I arrived in Dublin, Ireland on August 24th and toured the city for 3 days. Pubs, churches, cultural centers, Teeling Distillery, Guinness Storehouse and parks. It is a beautiful and clean city with friendly folks. Then off for a 4 day train and bus tour of the west and southern coasts. Killarney, Kerry, Cohb, The Cliffs of Mohr, the Burren, Famine ruins and walls, Blarney Castle, Bunrattey Castle and Cork. Then I traveled by train to Ennis for my hunt in the Kilkishen area of Ireland with Game Hunting Ireland and the owner, outfitter and guide Kevin Lynch. Five days of hunting with Red Stag, Sika and Ibex were on the menu. I borowed one of Kevin's guns. A Browning X-Bolt in 270 with a 2x12 Swarovski and an ACC moderator. I was shooting 130 grain factory Federal ammo. The shots were about 200 on the Sika and 80ish on the Ibex. Sika was killed at last light and was a hell of a recovery from a soggy bog. The entire Republic of Ireland is beautiful. It was one of the best trips I have ever taken. Enjoy a few of the photos of the hunting area and the dead critters.

Naturally you had a deer hunting licence issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. As well as a firearms certificate as you can’t “ borrow” guns in Ireland.
Nice Sika by the way. And a good goat.

I submitted the required applications and paperwork and was issued the appropriate licence for the hunt and permit to possess and shoot the rifle. I was a tendious process over the months and weeks prior to my hunt, but I got it done. It may have been easier if I had just taken my own rifle, but I wanted to tour prior to my hunt and didn't want to hauling my rifle around with me since I was traveling without checked baggage and living out of a pack.

Those are wild goats, not ibex - we have quite a few here in Scotland.

Nice sika - they are a real test of ability!

Kuwinda-I know. The outfitters call them Ibex. I suppose it sounds more exotic than feral goats. Still a unique if not too difficult hunt. Stinky old critters.

Well done!

What breed of goat do those feral goats come from? We have plenty of feral goats here in NZ which I understand come from Angora stock. Their horns spiral out sideways from the skull. I have #30 in size in NZ, it has a 38.5" spread and good spiral.
Those "Ibex" look good, maybe there is some Ibex breeding in there somewhere.

Great photos, I was there in May/June and saw many of the places that you mention but I didn't do any hunting.

They come from ordinary domestic stock - a lot of generations later they seem to "revert" to a wilder strain altogether. A couple of weeks ago I was sailing in Greece and there were very similar goats on some of the islands - whether domestic or wild I know not.

They do stink - but they taste OK!

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
What breed of goat do those feral goats come from? We have plenty of feral goats here in NZ which I understand come from Angora stock. Their horns spiral out sideways from the skull. I have #30 in size in NZ, it has a 38.5" spread and good spiral.
Those "Ibex" look good, maybe there is some Ibex breeding in there somewhere.

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Well done and certainly something different! Ireland! Thanks for posting.


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I love Irland. Great country to visit and hunt!