, depending on the weather conditions, flies either skimming the ground or moving to a high altitude, to the point that it can only hear its song without being able to spot it.
The typical hunt for larks is done with the mirror and / or with the owl. Specifically, the mirror is recommended on sunny days, while the owl technique on rainy ones. In both cases it is the curiosity that shows the lark, the foundation of this hunting technique, which is practiced during the first morning in the months of September, October and partly in November. With the mirror technique, the hunter and a companion, who bears the burden of turning the mirror or fluttering the owl, hide in a shed, behind a hedge, a bush, a makeshift hide-and-seek. The hunter with the mouth or with a mechanical call reproduces the sound of the larks, which once approached are attracted respectively by the mirror or the owl, moving within the range of action of the shotgun. The lark, as well as with the owl and the mirror, like the other birds, is the object of the classic wandering hunt. The hunter armed with a rifle, cartridges and a few whistles, wanders around the hunting ground trying to knock down the larks that end up in his range.
Hunting the lark in roaming mode is very advantageous in terms of results, as long as you have quick reflexes, shooting speed, good ear and know how to use the call by mouth, the latter very important in the days of walking. The lark can be found in freshly “shaved” meadows, in stubble, in plowed fields, that is to say in all those open lands also called “esplanades”. It is important to remember that this bird does not like to perch on very wet ground. Entering the field it is necessary to have the sun behind you, since the lark rises in the most diverse ways, behaving in a completely unpredictable way. When getting up in flight it almost always emits the classic cry called “cryo”: on a sunny day it immediately gains altitude, while on rainy or windy days it flies grazing the ground in a zigzag; for this last flight mode, the shot is rather complicated. If you are able to shoot from the side, the result is more than satisfactory, since the upward flight does not have a precise direction and without trajectory, it is therefore very difficult to aim the target. The use of the whistle is fundamental, since in the autumn period the skylarks emit two types of cries, a "cryo-cryo" and a "pio-pio": when you can see the larks in the distance you will have to use cryo-cryo at regular intervals, then switch to rain when the birds begin to approach. If the lark is crouched on the ground, stand still and whistle. For the pasturoni subjects it is not considered useful to reproduce the verse of the lark, since for the latter there is no call. The lark hunt can be done from the shed, with the help of the owl. Considering that the use of the live owl has been prohibited for about fifteen years, today the plastic owl is used, which can be controlled through a wire. Once the shed has been positioned, the game is arranged: in front of the shed at a distance ranging from 12 to 20-22 meters, the owl pole is positioned, taking care to anchor it firmly to the ground, a rope is tied just below the mushroom, the owl is placed and rises 8/10 meters. The rope will be needed to control the bird of prey from the shed, simulating small movements. The lark like the pipit has an indescribable attraction for this bird of prey, in fact it lowers quickly from great heights and then gives the impression that it remains still in the air for a few seconds, then makes a series of turns around the bird of prey, without ever landing to the ground. In addition to the plastic owl, there are also the laughings, for which however, even if they are not prohibited as decoys, it is still forbidden to operate. If you do not respect this rule, you risk a report for mistreatment of animals.
In order to avoid this sanction, many prefer to use stuffed larks one with rotating wings, the other with flapping wings. In addition to this, a carousel is used that simulates two or four stuffed larks chasing each other, placed to the right of the shed, while to the left of the latter there is a lark with rotating wings and one with flapping wings slightly raised from the ground; finally, on a sunny day, the "macaque" can also be placed to the left of the shed. If you adopt live laughings, you have to proceed with harnessing them, that is tied in a particular way for the waist with the hooking of the carabiner at the height of the sternum. It is placed to the right of the pole of the owl, at a distance of 15/20 meters. from the shed, a pole about two or three meters high, at the end of which a string is fixed, let go down to the ground and carried up to the inside of the posting, so that it can be activated, paying attention that the path on the ground is free from entanglements. so that the twine once pulled does not get caught in the ground or similar. We then proceed to place the larks, the first about five meters from the shed, the second after 80/100 cm from the first and the same for the third. To hook the larks to the carabiner we will have previously secured three pins on the twine at the aforementioned distances. It must be remembered if you place the decoys on the grass, that it is not wet; otherwise it can be dried with towels, since the wet lark, needless to say, does not fly. In the moment in which the larks are sighted, it is necessary to pull the cord with a light blow, in such a way that the solicited jokes, take flight and then land on the ground, giving the impression to the wild to be in pasture. There is no need to stress the laughing stock too much or excessively when the larks are approaching in a decisive way and when the wild ones are in the immediate vicinity; in this last case there is even the risk of obtaining the opposite effect. If the birds are very far away, just make the laughing stock go up to the maximum so that they can see them as they land, when instead the larks are moving away after passing over the game, the laughters are activated slightly so that they only move the wings without getting up. from the ground. Obviously, after two hours of work, the larks must be unhooked and put back to rest in the cages and replaced with three other "fresh" ones. The live calls are fundamental, but the skylark must sing continuously and only when the wild are in the immediate vicinity must the singing stop and emit the pious.
The choice, the breeding and the care of the calls is an equally fundamental part of the life of the migratory hunter. In concluding the article, we believe it is right to make some considerations. The shed must be positioned on the sharpening line, always remembering that the passage larks hardly deviate from the migration routes. It is often said that the shed is not needed, but a good camouflage can only bring advantages in terms of felled specimens. Once the sharpening line has been found, the shed must be positioned in the most open place possible, away from plants and high voltage wires and possibly in recently plowed land or cultivated with freshly cut grass. In any case, it must be positioned where the conformation of the same makes it easy to find the game, since during the peaks of the pass it is in fact very difficult to leave the shed immediately to collect the prey. In this case, if you do not have a good auxiliary, if the ground is not clean, it may be difficult to find the lark, which with its plumage is able to blend in well with the ground. Also, if the lark comes from east-north-east, the game must be positioned to the east, but that means shooting into the sun and is not recommended. You can then position the game in a northerly direction, with the sun bothering for only a couple of hours. Many hunters prefer to shoot the hut with the sun behind them, but this means that they will only shoot the wild after the latter have passed the game with logical consequences. Finally, a tip on lead: the most recommended is 12 x32 gr.