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| Signs telling us hunting is allowed |
You must have noticed it’s autumn. While
most people decide to slowly crawl back in their houses (it’s cold, rainy and
dark) other are just about to be out as much as possible. It’s game time!
Hunting has been done since mankind lives on
this earth. It has been the start of what now is our civilization. More
specifically hunting once was the only thing that kept us alive. We used to run
behind the animals until we were able to catch them. No catch meant no food.
During the centuries hunting became less
necessary. Nomads learned to settle down and found out how to keep and bread
animals. There was no need to get out in nature for daily nutrients; they could
just be ‘picked’ from the backyard. Later on - when cities started to grow
bigger - the backyards where further away and run by people specialized in
these kind of things. Growing food became a profession.
While hunting once used to be something for
the everyday man, it suddenly became something which was only done by the bored
rich. Mostly they were given an easy job as they had horses, special trained
dogs, shotguns and a piece of land full of game. No need to stress. If no one
was able to catch anything there would not be any problem except the landlord’s
ego hurt.
Lately
I have made some walks in the beautiful hills around Milano. Apparently
these areas are full of tasteful animals as gun shots were heard regularly. Hunters
– some legal some illegal – were walking around dressed in camouflage green
wearing a shotgun. Hunting for innocent birds, rabbits and wild boars.
During the season( which lasts a few weeks)
the woods are full of people and signs warning the other visitors to be
careful. I wonder how many animals are shot and how they are sold to the ones
preparing them. Most hunters I met where allowed to hunt given the tags they were
wearing. Is there a central market place where chefs can buy them per kilo?
At least it gives us lazy restaurant
visitors the opportunity to enjoy the wild taste of rough nature.
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