COLE KRAMER Hunting Spanish Ibex

BECEITE IBEX IN SPAIN

COLE KRAMER

Hunting Spanish Ibex with Valeriano | Hunting Ibex in spain | Beceite Ibex

Ibex hunting.

Trygve ringte meg en dag. skal du bli med å jakte på Ibex spurte han? ja sa jeg, uten egentlig å ha tenkt meg om.

dagen kom og vi dro fulle av forventning. landet i Valensia etter en mellomlanding i paris. Anbefaler å reise til Madrid da kan dere fly direkte. men nokk om det.

Ble hentet på flyplassen av en sjåfør som kjørte oss opp i fjellene hvor, vi skulle jakte. der ble vi møtt av Valeriano the boss :-) huntingguide

vi ble inlosjert i jaktkampen, et stort hus med alle de tenklige bekvemligheter du kan drømme om. og foret etter alle kunstens regler meget god mat og vin.

Jakten:

vi er Valeriano, Wiktor og meg

vi startet med å oppservere 3 stk ibex hvor en var skytbar. og så var det i gang. Det første var å klatre opover i fjellsiden for å vinne høyde på dyra. vi måtte helt opp på fjellryggen for å kunne bruke den som dekning når vi beveget oss mot dyra, eller rettere sakt hang etter. det ble en 3 timers fantastisk smygjakt, hvor vi var nære på et par ganger men hvor de kom seg unna. vi så dem om trent hele tiden under disse tre timene, men skyteavstanden var for stor. 3-400 meter. etter 2,5t så la de seg ned for å hvile. vi benyttet da muligheten til å komme innpå ved å gå rundt de for så å smyge inn fra en annen side. vi kom da inn på ca 230m. da hadde vi en dal i mellom oss. og dyrene lå fremdeles. her ble vi liggende å vente på skuddsjangsen til de reiste seg. en halv time på magen med en stor ibex i kikkerten er en påkjening, det bør prøves.

Det å ligge der i et landskap som ikke kan samenlinges med det vi er vant til i norge, annet en at det er bratt til tider. en utrolig følelse.
bare det å kjene lukten av rosmarin og lavendel. samtidig som du er i en ekstrem jaktopplevelse. ja det tar tid å fordøye dette.

Grand Slam Spanish Ibex | Hunting Ibex in spain |

Et fantastisk landskap

Som dere ser. to bilder av samme karen

Annkom Spania og jaktcampen til Valeriano i høst med en klar intensjon :-) her skulle det jaktes Ibex.

det ble en fantastisk opplevelse. faktisk den fineste jaktopplevelsen jeg har hatt. ikke bare på grunn av jakten, men alt rundt jakten også.

først må jeg si noen ord om opplegget:

et vellorganisert team som vet hvordan de tar vare på kunden/jegeren. alt er bare så utrolig proft.

maten er også et kappitel for seg. fantastisk mat, hele tiden. det ble servert ut i fra det lokale kjøkken, og bare det i seg selv er verdt reisen.

innkavrteringen er også fantastisk bra, med et stort soverom med eget bad osv. rent og pent.

så over til jakten.

vi startet dagen med å hilse på den karen på bildet. (Vi er Valeriano, wiktor og meg.) Den var i følge med en del hodyr pluss et par mindre bukker. disse forsvant innover og oppover i en fjellside, og jeg ante at her blir det klatring. Og som tenkt. vi startet med en halv times klatring for å nå toppen av den fjellryggen vi skulle jakte etter den oppserverte bukken. vel fremme der oppe, fikk vi øye på denne flokken ca 15 dyr og ca 400 meter lengre inn i fjellet, og litt lavere en oss. herifra og ut er det bare et eventyr av en smygjakt. vi var innpå flere ganger. men jakt er jakt og det var små detaljer som gjorde at jeg ikke fikk skutt. og som faktisk gjorde at jakten ble så fin som den ble. den roen og det avslappende lynne til Val og wiktor gjorde dette til en perfekt dag. her var det null stress. disse dyrene var tydlig urolige, med god grunn :-) men generelt, de stod aldrig stille. de var i bevegelse hele tiden. under veis i jakten så støtte vi på små grupper av hunndyr. da var det bare å stoppe opp og vente litt til alt roet seg ned igjen, for så å fortsette smygingen. Etter ca 3 timer med smyging så oppserverte vi at dyrene lakt seg ned for å ta en siesta :-) dette utnyttet vi ved å gå en halvbue rundt de for så å komme inn på skyteavstand. når vi så hadde kommet i posisjon oppe på motstående rygg i terenget, var avstanden ca 230m frem til den ibexen som jeg sitter ved. Valeriano hadde jo avstandsmåler i lommen, og den ble da brukt for å gi meg den infoen jeg trengte. nå var det bare å vente til bukken reiste seg, for siste gang :-) det å ligge der med en stor ibex i kikkertsikte å vente på at den skal reise, seg så du kan sette et forsvarlig skudd. samtidig som at du ser utover et fantastisk landskap med en noe uvant flora. Her lå jeg faktisk oppe i urtehaven. det var rosmarin og lavendel overalt. jo det var utrolig bra. og det var en tolmodighetsprøve. bukken reiste seg og jeg var på den med krysset i kikkerten med det samme. men den småtrippet i en liten halvbue oppe på den ryggen de hadde ligget. og skyte på et lite mål på den avstand i bevegelse er uaktuelt. jeg hører Val plystre svakt, jess..... bukken stoppet opp og, så opp mot oss,. Wiktor begynte med sk.... skuddet kom før han fikk gjort seg ferdig med stavelsen. og bukken falt om på stedet. den følelsen som du får, akurat i det du har fullført jakten, med et perfekt skudd. Ja det er noe som må oppleves. Verden står helt stille en stund da.

