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TLDR:
Auction tags can be a great value. Read the fine print, investigate thoroughly, and do your research beforehand. Don’t impulse buy. VAT is off the FULL BOOK value of the hunt, not what you paid for it.
A few guys expressed an interest in hearing about this hunt. So here is the full write up.
I purchased a Southeastern Spanish Ibex hunt through an auction. I paid about 20% of the MSRP of the hunt, were you to book it through the outfitter (so an 80% discount). At the auction dinner I was at, some guys had used the outfitter and recommended him. I had never done anything like this before: guided, overseas, auction hunt… really anything besides DIY in the US. Ibex was on my list and it was a really good deal (or so I thought). It turns out that the Spanish VAT is 21% of the FULL value of the hunt, not what I paid. This was disclosed prior to the bidding and I didn’t fully understand that. As a result, I paid more in tax than I did on the auction. I also paid: about $300 for the license and fees, and $200 to rent their rifle, plus tips. All these fees were disclosed, and although I was pissed about the VAT, that’s on me. On a related note, I won't be bringing the horns back. The shoulder mount itself is super cheap - 600 euro. Getting it packed, shipped, through customs, paperwork, etc is another $3k. Hard nope. I would rather spend that to go hunting; besides, I don't want to look at a monument to my poor decision making.
As far as the hunt itself, I want to lead with this: the company, the guides, and the service were all up to standard and my write-up is not to be considered as a negative reflection on them. They delivered a service and product that I paid for, but what I got wasn’t what I expected or wanted. It is important to note again that I am not a trophy hunter, I had no experience or expectation going into this, nor do I have anything to compare this to.
Overall, I felt like I participated in hunting prostitution. No kissing, just like in Pretty Woman. You pay for the service, they get it done, and all that matters is the finish and not the journey. Graphic, but a pretty succinct analogy. I flew into Madrid on Day 0 and my guide picked me up on the morning of Day 1. We drove about 5 or 6 hours to get to the hunting area. All the ground is private and the outfitters divvy up all the private ground into tracts that they lease for their clients. All the areas are wild, and there are no fences. I had a “guide”, who was really an interpreter and was with me all day, everyday. The actual guides are called “game managers”. They are locals who know the area, keep track of the game, and what you would actually consider to be the “guide”. Then there’s another guy who oversees the area and tags along too, and doesn’t do anything but somehow gets a tip. We actually started hunting around 2 pm and we hunted pretty hard until dark - hiked a ton, glassed a ton, and I was mostly enjoying myself. We were seeing Ibex, but they were all females or small males.
STRIKE 1: It was clear from the outset that I was not there to hunt, but to follow. They told me that they deal mostly with older, sedentary, wealthy clients and they were shocked that I wanted to carry anything and I wanted to hike. After a friendly argument, I forced the issue and carried the rifle (a massive, ridiculous monstrosity of a 338 Lapua with a 8x40 scope and the thickest barrel I have ever seen. The whole setup weighted in excess of 20 pounds). I was not allowed to carry the ammo. I was not allowed to lead or be in front. Rather, they wanted me to follow their exact path, wait behind every ridge or rise until it was clear there were no animals, then come forward. I was corrected if I wandered from their path, tried to look over a rise on my own, or did anything independently. On the occasions that we found an Ibex that might be a shooter, I was immediately divested of the rifle, as I was not allowed to set it up or build my own shooting position. I seriously did not enjoy this part of it. I found it condescending and ruined my enjoyment of the process. I wanted to hunt, be a part of the “team” and not be led around. After spending a couple of days like this, it became apparent that this is their MO. The guides exist to find an Ibex for the client as quickly, easily, and comfortably as possible, and get a kill without the client screwing it up. I valued none of those traits in a hunt. I want to hunt, I want to sweat, I want to be allowed to succeed or fail of my own accord. I was thoroughly enjoying the Spanish countryside, and the challenge of spotting Ibex, which was reminiscent of hunting Aoudad DIY in NM. Day 2, we started early and went to a new area (they apologized to me for the 0600 departure time). We ended up finding more Ibex; I glassed up one that was in my “price range”, but he moved beyond the border of the lease. We found another Ibex that was a dandy and beyond my price range. We hunted hard until around 2pm, then took a break and they told me they were going to an area that they have “really good luck” finding Ibex. It was a very thick mountain and we saw lots of females, but no males. Around 5pm, the game manager says they know of a good area at the top of the mountain that had an Ibex in the size range I was looking for (“SCI Bronze”). We drive way up the mountain for about 45 minutes, then hop out and start down this two-track. The game manager says he has seen a Bronze Ibex here 5 days and 2 days ago, so we are going to go take a look. We hike down the road maybe ¼ mile and the guide tells me to stop, and he sneaks up and peaks over a big rock pile and then comes back and takes the rifle and sets it up. Once it’s all set up, he tells me though the translator, that the Ibex is down below us and it’s the right size, and to shoot it. I sneak up and look over the pile of rocks and see STRIKE 2. There is a wild Ibex, feeding on a pile of alfalfa in the middle of this mountain canyon. My heart drops and I instantly am turned off. I stand there and vacillate, really not wanting to shoot an Ibex like this, but now fully understanding what today was all about – a pretense to get me up here to shoot an Ibex before the next client shows up in 36 hours. I keep hesitating and they are telling me to shoot. Finally, I look behind me and all three are telling me to shoot. I cave and shoot, and instantly regret it. I have a sick feeling in my stomach, and I have no one to blame but myself. They congratulate me, and we walk down. I pull alfalfa out of the mouth before we take pictures. I look pissed in my pictures because I am pissed at myself and not happy to shoot a baited animal. They take some great pictures, nonetheless. The game manager does a great job of caping the Ibex – really proficient and clean. I enjoyed watching him work and learned a few things, then STRIKE 3. As soon as the head is off, the two guides grab the body and hurl it down the mountain, “we don’t eat the meat”. If I didn’t feel completely dirty and demoralized before, I do now.
