Learn Italian: Il cacciare nel bosco è difficile. - Hunting in the woods is difficult.

While la caccia is the standard noun for hunting, using the substantivized infinitive il cacciare specifically emphasizes the action of hunting itself. It draws attention to the physical process rather than the general sport.

Can I drop the il and just start the sentence with Cacciare?

Yes, you can simply say Cacciare nel bosco è difficile. Using the bare infinitive as a subject is perfectly correct and very common. Adding the article il just gives the sentence a slightly more formal or literary tone.

English uses the '-ing' form 'hunting' here. Why can't I use the Italian gerund cacciando?

In Italian, gerunds (words ending in -ndo) can never act as the subject of a sentence. Whenever an English '-ing' word is the subject, you must use the Italian infinitive, either on its own or with the article il as seen here.

Why does the Italian use the singular nel bosco when the English translation says 'in the woods'?

The Italian word il bosco refers to a wooded area, and it is singular when referring to one general location. English happens to use the plural 'the woods' for the same idea. Saying nei boschi would specifically imply multiple, separate forests.