Woodcock hunting traditions in Italy go back hundreds of years. Now, with thermal vision, the hunting customs are slightly changing, but nevertheless, the woodcock remains a highly mysterious, exciting bird to hunt. To find out more about this delicate and exciting process, we talked to our ambassador from Italy – Riccardo Tamburini.
Interview
Can you tell us a little about the traditions of woodcock hunting in Italy?
Woodcock is an iconic bird, very difficult to find because many of its habits are still unknown. Its hunting is probably the most important hunting type with pointing dogs. No other hunting style is allowed in Italy. For example, in France, you can hunt woodcock by waiting for it when it comes out from the woods at sunset or when it comes back at sunrise, but in Italy, it is not considered sports hunting.
How did you get into it? What’s your favorite thing about it?
I consider the woodcock one of the last wild birds you can hunt with pointing dogs in Italy. To get a woodcock, you and your dogs must have the knowledge; you have to perfectly know the environment, the biology, and the habits of this very elusive bird.
What are their habits?
We don’t have as much information about woodcock as about other birds because it’s a nighttime bird. It’s very difficult to see it during the day because woodcock feeds during the night and it stays covered in the woods during the day. But a skilled hunter knows that it needs water, soft ground, and it hates wind.
You need to know everything about the woodcock and also about the environment and territories where you’ll hunt.
Riccardo Tamburini
Apart from those, what are the other things you must know when going woodcock hunting?
As I’ve said, you need to know everything about the woodcock and also about the environment and territories where you’ll hunt. Woodcocks come to the same spots every year, and if you get a woodcock in timber, you can be sure to find another one there, within the same 50 square meters, the following year.
What gear is required for such a hunt?
You need a completely different outfit than for other hunting styles. You have to walk a lot, stalking with your dogs, often in a dense forest or covered areas, because woodcock loves to spend all day where vegetation is tangled. You need a high corduroy jacket and kevlar pants.
And which Pulsar devices work best for this hunt?
In the past, the old hunters knew that the woodcock is a methodical bird: it always flies to the same places, and it’s quite easy to intercept it out of the woods when it comes out for feeding or goes back to rest during the day. Today, you can explore open grass with a good thermal device during the night: it’s quite easy to find them while feeding, looking for worms. Due to her long beak, its shape is unique. However, to be able to recognize it from afar, a high-quality thermal imager, like the Pulsar Merger LRF XP50 or Pulsar Axion 2 LRF XQ35, is required.
Riccardo Tamburini
Woodcock is an iconic bird, very difficult to find because many of its habits are still unknown. Its hunting is probably the most important hunting type with pointing dogs.
Interview
Could you describe the whole hunting process?
I prefer to use a thermal the night before going hunting. Not before sunrise, because it’s less sports. I use my Merger LRF XP50 or the Pulsar Helion 2 XP50 PRO for spotting all the open grass where I know a woodcock could be. Then, the following morning, I go to the nearby woods to start hunting. It’s not easy to find a woodcock but knowing they are there keeps me more motivated. I use the thermal devices at the beginning of the season a lot, just to better understand if woodcocks came into Italy during their migration flights.
Which dogs work the best in these types of hunts?
It depends on your preferences. I love Epagneul Breton, and I have a female called Scheggia. But many hunters prefer to hunt with English Setters because they cover a larger area.
Today, you can explore open grass with a good thermal device during the night: it’s quite easy to find them while feeding, looking for worms. However, to be able to recognize it from afar, a high-quality thermal imager, like the Pulsar Merger LRF XP50, is required.
Riccardo Tamburini
Interview
What are the biggest challenges of this kind of hunt?
The biggest challenge is finding the bird. It’s like a ghost, and only your knowledge, your patience, your experience, and your dedication will help you find it. Then, you also need to be a good shooter because it is fast, and woodcocks always try to make sure there is a tree between it and you.
And finally, we can’t help but wonder – what is your favorite way to cook woodcock?
The secret is to take away all the blood from the bird by washing it a lot and putting it over ice. You save everything: offals are perfect for a paté, and the body is great cooked in the oven, completely rolled up in bacon to make it more tender. You can eat it together with mashed potatoes and cooking juice. When I have a good number of birds, I love to prepare ravioli with butter, pepper, and sage.
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