Ibex in Spain

On October 3rd we headed for the ibex hunting area. We had been hunting stag since Sept 29 and now that the ibex season was open we were going to be hunting Beceite Ibex with Daniel Herranz of Trophy Trails. We got there only 30 minutes before dark so we decided to go out and glass. I was surprised by the terrain that they lived in, I was expecting it to be similar to our area and what we hunt mountain goats in. It was much drier and the terrain reminded me more like the Okanagan in BC. They did have some areas of rock cliffs but most of the terrain was rolling hills with pockets of thick brush and not a lot for timber. Hunting them was similar to hunting mountain goat or sheep, glass for them and then go after them.

The first day of hunting we got up in the morning, a couple hours later then what we did for stag- I wasn't complaining, and went for breakfast at the hotels pub/restaurant. We walked in in full camo, the guys walking ahead of me and pulled up a seat at a table. I couldn't help but notice the stares I received from  around the room, made me a little uncomfortable. After we finished we all climbed into Daniels Landrover and headed out. We discussed who would get first Crack at an Ibex, I let Kyle go first because I had success with the stag hunt and I really wanted him to have success.  The morning was pretty slow, we seen a group of ibex and kyle grabbed his bow deciding to make a play (I think he just wanted to see them up close), so him and Daniel headed off and I hung out with RafaOn October 3rd we headed for the ibex hunting area. We had been hunting stag since Sept 29 and now that the ibex season was open we were going to be hunting Beceite Ibex with Daniel Herranz of Trophy Trails. We got there only 30 minutes before dark so we decided to go out and glass. I was surprised by the terrain that they lived in, I was expecting it to be similar to our area and what we hunt mountain goats in. It was much drier and the terrain reminded me more like the Okanogan in BC. They did have some areas of rock cliffs but most of the terrain was rolling hills with pockets of thick brush and not a lot for timber. Hunting them was similar to hunting mountain goat or sheep, glass for them and then go after them.

Later we headed back into the village, Rafael had to head back to Madrid for his boys birthday and wouldn't be back until the next morning. So after lunch and a siesta,  Kyle, Daniel and I headed out for an evening hunt. We went to a different area from the morning and we seen Ibex right away after we parked and started hiking. They were less then 100 yards from us and I loved watching them. Daniel said they were young so we moved on. We found another lone one but he was on the move and when the wind shifted his direction he was really on the move. But all we had to do was turn and look the opposite direction from him and 2 were at the top of a hill. Daniel confirmed they were decent and when one bedded down we figured it would be the perfect time to try. I decided to stay back and planted myself down by a bush, I figured the guys would go but I was surprised when Daniel planted himself beside me and Kyle went. Ibex have very good eyesight, Kyle only made it 20 yards from us before the ibex pegged him out. After what felt like an hour stare down, they got up and left. Kyle came back over and we pointed out the other 2 we were watching while he was frozen in place, on the adjacent hill from us. Again, Daniel kept his place beside me and Kyle took off after the new ibex. After kyle left we lost sight of him, so we watched the ibex hoping they wouldn't leave. Then, just before dark we heard a loud Crack sound reverberate from the hill back to us. We both came to the conclusion that he took a shot, but we didn't know any more. We scanned the hillside with our binos, then Daniel spotted him climbing up the rocks. We decided to go help him. We found his ibex just before it went to dark to see, it had made it to the rock cliffs and fell down them (I'm guessing that was the cracking noise). We decided to come back the next day to retrieve him.

