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LIVE from the Camino DANGER... Calzadilla de la Cueza SPLIT

AlexanderAZ

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Time of past OR future Camino
2017 (Sept/Oct): CF: SJPdP-->Fisterra-->Muxia (solo)
2019 (late Sept): CF: SJPdP-->Leon (honeymoon!)
Just past Calzadilla de la Cueza the Camino makes a split (before Ledigos). You can take the path by the road or the path into the woods. In the Bierly guide the route is marked green, in the Camino Companion gps app it is marked blue. I choose the woods route (green/blue). About 10 minutes in a man jumps out of the forest waving a shotgun & yelling. Thanks to Google translate I was able to understand that he and others were hunting and it was dangerous to continue on the path. Let me reiterate this was ON the Camino itself, not off the Camino in some field. I turned around to go back to the route by the road and related the message not to continue to at least 8-10 others. When I got to Ledigos I explained what happened and showed photos to the person working at the albergue and asked if they could please call the police. I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!! I took a photo of the hunter, the exact gps location of the "split" I'm referring to (note the direction of the blue arrow is going opposite the direction of the Camino since I had to walk back) as well as marker where the split is located (you can see in the photo the Camino separating into the 2 paths). Will try to upload the pics. My phone service is flickering. Hopefully the authorities can get out and put up a sign or something b/c this is crazy.

IMG_0593.PNG IMG_0594.JPGIMG_0591.JPG
 
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I'm not saying they are there illegally or asking for their cherished hunting customs to change. How about posting a freakin' sign at the spilt so a pilgrim doesn't get shot nor does a hunter have to leave his blind to yell "danger"(peligro) at pilgrims to turn around. Sheesh.

Just had a gaggle of people arrive the albergue shaken because a 600lb boar ran across the field and by them on the Camino path by the road. This was 100m beyond that split I mentioned above.
 
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I'm not saying they are there illegally or asking for their cherished hunting customs to change. How about posting a freakin' sign at the spilt so a pilgrim doesn't get shot nor does a hunter have to leave his blind to yell "danger"(peligro) at pilgrims to turn around. Sheesh.

Just had a gaggle of people arrive the albergue shaken because a 600lb boar ran across the field and by them on the Camino path by the road. This was 100m beyond that split I mentioned above.


To future pilgrims : if you see this sign there is a possibility of active hunting in the area...Coto.jpg
 
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I took this photo in 2015 just before Revenga de Campos. There is a section along the Ingles just after the golf course where many dove hunters stalk their prey on the weekends. No worries, the Camino crosses many private property, I think run away tractors are a greater menace than a guy with bird shot in his shotgunDSC00604.JPG
 
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To future pilgrims : if you see this sign there is a possibility of active hunting in the area...View attachment 36575

Thanks for this. Hopefully they will get one up in the area I described as no such thing currently exists.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
How about posting a freakin' sign at the spilt so a pilgrim doesn't get shot nor does a hunter have to leave his blind to yell "danger"(peligro) at pilgrims to turn around. Sheesh.
.

Are you sure there was no sign? I have seen many of them, can't remember the exact wording but something like zona de CAZA (which means hunting in Spanish)

Oh Sabine you beat me to it, well done for the photo
 
I alerted 4 people who were an hour behind me and asked them to look for signs we missed. Confirmed no signage.
 
Are you sure there was no sign? I have seen many of them, can't remember the exact wording but something like zona de CAZA (which means hunting in Spanish)

Oh Sabine you beat me to it, well done for the photo


No worries, you see those signs everywhere.
Ah I remember on the Camino del Ebro a very strange conversation I had with some local hunters in Alagon . Me having breakfast at seven in the morning, they already devouring a plate of lots of fries and bacon and eggs...but I digress....
 
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Thanks to those of you who posted and explained CAZA!! Have been meaning to look up the word - assuming it meant private property, or something like that. With dogs barking and gunshots sounding along the Inglés (and probably elsewhere in Spain at this time of year), I'm happy to know more about this important event! And thanks to @AlexanderAZ for alerting and reminding us of this time of year!
Stay safe by wearing neon yellow!!
Buen Camino!
Terry
 
... I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!!..

I don't know the hunting laws in Spain.

