Greylag
Very Experienced
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2023
- Posts
- 3,364
So, a little about mt trip to Spain. It was a small two hour hop from Manchester to Gironde where my pal collected me and headed to his apartment. Amazingly it sits right next to a campsite where we rented a lodge 36 years ago for holidays. It’s a beautiful area of rocky coves and now very upmarket.
It’s a small apartment with two bedrooms on a 1960s gated complex with pool. Great for holidays and short term stays. On arrival I was told that as we would drive I was chef for the week, the fridge was full of food just get a good meal on the table after every hunt.
I was sorted with hunting license, gun license and would sign into each club daily at about $30 a day.. each area in Spain has a government designated hunting area for each club. He is a member of one club and we were to hunt at other clubs as guests all pre booked. We had 6 hunts booked with one day off, which as it happened was heavy rain.
The clubs are all so welcoming and despite the fact that almost nobody speaks English I got by. My pal speaks Spanish but here they speak Catalan! He doesn’t! It’s a very nationalistic area that would be independent given the chance.
Hunting is largely in mountainous areas of forest where hounds drive boar (hogs) and you hope one comes by for a shot … or even deer in some cases. You are reliant on your ears to hear the rustle of leaves as a boar approaches. Five hours on your toes watching listening and waiting with forest life going on around you. A mix of meditation and anticipation.
It turned out to be a tough week unusually. I had only one chance at a boar that came in over my right shoulder that I missed. My pal didn’t even get a shot. Onetheless it was a great experience and I will be back for another try next year!
I will sort some photos and share in a separate email!
It’s a small apartment with two bedrooms on a 1960s gated complex with pool. Great for holidays and short term stays. On arrival I was told that as we would drive I was chef for the week, the fridge was full of food just get a good meal on the table after every hunt.
I was sorted with hunting license, gun license and would sign into each club daily at about $30 a day.. each area in Spain has a government designated hunting area for each club. He is a member of one club and we were to hunt at other clubs as guests all pre booked. We had 6 hunts booked with one day off, which as it happened was heavy rain.
The clubs are all so welcoming and despite the fact that almost nobody speaks English I got by. My pal speaks Spanish but here they speak Catalan! He doesn’t! It’s a very nationalistic area that would be independent given the chance.
Hunting is largely in mountainous areas of forest where hounds drive boar (hogs) and you hope one comes by for a shot … or even deer in some cases. You are reliant on your ears to hear the rustle of leaves as a boar approaches. Five hours on your toes watching listening and waiting with forest life going on around you. A mix of meditation and anticipation.
It turned out to be a tough week unusually. I had only one chance at a boar that came in over my right shoulder that I missed. My pal didn’t even get a shot. Onetheless it was a great experience and I will be back for another try next year!
I will sort some photos and share in a separate email!
. 