We get back into the car, drive 5 hours to Madrid and I sleep in an airport hotel and leave about 4 hours later. I planned on spending a couple of days in Spain after the hunt, but I just wanted to leave and get the bad taste out of my mouth.
Lessons Learned:
- Auction tags can be a great value. Read the fine print, investigate thoroughly, and do your research beforehand. Don’t impulse buy. VAT is off the FULL BOOK value of the hunt, not what you paid for it. Make sure you know the experience you are buying, in addition to the tangibles (trophy).
- Set clear expectations: what YOU want out of the hunt. For me this would have been me leading from the front, with them helping, rather than the client relationship hand-holding relationship they are used to. If I go home empty handed on my own terms, that is preferable to being led around and shooting a baited animal.
- Don't be a pussy. If you don't want to shoot something, sac up and put the rifle on safe and walk away.
- Make sure you know the disposition of the meat. And at least get to try the damn thing.
TLDR:
Auction tags can be a great value. Read the fine print, investigate thoroughly, and do your research beforehand. Don’t impulse buy. VAT is off the FULL BOOK value of the hunt, not what you paid for it.
- This was my first guided hunt of any sort and my first international experience. If you are a trophy hunter, auction hunts are for you. If you’re not a trophy hunter, the vast majority of auction hunts will not provide satisfaction. You are treated like a client to be led around, not a fellow hunter or capable party member.
- The company disclosed every fee, in a manner, and was professional and proficient. Just not my cup of tea.
- I shot a wild Ibex, over an alfalfa pile, in the middle of the mountain range. Then they threw the carcass off the ravine as soon as the grip and grins were done. I felt incredibly dirty.
- I had a lot of lessons learned. Expensive lessons. It felt like hunting prostitution.
A few guys expressed an interest in hearing about this hunt. So here is the full write up.
I purchased a Southeastern Spanish Ibex hunt through an auction. I paid about 20% of the MSRP of the hunt, were you to book it through the outfitter (so an 80% discount). At the auction dinner I was at, some guys had used the outfitter and recommended him. I had never done anything like this before: guided, overseas, auction hunt… really anything besides DIY in the US. Ibex was on my list and it was a really good deal (or so I thought). It turns out that the Spanish VAT is 21% of the FULL value of the hunt, not what I paid. This was disclosed prior to the bidding and I didn’t fully understand that. As a result, I paid more in tax than I did on the auction. I also paid: about $300 for the license and fees, and $200 to rent their rifle, plus tips. All these fees were disclosed, and although I was pissed about the VAT, that’s on me. On a related note, I won't be bringing the horns back. The shoulder mount itself is super cheap - 600 euro. Getting it packed, shipped, through customs, paperwork, etc is another $3k. Hard nope. I would rather spend that to go hunting; besides, I don't want to look at a monument to my poor decision making.
As far as the hunt itself, I want to lead with this: the company, the guides, and the service were all up to standard and my write-up is not to be considered as a negative reflection on them. They delivered a service and product that I paid for, but what I got wasn’t what I expected or wanted. It is important to note again that I am not a trophy hunter, I had no experience or expectation going into this, nor do I have anything to compare this to.
Overall, I felt like I participated in hunting prostitution. No kissing, just like in Pretty Woman. You pay for the service, they get it done, and all that matters is the finish and not the journey. Graphic, but a pretty succinct analogy. I flew into Madrid on Day 0 and my guide picked me up on the morning of Day 1. We drove about 5 or 6 hours to get to the hunting area. All the ground is private and the outfitters divvy up all the private ground into tracts that they lease for their clients. All the areas are wild, and there are no fences. I had a “guide”, who was really an interpreter and was with me all day, everyday. The actual guides are called “game managers”. They are locals who know the area, keep track of the game, and what you would actually consider to be the “guide”. Then there’s another guy who oversees the area and tags along too, and doesn’t do anything but somehow gets a tip. We actually started hunting around 2 pm and we hunted pretty hard until dark - hiked a ton, glassed a ton, and I was mostly enjoying myself. We were seeing Ibex, but they were all females or small males.
