Hunting in Italy is not simply a matter of owning and using a firearm. Anyone wishing to hunt must obtain a specific licence and comply with a wide range of regulations.
Hunting is, in fact, tightly regulated in Italy, primarily by Law No. 157/1992, which states that “wildlife is part of the State’s inalienable heritage and is protected in the interest of the national and international community”.
The law also sets out hunting seasons, huntable species, the firearms that may be used and the distances hunters must observe from residential areas, roads, railways, agricultural machinery and workplaces.
Beyond the legal framework, we believe it is essential to acquire what is often described as hunting culture: a body of written and unwritten good practices that are fundamental to practising this activity with respect for nature and for other people. Writers and public figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Theodore Roosevelt, Indro Montanelli and Mario Rigoni Stern have all written about this culture, and about the emotion that comes with this passion.
How many forms of hunting are there?
There are many different forms of hunting, because huntable species differ greatly from one another. Wild boar, for example, may be hunted through driven hunts, small-scale driven hunts or selective harvesting. Other ungulates, such as red deer and roe deer, may only be hunted through selective harvesting, in order to allow direct control over their populations.
Birds, on the other hand, are mainly hunted either from fixed hides or by walking the land, usually with the help of pointing dogs and flushing dogs.
The differences between these methods are substantial. In hunting from a fixed hide, hunters usually prepare a carefully arranged set-up — often made up of decoys and calls — designed to attract the birds being hunted.
Walked-up hunting with pointing or flushing dogs places the dog at the centre of the activity. Trained since ancient times to search for game and retrieve it after it has been shot, this remains one of the most engaging and widely practised forms of hunting in the world.
Which breeds are hunting dogs?
Many dog breeds are used in hunting, usually depending on the specific form of hunting being practised.
According to ENCI, the Italian Kennel Club, hunting dogs are divided into several groups based on their hunting aptitudes:
- Pointing dogs: specialised in locating birds, mainly galliformes, and holding a steady point until the hunter arrives. This group includes English Setters, Pointers and Italian Bracco dogs.
- Scent hounds: dogs that follow the trail of game, especially wild boar, using their sense of smell. This category includes the Segugio Italiano and the Petit Bleu de Gascogne.
- Terriers: used in various forms of hunting, particularly because of their agility, courage and ability to flush out animals living in burrows or confined spaces.
- Flushing and retrieving dogs: used to find hidden game or retrieve it after it has been shot. This group includes breeds such as the Springer Spaniel and the Labrador Retriever.
- Earth dogs: specialised in pursuing and bolting quarry from burrows. The best-known example is the Dachshund.
Sighthounds: hunting dogs that rely on sight and are used to pursue and catch prey at high speed, such as Greyhounds and Whippets.
In addition to these main categories, ENCI also includes other types of dogs that are not exclusively hunting breeds, such as sheepdogs and guard dogs. These may occasionally be involved in hunting-related activities, but they are not considered specialist hunting dogs.
Where can hunting take place in Italy?
To understand where hunting is permitted in Italy — and, above all, where it is not — it is necessary to refer to Law No. 157/1992, Law No. 394/1991, the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC, the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC and various regional laws.
Hunting is permitted within Ambiti Territoriali di Caccia, or ATCs — territorial hunting areas managed at provincial level and designated for planned hunting. Each hunter has the right to register with one or more ATCs in their province of residence and, where possible, also outside their province or region. The same applies to Comprensori Alpini, or Alpine hunting districts, which exist in Alpine regions such as Valle d’Aosta and Trentino-Alto Adige.
There are also private areas granted to organisations or individuals where hunting is allowed. These are known as Aziende Faunistico-Venatorie and Aziende Agri-Turistico-Venatorie — wildlife-hunting reserves and agri-tourism hunting reserves. Within these areas, wildlife is actively managed through restocking, harvest planning and habitat improvement.
These areas, like no-hunting zones, restocking and capture zones, national parks and many other protected or regulated areas, are marked by specific signs indicating the name and characteristics of the area.
Which laws regulate hunting?
There are several key pieces of legislation that must be considered in order to understand how hunting is regulated in Italy. The most important are listed below.
Law No. 157/1992: the main law on the protection of warm-blooded wildlife and hunting harvest. It establishes wildlife as part of the State’s inalienable heritage and sets out the main limits governing hunting.
Law No. 394/1991: the framework law on protected areas, which prohibits hunting in protected areas such as national parks and nature reserves.
The Birds Directive 2009/147/EC: part of European legislation implemented in Italy, this directive protects wild birds by prohibiting the hunting of certain species and setting guidelines for sustainable harvesting.
The Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC: this directive protects natural habitats and therefore also affects hunting activity in sensitive areas.
Law No. 221/2015: the environmental provisions linked to the Stability Law, which strengthen the protection of wild animals and introduce tougher penalties for poaching and illegal hunting.
Article 842 of the Italian Civil Code: this sets out the rules hunters must follow when accessing private land.
Hunters’ commitment to protecting biodiversity
Hunters are often portrayed as exploiters of nature, enemies of biodiversity and hostile to animals. This is not the case. It is enough to remember that three of the founders of WWF were hunters: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Peter Scott; and Godfrey A. Rockefeller.
For most hunters, hunting is not simply a pastime, but a way of connecting with nature. Wildlife conservation is therefore an absolute priority, because it ensures that species can continue to thrive. This is why hunters generally support the rational regulation of hunting, aimed at preventing species decline and promoting a more sustainable relationship between people and the environment.
This commitment is reflected in the time hunters devote to voluntary work in support of nature and biodiversity. In the first months of 2024 alone, Operazione Paladini del Territorio recorded more than 100 initiatives, amounting to 1,300 hours donated to local communities.
The same happens in many parts of the world. Data collected in France by the Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs, for example, estimate that French hunters dedicate around 10 million hours of voluntary work each year to environmental care.
How many other groups can claim to make the same contribution? Probably not many.
