Hunting and Shooting in Spain

Hunting in Spain is predominantly the preserve of the male population and they are (almost) as passionate about this sport as they are about bullfighting. Hunting grounds can be found all over the country where wildlife such as starlings, wood pigeon, wild boar and stags amongst others are preyed upon.

As in most European countries of the time, cave dwellers hunted wild animals in Spain as a means of survival and it wasn’t until the medieval period that the Spanish aristocracy transformed it from a necessity into the ‘sport of kings’. Nowadays, hunting still remains as one of the most popular leisure time activities where many more people than in other countries, such as the UK, participate.

Local huntsmen in rural areas up and down the country can often be seen with their hunting dogs during the day time and then later in the village bars with rabbits or other small animals strapped to their belts after a successful hunt.

What type of animal is hunted?

Small game such as Red Legged partridge, Quail and Partridge are the most common of the game birds hunted in most regions with the partridges being reared specifically for the hunting season, most of them finding their way to the tables of local restaurants.

Other larger prey includes deer, wild boar (which are relatively common), wolves and the Spanish Ibex which attract hunters from most of Europe and America. The few remaining brown bears and the almost extinct Spanish Lynx are highly endangered and are legally protected from hunting with severe penalties applied to anyone caught breaking this law.

What requirements are there for hunting in Spain?

Each of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain issues their own hunting license which will show the times, which specific species and the area where hunting is allowed. It is illegal to hunt without being in possession one of these which form part of a system of controls designed to prevent the hunted species from becoming depleted. You will also need to obtain a weapons license from any local police station.

It is also possible to bring your own guns into Spain although they are required to have a special international extension to the permit you have in your own country.

If you wish to travel to Spain on a specific hunting holiday, then the specialist travel company you use will be able to organise all the gun hire, permits and licenses you will need which will save any problems you may have when bringing your own weapons through customs.

Where should I go hunting?

Cazorla, Ronda and the Sierra Nevada in Andalucia, the Sierra de Gredos and the mountainous regions to the north such as the Pyrenees, provide some of the best hunting grounds in the country.

Also wild goats roaming the Tamuntana Mountains in Mallorca provide some excellent and popular hunting challenges for huntsmen from all over the world due to their elusiveness.