Nyati
AH ambassador
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2011
- Messages
- 13,798
- Reaction score
- 54,201
- Location
- Madrid, Spain
- Media
- 142
- Articles
- 1
- Member of
- RFEC, RFETO
- Hunted
- Spain, Finland, RSA ( KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga)
I wanted to hunt an Ibex for a long time, but the high prices discouraged me. As I will not be able to hunt in Africa this year, due to health issues in the family, I decided to compensate by hunting an Ibex, which will not keep me away from home for more than a couple of days.
I called a good friend who is a hunting agent, and he did not disappoint me, offering me a great deal. So, as soon as the COVID travel restrictions lifted, I was on my way to the Beceite area, which is in northeast Spain, about 350Km from Madrid, where I live.
This is hill country, varying from 1000 to 1200 meters high. You hunt by spot and stalk, driving along the trails, spotting the groups of Ibex high on the slopes. They will be at distances from 500 to 300 meters, and you see anything interesting, you start climbing very carefully so as not to spook them, which is very often the case, then start again on another group.
The ground is not easy, loose soil, and stones, that make movement quite tiring, so you must be in decent physical shape.
My hunt took place in two stages, first on May 12/13, when I could not get close enough to any interesting animal. I tried again on June 2nd.
It was quite warm, we hunted in shirtsleeves, started around 7 PM, which was early, as the animals didn´t start moving until 8:30 PM, we saw Wild Boars, Roe Deer, Foxes, and Ibex.
Our guide spotted a group which was coming down the slope to eat at a small pasture which was about 300 meters from us. He was using a Leica spotting scope, and said there was a good male in it. We waited until all of them were in the pasture, where we could only see horns now and then.
There was no shooting angle, but I was not going to take a shot at that distance anyway, I like to get closer, and with these animals which tend to bunch together you have to be real sure you have a clear shot.
The wind was good, so we started climbing, taking advantage of the terrain layout that hid us, first to the left of them until we were on the same height, then closed up very slowly until we were about 140 meters from the group.
I sat down behind a small boulder, a rucksack was placed on top, and I steadied my rifle, the male was in my scope, looking at us, he must have heard something and was suspicious, I could not take the shot, as two younger Ibex were behind him, we all stayed there, without moving or making any sound, until finally I had a clear shot, I sent a 200Gr. SP from my SAKO .338WM, and he was down.
I called a good friend who is a hunting agent, and he did not disappoint me, offering me a great deal. So, as soon as the COVID travel restrictions lifted, I was on my way to the Beceite area, which is in northeast Spain, about 350Km from Madrid, where I live.
This is hill country, varying from 1000 to 1200 meters high. You hunt by spot and stalk, driving along the trails, spotting the groups of Ibex high on the slopes. They will be at distances from 500 to 300 meters, and you see anything interesting, you start climbing very carefully so as not to spook them, which is very often the case, then start again on another group.
The ground is not easy, loose soil, and stones, that make movement quite tiring, so you must be in decent physical shape.
My hunt took place in two stages, first on May 12/13, when I could not get close enough to any interesting animal. I tried again on June 2nd.
It was quite warm, we hunted in shirtsleeves, started around 7 PM, which was early, as the animals didn´t start moving until 8:30 PM, we saw Wild Boars, Roe Deer, Foxes, and Ibex.
Our guide spotted a group which was coming down the slope to eat at a small pasture which was about 300 meters from us. He was using a Leica spotting scope, and said there was a good male in it. We waited until all of them were in the pasture, where we could only see horns now and then.
There was no shooting angle, but I was not going to take a shot at that distance anyway, I like to get closer, and with these animals which tend to bunch together you have to be real sure you have a clear shot.
The wind was good, so we started climbing, taking advantage of the terrain layout that hid us, first to the left of them until we were on the same height, then closed up very slowly until we were about 140 meters from the group.
I sat down behind a small boulder, a rucksack was placed on top, and I steadied my rifle, the male was in my scope, looking at us, he must have heard something and was suspicious, I could not take the shot, as two younger Ibex were behind him, we all stayed there, without moving or making any sound, until finally I had a clear shot, I sent a 200Gr. SP from my SAKO .338WM, and he was down.
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