In Germany hunting is allowed almost anywhere in the country (for the hunter who has the right to hunt in this region). So there is no need for a hunting sign in Germany. Of course the hunter is responsible that no humans like walkers get in danger by the hunting.

... zona de CAZA (which means hunting in Spanish)...

Good to know.
 
Being Native American I come from a family and community of hunters (nothing I can imagine doing). Most tend to be very careful and protective of those of us who are not. I’m glad the man stopped you regardless of signs and that you are safe! I can imagine running into someone with a rifle let alone one running at you yelling must have been frightening! Lesson to everyone rules/laws are different in every country try to adapt. Also try to learn to recognize if not speak a few important words! Alexander AZ thank you for this information! I have two priest friends who surely would not think of hunting- they leave next week. Please have a safe and wonderful journey!
 
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Walking from Le Puy to SdC autumn 2009, some days the only persons I met during the days were some single hunters sitting on their chairs out in the wood waiting for a wildpig to shoot. A bit disturbed at the first meeting but they seemed to be harmless people, so I relaxed and enjoyed the glimse of them later on.
 
WOW!! My walking companion and I took this alternative route. It was very lonely, in fact we almost doubled back until another pilgrim came along whilst we were taking a 5 min rest. I can well imagine your surprise. I also agree that whilst hunting in Spain is both common and legal the relevant signage needs updating (maybe a picture of a rifle or shotgun).

BTW - was there any indication that this was a seasonal event - ie coming in to Autumn/Fall when it would be common to reduce the numbers of animals, improve the chances of others surviving winter??

Note to John Brierley - please insert a note about the shooting/hunting on this map. Tks
 
WOW!! My walking companion and I took this alternative route. It was very lonely, in fact we almost doubled back until another pilgrim came along whilst we were taking a 5 min rest. I can well imagine your surprise. I also agree that whilst hunting in Spain is both common and legal the relevant signage needs updating (maybe a picture of a rifle or shotgun).

BTW - was there any indication that this was a seasonal event - ie coming in to Autumn/Fall when it would be common to reduce the numbers of animals, improve the chances of others surviving winter??

Note to John Brierley - please insert a note about the shooting/hunting on this map. Tks

Like I posted above : every local farmer and hunter will now when the hunting season is / " la caza ".
They have to get a permit.
The local townhall : " ayuntamiento " or a regional bureau will handle the requests.

Again : there are regular signs : like the one I also posted above.
Sorry but the idea of a sign of a rifle or a shotgun is irrelevant seeing the Spaniards have sufficient signs themselves.
There is still more chance to get hit by a driving car than by someone handling a shotgun.

Please let there still be a small part of an unknown factor on the already more than regulated Camino Frances.
 
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I live very near to Calzada de la Cueza. They are keen hunters over there and in Terradillos; about three times a year they hunt wild boar, with guys coming in from all over with trailer-loads of dogs who only see daylight about once a year...
The man who stopped you was probably doing you a favor, keeping you clear of an active hunt. Evidently they were onto something, as your companions on the trail saw the boar on the run.
The "Coto de Caza" signs have little to do with occasional hunting events. Those warn hunters that hunting in that area is reserved -- "authorized personnel only." The neighborhood associations in each town own the hunting rights in surrounding areas, and can rent them out to hunting clubs -- usually city guys who drive in to shoot something, leave a load of litter, and drive home again.
 
The man who stopped you was probably doing you a favor, keeping you clear of an active hunt. .
Definitively doing you a favour..., The French hunters aren't always as nice ;) Do you not have a hunting season in the States or am I showing my ignorance? (Of a country I have never visited) :oops:
 
What you describe sounds very familiar to me as there are similar hunts in other European countries: a sort of "moving" hunt that takes place only occasionally, near woods or in fields close to roads and villages, sometimes temporary warning signs are set up but that is not always the case. Otherwise there may be one or more hunters tasked with warning pedestrians if necessary. And it's in autumn - although hunting boar may be all year round, I am not sure.

I was looking for the word for this kind of hunt in English but all I came up with was "battue" which I'd never heard before. Perhaps it's a concept that not everyone is familiar with? And does this mean that boar may be on the pilgrim's menu? That would be a good reason for an autumn pilgrimage. :cool:

Wild boar was everywhere on the Via Francigena menus this Summer, in Italy! I guess their hunting season is earlier than ours....

