Driven hunt season opens in Spain: bring every hound home

The driven hunt season opens in Extremadura, western Spain, this Saturday, 10 October. For many hound packs it’s the first long outing of the year, and that’s when dogs most often go missing: they’re keen, it can still be hot, and the ground may not have been hunted since February.

What opens, and until when

A montería is a Spanish driven hunt: hunters wait at fixed stands while packs of hounds, called rehalas, push deer and wild boar through a large patch of scrub. The handlers, or rehaleros, may release dozens of dogs in a single day.

The Regional Hunting Council of the Junta de Extremadura approved driven hunts for red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, mouflon and Barbary sheep from 10 October to 21 February. Neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha opened its general season on 8 October, according to the Spanish hunting outlet Cazaflix, which also reminds hunters that October can still be warm and that dogs’ fitness and access to water need watching.

Some regions write this into the rules. In the Region of Murcia, the organiser of a driven hunt must give handlers guides who know the ground and help them recover lost dogs. In hot, dry conditions, they must also set out water points for the dogs and tell the handlers where they are.

Hunting with hounds: what you can do before the weekend

• Ask about water and guides. Even where it isn’t required, ask the organiser where the water is and who will help if a dog stays out.
• Check the local weather forecast the day before. If it’s hot, release fewer dogs or rotate them.
• Don’t burn them out on day one. The season is long, and dogs coming off the summer need to build up stamina gradually.
• Microchip and tag up to date. Make sure the chip scans and your phone number is current in the registry. Add a tag with a number on the collar: whoever finds the dog will call sooner if they can see it.
• Agree on a pick-up point with your party, and a time to start searching.
• Charge your tracker the night before, if you use one, and check it works on the hunting ground itself, not just at home.

What Montered does

Montered is building a collar for hunting dogs that shows where each dog is, kilometres away, even where there is no mobile signal: it uses its own radio, not the phone network. Your whole party sees every dog on their phones, and the collar has a beeper and a light to help you find it in thick cover. No fees, ever. It’s in testing: if you’d like to try it with your pack, join the waitlist. If you organise driven hunts, see what we’re preparing for driven-hunt organisers.

Frequently asked questions

When does the driven hunt season start in Extremadura? On 10 October 2026, and hunts can be held until 21 February 2027, under the periods approved by the regional government.

Does the organiser have to help me find a lost dog? It depends on the region. In Murcia, yes: the rules require guides and help to recover lost dogs. Elsewhere, check the local rules or ask before the hunt.

What should I do if a dog hasn’t come back by the end of the day? Go back to the release point and the pick-up point, tell the organiser and the estate’s gamekeeper, and leave your number at nearby farms. Our guide on how to track your dog with no mobile signal has more steps.