Wild boar hunting. For several weeks the footsteps of a large boar had excited the spirits of the Terzo Mondo team from Capalbio, but the hunt for the clever solengo remained fruitless. A thunderous bark at stop at the end of the bar seems to rekindle hopes: will it be him?
Text and photos by Vincent Frascino
It was 6:30 in the morning and I was traveling the Via Aurelia again in the direction of Capalbio. Another exciting hunt was waiting for me with what has become my new team of wild boar hunting. Unfortunately for logistical reasons I had to abandon my Umbrian friends from Valnerina but the adoption by my Tuscan friends mitigated the gap. On the border of the Tuscan Maremma and the Lazio one, in Pescia Fiorentina, a fraction of the municipality of Capalbio, the great team called Terzo Mondo plays. This singular name derives from the fact that Pescia Fiorentina was considered, compared to the other towns of Capalbio, the most desolate and backward. When this team was formed, it chose the ironically derogatory nickname, attributed to Pescia Fiorentina, which in the meantime, from the “Third World” that it was, has transformed into an exclusive and chic area. The team is made up of about fifty members, but there are almost never more than 35 at bat. Almost all the members have an “evocative” nickname which sometimes replaces the first name and is stamped on the back of their respective high visibility vests. The team hunts in the limited free territory that lies between the rolling hills of Capalbio.
Wednesday is the day in which the Third World has the opportunity to hunt in the AFV "Càpita" characterized by a territory suited to roe deer but definitely also to wild boar. The hunts are repeated all with the same script but at the same time each is unique and special. It is not easy to fully explain what makes the Terzo Mondo team so special and dear to me: the atmosphere you breathe, the unity and respect you feel among the members, the competence mixed with tradition make this team truly unique.
But let's go back to that Wednesday in mid-December. For several weeks the footsteps of a large boar marked the territory of Pescia Fiorentina. His presence had excited the spirits of the Third World, but the big and sly solengo seemed to vanish during the day. Even on that umpteenth day, despite his many footprints, no "trace" of the now famous wild boar. In fact, at the end of the joke, a sow and two pigs represented the spoils of the day. “Why don't we go around the post office and take a look at the handkerchief behind us?” - with these words Alberto rekindles the hope of those present.
The new loose of the dogs is followed by a short but intense steady bark. “Attentiiii !! It 's grossoooo! I heard him break up !! ”, Alessio shouts over the radio, drawing the attention of all the post offices. The Maremmans in the lead, followed by the auxiliaries from beyond the Alps, signal the approach of the wild boar to the post office. "Bam, Bam" - two close shots fired by Giuliano, posted along the ditch, keep everyone in suspense. Nothing to do, the balls did not go to sign and the canizza continues off the beaten path. At that point, Alberto and Paolo get on the off-road vehicle to try the impossible. The voices on the radio seem to accelerate the off-road vehicle that leads them along the cease where hopefully intercept the trajectory of the animal. Guessing the chosen trot is not easy but a bit of luck, combined with great experience, rewards the one who believed in it until the end.
Two 12-gauge balls spat out by Alberto's semiautomatic put an end to the race of the big boar. “Viva Mariaaaa !! It is really Luiiii !! " Alberto yells over the radio. Honor to the big and astute boar baptized as "The King of Monte Bellino". He would have gotten away with it once again if he hadn't decided to probe a corner of the scrub behind the batting territory.