Spain/Austria Ibex Hunts

[Suera]

Can Americans typically bring their trophies back with them from hunts in Spain, or is there a delay like with most of the Asian hunts?

Are you talking about bring the trophy in your luggage?
To bring it home you need to salt and desinfected the skin and horns, also you need a bill from a Spanish taxidermy that say that is well processed and desinfected, this is the only way to make it legal... for make this you need some time... Is not just kill the trophy and next day flight with it. Imposible make it in less than 4-5 days ( and this is fast)
The other way is send with the export agencies, if you make the shoulder mount here is easy pass costumes and usually after 3-4 months after the hunt you have the trophy at home. Is easier than in Asia

 

[MTGunner]

Whoever you utilize as a taxidermist in Spain make sure that you avoid Taxidermia Ramon in Madrid. His work is horrible, expensive and slow. MTG

 

[Suera]

Whoever you utilize as a taxidermist in Spain make sure that you avoid Taxidermia Ramon in Madrid. His work is horrible, expensive and slow. MTG

Yes ,this one is not good...There are good and bad like in every country, you have to know the correct people, and many times the most famous are the worst... In some taxidermies you have to wait 2 years until they make your trophy , this is insane, and after all the work is not good.

 

[HornPorn]

I just finished an alpine ibex hunt in Austria and had my wife tag along and she absolutely loved the area and hotel. I booked through St. Hubertus Hunting Tours and they were wonderful. You will have a choice of places to stay but my wife picked a hotel called Refugium Lunz and be warned if you end up staying there your wife may want you book the hunt for the following year as well.

What did that cost, ballpark? And can you share a pic of your trophy?

 

[HornPorn]

If you are going with Fran and you are going to pay the high amounts he usually want, why you don't ask him the best places for tourism?, he also make tourism packages
January usually is the worst month for tourism in Spain and also is not the best for Beceite ibex... If your plan is tourism and good trophies best season between 15 november until 10 december, also in Spring good weather for tourism and good trophies but the hunt for Beceite is in the fields... Is less nice.
If you go Gredos you can visit Toledo and Cáceres. Beceite ibex depends the area, Barcelona and Valencia very nice places and are near. La Alhambra in Granada is very beautiful all the foreigners love it but is far from Gredos and Beceite areas. There are many places to visit in Spain and all of them are beautiful it depends what kind of tourism you prefer... If you say what you like I can help you.

Which is the most desirable of the Spanish Ibex and how much do they typically weigh?

 

[Suera]

Which is the most desirable of the Spanish Ibex and how much do they typically weigh?

Beceite ibex or Gredos ibex without doubt are the most desirable.
Weight in kg? Big males are like 80-90kg no more. But the horns sometimes are bigger than the body haha.

 

[HornPorn]

Beceite ibex or Gredos ibex without doubt are the most desirable.
Weight in kg? Big males are like 80-90kg no more. But the horns sometimes are bigger than the body haha.

Thank you. I noticed they live in two different mountain areas. Is it normal to hunt both in one trip?

 

[Suera]

Thank you. I noticed they live in two different mountain areas. Is it normal to hunt both in one trip?

The different areas Beceite-Gredos are about 4-6 hours driving difference. Of course is very easy hunt the both in one trip , many people make the slam hunting the 4 in only one trip, but for this you need more days, also depend the Average trophies that you are looking and the season.

 

[Mojave]

What did that cost, ballpark? And can you share a pic of your trophy?

I am not answering for DOGCAT, but I have known him a long time.

Austrian ibex prices range from about $15,000 USD to over $50,000 USD. The cheapest you will most likely get into is about $18,000-30,000 USD. Plus flights, export, and another $2000-3000 for the hunt. You will not pay the $15,000-50,000 trophy fee unless you kill one.

Switzerland shutting down was heartbreaking, it could be done for $10,000 for a smaller one.

The female alpine ibex hunts can be done in Switzerland for 3600 Swiss Francs. Austrian female ibex hunts can still be $5000.

There are three ways to make it happen.

Private land in Austria or Slovenia, probably on the waiting list for 3-5 years.

Immigrate to Switzerland, and move to the cantons that have ibex hunts, and get drawn.

Shoot one on a high fenced place in Germany, Austria or Bulgaria.

