Thread: Hi from Belgium

Thanks guys for the welcome. In this answer I will certainly forget many things, so feel free to ask. You can be sure if I ever come to NZ, which I hope, I will bring my gumboots. I almost live in them, training and shooting over my dogs. We are very close to the south of the UK and have similar weather. Scotland is a lot wetter and I heard NZ is even far wetter than Scotland. To be honest I prefer rain over countries which have a hot climate like the south of Europe or Sout Africa.
Belgium is very small ( 3 1/2 hour from north to south) and extremely crowded. I live in one of the densest populated areas of the country, just about 15 km west of Brussels. Brussels is the centre of Europe and has lots of the european administration and councils.
Shooting is permanetly in danger. Left winged politicians and organisations do everything to have it restricted as much as possible. We have woodcock but are not allowed to shoot them. In the French speaking part of the country it is allowed as well as in France, Italy, Spain, etc....... We can not shoot fox at night , not in a 100m circle around his hole, etc... I mostly shoot pheasant, hare and rabbit over my dogs. Sometimes I go to the Ardennes to sit on a highseat and try to shoot a roe deer or boar.
In Liège there is one of the most famous gunsmith schools in the world.
If I ever would get in NZ, I think I will be amazed. If I see the open space and game you have, it's only a dream for us. I don't have the money to shoot a large stag or similar, but helping out on a culling operation for goats, hinds, etc.... would be one of my dreams.

I hope one day you are able to come over here for a hunting trip.