Woodcock hunting: A wonderful land full of surprises and nature, Romania in recent years has been rediscovered by woodcock lovers and by those who live in uncontaminated and wild nature.
That Romania is a paradise for hunters who love woodcock is no longer a secret for anyone, yet still today there is confusion about hunting times, but above all about places. For example, those who leave for Romania without relying on a hunting association to guide them, do not always manage to find the right moments of the day and the ideal places to hunt the fascinating woodcock. Result? Empty game bags, demotivation and boredom.
It will therefore be good to know that the woodcock in spring (even better if in the month of March - April), it will be possible to hunt in Romania alla croule, in the evening. When we talk about croule we are basically referring to an appearance hunt, which is held during the mating phase. It is however different from the usual post, which we all know well since in spring the male specimens, rather than running towards the woods, at dusk engage in a truly suggestive acrobatic flight, flying low and always covering the same stretches near the female waiting.
We are basically describing the nuptial flight of the woodcock, fascinating and exciting. It is precisely at this moment that the croule can take place, whose wait generally lasts from 15 to 20 minutes. The name of the technique is given precisely by the hoarse cry emitted by the males in flight, a sort of “Crouh Crouh”.
As it is easy to imagine, it is a highly debated hunt but no less practiced in Romania by Romanian hunters. The local people, who practice this hunt considered beautiful and seductive, confirm (rightly or wrongly) that it is a sustainable hunt as the culled species are exclusively male.
The driven hunt, called the goana, is instead considered an unsportsmanlike hunt, given that the number of females killed is particularly high. While not prohibited by law, it is rarely practiced. The ideal season is both autumn and spring, in the plains but close to large forests.
A maximum of 5 hunters take part in this hunt in the open spaces or clearings that cross the wooded area. However, these must be places from which to enjoy a good view. After the hunters (the beaters), other companions will advance towards the post offices, beating the bushes with sticks and pushing the woodcocks towards the post hunters.
Hunting with a pointing dog is instead a technique practiced by a few Romanian dog lovers, lovers of classic hunting, who are accompanied by kurzhaar, drahthaar, pointer, setter and breton. Italian bracchi and spinoni are practically unknown.
Not infrequently the number of females captured during this ancient type of hunting is higher than that of males who prove to be lighter to the whirl and excellent stalkers. For this the technique has been the subject of numerous attacks.
Having analyzed the different hunting techniques, it is now good to find out where Romanians hunt woodcock, and of course we could not start except from the mountain.
To find the best hunting spots it is obviously necessary to know the migratory habits of these fascinating species; it is important to know, for example, that the woodcocks they arrive in Romania at the end of September and at the beginning of October, directly from the regions of the North and North East, crossing passes and gorges of Maramures and Moldova. They stop in fir forests, or in some cases in the humid valleys of Transylvania or in the Eastern and Central Carpathians, in short, where the viewing conditions are the best, at a height ranging from 1500 meters upwards.
The groups of woodcocks, which join the rare sedentary ones, in the month of October swell with new units and linger, especially if the temperatures are stable and the north and north-east winds are light. However, it is still a difficult and limiting hunt, which is why the hunting levy by Romanians and foreign hunters is really relative in these conditions.
It is also true that the hunting trips organized in these areas, while leaving the game bag unsatisfied, fill the mind and soul with wonder. The hunter will be literally immersed in the deepest silence, lost among coniferous forests and fog, gigantic trees and fragrant ferns, moss, streams, lichens, gurgling water, spiers of snowy mountains that give the idea of being in the heart of a unusual cathedral, all devoted to nature.
This does not mean that reaching these places, often far from any form of humanization, is really difficult. It is essential to be accompanied by a guide, since during foggy days getting lost is quite simple, and also the risk of encountering brown bears is real. And we have to say, these are big beasts weighing more than 350 kg that are really not very sociable both with men and with dogs. The more adventurous can still book a bed in the typical local huts, well equipped and heated, designed for hunters and tourists.
Less complex is hunting in the hills. The hilly areas are inhabited by Romanian hunters and coming from every corner of the world when the high pressure begins to disintegrate in the mountain habitat. At this point the woodcock he sets out to escape from bad weather, rains, wind and storms, but above all from currents coming from Russia and Siberia. The movements towards the South are even more sudden in case of sudden snowfall that brings the woodcocks in the hilly bands of the Carpathians. This is certainly the moment long awaited by woodcockers from all over Romania who love hunting with pointing dogs, very similar to that practiced in the beautiful country in the Apennine area.
The woodcocks from morning to evening will try their hand at fascinating ups and downs from oak, oak, hornbeam and beech woods that not only host these wonderful birds, but that in their undergrowth give hospitality to the best quality porcini mushrooms. Not infrequently, hunters combine one hunting activity with the other for gathering. What makes hilly hunting so fascinating is the limited influx of hunters: you will rarely meet strangers and for this reason the tranquility of the place can be fully enjoyed.
We close this virtual tour in Romania by talking about hunting in the plains and in the Danube islands. In fact, the hilly stay is not too long and soon the woodcocks head towards the flat areas where they feed, catch their breath and rest before taking a nice flight to the central Mediterranean.
The stops, as it is obvious to imagine, are more or less lasting depending on the climatic conditions: the woodcocks do nothing but respond to their migratory instinct. In this phase they prefer to stop in damp woods and in the southern and south-eastern agricultural areas, especially along the course of the Danube and its tributaries.
The Danube delta area, the Tulcea and Dobrogea region, as well as the smaller islands hosting the river are also particularly popular. Obviously, hunters will only be able to reach them by boat or with the help of rafts.
The habitat is so comfortable that some islands have been transformed into real protected nature reserves, in which hunting is prohibited. We mention for example the Small Island (insula Mica), once a real hunting paradise. These are places that hunters, nature lovers, often visit orphans of their rifles, to admire the marvelous flights of the woodcock which today can only be unquestionably defined as a World Heritage Site.
Dear Sirs, Your commendable comment on the hunting of woodcock (croule), not only does not excite me, but I consider it anachronistic, especially in this moment in time where the
statistics show us a constantly decreasing numerical situation of said acidic acid.
I understand that you do it as a profession, but believe me: the woodcock should only be pursued with the dog
and picking up a few items, to ensure that there is always a chance to meet her again in
time.
Excuse my comment, but I had to, in this historical moment, where most think more about the number than about the merit.
Greetings. Mauro