Dette er en fantastisk jakt som kan annbefales på det høyeste. disse gutta kan jobben sin og de er fantastisk hyggelige karer.

To Valeriano and the team.

Thanks again fore a wery good hunting, and fore your good hosbutaliti, food and vine.

4 days at your place, is a good memory fore a lifetime.

Henning Larsen

Norway

Hunting Barbary sheep in Spain | Hunting Spanish barbary sheep | Spanish aoudad hunt | Hunting aoudad in Spain

Once again I meet with my friend Valeriano, I was hunting with for a big ibex in Tortosa Beceite last year. We go to a hunting area Ibexhuntspain has in the east of the country, which is known to be inhabited by a big number of Barbary sheep. We arrive almost at night and we stay in one hunting house in the same hunting area. By the way it’s really beautiful and luxury building with huge trophies decorating the walls. The cooks are already waiting for us with a delicious supper prepared, during which we talk and drink a good Spanish wine.

The next morning we have to get up early. We load the pick-up with everything necessary for the whole day of hunting and we leave almost at daybreak as Valeriano wants to check one area, where different groups of animals have a habit to come to eat almost at night. Thus we could catch them unaware from the high of the slope. After having made few miles among the wood of Mediterranean pines we start to walk up a small mountain. We lean out in silence from one side of the ravine. Soon despite a little light we can distinguish a movement of the animals among the trees. And indeed in a moment we see a group of sheep. They are very quite and we can locate a big male in the middle. Valeriano concentrates on it and observes it through a telescope. In a short time he comments it’s a good specimen and I can hunt it, but to approach we need to come down few yards without making any noise as at this time of the day the animals are very alert and it’s easy to fail to come closer unnoticed.

We come down the groove of rocks and what a bad luck, some of the stones dislodge and make enough noise. The herd of sheep group together with big male in the middle. Now it’s impossible to shoot any of them. In little time they get more nervous and run away among the pines.

We come back to a car to change the area to one more mountainous. We charge the backpacks on our backs and we start to walk searching a new group of animals. All the time the way goes up and up. Finally we are high up on the mountainside, from where we have an amazing sight of the magnificent landscape. I can make out an extensive forest, which riches the edge of a small river. Valeriano and the guide observe the mountains in the north and in few minutes they notice a group of Barbary sheep. Once again I’m full with hope and for a moment I forget about how exhaustive am I.

After one hour of walking we lean out of a big cliff. The animals are some 170 yards away. I prepare to aim, but I don’t see the animal Valeriano and the guide indicate me. The group of the sheep hears us talking and they start to move, in a few seconds we loose them among the pines and rocks. We have failed again. These animals are very elusive.

We continue walking among a spectacular landscape. I feel myself a little bit dishearten, but Valeriano assures me that soon we will find a good herd and right now it might be a good idea to get our strength back having a short meal, resting a little and than continuing to hunt. So we do it this way and once again I find myself walking.

Finally my preys are listened as we locate another group big enough. It is in the other side of the forest situated below our feet. We move silently and we find a good position so the animals can’t see us nor hear neither smell.

We are 218 yards away and I have a good support for the gun. I’ve put two backpacks between the rocks, in this way I’m quite comfortable and I feel sure. Valeriano locates a chief of a herd. He gives me indications to recognize the animal. This time I detect it straightway. It’s a magnificent male with big horns. It seems to be hidden among the females, but as it moves slowly finally I can see its full body. Its hair in the chest reaches the ground. It’s spectacular. I follow it with a cross of sight reflected in its body. I’ve already told Valeriano I will shoot but I continue waiting to get a better position of the animal and to relax to do not fail a shot.