'Battue' is when they go along chasing everything out of the bushes (en force) and then the dogs get them. :(

Sorry, I am no hunter... I've just learnt to live with them. ;)
 
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There definitely are hunting seasons in the United States, they vary by state. Where I came up in Western Pennsylvania, the first day of white-tail deer hunting season is practically a state holiday, with massive absentee rates at schools and workplaces... to the point where some just give everybody the day off. The world and his wife is in the woods at sunup, banging away with high-powered rifles, drinking beer, and occasionally shooting one another by accident.
...and in the afternoon the victorious park their pickups outside the coffee shops with the deer carcasses strapped to the bumpers.
 
Then "battue" might not be the right word in English ... I just know these two kinds: stationary in specific places (usually just one hunter) and moving all over the territory (usually more than one hunter), with or without dogs; and all quite regulated by many laws.

I think what you are referring to at the end of the quote is or was customary until recently only in one European country - or part of that country - which shall not be named. :cool:

Interesting...think we call it klopjacht.
 
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@SabineP, @MinaKamina, now it's my turn to say "interesting". You may enjoy reading this little bit of background information in an INL article although it is a bit dated. To quote a currently famous meme/person: "[We] know words. [We] have the best words." :);)

I see I am geographically, linguistically and socially totally balanced! What a way to start the week!

:cool: :cool: :cool:

Battue is probably French, and both battue (in France) and batida (in Spain) are also used to describe a search for a missing person in the outdoors, where people cross an area walking in one line next to each other, and poke with sticks in the underbushes.
 
Yes, hunting is a tradition in many countries; in France there is (or was) a hunters and fishermen political party (believe it or not). It is strictly regulated. Hunters require licences, should respect seasons, and hunt only in established spaces. On the other side, from casual remarks from my guests in rural France and Spain, I think that a cavalier attitude toward hunting rules is quite common in villages, and local authorities tend to look the other way, provided it is discreet.
It is also a politically sensitive issue, and hot discussions flare from time to time, not only with environmentalists, but also with local councils trying to preserve public ways.
The surroundings of roads and highways are evidently "no no" spaces. Hunters can't practice their beloved activity in a distance less than 50 meters from roads and public paths. An example (from the Madrid province) here That said, regulations can vary from province to province (Calzadilla belongs to Castilla and León province).
Besides, the Camino is a legally much protected space. I can't imagine it being blocked by a hunting party.
The point here is if this variant is an "official one", or the result of local Camino enthusiasts.
As a minimun, I'd report incidents to hospitaleros. They are interested in protecting the Camino and pilgrims. S/he would explain to you the situation, and if it is an irregular one, choose between making a phone call to the neighbor (in villages, everybody knows everybody) saying "Hey buddy, don't do that", or report it to guardia civil.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
reserva ecologica?

these foreign languages do pull some stunts!
 
reserva ecologica? these foreign languages do pull some stunts!

reserva ecologica
and the red bar mean no hunting - even if your daddy and your grand-daddy used to you can't now. And if you do get caught its a fine and maybe loss of your licence(s).

And with a nod to Reb I was amused by the sale of 'camouflage' toilet paper until I realized what would make you a target in 'White Tail' season :eek:
 
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-- usually city guys who drive in to shoot something, leave a load of litter, and drive home again.

Ah yes we have those city guys here too... All about status and the " right " expensive clothing and gear. Their " new " hobby for the season.
Poor tame partrigdes and hares just come running towards them....
What a difference with the old school hunters who pride themselves in an honest confrontation.
 
Those who know me here will know I don't do this sort of thing often but (and isn't there always a but) this thread; stuff today; childhood memories of my time on the great man's estate; the Battue: all came together with a memory of a song. Those who know this band will forgive me and Steve will forgive me the impertinence of introducing him to strangers unbid.

 
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Feel slightly sorry for the OP here who clearly got a fright but has been rather picked on I feel. It’s easy to say ‘you should know better’, or be condescending with comments about being glad it was nothing worse, but not everyone has come across this sort of thing before - I’m not used to hunting season either so I’d have been taken unawares too. It’s a bit tricky to brush up on vocabulary and signage for something you don’t know you will encounter - hindsight being a wonderful thing and all that. Knowing so very many people walk the Camino it wouldn’t be too difficult for the yellow arrow painters to just pop up a plain warning sign that didn’t require local knowledge or specialist vocabulary. And it wouldn’t be hard for us all to be a little more sympathetic to a pilgrim who was a tad shaken.
 
