"I have a doe yet to be collected to complete the plan. The area where I was assigned, however, I do not know at all“, Paolo confides to me, inviting me to accompany him hunting in the magical paradise of Camugnano. "I don't know her at all”Said by an expert and attentive hunter like Paolo, it only means that he does not know the deer that live there by name and surname. I do not see anyone as tied to the territory as he is! The challenge is very intriguing, I accompany him more than willingly. In the darkness of five in the morning, the headlights of his off-road vehicle illuminate the hairpin bends that his guide approaches with less ease than "usual". After a lot of curves, two females and a young deer cross the road, giving us the illusion of a good omen for the day. Having almost reached the goal, we see six silhouettes of deer in a field, illuminated by the light of the last stars of a windy north wind night.
"How about trying a search up there?”Suggests Paolo, just before parking the off-road vehicle. We wait for daylight and take advantage of the wait by studying the geography of the area from the GPS: we identify a field to reach by crossing the forest on the top. We leave the car and, well weighted with backpacks and rifles, we set off uphill. On the way up we wander through the trees. With a soft step we walk for about half an hour. Sbinocolando on our left, about 300 meters from us, we spot a herd of deer. The deer are stationed in an intricate area, among bare branches of gorse, thorny shrubs and sparse trees that seem dry. Compatibly with the poor view granted by the dirt that partially conceals them, we identify two fusoni and at least two females.
As the bull's eye illuminates a point of the dark stage with its conical light, only a tear in the spot offers us the possibility to see distinctly one animal at a time, as they alternate in their slow and apparently incongruous movements. The two spindles, like two teenagers who in the game measure their strength and fighting skills, face each other by crossing solid spindles. First one backs off, then pushes the opponent, in the ancient ancestral dance that celebrates newly blossomed manhood. Our view is clouded by numerous, thin branches that partially hide us but which represent insidious obstacles to clear vision and above all to a possible shot.
"I will try to move forward a few meters - Paul whispers - from there it seems to me that there are fewer branches, from here I would not dare to pull". The dead leaves that the wind of these days has made fragrant risk betraying our steps. I decide not to move and let Paolo advance alone, in the semi-circular trajectory with which he goes around the brambles, until he positions himself a few meters from me. The wind that continues to blow is in our favor, and the deer do not notice the inevitable creaking of Paul's footsteps. We are on exactly the same trajectory and therefore have the same view. Rangefinder 270 meters, and the distance that separates us is within whisper's reach. The bull's-eye no longer frames the fusoni, which have moved to the top. Now there is a baby in the center of the scene, while the thin one, which we have chosen as the garment to be taken, is barely visible, partially covered by the broom. It is very difficult to attempt a shot, although the distance is not prohibitive.
Paolo has settled on the ground, the rifle is perfectly stabilized thanks to the bipod and backpack. Reduce the magnification to a minimum to better view the treacherous branches that could interfere. I see him imperceptibly move the barrel on the backpack, the possible free trajectories are very few and well printed in his mind. But these are only hypotheses, hopes: the female does not seem to want to come out. Suddenly a distant bark shakes our ears. Even the deer seem alarmed, and some of them first direct their gaze and then a few steps towards the thickest part of the wood. However, not the whole pack is alarmed. The baby descends a few meters and, in the only clean hole, in the bull's eye of this magnificent and mysterious stage, the silhouette of the female stands out like a postcard. I seem to perceive Paul's thoughts exactly. Calmly and with slow movements he rotates the lens ring increasing the magnifications he had kept low to view the branches. His shoulders seem relaxed and his breathing regular. Continuing to frame the thin one with the binoculars, I instinctively bring my thumbs to cover the eardrums, preparing myself for the roar of the 3oo WM that the muzzle brake has painfully amplified.
The herd of deer, already alerted by the bark of a few seconds before, splashes confused and disordered towards the dense forest. It is not easy to assess which and how many deer have gone away, covered as they are by a thousand visual obstacles. The reaction to the doe's blow remains a smoky mystery steeped in hope. "I was still and focused… if this shot didn't hit the mark the only variable I can't rule out is some unexpected branch”Comments Paolo, obviously excited. We don't have to wait long before reaching the anschuss, the distance that separates us from the doe (we hope!) Requires well over a quarter of an hour of walking. Already from a distance, an extensive patch of blood on the green and bare broom invites us to approach with confidence. A few meters from the anschuss, the lifeless doe offers itself to our eyes, full of satisfaction but already turned to the steep drop that awaits us for the grueling recovery.