The silence is disturbed by a deafening noise and a moment of waiting is over. I see how it fails down suddenly on a ground meanwhile the rest of a herd runs away. Valeriano screams from joy and shakes my hand. It’s so sensational.

We cross the ravine and we approach to the shot zone where we can see a magnitude and a beauty of this great Barbary sheep. It has big horns, very thick ones and its hair is very long. We make a photo and video session. The occasion is really worth it.

So once again I want to point out a big professionalism of Ibexhuntspain and a great work of its manager Valeriano Belles and his team.

Johannes Stefansson

Pyrenean Chamois Hunting in Spain | Hunting chamois in Spain | Ibex Hunt Spain

Pyrenean chamois hunting.

The high mountains, from the point of view of a hunter, a nature’s lover like me, are so grandiose, especially when it is about the Pyrenean chamois (really magnificent animal) hunting, which in this case I consider like a unique experience.

After I have had hunted two magnificent ibexes in Sierra de Gredos; we have hired for that a hunting company Ibexhuntspain, we set out towards the Pyrenees with an illusion to hunt two chamois. The manager Valeriano Belles was waiting for us in the village to guide us in the last stretch till the hotel where we had to be accommodated. As soon as we came we went to eat and to prepare for the first contact at dusk with this immense place and its small inhabitants with horns.

First we had to wait for the local government’s forest keeper to check our licences and just after we set out in two cars towards a prey, situated at the end of a road. From there we have started the first groups of chamois in the both sides of the road, although the animals were still too far.

We’ve decided to split up into two groups. Steve and Valeriano had to go to the mountains situated in the west and me and Fernando, a guide of Ibexhuntspain, we took a way to the mountainside in the east.

Each one of us took its backpack and wished the rest to have a good luck. To tell the truth I was feeling very calm. We started to climb a steep slope full of crumbly rocks and slippery grass. Each step was an exhausting effort and together with a height and as a consequence lack of oxygen it was becoming a real torture for a body out of shape.

At last we stopped and we lied down on a ground. About lying down it’s just a manner of speaking as we were in the same vertical position as a picture hanging on a wall due to a slope of a land. During quite a lot of time we were observing a terrain through the binoculars till we have started to feel the pain in the neck as a position we were in was very uncomfortable.

After more or less one hour we have heard two shots in the far followed almost one by one. A good male has risen above us, but Fernando told me it was too far to shoot at it. A noise like the one of a distant shot makes an animal to move little by little towards a peak of a mountain. Later on we have found out that it was Steve, who was shooting at the animal, but it was too far away and he missed the first shot, as a consequence the animal raced away and it complicated a lot a second shot.

Fernando explained me that we have to go up along a rock crest and maybe we will be able to shoot the same male and in case it’s not possible we still can look at the other slope. Since the animals didn’t pass through where we were now, they should be there. Indeed, after a short but steep ascent Fernando leant out of a ledge and gave me a sign to come closer, as there were the animals eating peacefully.

In this moment my heart started to dance to the different rhythms as I was approaching. So in the same instant to lean out with a gun in one hand my heart has left behind a waltz to pass to an uncontrolled rock&roll. I took a deep breath and I put in order my thoughts trying to control a situation.

Fernando was on my left, he indicated me one chamois of a light colour eating under one rock, above it there was another darker one. I could understand what he was trying to tell me and when the moment came I’ve put a gun on a backpack I have left on the rocks. I look at a marvellous Pyrenean chamois; I was feeling that a sight was moving a little as I was nervous at this exciting moment. Without any hurry but also without making any pause I decided to lean out a little bit more so I could have a perfect position to shoot. I focused the animal; I was breathing and caressing a trigger. The bullet has come out and I knew in advance I did it I hit it. Almost immediately I saw how the beautiful male has fallen down.

I was a leading actor in my own movie; I lifted a gun, pulled the bolt back and I said: “that’s all”. At once Fernando congratulated me with killing a good Pyrenean chamois male. I thanked him and we gave each other a strong hug. We were going down through the rocks, ravines and cliffs towards the animal. We picked it up and brought it down to snowdrift. There for a moment we were discussing this great event.

We had to continue with our work. At first we took some pictures to memorize this great moment and we carried on with a butcher work taking off the skin and cutting some meat for a splendid stew, as this meat is very valued by local people.

The night caught us in the mountains. That complicated the descent through the huge tracks full of stones. I was going down slipping and trying to brake with a help of a long stick Fernando gave me. We took a shorter cut to come to a car, which was left in the prey in one side of a road a little bit more down.

