When you tell people that you are off to shoot partridges in Spain and you have only been shooting a few years, it raises more than a few eyebrows.
Then the questions start -
Isn’t it just shooting hundreds of birds out of boxes?
How on earth do you get a gun through the airport?
What if I don’t speak the language and I haven't ever shot more than 6 birds in a day?!
I’m sure there are many more questions and doubts about shooting abroad that most people have, which is why shooting abroad just isn’t something many of the UK shooting fraternity would necessarily think about doing.
I must admit, I thought along those lines until I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to shoot with an all lady group at Las Ajijaderas Lodge, Salamanca in September. However, I can assure you that if you go with a group of people you like shooting with and go to a shoot that offers high partridges, then you could be forgiven for thinking you were on a typical shoot day in the UK – apart from the glorious weather and the astonishing Spanish hospitality.
How can you do it?
UK and European Shotgun Licences
If you are intent on taking your gun with you, then you will need to apply for a European Hunting Licence; it’s completely free, both in monetary terms and hassle, but it is useful to have a friendly and helpful local firearms department. If you have held your licence for 4 years or less then you won’t even need to get more passport photos, but beyond this time, do contact your individual firearms department and they will advise you.
Taking a Gun on a Plane (I didn’t relish the idea but it was easy!)
When booking your airline tickets do check with the individual airline as to whether they except firearms. Currently Ryanair do not allow you to take a gun, which is why we flew to Madrid airport with Easy Jet - not necessarily the closet airport to Salamanca, but as Madrid is a main airport you’re more likely to catch the police to sign your paperwork before they slope off for the evening!
You must travel with your gun in a lockable case with 2 separate locks and fill in a couple of forms both in the UK and when you arrive. It’s best to arrive at the airport earlier than normal to avoid panicking if the queues are large.
Don’t forget your UK Shotgun licence and European Pass as you will need one or the other at either end of your trip.
The whole process was easy, but unless you are greatly attached to your gun and assuming your trip offers this 'perk', then I would take that option next time.
Our trip offered the Ladies a chance to try out a selection of Kemen guns. We were privileged to find ourselves in the company of Senor Kemen over the weekend and were able to test a variety of his shotguns.
The admin aside, I could not begin to imagine the fantastic trip that lay ahead of me as we were whizzed from the airport to the Lodge in Las Veguillas, Salamanca.
The traditional Shooting Lodge
On arrival we were met with delicious tapas and generous gin and tonics all served by the fantastic staff at the lodge, even though it was 1am - although the only tip I would give is not to look away when they pour the measures of gin! To the group’s surprise and delight there was a pair of beautiful leather Spanish riding boots waiting for us in our rooms as we were the first ladies shooting group to stay at the Lodge.
Las Ahijaderas Lodge can cater for over 40 guests and is set in the beautiful grounds of lakes and strategically placed bronze statues of roaring Stags and Ibex. The main lodge is decorated in trophies and rugs of almost any animal you can think of, providing a very striking location to relax in during the evening. The rooms are connected in a U-shape around the central courtyard, with all rooms en-suite and you will need to be dragged out of the showers in the morning!
A day’s shooting in Spain is a very relaxed affair; a leisurely breakfast, followed by scenic drive through the arid but beautiful Spanish countryside. Most of the land surrounding the lodge is populated with oak trees that feed most of their livestock, from the fighting bulls to the black Iberian pigs.
Arriba! Arriba! For the Spanish Partridge
To say I was terrified standing in the bottom of a valley with my own loader and secretario to record all the birds I was supposed to be shooting would be an understatement. With the unrelenting sun causing my hands to stick to my gun and the sudden call of “Arriba! Arriba!” signalling the first bird, we were off. As most of the ladies had not shot before and I had to admit to 4 years experience, the pressure was on, although by the end of the drive, having had my eye wiped by a fantastic Spanish lady shot next to me, I was a shaking mess. Even those ladies who had only shot clays before we’re clutching a neat row of partridges!
