Several shelters in Miżieb were vandalised on Friday night, hunters claim, a day after they were granted guardiandship of the Mellieħa woodland in a deal that has sparked public outrage.
Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) president Lino Farrugia said members had found several shelters (dwejjer) in Miżieb severely damaged on Saturday morning.
In a strongly-worded statement he pinned the blame directly on the coalition of organisations that has mobilised to oppose the government agreement signed on Friday.
"It appears the chaos, not lacking in political motivation, provoked by the hatred of individuals and groups led by Birdlife Malta has resulted in cowardly acts of vandalism by exponents with hidden agendas," Farrugia said.
Responding to the claims, Birdlife spokesman Mark Sultana told Times of Malta: "Birdlife has always condemned all vandalism and does not encourage anyone to use force or intimidation in any manner. We know well enough what vandalism is: our Foresta 2000 site was vandalised by hunters who were arraigned in court; as were the Mnajdra temples and sites in Buskett.
"We have had our cars burned, we had people being beaten up, stones thrown at us, and hunters continue to intimidate our members with force. We condemn all vandalism, but we will never be associated with it as much as hunters are."
The alleged incidents came after the government signed a three-year agreement with FKNK on Friday, handing over the management and operation of Miżieb and L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa to the hunters' group.
The deal has sparked concern over public access to the vast woodland areas, with access potentially restricted or prevented during the hunting seasons: which are open for two weeks in spring and five months between September and January.
The government and hunters argue that the agreement merely "formalised and regularised" what had already been in practice for decades and that the public will enjoy the same "free access" to the reserves as it always has.
A coalition of 60 NGOs, including Birdlife, argue that the deal "will mean the end of any sort of activity in the areas except for hunting".
Protest walks are scheduled to take place at Miżieb on Sunday, when the deal was scheduled to be signed. However, the signing was secretly pulled forward and instead took place in a private event on Friday.