Added for clarification:
"In the U.S."

As Reb posts above..there are various hunting seasons in different States.
There are deer and elk seasons, bear seasons, duck, goose, turkey, pheasant,
and other critters.
They are held in areas that are usually pretty remote from normal walking usage.
Not likely non-hunters will be encountered.

The Pilgrim routes often go right through hunting areas and the interaction is much more likely to occur.
 
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It's a very powerful lobby in France.
Most everywhere I've been, too, at least in the West.
They are held in areas that are usually pretty remote from normal usage.
Well, not always. I lived in central Massachusetts for a few years, working at a meditation center a few miles from the nearest big town. This time of year we'd be having our fall long (silent) retreat, so 100 meditators would be doing their practice while pick-up trucks went by bristling with armaments (or dead deer), and the sound of gunfire was coming from the woods nearby. The hunters would go after whatever moved, and even on private land close to town one needed to wear high-viz vests in the woods. It was always 'interesting' - both the contrasting world views, and what it took to support people who were 5 weeks into a silent retreat and shocked by the carnage.
The camino can create the same kind of sensitization (even without silence), so I'm not surprised by the OP's response. It's a bit of a contrast, the hunting universe and the peregrino universe, to say the least.
 
It's against the law to take a persons photo who is in public view?

Yes it is. He is not a public figure. Public view has nothing to do with it in European law. Had he been aware that his picture was being taken, he might have objected, and Alexander AZ would have been obliged to delete it from his phone or camera.

Plus shaming this person on the internet because he merely tried to warn you is punishable by law too.

I am surprised that this picture is still on line. There are many cases where the owner of the website was held accountable.
 
I haven't reread every message in this thread but I rather feel that most posters have tried to provide genuine additional information. I'd also like to commend @AlexanderAZ for posting the warning, taking it all in his stride and in particular for coming back to the thread to post replies and provide additional information. All to often, unfortunately, someone posts about an event that caused them indignation and never reacts to subsequent posts, leaving everyone wondering what really happened.

I share some of the unease about the photo and any kind of public shaming on the Internet but on the other hand the thread as a whole provides a more balanced view than the initial message. I'm intrigued to see that the person wears a bright yellow vest. Are all hunters dressed like this in Castilla y Leon and Galicia?

Like most of us, I'm not terribly familiar with local customs but would like to repeat that it's quite possible that this was a rare event, perhaps lasting only for a very short time before the hunt moved on, so don't expect to see warning signs. And have a look at this message from 2014: Hunting season in Galicia . Conclusion: Be on the look0ut in October, especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings (check the timeline in this thread). :cool:.
The thread does provide a balanced view and in many posts a good level of useful inormation, but I stand by my assertion that a number of posts were less than sympathetic to the fact that a pilgrim was made to feel a little afraid. He wasn’t expressing indignation ( a rather negative emotion ) but rather, genuinely trying to warn others, and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t internet shaming but simply showing what he’d seen.
 
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...Are all hunters dressed like this in Castilla y Leon and Galicia?
I can affirm that all the Spanish walkers I've seen on this Camino have been wearing neon yellow vests. They must know something. Haven't seen the hunters, only heard them. I didn't make the connection until I saw this thread. Again, thank you, @AlexanderAZ, for bringing up this topic!
 
I see I am geographically, linguistically and socially totally balanced! What a way to start the week!

:cool: :cool: :cool:

Battue is probably French, and both battue (in France) and batida (in Spain) are also used to describe a search for a missing person in the outdoors, where people cross an area walking in one line next to each other, and poke with sticks in the underbushes.
Whilst busy with all the translations - watch out for your English "- underbushes" is not a word- and why are we discussing this? - when we started with a perfectly good warning by the OP about hunting in Spain, which has been most informative.
Thank you OP I haven't encountered this before and I am grateful for the warning. I would have been terrified if a man approached me shouting on a quiet section especially if he had a firearm.
 
