Hunting for stalking thrush: attention to detail, good calls, experience and the construction of a good shed can really make a difference.
The song thrush is a suggestive creature, which awakens the hunting fantasies of many hunters. Although the hunting techniques reserved for him are really numerous, the most practiced one is certainly hunting in fixed stalking with the additional use of live calls. Those who choose this kind of technique must have a male at their disposal in the role of the caller: although the female is an excellent zipper (since she emits a sound very similar to a zip - zip in rapt sequence), it is normally useful during the step. winter, but it turns out to be less usable after closing.
At this point the obvious question that any hunter asks is: but how the hell do I recognize a male from a female? It is not a simple thing in fact, given that the sexual dimorphism related to the build and the plumage is almost non-existent. However, veteran hunters use techniques to recognize the sex of the bird, which they say are absolutely infallible.
Some are convinced that the male has a coarser build than the female, a more yellow color of the bill and the ability to move the wings with greater frenzy. In some cases the male thrush is thought to emit louder cackles than the female, while in other cases the male thrush is believed to have a larger head, and central tail feathers equal in length. Furthermore, it is believed that turning the female quickly will fan out her tail, which a male will never do.
The infallible secret in truth is another: stock up on a good quantity of presicci, choose those that will be closed, and the spring that will come from the song you will be able to recognize which is the female and which is the male of the song thrush. Having said this, it is important to remember that the arrangement of the calls is certainly an important factor: it is good that the call familiarizes you with the places where the hunt will take place. Only in this way will you be able to get used to any unusual noises and avoid the unwelcome inconvenience that your call makes a silent scene at the most important moment.
To choose the place in which to place your calls, you must necessarily know precisely the hunting ground to visit many days before the hunt. However, it is always good not to keep two calls too close: they are likely to disturb each other. Resolved the question of recalls, on which there is still so much to say, another important topic when it comes to thrush hunting in ambush is that of the construction of the shed.
Since the care of the nest during the thrush hunt is really important, this is usually practiced as a fixed camp, especially during the period of thrush pass. Nobody forbids a temporary camp, this is obvious, but in principle a temporary solution does not allow attention to detail, and thrushes notice all the details!
Time ago even the stalking, especially in northern Italy, they were built in masonry, equipped with at least two rooms to house the decoys. The care of the area also required and still requires commitment throughout the year: the surroundings of the shed must be pruned, arranged, equipped with particular shrubs that must be planted and cared for: in short, it must become as natural as possible, ideal for the rest of the migratory thrush.
Even finding the right area in which to place the shed is not a trivial matter: it is good that this rises close to ridges, since the thrushes arriving in these areas prefer to stop. In some cases it is good to build your own shed in the heart of the forest or in the undergrowth: in this case the posting must be surrounded by hedges, junipers, elderberries, but also amaranth grapes etc.
It should be remembered that the thrush rarely positions itself in the upper part of the plant, rather it prefers to rest in the low branches: this explains the importance of hedges and shrubs with a reduced height. The vegetation on the other hand will also be essential for a good camouflage of the posting and the loopholes: it goes without saying that the latter must be as functional and well tested as possible before hunting.
At this point all that remains is to try this fascinating technique that compares hunter and thrush.