Saturday morning I ended up what I was doing for last 3 years – hanging around one of the nastiest corner of my hunting grounds looking for Him.
He was an old chamois goat that eluded me for so many times – I managed to see him 3 times but either it was out of the season or I managed to get just a glimpse of him on departure.
Till this Saturday – I was passing regular chamois pastures – actually I didn’t expect to find him there, but one never knows. There was a small herd of females with kids and a medium aged goat (it is rut time now).

So I went on – approaching His favourite region, when suddenly I have heard something on the left – down the slope. I took a peep over the ridge in the dark pine wood dotted with some rocks. Down – some 60m on a steep slope, behind an old stomp I have noticed chamois hump with tuft stating it is a goat – further more being brownish instead of black indicating it could be an older animal. I waited till he raised his head and I instantly knew - its him – faded whiskers with thick and pitchy hooks – hooo. I shouldered the rifle and waited for him to move out of the stomp so I would get a clear shot. But as he would expect something he just stood still. Minutes dragged into what seemed an eternity. But suddenly a lone swirl of the wind just whispered over my back – sending a clear message to Him. In two jumps he was on the edge looking back at me – fast – cross on his hump and – boom… first thing I have noticed after the shot was a falling branch some 5 meters in front of Him – chamois leaving the scene with stiffen gallop – not the way he was supposed to when reasonable hit with 9,3x62 19g TUG bullet – bad, bad…

At the spot I found way too much of hair and way too little of blood…I knew I was in the poop – just how deep? Time was 9.30 AM – I waited for half an hour – and put my dog on trail. Trail was going directly down the 250m steep slope, cross the water creek and up on to next slope – bad, bad…up for 150 m and over the ridge – dang there he is – ill in bed - looking at me – trailing sling down – step on it - rifle off the back - up the shoulder…baaaah - to late - he is already up and disappearing with long jumps down to canyon - bad, bad…Dog is off – baying on the way – disappearing down, barking is getting quiet till I cant hear anything but roaring water down the canyon – bad, bad…fast descent and up the next slope on the ridge to get better audible point. Slope is steep – breath taking – reaching the top – finally.



Oh and behold there I can hear an echo of low baying – she is there with Him – but down – way down – oh dear – bad, bad… Down the slope we go – again, across the creek – no way to follow the water it is obscured with fallen trees – up the next slope, not too high there is a rocky wall – just beneath – clayey, slippery – careful…no go – down some – here is the passage over the ridge – down, up…and down again – for the last time – there she is – baying at the waterfall...



But where is He? Easy now – I don’t want to flush Him now – what is that black blur beneath the waterfall – rifle shouldered peeking over cross – yes it is hairy – its him – on the shoulder – boom – he falls into pool…



1.5 hour later it is all over…







Well not quite – there is a song ringing in my ears – it is by Yazz:

"The only way is up…"

Oh dear…



“Now we may not know, huh,
where our next meal is coming from,
but with you by my side
I’ll face what is to come"

"The only way is up…" bad, bad…

To cut it short – if you have read “The old man and the sea†– well that’s the way it was…4 hours later I was out.



Was at the bottom - but in fact - it was a peak…

Congratulations on your hunt and thanks for sharing!

P.S. Your photos are always gorgeous.

Really well done Mouse and thankyou for sharing such a fantastic end to what sounds like a very elusive old Chamois.

Excellent and thanks for taking the time to capture it on camera and to post on here.

A nice adventure and a good trophy.

Looks like the dog saved your bacon this time!

Thanks for posting, It's always nice to see the pics that go with the story. Congratulations on a job well done and a trophy earnt.

Rgds,
FB

Absolutely amazing terrain and experience. Too many times I seem to glaze over Europe as a hunting spot. It looks like you have a piece of paradise. Thanks for posting and congratulations.

Mouse, I often envy you your hunting, you live in a place we don't know a lot about so everything you write is additionally intriguing.
Tell me it may be sacrilege but I would have been sorely tempted to skin and behead that animal and maybe joint the haunches and back if the meat was considered half decent eating but to carry it entire and your rifle out for 4 hours was some feat!! Your not a kiwi by any chance?

Mouse

Great Story! We hunters are so lucky to have a chance at these types of experiences.

Waidmannsheil mouse, quite the experience and story, thanks for sharing. You have an excellent bloodhound. They are absolutely amazing in what their nose tells them, Dom.