I left Calzadilla at noon today and about quarter mile after, I noticed a women walking to the left at the split. I thought she was going the wrong way. Then I thought she was going that way to "relieve" herself. Then about a mile later. I was thinking that she was walking on the alternative route. Then I walked about another mile, and I saw a sign for the split. I don't know exactly where you walked, etc, but you may have been off the Camino and wandered onto hunting grounds or private property. There may have been a sign denoting that. I don't know what the sign said, but there was a picture of what looked like a wild boar. Again the split is not immediately after Calzadilla. It is about a mile or two after. P.S, I don't what happened to that woman. Since you are about a half day ahead of me on the Camino, maybe we can meet up and talk about it some more. Again since I don't know where exactly you walked, you may have been on the right path all along, please advise if you have any additional information, so in the future, other pilgrims can be aware.

Buen Camino

Mark
Just past Calzadilla de la Cueza the Camino makes a split (before Ledigos). You can take the path by the road or the path into the woods. In the Bierly guide the route is marked green, in the Camino Companion gps app it is marked blue. I choose the woods route (green/blue). About 10 minutes in a man jumps out of the forest waving a shotgun & yelling. Thanks to Google translate I was able to understand that he and others were hunting and it was dangerous to continue on the path. Let me reiterate this was ON the Camino itself, not off the Camino in some field. I turned around to go back to the route by the road and related the message not to continue to at least 8-10 others. When I got to Ledigos I explained what happened and showed photos to the person working at the albergue and asked if they could please call the police. I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!! I took a photo of the hunter, the exact gps location of the "split" I'm referring to (note the direction of the blue arrow is going opposite the direction of the Camino since I had to walk back) as well as marker where the split is located (you can see in the photo the Camino separating into the 2 paths). Will try to upload the pics. My phone service is flickering. Hopefully the authorities can get out and put up a sign or something b/c this is crazy.

View attachment 36564 View attachment 36565View attachment 36563
Just past Calzadilla de la Cueza the Camino makes a split (before Ledigos). You can take the path by the road or the path into the woods. In the Bierly guide the route is marked green, in the Camino Companion gps app it is marked blue. I choose the woods route (green/blue). About 10 minutes in a man jumps out of the forest waving a shotgun & yelling. Thanks to Google translate I was able to understand that he and others were hunting and it was dangerous to continue on the path. Let me reiterate this was ON the Camino itself, not off the Camino in some field. I turned around to go back to the route by the road and related the message not to continue to at least 8-10 others. When I got to Ledigos I explained what happened and showed photos to the person working at the albergue and asked if they could please call the police. I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!! I took a photo of the hunter, the exact gps location of the "split" I'm referring to (note the direction of the blue arrow is going opposite the direction of the Camino since I had to walk back) as well as marker where the split is located (you can see in the photo the Camino separating into the 2 paths). Will try to upload the pics. My phone service is flickering. Hopefully the authorities can get out and put up a sign or something b/c this is crazy.

View attachment 36564 View attachment 36565View attachment 36563
 
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The roads out there are public; there's very little "private property" in these open campos -- it's owned for sure, but it's not fenced-off or enthusiastically guarded against trespassing, unless it's time for germination or there's a standing crop -- or someone's got a bee in his bonnet. If you stay on the path/road/senda, you're legal.
 
Added for clarification:
"In the U.S."

As Reb posts above..there are various hunting seasons in different States.
There are deer and elk seasons, bear seasons, duck, goose, turkey, pheasant,
and other critters.
They are held in areas that are usually pretty remote from normal walking usage.
Not likely non-hunters will be encountered.

The Pilgrim routes often go right through hunting areas and the interaction is much more likely to occur.

We live by a state park in Pennsylvania. The trails include 10k of very popular circular family trails. Signs indicate parts of it are not protected from Hunting while parts forbid hunting on them! Not well thought out!

AlexanderAZ@ I thank you for your post and clear concern for other pilgrims! Those who responded with informative information thank you too! Your knowledge will help me and others who read this blog be more alert when we see such signage. However I bet many folks are completely unaware of the postings and blissfully pass by so I find Alexanders suggestion for a symbol type warning worth consideration and not ridicule.
 
I could add to this that the hunting along the camino paths are not really that unusual. I have walked for a couple of days on the VdlP while hearing shooting in the nearby fields. I admit that it was a bit unnerving at times as I was not sure where the hunters were in relationship to my location.
I have encountered hunters walking down the various paths on both the Camino Frances and the Primitivo several times.
 
