Spain Special
It might seem a bit strange to start a newsletter about Spain with commentary on the UK but we believe that it is worth providing some context for what follows. After having had to cope with the effects of COVID, and last year’s shortages of birds shoots throughout the UK are now confronted with rampant inflation across much of their cost base. In practical terms this means that three seasons ago we securing Sport for our clients in a range of prices from around £38 to an exceptional £50 per bird. The same shoots are now priced at £47 to £65 per bird, all plus VAT. The £50 pheasant is no longer the preserve of the finest shoots with the most magisterial reputations. We believe that the UK offers some of the finest Fieldsports available anywhere on the planet. But we cannot ignore the impact that cost has on affordability and the perception of value.
Spanish Partridges
With several venues in Spain we have a broad coverage of the market, both geographically and by product. Be that smaller size days close to Madrid or larger high bird days outside Seville. We all know that shooting is about camaraderie, an appreciation of our quarry, a love of the outdoors, respect for all the other participants in the day, traditions and putting food on the table. It can often feel a little unseemly to talk about money. But here’s the rub, the Sport in Spain is excellent and the cost is materially less than you might expect. We take clients to some of the finest and most welcoming estates in Spain and our price per bird at current exchange rates is £42 - £46 per bird. However, this only tells part of the story. These prices include; 2 nights full board accommodation in the on estate Lodge, airport transfers, all hospitality, hunting licences, and all ammunition. Despite Brexit, it is very simple for us to get your guns into Spain. Alternatively, all the shoots that we use have well stocked gun rooms The “all in” cost of shooting in Spain compares very favourably to alternatives. Consider the great Sport, superb hospitality, first class accommodation and the weather and we can well understand why this is the fastest growing part of our business. Spanish IVA is levied at a rate similar to UK VAT. If you would be interested in shooting in Spain, please get in touch. Contact us here Download - Driven Partridges in Spain Download - Driven Partridges in Southern Spain
5 things to know before you buy shooting in Spain
With over thirty years of experience operating in Spain we know well enough that there are pitfalls and importantly we know how to avoid them. Unwanted overage. You buy a “small” UK style sized day and then find out that you have shot your bag after the second drive. No one wants to go home early and a very sizable overage bill awaits. All our shoots will give you a full day’s Sport for your contracted bag. Beware over counting. One of the attractions of shooting in Spain is that you only pay for the part of the bag that you have shot yourself. To facilitate this each shooter has a secretario counting the birds that he or she has shot. Some secretarios / estates are fairer than others when it comes to the counting. All our estates use secretarios who will agree the bag with their gun at the end of each drive. Traditional can be a euphemism. Some estates are very focussed on achieving very large bags. It’s a cultural thing and we are not in any way critical of it, but traditional can mean less challenging than some guns might be hoping for. We will give you an informed, frank and honest evaluation of the Sport at any estate we suggest to you. Boxes. Many estates will not be driving birds that have been released into the wild, but will instead be showing birds that are released directly from boxes during the drive and flown over the guns. Some clients will accept this, others will take a less sanguine view. Our point is that you should know, before you buy, what you are getting. Language. If there is a problem, it is very easy to “hide” behind the language. We always send one of our agents to represent your interests. Best Wishes the HRW Team.
We look forward to you joining us for your next hunting adventure
Vernon P Waters