Hunting in Italy, with its diverse and expansive territories, offers hunters high-quality hunting areas.
There are many and varied types of hunting in Italy, each with something special that makes it unique. When talking about hunting in our beautiful country, we could spend hours describing the peculiarities of each hunting practice.
Hunting is a fascinating world that provides every hunter with unique experiences and emotions. Each hunter has their preferred type of hunting, though it’s not uncommon to find an avid dog-loving hunter who also practices selective hunting.
Among the most common and hunted ungulates in Italy are wild boar, deer, roe deer, fallow deer, mouflon, and the chamois, which is typical of our Alps.
The Apennine and Alpine mountain ranges are high-quality hunting areas, thanks to careful management from selective hunting and, above all, the wildlife and hunting companies that impeccably monitor the territory and fauna.
In Val Clarea, a tributary of the main Susa Valley, deer and chamois find their habitat, moving agilely on rugged terrain and climbing steep walls.
The chamois, king of Italian hunts and particularly appreciated by foreign hunters, tests the hunter’s physical endurance and hunting technique, making this hunt extraordinarily thrilling. During the season, one can admire the changing landscape of the mountains: from the green pastures of September, to the shifting reds of autumn, and the white snow of November.
In these valleys, one can find trophy chamois, both male and female, as well as beautiful yearlings (chamois in their second year of life).
Another fascinating icon of wildlife is the fallow deer. Its adaptability and beauty make it of great interest to hunters. A strong and cunning wild animal, it lives in more or less large groups and chooses the central Apennines and the neighboring hilly areas as its home. Throughout the year, it changes its coat twice: an autumn/winter coat that is typically gray-brown, making it less visible, and a spring/summer coat that is reddish-brown with a black median stripe running from the neck to the tail and white spots on the back and sides.
The fallow deer is also a subject of debate in the selective control community. Some consider it an alien species that should be eradicated, while others, after hundreds of years since its introduction from Asia, consider it fully native and therefore in need of proper and necessary wildlife management.
In the province of Alessandria, in the Piedmont Apennines on the border with Liguria, there is a reserve dedicated to fallow deer hunting: Cascina Emanuele.
Here, in addition to high-quality hunting, you can enjoy the hospitality of the hunting lodge, one of the oldest houses in Grondona, now turned into a gastronomic inn: the Locanda del Daino. This is a place where you can experience healthy and natural cuisine, with almost all ingredients sourced from the wild, thanks to careful research in the area that prioritizes sustainability as much as possible.
Italy offers numerous opportunities not only for ungulate hunting but also for small game hunting, both resident and migratory: partridges, pheasants, red-legged partridges, as well as woodcocks, thrushes, ducks, quails, and wood pigeons.
These hunts can be carried out with a close-knit group of companions or even alone, perhaps in the company of your four-legged hunting assistant.
The hunting reserve “La Stoppa” in Rivergaro, nestled among the gentle hills of Piacenza, is a perfect habitat for hunting with dogs and also for traditional English-style driven hunts.
Further south, in the Marche region in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, lies the San Fiorano reserve. This area is composed of hills primarily cultivated with alfalfa, alternating with oak forests, fallow land, lakes, streams, and rivers. The San Fiorano hunting reserve is an ideal place for the hunter and their dog, where partridges, pheasants, and red-legged partridges have found their habitat.
The various types of hunting in Italy offer a wide range of hunting experiences. Now, you just have to find the one that suits you best to discover all the possibilities!