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I could add to this that the hunting along the camino paths are not really that unusual. I have walked for a couple of days on the VdlP while hearing shooting in the nearby fields. I admit that it was a bit unnerving at times as I was not sure where the hunters were in relationship to my location.
I have encountered hunters walking down the various paths on both the Camino Frances and the Primitivo several times.
Well said. It's the hunting season people, get over it! :)
 
There definitely are hunting seasons in the United States, they vary by state. Where I came up in Western Pennsylvania, the first day of white-tail deer hunting season is practically a state holiday, with massive absentee rates at schools and workplaces... to the point where some just give everybody the day off. The world and his wife is in the woods at sunup, banging away with high-powered rifles, drinking beer, and occasionally shooting one another by accident.
...and in the afternoon the victorious park their pickups outside the coffee shops with the deer carcasses strapped to the bumpers.
My first reaction to this is "How Awful". Whilst I know and accept that 'Hunting" Deer and other animals for sport, is and has been a 'Tradition' both in Europe and the US, I just hate the thought of killing those animals;....just my humble opinion here
 
A bit of WARNING is needed as discussion of the pros and cons of hunting activities fall in the same catagory as discussions on bull fighting and is not allowed on the forum.

Thanks for understanding.
 
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Because this is hunting Season in the Northern Hemisphere, it may be wise to ask at every albergue, refugio, donativo, if you may be passing through hunting grounds during the next day's hike.

Beyond this, in the larger towns, the Police can be consulted.

Always be safe.
 
being on several autumn caminos and knowing that this is a hunting season in (probably all of) europe, I think there is nothing surprising about encountering hunters or hearing gunshots or dogs barking.

it is possible that the OP actually slightly surprised this particular hunter and he reacted with a bit too much adrenalin, especially if the group were in a hot pursuit of a boar, and that boar was trying to escape in the direction of a (alternative) camino with unsuspecting pilgrims carrying big backpacks. (as apparently did happen.)

I've seen many groups of hunters in spain during autumn, usually one or two fields away from a camino. I've also encountered at least two groups in france, hunting foxes. one was on a local walk from a roman villa of séviac to the proper camino of le puy, the other while I was taking a short-cut along a slightly overgrown lane towards irún. they were posted in a spread-out line, all wore bright yellow jackets and were all very civilised. these were obviously the lookouts trying to prevent the fox from excaping, and perhaps for wanderers like me. the main action was heard maybe 100-200m off into the woods or the fields.

but if anyone of them would jump out of a bush with a gun waving around, I am sure I would jump two feet in the air first. :)
 
Yes it is. He is not a public figure. Public view has nothing to do with it in European law. Had he been aware that his picture was being taken, he might have objected, and Alexander AZ would have been obliged to delete it from his phone or camera.

Plus shaming this person on the internet because he merely tried to warn you is punishable by law too.

I am surprised that this picture is still on line. There are many cases where the owner of the website was held accountable.


I think that is US law, I don't know about Spain but it certainly not illegal here in the UK
 
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I think that is US law, I don't know about Spain but it certainly not illegal here in the UK

Then educate yourself on European and Spanish law. Try a little google on protection of personal data or protección de datos personales.
Here are some Spanish instructions from the Spanish Watchdog for Privacy for those wanting to exercise their right to stop someone from using their image on the internet:
http://www.agpd.es/portalwebAGPD/CanalDelCiudadano/eliminar_fotos_videos/index-ides-idphp.php
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights has case law that you need permission to take a photo and permission to publish it throughout the EU. Enforcement may be a bit different in each country. It is a right to privacy issue. Governments for sure cannot take or publish a photo unless permitted otherwise in law, or with the permission of the person photographed. Facebook just paid the maximum fine for violating Article 8, and must take measures to protect persons from invasion of privacy. Google Street View has blurred the faces of everyone. It is not clear yet how websites can manage their content on photos, but there probably is some exposure. With facial recognition expanding, websites that become sources for identifying persons without their permission probably have the greatest liability.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
It was a cold, rainy day and I stopped in for a cafe con leche and was treated to home made cake and a warm fire. A wonderful Camino memory; there are so many.
I am currently reading Reb's translation of "The Great Westward Walk" I hope everyone on the Forum buys a copy and shares it.
 
