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Woodcock and Snipe Shooting in Connemara

Chasse a la Bécasse et Bécassine

 Zetland Country House was built as a hunting and fishing lodge in the early 1800's and still carries on that tradition today. The hotel owns 12,000 acres of shooting rights over a range of different covers which include woodland, forestry, bog land and marsh.

Our shooting is reserved for hotel residents only and the minimum number of guns is 6 and a shoot would be over a minimum of two days. Shooting packages include all meals, accommodation, guides, dogs etc.

The Woodcock or Creabharin Irish, has a long beak and long legs and lives in woodland and dense undergrowth. By night the bird escapes from its cover and spends time feeding in the open. At dusk you will often see many cock heading from the woods to the feeding grounds and it is illegal to shoot Woodcock at this vulnerable time. They feed on worms and larvae using their long beaks and you may often see the evidence of their nocturnal feeding in cowpats next morning.

A small number of these birds are resident in Ireland but the vast majority are migrating from Sacandanavia and Russia many spend months here but some as little as a few days. It is thought that they travel these long distances around the full moon. These birds then head further south to France Spain and even Africa and return through Ireland after the hunting season in March.

The Shoot

A typical day begins with breakfast at 9 and a meeting and safety talk with the guides before departure to that morning's shooting grounds. The area to be shot and the type of cover will be chosen by the guides depending on weather and where we think the greatest concentration of either woodcock or snipe are to be found. 80% of our shoot is woodcock the other 20% snipe. The terrain in Connemara is not easy and usually quite a bit of walking is involved. For anyone unsure of their footing we can usually find a run that entails less hiking but a reasonable level of fitness will be required. Wellington boots are a necessity here. At the end of the morning drives a well deserved hot hunters lunch is served at the hotel and departure again for the afternoon. This is a mixture of rough shooting and short drives generally with one or two walking guns. The birds are quick and elusive and the countryside and scenery spectacular. On returning to the hotel that evening the hits and misses can be debated over a pint of Guinness or a hot port with the guides in the bar or maybe a hot whiskey by the fire in the lounge before a bath and dinner. The five course dinner is served in our award winning restaurant overlooking Cashel Bay.

 Further information & conditions

Four Star
AA approved
Good Hotel Guide recommended
Member of Manor House Hotels of Ireland