So what does hunting/competitive shooting look like in Spain?
In Spain, hunting is divided into big game, small game, and hunting with greyhounds.
Big game hunting includes stalking, hunting from blinds (mainly for wild boar at night), and the famous "Montería Española" (Spanish driven hunt).
Small game, for us, refers to small animals, which we can hunt using dogs, such as rabbits, partridges, or quail, among others. Alternatively, we can hunt from a fixed position as the animals pass by, such as pigeons, thrushes, or ducks.
And hunting with greyhounds involves traversing terrain with one or two greyhounds on leashes. When a hare is startled and takes flight, the dogs are released, and the chase begins. This method is very popular in Spain, and the dogs can cost thousands of euros.
As for hunting areas, you can hunt practically all over Spain. In my case, I buy an annual share for a private estate with friends, and we hunt there year-round. We hunt all the species on the estate, each species in its season. Right now, for example, we're starting with roe deer. Wild boar can be hunted year-round by night hunting from a blind.
In competitive shooting, the PRS and long-range shooting are currently very popular. There are shooting ranges, and you need to be a member of a shooting federation. On the other hand, competitions are also held on private properties.
The main problem in shooting, and hunting in general, is the limited variety of equipment available. Ammunition, gunpowder, primers... everything is restricted and controlled by law.
And then another problem is the price. For example, a Tikka rifle costs around $1000 USD for you. For us, even though it's a European-made rifle, a Tikka costs around €1500 (about $1800 USD). American brands or equipment... very few and very expensive.
I had a Kimber Mountain Ascent, and it cost €3500, about $4000 USD. Plus an 8-9 month wait to receive it.