There definitely are hunting seasons in the United States, they vary by state. Where I came up in Western Pennsylvania, the first day of white-tail deer hunting season is practically a state holiday, with massive absentee rates at schools and workplaces... to the point where some just give everybody the day off. The world and his wife is in the woods at sunup, banging away with high-powered rifles, drinking beer, and occasionally shooting one another by accident.
...and in the afternoon the victorious park their pickups outside the coffee shops with the deer carcasses strapped to the bumpers.
Funny, it's the same in Wisconsin! Not the most appealing site when traveling behind them on the interstate. Ha ha. Being from a hunting family, nothing new.

But I must say how lucky the original poster was for having a hunter willing to warn him of the area. Wild boar are no joke. Best to trim the herd!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Just past Calzadilla de la Cueza the Camino makes a split (before Ledigos). You can take the path by the road or the path into the woods. In the Bierly guide the route is marked green, in the Camino Companion gps app it is marked blue. I choose the woods route (green/blue). About 10 minutes in a man jumps out of the forest waving a shotgun & yelling. Thanks to Google translate I was able to understand that he and others were hunting and it was dangerous to continue on the path. Let me reiterate this was ON the Camino itself, not off the Camino in some field. I turned around to go back to the route by the road and related the message not to continue to at least 8-10 others. When I got to Ledigos I explained what happened and showed photos to the person working at the albergue and asked if they could please call the police. I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!! I took a photo of the hunter, the exact gps location of the "split" I'm referring to (note the direction of the blue arrow is going opposite the direction of the Camino since I had to walk back) as well as marker where the split is located (you can see in the photo the Camino separating into the 2 paths). Will try to upload the pics. My phone service is flickering. Hopefully the authorities can get out and put up a sign or something b/c this is crazy.

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I can put my two cents in this topic. This is the culling season for wild boars, which represent a true plague these days, they have no predators and the easiest way to control populations is by culling or selective hunting. You will see quite a bit of this around mid september to end of october, usually early in the morning, and most likely with an army of hunters and dogs which try to ambush the boars for the hunters to shoot them.
You can see how the hunter is wearing a reflective high visibility vest for safety. This activity normally takes place on Saturdays or Sundays, and it can be quite loud, but it should be no danger as long as you stick to the camino route, you should have no reason to worry even if it is not nice to hear the dogs running around and so many men with guns.
The "Caza" signs do not mean that an area is particularly good for hunting, but rather mark the boundaries of the land belonging to a specific town; as a hunter, you are only allowed to shoot in your hometown or your spouse's hometown, and only as long as you pay an annual membership fee. If you see a "Caza" sign, or a sign with a rectangle split in two black and white halves, it DOES NOT mean they will be hunting, it only marks the boundaries to avoid poachers from neighbouring towns to go into your area.
I have seen this type of hunting in Navarra, Asturias and Galicia and never felt intimidated - mind you, it is an advantage to know what it is about and to be able to speak to the hunters ;)

so, NOTHING TO FEAR
 
Just past Calzadilla de la Cueza the Camino makes a split (before Ledigos). You can take the path by the road or the path into the woods. In the Bierly guide the route is marked green, in the Camino Companion gps app it is marked blue. I choose the woods route (green/blue). About 10 minutes in a man jumps out of the forest waving a shotgun & yelling. Thanks to Google translate I was able to understand that he and others were hunting and it was dangerous to continue on the path. Let me reiterate this was ON the Camino itself, not off the Camino in some field. I turned around to go back to the route by the road and related the message not to continue to at least 8-10 others. When I got to Ledigos I explained what happened and showed photos to the person working at the albergue and asked if they could please call the police. I don't have any idea what the hunting laws are in Spain but SURELY hunting anywhere near the Camino can't possibly be right!! I took a photo of the hunter, the exact gps location of the "split" I'm referring to (note the direction of the blue arrow is going opposite the direction of the Camino since I had to walk back) as well as marker where the split is located (you can see in the photo the Camino separating into the 2 paths). Will try to upload the pics. My phone service is flickering. Hopefully the authorities can get out and put up a sign or something b/c this is crazy.

View attachment 36564 View attachment 36565View attachment 36563
You must have been very frightened but you must never forget that we are guests in their country. Hope that the shock of all this is starting to fade, and that you will soon be able to again soak in the wonderment of the camino.
 

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