It sounds optimistic to take your first game day on a 500 bird Spanish shoot, but I could not think of a better way to start. The sheer number of birds allows you to pick and choose and even miss some without panicking and the quality of birds can test any Gun’s skill. To say I was ambitious on many occasions, aiming at a dot in the sky, led to calls of “more lead, more lead”, words I certainly don’t want to be hearing any more so now I’m giving each bird 5 feet lead (yes, some were really that high!) These partridges were certainly not out of boxes, baskets or even sometimes in this atmosphere, as they careered overhead from all angles.
A line of beaters are used to push the birds forward, but it is the 2 men on horseback that split the coveys up, so you are presented with a number of birds, not the whole day’s worth on one drive. Certainly at times it felt as if they had forgotten to split them up, but as long as you are choosey with your birds and not pressured to shoot everything that comes over you, it really is a fantastic sight.
After a couple of drives we stopped for drinks, although drinking champagne from silver goblets and eating tapas under a tree, served to you by a waiter in whites, isn’t something I have ever experienced at any shoot in the UK! Alfonso, the owner of the lodge, could not have supplied us with a warmer welcome, even going to the lengths of fashioning a recoil pad for my shoulder out of napkins, a knee pad and duct tape - demand had outstripped supply for recoil pads even after the first two drives! Perhaps the one lesson learnt from this was that if you are liable to bruise easily or you haven't shot on days like this before, a shoulder pad is a very worthwhile investment.
As mentioned earlier, if you’re not fussy about using a borrowed gun then I wouldn’t take your own, although this bias may be due to the very fact that I was shooting with a stunning Kemen 28 bore that, without a doubt, improved my shooting tenfold – this may also be down to Senor Kemen himself watching me attempt to shoot with his one of his creations!
I was lucky enough to double gun with a pair, which needed a lot more training than the practising (of sorts) done at the GunsOnPegs Double Gun Challenge at the CLA Game Fair! By the end of the drive I was shattered, surrounded by cartridges, with two burnt fingers from the barrels and had definitely shot over my allowance of birds!
Spanish Hospitality
Alfonso and his family, Sean and Emma organised an unforgettable trip of fantastic shooting, entertainment and a lot of cured meats!
Lunch was taken between 5 and 6pm underneath a gazebo, overlooking a beautiful view of the Spanish mountains. Again, the hospitality provided by the lodge’s staff was fantastic, a traditional 3 course meal, followed by an offering of ‘Firewater’, which I can I only describe as ‘lethal’ and does what it says on the tin...
The evening entertainment included a great tasting presentation on the local Iberian pork, which is known as one of the best in the world, as the Ladies at the Lodge can testify, as the acorns the Iberian pigs live off have a 70% oil content. The number of Iberian pigs you can rear (as with any livestock) depends on the quantity of oak trees you produce on your land, with the government issuing permits for each individual animal so the farmer cannot keep or sell more than this. In particular in the pork industry, this ensures a very high quality of meat
This tasting session was fitted in between two days shooting, wine tasting, a traditional Spanish band, a tour of the beautiful city of Salamanca and the family’s bull fighting farm! I don’t think I’ve packed that much into a week’s holiday let alone a two day shooting trip!
The evening entertainment and food were outstanding and even though I had never met some of the ladies I could not have asked for a more interesting group to share this wonderful experience with.
Pricing
Just like in the UK you will of course need to tip the game keeper, your loader and secretario, and depending on which lodge you book with, flights and hospitality may not be included, so it's best to find out first.
Emma Pegler's Salamanca Experience with Just for Ladies
Just to follow on from some of Louise’s comments....
Why shoot in Spain?
Well I’m not against standing in a muddy field frozen to the spot hoping for the birds to come into view before my numb fingers are unable to pull a trigger. I’m really not. But I have decided that this type of shooting needs to be tempered with a trip or two to shoot partridge in Spain. On a practical note, the shooting season is longer and at Las Ahijaderas extends into April. Once you have made the effort to get there you stay for two days and so you begin to build on your skills and stamina.
It’s also an ideal opportunity to combine the sport you love with the culture and good food and wine of Spain. The ladies who came for the weekend but not to shoot spent some of their time lounging by the Lodge’s pool in the autumn sun. Equally when I was there in the winter earlier this year we huddled round a cosy fire and swapped funny stories. During September, October, March and April you will normally be blessed with lovely sunny days so no need to rush the peg.