Thank you guys - it was a definitive one of the peaks of my hunting...it will be hard to top it.

quote:

Originally posted by trans-pond:
Tell me it may be sacrilege but I would have been sorely tempted to skin and behead that animal and maybe joint the haunches and back if the meat was considered half decent eating but to carry it entire and your rifle out for 4 hours was some feat!! Your not a kiwi by any chance?

there is a strange behaviour known to Man called Pride - that force a Man to do the most stupidest things . Realy, I would turn out like puss in the eyes of my friends if I'd do that - hard to survive.

No not a kiwi - yet.

Congratulations on a hard hunt

Mark

Congrats on the hunt. What breed of dog is that?

Fantastic and a very nice trophy to remember the day.
Thank you for the story.

Simply awesome! Big congratulations on a fine, fine hunt.

KG

That's a great story, congrat's on getting him - and what a cool dog!

Great hunt, great pictures, great dog. Hell, not only can that dog hunt, it poses for pictures perfectly too!

Question about your staff/rod/stick in one of the pictures: is that a shooting stick, walking staff, handy critter in water under waterfall retreiver , or other?

Thank you guys - Jeff it is a Bavarian mountain trailing dog, Kamo Gari it is all you said + (main description in Alps) a "hunter's third leg" - once you get used to it you feel like a cripple without one. It has a forged nib on one side and a rubber cap on the other. When stalking you use rubber side, if you need firm step or support on the slope you thrust it in the ground with nib, when descending a gravel slope you mount it and ride it down...It is a support for shooting if there is no other rest or no time (did its job this time). If there is a convenient bush around you grab a branch and hold it together with the stick so it becomes bi-pod...

That for me was a story of real hunting, oooohh how I would like to go and do it.

In sweden things can get rough and so on, but it will not compare to that.

Mouse you are a mentor.

Best regards Chris

A resounding Weidmannsheil to both you and the dog! Well done!
- mike

A good staff, a good job. My best congratulations.
And KG is a beauty

quote:

Originally posted by MC:
Absolutely amazing terrain and experience. Too many times I seem to glaze over Europe as a hunting spot. It looks like you have a piece of paradise. Thanks for posting and congratulations.

Man, I can't believe someone from Utah says that. I always envied YOU!

What an awsome and exciting story! Thanks a lot for posting and sharing!

Very nice Job!!! Congratulations, you shurelly are very proud, this is my Hunt concept.Cheers

nice story! how may years have the buck?

Buck was 12 years old - in his 13 th. Bucks don't get much older - the oldest I have ever heard of was 14 years old, while females can regulary reach 20 years or even more - oldest I have heard of was 22.

Congrats on a great hunt to you and the mutt. It seems you like it the hard way, Cape Buffalo head on at 10 yards and then dragging a chamois out through mountains normal people climb for a challenge. I wouldn't call it pride so much as a huge amount of stamina. Well done and thanks for the story.

quote:

Originally posted by Shangaan:
I wouldn't call it pride so much as a huge amount of stamina.

I had "wooden" legs for 3 days - Pinochio would look like a ballet dancer for sake - cramps in the legs were realy getting me at last climb. There was a section where I had to unload the rucksack - tied it to a trailing sling and pull it up. Its funny how most simple barriers like 50 cm step, a tiny fallen tree or a branch cought up on you drive you to despair ...if cell phone connection would be available at that moment, my pride would be tempted at its fullest

So tell us after the 4 hour climb out with a 12 year old goat what did you actually "do" with the carcass?
In England an old proverb says "pride comes before a fall!"

We have a regulation here that says “what comes out of the woods - goes back to the woods†– i.e. the game is brought to the chiller it is weighted and is then free for sale. If you actually shot the animal you have a right to preemption and buy the meat before anyone else. The income goes to our society, but must be spent on goods “back in the woods†– i.e. buying winter food for game, paying off damage caused by game…it can’t be used for a profit of any kind.

Great post!

I will try to make one like that myself. Sometime.

First step will be to use tha camera rather than just carry it around.

Mouse,
Goodonya Mate!
Thanks for the great story and photographs.

“If I succeed - to get the hooks…
…and a shaky tuft - of Goat,
then all the rest is vain - I knowâ€

Nice set, Mouse. That was a tough day, last year!

- mike

A great story and a trophy well deserved

Fantastic story. Makes my stalking session of, driving car to wood, looking over hedge, shooting deer, loading deer on tailgate (after a 50 metre drag) and going home rather pathetic.

Well done.

Grant

I really like your hunting partner. She is a beaut.

Great photos,great story and a marvelous trophy to remind you.
Lovely bit of scenery also,well done.

nice horns, and nice bart!

Nice to see the finished horns at home. But where is a picture of your faithful hunting companion at home? That's a great dog.