It was a chilly night so we decided to hunt first in the morning then go and get Kyles Ibex. With there being no predators we didn't have to worry about animals eating it, besides the vultures but we fixed things up so they couldn't get him. Rafael had made it back in time to hunt and he would be able to see the ibex. It was another slow morning, all we seen were females and young males. I was starting to see a pattern with the slow mornings and active evenings, so I was excited for the evening hunt. We went to get Kyles Ibex fairly early in the morning after a short hunt, he was able to get some nice pictures with it and haul it off the mountain. While on the way back to the village we picked up a nail in one of our tires. It was a scramble to get back into town and get it off and fixed before the evening hunt. Fortunately we were able to get it fixed at a local shop. While we were sitting outside waiting, the shop owners mother was visiting with Daniel. She came over and asked me a question in Spanish, Daniel translated for me and she had asked if I was a hunter too. Standing there in all camo I was a little surprised by the question. Afterwards Daniel let me know that there were not many women that hunt in Spain. That explained the staring.
Once we were fixed up we rushed back to load up the packs and bows back in the Landrover so we could head out again. We decided to go to a new area from the morning and night before. It was extremely windy. We got out to do some glassing and I wasn't able to because the wind was blowing so hard. The wind was blowing the guys' hats off their heads and the occasional gust was strong enough to knock me off balance.  Finally we found a quieter valley and we stopped to glass. There was a nice one bedded down near the top of the mountain in front of us. I decided to try and make a play on him. He was watching us so we had to go back down the valley and around. We parked in a field and loaded up our gear. We had to hike up one mountain away from the one the ibex was on. Once we got up and across so that we could see the mountain the ibex were on, we checked to see if he had moved or if there were others with him. There was only one we could see feeding in the oak trees. Daniel made the call that we could go for him, so Rafael and Kyle stayed back and watched while Daniel and I hiked down then up the mountain the ibex were on. When we came up over the crest he was only 75 yards from  us, but too far for me to shoot with my bow. So we stalked in a little closer. 60 yards was as far as we could go without him seeing us. So we waited. He closed the distance into 40 yards coming right at us. We were hiding behind a juniper bush and he was on the other side of one. Daniel could see his whole body, but me being short couldn't see his whole body but enough for me to make a shot.  I knew my arrow trajectory and knew it would miss the bush and drop into him. It was starting to get low light and so i made the half second decision to take the shot. I pulled back, anchored and let my arrow fly. Daniel was watching in his binos and whispered in my ear "it missed". I was in disbelief,  I have never missed at 40 yards, ever. My arrow went an inch above his back and he was gone. We figured out there was a dead branch sticking up that I didn't see in the low light because it blended with the black hair of the ibex and it caused my arrow to deflect. There was a wide range of emotions running through my head, Daniel was trying his best to cheer me up and be encouraging. He did get me laughing and smiling but the disbelief was still there. We radioed Rafael and Kyle to let them know what was going on. We met them back at the car and told them what happened.  After, they decided to fill me in that it was a Gold medal Ibex and would have been the world record for women's bow.  Brand new disbelief rushed through me, along with annoyance and frustration at myself for missing the shot. But, that's hunting. It was dark when we got to the car so after the story telling we headed back to the village for dinner and bed. Daniel offered me to use his rifle for the next day instead of my bow, I told him I'd think about it.

When we woke up the next morning I was sad to think it was our last day in Spain and that we would be heading back to Madrid that evening. Which meant this was my last chance to kill an Ibex,  and from the previous mornings I knew that mornings were slow. At breakfast, I accepted Daniels offer to use his rifle. It was a beautiful Sako in 300 mag caliber. It would be my first time shooting a 300, but I wasn't concerned. After shooting Rauls rifle during stag, my only concern was the fit. Rauls rifle was too long, but Daniels fit like a dream and was lightweight. We loaded up and went to a new area. It was much different terrain compared to the other areas we were in. It was rolling hills with clumps of juniper bushes and little oak trees, not much for hard climbing. We walked to a deep ravine/valley and glassed the other side. Right away we seen a group of females. After a while, Kyle and Daniel at the same time announce they see one. It was more then one,  one turned into a group of 20. All males ranging from very young to a massive Gold medal. We decided to drive back around to that side of the valley and hike down to hopefully cut them off. It was hard to see more than 20-30 yards, there were so many pockets of brush. We ended up scaring a small group of females but we kept going. We came out to some rocks that overlooked a dip in the hill and there bedded down were 2 ibex with others feeding in and out of the brush. We went down below the rocks so we weren't so exposed,  but the brush was to high and we lost sight of the ibex. We were going to have to take a chance being in the open, we wouldn't be able to stalk in closer with all the eyes and not knowing where they all were. So Daniel and I lay out on the rocks with the gun out in front of me. I had some troubles finding them again, but from where we were laying we could only see the one bedded. It took me a minute before I found him but once I did I kept the scope and my eyes on him so I wouldn't lose him again. It felt like we had been laying on the hard rocks for half an hour,  but all I could see of him was his face and horns so I had to wait for him to get up. Finally he got up and was half hidden by bush. He started down hill straight towards us, I could hear Daniel curse under his breath. I stayed patient and focused on my breathing, following him with my scope, waiting for a good opportunity.  He stopped in an opening facing straight towards us, I waited for him, hoping he would take a side step or turn. Eventually, he turned his head to his left and took one big step that same direction,  as soon as I had his shoulder I squeezed the trigger. When the shot went of it kicked up a bunch of dust that blew back into Daniels and my eyes so we couldn't see. Rafael and Kyle watched the whole thing and confirmed it was a good hit and Kyle knew where he ran too.  We headed over to where he was, he only went about 30 yards from where I shot him. And there he was, I was so excited that I forgot about the night before it no longer mattered. I had my first ibex and I couldn't have been happier. We did get a bit of a surprise when we got him out of the brush, he was missing an eye. Kind of cool.
After photos and field dressing him, I packed him back to the car and we had to rush back into town so we could get our stuff out of the hotel.  We were only 2 hours or so late. Afterwards it was such a blur trying to get all our gear stuffed into Rafaels Landrover and double checking Daniels to make sure we didn't forget anything, then the long drive back to Madrid. Kyle and I went for dinner with Rafael and his wife to a delicious seafood restaurant. We got back to the hotel at midnight and I was still to hyped from my ibex to sleep. We were up at 4 am to get to the airport so we could fly back home,  I think I got only 2 hours sleep. It was an amazing trip and experience, and I can not wait to go back!