Chaotic start to the season in Castile and León with the digital seal
The start of the roe deer season in Castile and León began yesterday, April 1, 2025, and has been marked by confusion and outrage among hunters due to the malfunctioning of the new digital sealing system, CapturCYL. This tool, imposed by the regional government without the support of the hunting sector, has generated technical failures, blockages, and unprecedented situations that have marred one of the most anticipated days for hunters.
CapturCYL, which replaces the traditional physical seal, requires the entry of animal data in real time from the field. However, its implementation has proven to be a technical failure, with applications crashing, users blocked, and managers overwhelmed. As a result, environmental agents have been forced to prepare reports by hand because they were unable to validate the digital seals according to the new protocol and have been overwhelmed with requests in the field.
A sudden change
The change affects more than 60,000 big game hunting seals in Castile and León and was announced with only a few days' notice, which has made it difficult for the sector to adapt. Game managers have had to turn to third parties to comply with the new regulations, which has generated a feeling of improvisation and neglect. Despite the Regional Government's attempt to explain how CapturCYL works in the last week of March, the official tutorial was not published until March 29, leaving little time for adaptation. This has left several hunters spending hours with their game shot waiting for the application to work or for a forester to help them.
Unrest in the sector and threat of legal action
Outrage in the hunting industry is widespread. The Spanish Roe Deer Association (ACE) has announced legal action against the regional government of Castile and León, arguing that the system was imposed without proper planning or dialogue. The sector has requested a transition period in which physical and digital seals coexist to avoid problems like those reported at the start of the season.
Various hunting organizations, such as the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation and the Artemisan Foundation, have endorsed a document with proposals to improve the system. However, the ACE maintains its decision to take legal action to defend hunters' rights and ensure fair and functional regulation.
The sector hopes that the Regional Government of Castile and León will rectify and take measures to resolve the crisis generated by CapturCYL. Meanwhile, the season has begun in an atmosphere of uncertainty and discontent, with hunters caught in bureaucratic red tape and a digital tool that, far from facilitating management, has hampered an activity of great importance to the rural world.
Author: María Balletbó