In a moment we met head on with Valeriano and Steve. They were coming to search for us and to find out how did it go, as they have heard a shot.

They saw the chamois and were congratulating me making good comments. During the supper we had a great conversation. Just after we had to go to bed as the next day we had to wake up at 5 a.m. to start a new hunting for Steve’s chamois. And we did it so. It was still dark outside when we set out. We left a car in a small village from which one comes out an ancient route the local ancestors were using to get to the zone of high mountains. Using a flashlight we were walking through the craggy paths which seemed to be endless. For me the way was even harder than usually as my friend Steve passed me his backpack as light as a feather weighing more than 30 kilos (you have no idea how heavy it was).

It was amazing when after walking around one hour a day has dawned and we saw we were totally surrounded by high peaks still covered with snow.

In a moment we noticed a pair of wild boars eating in a small meadow. It took them some time to feel our presence so we could observe them thoroughly. In a few time after Valeriano perceived one chamois in a high up of a slope not too far away.

Thus Steve and Valeriano decided to go after it and me and Fernando we stayed contemplating and filming the entry into the animal’s hunting. It was a male. It was eating and it wasn’t aware of anything. They approached close enough, but it was difficult to lean out between the rocks taking out half of the body in a way that it was almost hanging over a void. Steve got ready to shoot, everything seemed to be perfect. The male was still eating. Steve didn’t look very comfortable but anyway he shot and he missed. The animal made few jumps and it disappeared between the rocks. Hunting is hunting and stress doesn’t forgive.

After walking a lot and making out different chamois in the inaccessible height, we went towards one snowdrift where there were few animals. But going up a craggy and slippery slope covered in mud we realized that in a mound at our back one chamois was watching us laid down on a rock. Valeriano observed it carefully and said it was a good specimen. Thus it was decided that Valeriano and Steve are going to make an entry meanwhile Fernando and me we stay still in front of it with a camera. In this way the chamois could watch us and it would stay quite. For the time being it didn’t move from its place. I was filming how they were approaching and searching the approximation of 150 yards. They were looking for a fulcrum and Steve despite the distrust caused by the failures in his last shots took two new ones. With a second shot he corrected a trajectory to put an end to this exciting event. What a great shot. He did it!

Valeriano congratulated him. We came close to take some pictures together and to discuss how opportune was the shot, as they have shown us how far, o rather how very far we would have to go to continue the hunting. It would take us for sure all the day and a part of a night. Later on they prepared the animal and loaded it to the backpacks.

We were returning slowly full of joy.

I was thinking: “It is so wonderful to hunt near the clouds”

I want to thank Valeriano and his team for doing their work in such a professional way and to make sure we could fully enjoy these so happy and really divine moments.

Pyrenees (Spain), 23-24 of March 2010.

Thomas Schulze & Steve Leuven

From United Kingdom

Fishing in Spain | Fishing in the River Ebro

EXTREME FISHING IN SPAIN

NEW AD WILD SHEEP

Hunting spanish mouflon | Hunting mouflon in spain

EUROPEAN MOUFLON SHEEP

We landed in Valencia airport, where Valeriano and one of his guides were waiting, they picked up my luggage and arranged all the legal weapon proceedings, in a short time we are in the car driving to the hunting area. Actually everything is going great, and I can state that Ibexhuntspain is an efficient hunting company, as I have experienced the fact of hunting with them last year.

We arrived to a big hunter’s house located inside a vast forest, they showed me the facilities and I chose a room to sleep. In a big dinner room there was prepared a great buffet, and I have to say that everything is like a 5 stars hotel!

We are in January so afternoon is not so long but despite this and the cold, we decide to go hunting in the nearby northern mountains. We load all the necessary material in the pick up, even a small dog just to follow the animal’s trail in case of hurt.

Despite the splendid sun , the afternoon is still very cold, we stop at some rocks and beat with the viewfinders all our environment. After an hour , we see a group of mouflons but all of them are females and young animals and the only male is not very big, Valeriano decides to continue walking to the southern slope. Once there we see other two mouflons eating behind some bushes, they are far enough so we assemble a telescope to observ them better, they are note very bif, so we decide to return to the car and go home.

Once there, after a moment of relax, we have dinner all together and we sit in front of a chimney to speak about Spanish fauna and its hunting.

New hunting day. We will try to hunt a big mouflon coming down to the mountains to eat in the meadows. We leave the pick up far from the meadows and we start walking, there is not so much light at the moment, but it is a great time to take these animals by surprise.