How challenging are the birds?
You don’t have to knock every bird out of the sky and can start to select challenging (but realistic) birds. On our 4 drives we were met with impossibly high birds, challenging but attainable high birds, overhead birds at great speed and different directions, all on the same drive. As Louise said in her blog, many people think that Spain is for the very experienced Gun, but the great thing for the novice is that there are all types of birds and as you become more confident you can “up your game.”
Who should go on such a trip?
The same line of Guns accommodated a very experienced Spanish lady Gun who was averaging 20+ birds per drive and a couple of novice Guns one of whom had only recently picked up a shotgun. All felt that they had had excellent shooting. From that line of Guns five are already planning to go back and build a team for April 2012 – the Spanish lady who is very experienced, an English lady with some years’ experience, a lady in her first season, myself and a real novice who has had a few lessons and shot for the first time in the field in Spain.
I have been a couple of times and have made some great friends particularly from circles I wouldn’t necessarily bump into in England – as a result I have been shooting in Scotland with a group I wouldn’t have come across and I certainly would not have expected to be shooting with an upstate New York Duck Club in November – never in a million years.
How is the shooting priced?
We negotiated a package that included accommodation, all drinks (open bar) and meals at the Lodge and in the field, airport transfers, customs clearance for guns, hunting licences and 50 birds per day for the Full Guns and 25 birds per day for the Half Guns. Thereafter overages were charged at 28 euros per bird. Tips are due to the Gamekeeper as in the UK and to your loader and secretario (who spends the day with you counting your birds.)
So if you want to shoot more than your agreed bag you can and are not accountable to the rest of the team for what you do. As a novice I have come unstuck where I am shooting with very good, experienced Guns who are shooting far more than me and yet I am paying the same and sharing a proportion of the overages with none of the control. Yes, if you’re shooting well you can feel you want to shoot on, but your secretario shows you the scorecard at the end of each drive so you know exactly what you’ve shot so far, and you receive the card at the end of the day telling you what you’ve shot and where. When you’ve shot what you want you can put your gun down without being considered unsporting. I have seen plenty of people being selective on their birds.
How is the day arranged?
After a leisurely breakfast a convoy of four-wheel drives takes you to the field. After two drives you have tapas and drinks in a clearing in the shade in September and around a brazier in the winter. The waiter is in whites and cuts a romantic figure as you walk from your peg. At the end of the drives you have a big lunch either in a lodge in the hills or al fresco overlooking the hills, depending on the weather. The hosts join you and again there is a lot of laughter. It really depends on the team what you do next – siesta, more drinks, shopping, visiting the family bull farm….
For those who didn’t shoot they came for support on the first day and lunched with us open air and then on the second day did their own thing in the grounds of the Lodge. A friend of mine who has small children just wanted the ‘lie-in’ and pool option because she never rests usually. She was going to go on an expedition to look at the deer and mouflones (wild sheep) in the vicinity but was consumed by the comfort of the Lodge.
Is it really that easy to get your gun safely abroad?
Speaking as I find, yes it is where Spain is concerned. Easyjet happily carry the gun and the Check-in staff are experienced with completing the paperwork and formalities. The gun is collected from the Police close to where the baggage arrives and the Lodge ensures there is someone there with you to collect it.
When can I go?
We’re organising a ladies weekend in April, 2012 – fly Thursday 19th, shoot Friday 20th, rest on the Saturday (or go shopping for leather boots and bags) and shoot on Sunday 21st. Either return home on the Sunday or stay until Monday. This equates to between one and a half and three days off work depending on whether you’re fitting in some shooting or want a longer weekend break. Bring a friend along who doesn’t shoot and make it a proper break. Otherwise the season runs from late August through December when it becomes very cold and then February until late April.
If you would like more details on the Just for Ladies weekend in April, please contact Emma (emma.pegler@btinternet.com) or Louise (louisebenson@gunsonpegs.com). For shooting in Salamanca generally please contact Sean Scott who represents the family in the UK at sean@fairgame.info or by viewing his page on GunsOnPegs by clicking here.
12 October 2011 by Louise Benson - GunsOnPegs, 0 comments
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