So, you’ve probably seen the headlines about the "Donald Duck crisis." Honestly, it sounds like something straight out of a satirical cartoon, but for Donald Trump Jr., the fallout from a December 2024 hunting trip to Italy has been anything but funny. The eldest son of the president found himself at the center of a massive European environmental row over a bird that most people couldn't pick out of a lineup.
Basically, the drama started when a video surfaced on Field Ethos, the outdoor lifestyle brand Don Jr. co-founded. In the footage, he’s seen in full camo, picking off birds in the foggy wetlands of the Venice Lagoon. He even points to a specific, orange-brown bird and mentions it's "uncommon for the area." He wasn't wrong.
That bird? It was a ruddy shelduck.
The Ruddy Shelduck Mess Explained
In the United States, duck hunting is a massive industry with very specific "stamps" and seasons. Italy, however, is a different beast entirely. The ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) isn't just uncommon—it’s strictly protected under the EU Birds Directive and Italian national law.
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Andrea Zanoni, a regional politician from the Green Europe party, wasn't about to let it slide. He filed a formal criminal complaint with the Forest Police in Mestre. According to Zanoni, killing or even possessing one of these birds is a criminal offense. He was pretty blunt about it, too, telling the media that "Veneto and Italy are not the property of the USA."
Was it actually illegal?
This is where things get kinda murky. Trump Jr.’s spokesperson, Andy Surabian, fired back pretty quickly. The defense was basically:
- The group had all the necessary permits.
- They were on a private reserve (Valle Pierimpiè) where hunting is legal.
- It’s "unclear" if that specific duck was shot by Don Jr., someone else in the party, or even if a hunting dog just retrieved a bird shot by a different group.
But there’s another layer to the legal onion here. Italian law generally requires you to be a resident to get a hunting card. Non-residents can usually only hunt on private reserves, but even then, the species you shoot have to be on the "approved" list for that specific day and location. The ruddy shelduck is never on that list.
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Why the Venice Lagoon Hunt Went Viral
The video—which was later scrubbed from the Field Ethos site—showed a pile of waterfowl including wigeon and teal. It was the orange one that caused the stir. Experts like Massimo Buconi, president of the Italian Hunting Federation, weighed in, saying that while foreigners can hunt in Italy under specific conditions, the law is broken the second a protected species hits the ground.
It’s not just about one bird, though. This sparked a much larger conversation about "trophy hunting" and international diplomacy. Remember, this happened right around the time the Trump administration was talking about new tariffs on European goods. Italian politicians used the "duck incident" as a springboard to talk about sovereignty and environmental protection.
A Pattern of Controversial Hunts?
If this feels like déjà vu, you're probably thinking of the 2019 trip to Mongolia. Back then, Don Jr. took down a rare Argali mountain sheep. That hunt also caused a stir because the permit was reportedly issued retroactively after he met with the country's president.
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He’s an avid outdoorsman—that’s no secret. He’s hunted everything from Alaskan grizzly bears to Cape buffalo. But the "Venice Duck" is a reminder of how quickly a hobby can turn into a geopolitical headache when international conservation laws come into play.
What Happens Now?
Technically, if the Italian authorities decide to move forward, the penalties could range from heavy fines to the revocation of the hunting reserve's license. It’s unlikely we’ll see a sitting president's son in an Italian courtroom, but the "Donald Duck" label is likely going to stick in the European press for a long time.
If you're planning an international hunt, here are the actionable takeaways to avoid a similar mess:
- Hire a local legal consultant: Don't just rely on the guide or the reserve owner. They have a financial incentive to tell you everything is fine.
- Double-check the "Protected" list: Species like the ruddy shelduck are migratory. What’s legal in one country (or even one province) might be a felony ten miles away.
- Film with caution: In the age of digital "receipts," what looks like a cool highlight reel to your followers can look like a confession to a prosecutor.
The Venice incident highlights a massive gap between American hunting culture and European conservation bureaucracy. While the investigation might eventually quiet down, the "Donald Duck" saga remains a textbook example of why you need to know exactly what you’re pulling the trigger on—especially when you’re a guest in another country.