Well i am off to Southern Austria early next week to meet up with some German friends to go and hunt a chamois with an Austrian guide who is also a friend of theirs. There will be four of us in a mountain hut for a few days.

Have decent mountain boots, and normal gear i would use in Scottish Mountains. I will be using their rifles - Blasers in 300wsm. (Too much hastle flying rifles in and out of UK).

Not sure quite what to expect. Long days and long walks, being patient and challenging winds. Not sure about the weather - dont know the Austrian end of the Alps at all - my Alpine experience is skiing and paragliding in the French Alps.

I have seen Chamois and Ibex before, but have never had the privilege of trying to get close or to hunt them. Not quite sure what to expect. Any pointers please.

You’ll have a nice time and the weather is warm there now but higher up will be cooler. Chamois will be high up now but should be some nice steep hikes to get the lungs pumping!

You won’t go wrong with a .300 Blaser! Chamois make a lovely shoulder mount so hope you get it done.

I hunted there for chamois a few years back but slightly later in the year - end of October.

You will likely be hunting very high - way above the tree line - make sure you're fit!

A brilliant hunt - you will probably have long shots and very fickle winds in the high coirries.

You will likely have to shoot what you are told to - in my case it was a very old female - 300+ metre shot and then it fell, and fell, and fell. Only then did I look round and think "bloody hell this is steep!". Took us another 20 minutes to reach it.

Have a great time - Austria is great!

Heym,
I went in December. Fantastic hunt! Took ibex, stag, fallow, mouflon and boar. Missed out on chamois.

Good goings Heym,

it depends in which part of Austria you will hunt, but you will find Austrian Alps "kinder" and "brighter" (limestone) than French ones (granite). Tho you will probably hunt shaded, northern slopes (Chamois doesn't like sun at all - so much less in the summer). Fitness is your friend - the better it is the more you will like the experience.

September is around the corner and weather should be nice and mild, however first snows might come with some dramatic change. You could be boiling and freezing on the same day - expect it so equip properly and you will be just fine. Any weather but fog will be good for hunting. Fog is a bugger and there is not much you can do about it - tho staying in hut with some good food and drinks might be great as long as it doesn't last too long.

Anyway, take your time, be ready for some dramatic scenes and enjoy...and by all means post a report with pics once you get back.

Thanks Gents.

Fitness - yup have been working on that although have spent a lot of time in the office, on trains etc rather than being up in Scottish Mountains hunting and paragliding.

Will just take it nice a steadily and no intention of trying to outwalk the guide. The positive is that my German friends are from flat part of Northern Germany and they whinge hard over a wee walk up a Scottish hill. One of them is a doctor, but he is the least fit!

I knew it was somewhere here - found it - Andre's hunt in Austria:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=187106996#187106996

Well I had a wonderful hunt. Lots of distance covered over the mountains. I would have liked to have been fitter, but happy with my level of fitness especially as I am carrying the after effect's of Lyme Disease.

I also had a day visiting Ferlach, and I even drove up to the Slovenian Border.

And ultimately I was successful with a good cull buck. I put a full write up on the Stalking Directory -

https://www.thestalkingdirecto...p-to-austria.173802/

Glad you had a great trip. Just watched a chamois/mouflon hunt in the Chartreuse......absolutely fantastic landscape.