I suppose I’m not the only hunter who has imagined himself in the middle of an idyllic spot and imagined an extraordinary result. After all, it is the illusion that pulls us every morning when, in the middle of winter, we get out of bed and go for a walk in the bush. But there are situations so extraordinary that they are capable of surpassing our most dreamlike aspirations. That is what happened to me on this trip.
I received an invitation from Blaser to go to Corsica for a hunting experience with some surprise. The idea of hunting on a Mediterranean island is already appealing, but discovering that I was going to do it to hunt something as common as wild boar or partridges on our own soil was very stimulating. Are there wild boars in Corsica, I asked myself, and yes, there are! The worst thing about going to this island is undoubtedly the air connection. Most airlines offer flights with two stopovers, although we managed to reduce it to two by flying from Madrid to Nice and from there to Corsica.
The adventure begins
I landed in Figari accompanied by Rubén Montés, our cameraman, on 21 November in the late afternoon. With night falling we arrived at our destination, the Domaine de Chasse de l’Ortolo Murtoli, as the impressive estate where we hunted and stayed was called. We were accommodated in an old house overlooking the sea, equipped with all kinds of luxuries. Without a doubt, it was a dream place. Shortly afterwards we went for dinner in a natural cave with a restaurant to greet Alexandra Berton, Blaser’s marketing manager, and the rest of the team. There we were informed about the hunting plan, which was divided into two different days. The first one would be for small game and the second one for big game.
First day of hunting
The 22nd of November dawned with a pissed off Mediterranean. The sky was black and the wind made it clear that it was not going to be easy. Still, we filled our pockets with cartridges, took the F16s and split into several groups to hunt. I was next to Alexandra. Together we would go to one of the most spectacular areas of the whole estate: the beach.
The feeling of hunting on the sand, with the sea foam sticking to your body is indescribable. Without a doubt, the best beach plan I could ever imagine, despite the dog day that welcomed us. There we had the opportunity to test the gun against partridges and pheasants that were flying like real shells. According to the local information, we had gusts of wind up to 130 km/h. When we came across a pigeon, it simply had to jump up, spread its wings and let itself be carried away like a kite without control. This gave us some spectacular casts that Rubén tried to record under extreme conditions.
Rain, saltpetre and sand fell almost horizontally, blinding us at times and dirtying the camera lenses. The waves, several metres high, crashed against the shore with the same virulence with which the partridges hit their balls when they met our weights. At one point, Alexandra turned to me and, raising her voice, said, “It’s a tough day. I, also shouting to make myself heard amidst the gale, replied with a smile from ear to ear: “Yes, and I love it!
Duck time to test the F16
After spending the morning hunting partridges and pheasants in an almost permanent sandstorm, it was time for the ducks. For this we moved to another area of the estate where there is a pond and where we were able to empty a couple of boxes of cartridges. Once again, the wind put the bluebirds into orbit and forced us to run the hand at stratospheric distances at breakneck speed.
Once again, the elegant Blaser F16 proved to be a very handy weapon. Its extraordinarily low scale means that its centre of gravity is also extremely low, so it is very well balanced and allows for quick engagements. As fast as the ducks that used to surprise us behind the treetops we were hiding under. Another thing that always stands out about this shotgun is its pleasant feel and ergonomics, which is important when it comes to feeling comfortable when taking difficult shots.
