Spanish Hunting Season 2026/2027: when can you hunt each species?
Reviewed by the Corsini Hunts team, based on official 2026/2027 season data from the hunting regulations of the autonomous communities of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, together with research by the Fundación Artemisan and the IREC. La Flamenca Estate, 40 minutes from central Madrid, operates from September 15 to March 31 under the specific regulations for commercial hunting grounds. Always check the current regulations before any shoot.
Last updated: September 2026
The Spanish hunting season varies by autonomous community, species and type of hunting ground. Small-game hunting runs mainly from October to January, with an early season (media veda) in August and September for quail, pigeon and turtle dove. Big-game hunting extends from October to February, with specific spring and summer stalking periods for roe deer. In the Madrid region, La Flamenca Estate operates from September 15 to March 31 under the specific regulations for commercial hunting grounds.
Spain offers one of the most diverse hunting calendars in Europe. From driven red-legged partridge shooting to traditional Spanish montería for wild boar and red deer, as well as quail, woodcock, pigeon and roe deer stalking, almost every part of the season offers a different sporting experience with a wide variety of game animals.
There is, however, one important point every international hunter should understand: Spain does not have one single nationwide opening and closing date for hunting.
Hunting is largely regulated by Spain's autonomous communities. Each regional administration determines its own open seasons, authorised species, hunting methods, bag limits and restrictions.
Fundación Artemisan's national study of hunting in Spain highlights this extensive regulatory framework and explains that hunting estates are also managed through specific hunting management plans designed to ensure the sustainable use of game populations.
The following is therefore intended as a simple guide to the 2026/2027 hunting season in Spain.
When does the hunting season start in Spain?
Broadly speaking, the Spanish hunting calendar can be divided into three periods.
- August and September: the traditional media veda, or early season, particularly associated with quail, pigeons and, under tightly regulated circumstances, European turtle dove.
- October to January or February: the main small-game season and one of the principal periods for Spanish big-game hunting.
- Spring and summer: selected big-game stalking seasons, particularly roe deer and, depending on the region, other species.
Hunting seasons by autonomous community
Exact dates vary significantly between autonomous communities.
| Autonomous community | Small game | Big game | Media veda |
| Andalusia | 11 Oct - 3 Jan | 17 Oct - 14 Feb | Varies by province |
| Aragón | 2nd Sunday Oct - 6 Jan | 8 Oct - 21 Feb | 15 Aug - 6 Sep |
| Asturias | 12 Oct - 6 Jan | 12 Oct - 22 Feb | Not applicable |
| Balearic Islands | 1st Sunday Oct - 31 Jan | 1 Oct - 28 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Canary Islands | 1st Sunday Aug - last Sunday Dec | Varies by island | Not applicable |
| Cantabria | 12 Oct - 6 Jan | 12 Oct - 22 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Castilla-La Mancha | 8 Oct - 8 Feb | 8 Oct - 21 Feb | 20 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Castilla y León | 12 Oct - 25 Jan | 12 Oct - 22 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Catalonia | 2nd Sunday Sep - 6 Jan | Varies by species | 15 Aug - 20 Sep |
| Madrid region | 8 Oct - 31 Jan | 8 Oct - 21 Feb | 20 Aug - 20 Sep |
| Valencia region | 12 Oct - 6 Jan | 8 Oct - 22 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Extremadura | 12 Oct - 31 Jan | 12 Oct - 28 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Galicia | 19 Oct - 6 Jan | 19 Oct - 22 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| La Rioja | 12 Oct - 25 Jan | 12 Oct - 22 Feb | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Navarre | 12 Oct - 6 Jan | Varies by species | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Basque Country | 12 Oct - 8 Feb | Varies by species | 15 Aug - 15 Sep |
| Region of Murcia | 12 Oct - 6 Jan | 12 Oct - 21 Feb |
Red-legged partridge: the queen of Spanish gamebirds
Few species are more closely connected to Spanish sporting tradition than the red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa.
Fundación Artemisan describes it as Spain's most popular gamebird. In its national study, 24.43% of surveyed hunters selected partridge as the small-game bird generating the greatest sporting interest.
Its two quintessential Spanish forms of hunting are walked-up shooting over dogs and driven partridge shooting, the traditional ojeo.
When will the red-legged partridge hunt in Spain in 2026/2027?
