The Hunting Tradition in Sicily

Hunting in Italy and in Sicily is regulated by the law of 11 February 1992, no. 157. Hunting activity is one of Sicily's oldest traditions, rooted in the past and indissolubly linking man to the environment. In Sicily too, wildlife is defined as the indisputable heritage of the State and every hunter is obliged to follow the rules and hunting calendars.

Every year, the opening of the hunting season is followed by the debate on the fate of this discipline, a piece of history closely linked to rural tradition, of which Sicilian grandfathers and great-grandfathers are often the last bastions.

Sicily has a territory that for the most part has not been invaded by urbanisation, rich in hills, reliefs, plains and wetlands, conditions that make it a habitat-rich land that is home to various animal species, some migratory and certainly several of hunting interest.

Sicilian rabbit breeders

The hunting tradition in Sicily boasts a wonderful culture of rabbit hunting with the aid of dogs and also of the ferret, a skilful scout. This type of hunting has its roots in ancient times in fact, it was the Normans who introduced the use of the ferret on hunting trips!

The Cirneco of Etna

Today, the ferret is banned as a hunting auxiliary, which is why Sicilian hunters are very often accompanied by the Cirneco dell'Etna: a hunting dog belonging to a very ancient breed and most probably a native Sicilian breed! It is a particularly agile dog that can even reach 40/45 km/h when running, which over time has made it the best choice in wild rabbit and hare hunting.

Bird hunting in Sicily

The variety of environments in Sicily allows Sicilian hunters to successfully practice other types of hunting in particular to birds, thus creating a variety of hunting practices unusual for the island! In the days of late summer hunting is practiced turtle doves, pigeons and quails while in mid-autumn begins hunting for thrushes, larks and ducks. Winter is the time of the woodcocks flying over the mountains of Nebrodi (Messina) or of the Madonie (Palermo) looking for delicious porcini mushrooms.

Other types of hunting in Sicily

The most traditional Sicilian hunters also hunt foxes. For some years now there has also been wild boar hunting and this has given rise to the figure of the Sicilian wild boar.