We stand behind some trees knocked down on the floor, we were bent and hidden by the trunks of some trees. We spent a long time watching the smallest nook with our binocular, but we saw no movement. The sun moves and everything is more clear , Valeriano hits my shoulder and whispers that in about 300 yards he can distinguish a white patch, it is the body of a mouflon. Quickly I take a look at the place and suddenly the animal stucks its head showing his big horns, he is really magnific. Valeriano and his guide decide to wait.

I understand then their patient wait for more than 20 minutes, because in a while a group of four male mouflons went out to the meadows and were located at 200 yards from us. It is in that moment that I receive the warning and I put my riffle at the top of my back pack. I can distinguish the beauty of these animals trough the viewfinder of my riffle. The chosen mouflon is the second from my left which is located in the cross of my viewfinder , but I’m waiting him to separate a little from his mate. After 4 steps of the mouflon, I find the way to throw a Nostler tip partition of 165 grains of my 300 wby at full speed. A huge roar sounds and the animal lays on the grass, the remaining animals escape very quickly.

We approach the animal and take his thick and curved horns. The mouflon is really beautiful and big, Valeriano congratulates me and comments the luck I had to bring down that animal in that area.

I just have to show my happiness and satisfaction to have arranged this trip with such a very professional outfitter.

F.M. from Belgium

TORTOSA - BECEITE IBEX

Spania November 2009

November 2009 gikk turen til Spania på jakt etter Tindenes konge, Beceite Ibex. Kunne skrevet mye om denne turen, men her kommer en kort versjon. Dette er en tur jeg lenge har sett frem til. Med meg på turen skulle jeg ha med meg samboeren min Elisabeth. Det tok sin tid å finne frem til det rette selskapet som skulle ta oss med på denne jakten.

Valget falt til slutt på Ibex Hunt Spain og Valeriano. Fikk rask respons på mailer jeg sendte, og fikk en følelse av seriøsitet og kvalitet. Fikk raskt bekreftet dette da vi landet i Barcelona. Der tok de i mot oss og hjalp til med våpen innførsel. Alt gikk på skinner. Vi ble etterhvert fraktet i bil ca 2,5 timer. Vel fremme i jaktområdet kom vi frem til et flott hus hvor vi skulle bo. Dette lå i jaktterrenget og med vakker utsikt fra fjellsiden.

Vi fikk i oss god mat og god drikke når vi kom frem. Senere på kvelden dro vi en liten tur ut for å kikke litt rundt i terrenget og forhåpentligvis få se Ibex. Det gjorde vi. 3 Flott ibexer i kikkerten. Dette gjorde oss ikke mindere klare til neste dag når jakten skulle begynne.

Det var opp tidlig neste dag. Vi kjørte litt rundt for å speide etter ibex i fjellsidene. Vi så flere, men ikke den rette. Vi var på utkikk etter en bronse bukk, helst med en alder på 10 år eller eldre. når de oppnår denne alderen får de den sorte markeringen på undersiden. Dette er det fineste skinnet.

Det blåste kraftig denne dagen, så jakten var ikke lett. Vi gikk opp på toppen i ett fjellområde for å jakte oss ovenifra og ned.

Som du ser på bildet så er naturen og utsikten fantastisk. Det var en kjempe opplevelse å kunne få gå å jakte i ett område som dette.

Det gikk flere timer før vi fant det rette dyret. Ibexen ble brått oppdaget da vi var på vei ned og skulle til Lunch. Den sto i motsatt fjellside og holdet var på 170 Meter. Her måtte det skje fort. Holdet var greit, men viden var svert kraftig, så var litt bekymret for det. Men dyret stod med bredsiden til så jeg bestemte meg for å holde på bogen. Dyret falt rett ned i smellen. Yes yes !

Trofèet beskues nærmer

Dette blir definitivt ikke den siste turen til Spania. Dette er en jakt jeg kan anbefale på det sterkeste.

Det å få komme å jakte med Valeriano som guide var også helt topp. Alle var rolige og meget behaglige å ha med å gjøre. Turen ble akkurat som jeg hadde håpet på pluss litt til. Valeriano og hans manskap gjorde dette til en kjempe opplevelse og uforglemmelig tur. Tusen Takk.

Beceite Ibexen ble flådd for fullmontering. Monteringen av denne gjør vi hos oss på RZM Romerike Zoo-Montasje/Norge. RZR Romerike Zoo-Reiser som er linket til RZM har etter denne turen fått bra samarbeide med Valeriano og selskapet hans Ibex Hunt Spain. Ved spørsmål om Spania som destinasjon eller mer info fra denne jakten, venligst ta kontakt.http://www.rzm.no/ eller http://www.romerikezooreiser.no/.