There is no single national date. As a useful comparison:
- Madrid: general small-game season from 8 October to 31 January.
- Castilla-La Mancha: general small-game season from 8 October to 8 February.
- Andalusia: general red-legged partridge season from 11 October to 3 January.
Specific types of hunting grounds can, however, operate under different authorised regimes.
This distinction is particularly important for visiting guns: a region's ordinary small-game season should not automatically be confused with the authorised season applying to commercial hunting estates.
La Flamenca: red-legged partridge from September 15 to March 31
At La Flamenca, Corsini Hunts' estate in the Madrid region, our hunting season runs from September 15 to March 31.
This extended calendar is supported by Madrid's specific regulations for commercial hunting grounds.
For the 2026/2027 season, Madrid regulations establish that hunting events involving game originating from authorised releases on commercial hunting estates may take place between September 15 and March 31, inclusive.
It creates an exceptionally long season in which to experience one of Spain's greatest sporting traditions: driven red-legged partridge shooting.
Located only around 40 minutes from central Madrid, La Flamenca combines this long sporting season with year-round management of its countryside.
That management matters.
A scientific study conducted by researchers associated with Spain's IREC and directed by Ursula Höfle and Christian Gortázar compared estates managed for commercial red-legged partridge shooting with comparable control areas. The researchers recorded greater bird and mammal diversity and a higher presence of certain prey species and specialist predators on the managed estates.
The study also highlighted the role of habitat management, supplementary food, water points and low-intensity agriculture.
A partridge season may last several months. Managing a great partridge estate takes twelve.
Quail: Spain's classic early-season gamebird
The common quail is one of the defining species of Spain's media veda.
It is traditionally hunted during late summer, particularly during August and September, although precise dates and permitted hunting days vary by autonomous community.
Madrid's 2026/2027 early season, for example, runs from 20 August to 20 September, with quail included among the authorised species and a maximum bag of eight birds per hunter per day.
Quail are normally hunted, walked-up or over pointing dogs.
Pigeons and thrushes
Pigeon and thrush shooting form another major part of the Spanish sporting calendar.
Woodpigeon can be hunted during both the early season and later periods depending on the region.
Thrush shooting is particularly associated with autumn and winter migration and is traditionally conducted from fixed positions or along flight lines.
In Andalusia, for example, the general 2026/2027 season for thrushes and starling runs from 15 November to 7 February, subject to regional conditions.
Woodcock
Woodcock attracts a highly specialised following, particularly among hunters using pointing dogs.
The season is largely concentrated in late autumn and winter, with precise dates varying between autonomous communities.
For the 2026/2027 season, Andalusia has established a woodcock period from 1 November to 31 January.
Northern Spain has a particularly strong woodcock tradition, with its own regional dates and bag limits.
Ducks and waterfowl
Beyond upland species, Spain has a strong tradition of duck hunting on wetlands and private lagoons. Most Spanish duck seasons run approximately from September 15 to March 31, with regional variations, and the media veda also plays a role for certain waterfowl species. Mallard and red-crested pochard are among the main species pursued during this period.
Rabbit and hare
Rabbit and hare are two historic pillars of Spanish small-game hunting, although populations differ dramatically from one part of the country to another.
Regional authorities therefore use different seasons, bag limits and, in some areas, exceptional population-control measures.
Rabbit also has enormous ecological significance as a prey species in Mediterranean ecosystems.
The IREC study into red-legged partridge hunting estates found rabbit abundance to be 7.6 times higher on the managed study sites than on their control areas. This is particularly important because rabbit is a fundamental prey species for predators including the Iberian imperial eagle and Iberian lynx.
Spain's 2026/2027 big-game hunting season
Spain is far more than a small-game destination.
Its extraordinary variety of terrain supports major big-game species including: wild boar, red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, mouflon and Spanish ibex.
Traditional methods include the Spanish montería, driven hunts and battues, stalking and waiting from fixed positions.
Fundación Artemisan's research also identifies a major long-term difference between Spain's small and big game populations. While small-game harvest figures have remained broadly within their normal variations, big-game harvests have shown a sustained upward trend over recent decades, associated partly with habitat change and expanding ungulate populations.
Wild boar
Wild boar is arguably the most representative large-game quarry in Spain.
It is hunted through montería, battue, stalking and waiting, depending on the region.