There are some federal state forest areas in Austria. Prices are the same, and it is a lottery to get drawn and you pre-pay the entire cost of the hunt. They tell you the dates, not the other way around. If you can't go during their 2-3 days you lose the cost of the hunt.

 

[Mojave]

There are over 700,000 German speaking hunters in the 4 nations that want a steinbock too. I know the Cabelas hunting outfit has some ibex for $34,000ish. This is the go to the front of the line price, for those that can afford it.

I have seen similar prices from other European agents.

 

[TxA]

Spain Chamois! Sorry for the late reply, I honestly forgot about posting a picture.
One of my top hunts for sure. Great mountains, scenery, and wine!
This chamois was everything that I wanted out of the trip, a mature animal. It was 12 years old and has seen some life. Great mass and length.

I can’t recommend Spain enough for a couples trip. I had heard from a good friend of mine that has been multiple times on how much fun it would be and it did not disappoint.
If you are thinking about going, GO!

 

[Short Track]

You guys convinced me. I signed up for Gredos. Wife will come to tour, but not hunt. I'm just starting to work out, get in mountain shape.
What can my wife do while I'm in the Gredos mountains ?

 

[Mojave]

Any hunt in Europe is a cool experience. I moved back to Germany with that single thought in mind.

Growing up in Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana I never thought of hunts in Canada and Alaska as much different than Wyoming or Montana. I lived in Barrow, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Sitka. Of course they are all very different, but they don't feel that much different to me.

 

[HornPorn]

Any hunt in Europe is a cool experience. I moved back to Germany with that single thought in mind.

You live in Germany now?

 

[Mojave]

You live in Germany now?

Yep!

 

[HornPorn]

Yep!

My brother was stationed in Schweinfurt with the Army and I went to visit him then. That's the only time I've been to Germany but driving on the Audubon I liked what I saw with all the trees. I had never seen so many windmills in my life at that time. Also recall going to a monastery and drinking some of the best beer I have ever had as well.

 

[Mojave]

I have a love hate relationship with the autobahn.

I have driven a very fast car on the autobahn a 5 series BMW wagon. Was in the 220 KM (135 mph) an hour range. Was really just frightening. Because the odds are very high that you will not survive that kind of an accident.

The problem with my American cars is that I do not have the tires for much above about 100. They make Z rated tires for most vehicles, but they are crazy expensive and I don't like to drive that fast.

Autobahn has 3 primary speed limits:
1. Unlimited, very little of my state of residence in Germany has this speed limit. In Bavaria it is very common.
2. 130 KM (about 85 MPH), this fast enough for any car without Z rated tires. Most of the state I live in has this speed limit.
3. 80-120 (these are the typical traffic control numbers).

They don't so much patrol the autobahn as they put up speed cameras. Lots of speed cameras. So the 130 KM speed limit is really 130 KM. Maybe you can get away with 132.

When you get your photo taken (as I did tonight coming home) you know you are going to get a ticket in the mail. I was going 87 in an 80 KM zone. Probably a $40-80 ticket. New speed camera and I was slowing down for the 80, but they got me.

 

[Mojave]

We have good beer! My favorite beer company is the https://pax-braeu.de/ They are the best beer company I have ever had in my life. In my 50's and I think this beer is amazing. They make almost every beer type immaginable.

 

[MntHunter]

I hunted SE Ibex and Ronda Ibex in Spain with ATP. Would highly recommend. Shots were right around 150 meters. I would take my wife if I were going to do it again.

Just finished an Alpine Ibex hunt with St. Hubertus, and they did a fantastic job as well. Took my Ibex at 50 yards! If you can allow time in Vienna, your wife will have an amazing time.

 

[Mojave]

I hunted SE Ibex and Ronda Ibex in Spain with ATP. Would highly recommend. Shots were right around 150 meters. I would take my wife if I were going to do it again.

Just finished an Alpine Ibex hunt with St. Hubertus, and they did a fantastic job as well. Took my Ibex at 50 yards! If you can allow time in Vienna, your wife will have an amazing time.

Is Saint Hubertus a Hungarian company?

I need to call them and figure it out. They look like they are a good option.

Innsbruck and Salzburg are really nice. Innsbruck has the Swarovski factory, and they have a little Swarovski Disneyland type of thing about their non-optics products. Remember they are the largest crystal jewlery company in the world.