STRIKE 1: It was clear from the outset that I was not there to hunt, but to follow. They told me that they deal mostly with older, sedentary, wealthy clients and they were shocked that I wanted to carry anything and I wanted to hike. After a friendly argument, I forced the issue and carried the rifle (a massive, ridiculous monstrosity of a 338 Lapua with a 8x40 scope and the thickest barrel I have ever seen. The whole setup weighted in excess of 20 pounds). I was not allowed to carry the ammo. I was not allowed to lead or be in front. Rather, they wanted me to follow their exact path, wait behind every ridge or rise until it was clear there were no animals, then come forward. I was corrected if I wandered from their path, tried to look over a rise on my own, or did anything independently. On the occasions that we found an Ibex that might be a shooter, I was immediately divested of the rifle, as I was not allowed to set it up or build my own shooting position. I seriously did not enjoy this part of it. I found it condescending and ruined my enjoyment of the process. I wanted to hunt, be a part of the “team” and not be led around. After spending a couple of days like this, it became apparent that this is their MO. The guides exist to find an Ibex for the client as quickly, easily, and comfortably as possible, and get a kill without the client screwing it up. I valued none of those traits in a hunt. I want to hunt, I want to sweat, I want to be allowed to succeed or fail of my own accord. I was thoroughly enjoying the Spanish countryside, and the challenge of spotting Ibex, which was reminiscent of hunting Aoudad DIY in NM. Day 2, we started early and went to a new area (they apologized to me for the 0600 departure time). We ended up finding more Ibex; I glassed up one that was in my “price range”, but he moved beyond the border of the lease. We found another Ibex that was a dandy and beyond my price range. We hunted hard until around 2pm, then took a break and they told me they were going to an area that they have “really good luck” finding Ibex. It was a very thick mountain and we saw lots of females, but no males. Around 5pm, the game manager says they know of a good area at the top of the mountain that had an Ibex in the size range I was looking for (“SCI Bronze”). We drive way up the mountain for about 45 minutes, then hop out and start down this two-track. The game manager says he has seen a Bronze Ibex here 5 days and 2 days ago, so we are going to go take a look. We hike down the road maybe ¼ mile and the guide tells me to stop, and he sneaks up and peaks over a big rock pile and then comes back and takes the rifle and sets it up. Once it’s all set up, he tells me though the translator, that the Ibex is down below us and it’s the right size, and to shoot it. I sneak up and look over the pile of rocks and see STRIKE 2. There is a wild Ibex, feeding on a pile of alfalfa in the middle of this mountain canyon. My heart drops and I instantly am turned off. I stand there and vacillate, really not wanting to shoot an Ibex like this, but now fully understanding what today was all about – a pretense to get me up here to shoot an Ibex before the next client shows up in 36 hours. I keep hesitating and they are telling me to shoot. Finally, I look behind me and all three are telling me to shoot. I cave and shoot, and instantly regret it. I have a sick feeling in my stomach, and I have no one to blame but myself. They congratulate me, and we walk down. I pull alfalfa out of the mouth before we take pictures. I look pissed in my pictures because I am pissed at myself and not happy to shoot a baited animal. They take some great pictures, nonetheless. The game manager does a great job of caping the Ibex – really proficient and clean. I enjoyed watching him work and learned a few things, then STRIKE 3. As soon as the head is off, the two guides grab the body and hurl it down the mountain, “we don’t eat the meat”. If I didn’t feel completely dirty and demoralized before, I do now.
We get back into the car, drive 5 hours to Madrid and I sleep in an airport hotel and leave about 4 hours later. I planned on spending a couple of days in Spain after the hunt, but I just wanted to leave and get the bad taste out of my mouth.
Lessons Learned:
- Auction tags can be a great value. Read the fine print, investigate thoroughly, and do your research beforehand. Don’t impulse buy. VAT is off the FULL BOOK value of the hunt, not what you paid for it. Make sure you know the experience you are buying, in addition to the tangibles (trophy).
- Set clear expectations: what YOU want out of the hunt. For me this would have been me leading from the front, with them helping, rather than the client relationship hand-holding relationship they are used to. If I go home empty handed on my own terms, that is preferable to being led around and shooting a baited animal.
- Don't be a pussy. If you don't want to shoot something, sac up and put the rifle on safe and walk away.
- Make sure you know the disposition of the meat. And at least get to try the damn thing.