Madrid's general 2026/2027 season for wild boar alongside red deer, fallow deer and mouflon runs from 8 October to 21 February.
Castilla-La Mancha has placed particular emphasis this season on controlling expanding ungulate populations, including provisions allowing wild-boar hunting throughout the year under the appropriate regulatory conditions.
This population management also has a conservation role. Fundación Artemisan reports significant growth in Spanish wild-boar populations and highlights hunting's role in addressing overabundance.
Red deer
Autumn brings one of the great events of the Spanish countryside: the red-deer rut, or berrea.
Red deer are subsequently hunted through stalking, montería and other collective big-game methods during autumn and winter.
Exact periods depend on both the autonomous community and the hunting method.
Roe deer
The roe deer follows a rather different calendar from traditional montería species.
It is predominantly a stalking quarry, and hunting periods can begin in spring.
In Madrid, for example, males may be hunted from 1 April to 31 July in the 2026/2027 season. A further period from 1 September to 15 October applies to both sexes, with a specific January period for females.
Andalusia similarly establishes separate summer and spring hunting periods for roe deer.
Spanish ibex
Spain is one of the world's most important destinations for Spanish ibex hunting, making the species particularly relevant to international hunters.
Its hunting calendar varies according to region, population and management area.
Madrid operates specific spring, autumn/winter and March periods for Spanish ibex. Andalusia's 2026/2027 general ibex period runs from 17 October to 25 April.
Why do Spanish hunting seasons vary by region?
Opening and closing dates are not simply arbitrary calendar decisions.
Regional administrations take into account factors including: population status, breeding seasons, migration, census data, animal health, agricultural damage, population balance and individual hunting-management plans.
Spain contains approximately 43 million hectares of land classified for hunting use, around 85% of the country's territory, according to figures compiled by Fundación Artemisan. Its exceptional geographical, climatic and ecological diversity is one reason a single nationwide hunting calendar would make little practical sense.
Hunters should therefore always check the current autonomous-community regulations, the estate's approved hunting-management plan and any specific authorisations before shooting.
The 2026/2027 season at La Flamenca
For Corsini Hunts, September marks the moment when another extraordinary season begins.
At La Flamenca, our 2026/2027 hunting season runs from September 15, 2026 to March 31, 2027, providing almost seven months in which to discover one of the defining traditions of Spanish sport: driven red-legged partridge shooting.
And the experience changes considerably through the season.
September brings the atmosphere of early autumn. October, November and December form the traditional heart of the season. By January and February the birds can provide increasingly challenging shooting, while March brings the final chapter of months spent following and managing the countryside.
But the secret behind a memorable season starts long before September.
Habitat management, water, feeding, keepering, monitoring and the permanent work of the estate team all contribute to maintaining a countryside capable of supporting both sporting activity and the wider biodiversity around it.
That is what makes every season at La Flamenca different.
Why choose Corsini Hunts?
At Corsini Hunts we have devoted decades to organising premium shoots in Spain, and the 2026/2027 season is a new opportunity to welcome both local and international guns to the finest of Spanish sporting tradition.
Our defining advantages:
- An exceptionally long season: seven months of operation at La Flamenca, compared with the much shorter seasons of most Spanish estates.
- A privileged location: only 40 minutes from Madrid, with access to the capital's finest hotels, gastronomy and culture.
- Year-round countryside management: twelve months of work behind every shooting day.
- Fully bilingual, full-service approach: hunting licences, transfers, firearms and logistics handled entirely for international guests.
- Scientific partnerships: we work with Fundación Artemisan, CSIC, IREC, SCI Spain, ADEMAC and Silva Venatio.
If you are looking for an authentic Spanish shooting experience within the finest sporting tradition, La Flamenca is your destination.
Hunting in Spain in 2026/2027
From red-legged partridge to Spanish ibex, and from quail and woodcock to wild boar, red deer and roe deer, Spain offers one of Europe's richest and most varied hunting seasons.
And for hunters searching for the quintessential Spanish experience, few sporting traditions rival a day of driven red-legged partridge shooting.
At La Flamenca, just 40 minutes from Madrid, the 2026/2027 season runs from September 15 to March 31.
Seven months of shooting.
Twelve months of management.
And a sporting tradition deeply connected to the Spanish countryside.
