Hello Guys,
sarcoptic mange is a common disease among Ibex and chamois.
There has been a recent outbreak in the Beceite areas of Spain and the results are pretty devastating. There have been reports of 90% population reductions in local populations.

Some areas won't be able to hunt in the next season and others have experienced a drastic reduction in quota.

If you always wanted a beceite ibex then you should probably plan to do it next season.


If anyone has additional information feel free to jump in.


Best regards,
Dennis

That's why I'm hunting a Gredos instead of a Beceites this year.

Mark

Just returned from Spain. The operator I hunted with expects it might take 20 years for the Beceite to return to pre scabby numbers.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Just returned from Spain. The operator I hunted with expects it might take 20 years for the Beceite to return to pre scabby numbers.

Yes that's possible. Given the fact that it takes +12year for a trophy buck, the whole situation is very bad news for trophy hunters.

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Just returned from Spain. The operator I hunted with expects it might take 20 years for the Beceite to return to pre scabby numbers.

Yes that's possible. Given the fact that it takes +12year for a trophy buck, the whole situation is very bad news for trophy hunters.

I wonder if the out fitters will advertise that fact.

.

One of my questions for the Spanish exhibitors at the Dortmund show in January.


.

Dani Higurera my outfitter in Spain was very upfront about what was going on with the Beceites. I was going to hunt a Beceites initially but he explained that he was not hunting them at all because of the scabbys and suggested we hunt a Gredos.

Mark

Maybe negotiate a deal if you just want to do a euro mount.

quote:

Originally posted by buzz4me2:
Maybe negotiate a deal if you just want to do a euro mount.

It kills the majority of the animals infected. The areas that had a strong outbreak report dieoffs of 90% of the population.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Just returned from Spain. The operator I hunted with expects it might take 20 years for the Beceite to return to pre scabby numbers.

Yes that's possible. Given the fact that it takes +12year for a trophy buck, the whole situation is very bad news for trophy hunters.

I wonder if the out fitters will advertise that fact.

that's a very good question...bob

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Hello Guys,
sarcoptic mange is a common disease among Ibex in chamois.
There has been a recent outbreak in the Beceite areas of Spain and the results are pretty devastating. There have been reports of 90% population reductions in local populations.

Some areas won't be able to hunt in the next season and others have experienced a drastic reduction in quota.

If you always wanted a beceite ibex my then you should probably plan to do it next season.


If anyone has additional information feel free to jump in.


Best regards,
Dennis

what do you think of the season after the one coming up?....in other words december 2025?.....bob

Is there no way to drop something like ivermectin laced feed pellets to try and save some of them?

quote:

Originally posted by bob-mt:

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Hello Guys,
sarcoptic mange is a common disease among Ibex in chamois.
There has been a recent outbreak in the Beceite areas of Spain and the results are pretty devastating. There have been reports of 90% population reductions in local populations.

Some areas won't be able to hunt in the next season and others have experienced a drastic reduction in quota.

If you always wanted a beceite ibex my then you should probably plan to do it next season.


If anyone has additional information feel free to jump in.


Best regards,
Dennis

what do you think of the season after the one coming up?....in other words december 2025?.....bob

I think hunting opportunities will be greatly reduced for beceite ibex with a real chance that hunting might be closed locally.
2024 should be ok, although it's getting much harder already.
I still book hunts for 2025 but I am upfront and there is a risk all hunts in the beceite area will get cancelled.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Is there no way to drop something like ivermectin laced feed pellets to try and save some of them?

I have no idea.
Never heard of any country in Europe even trying to do something against it.

Kinda like bighorn sheep in NA
If the sheep pneumonia hits the herd, it can wipe damn near all of them and the only thing that helps is shoot all the sick animals as fast as you can to save the rest

Guys,

My source in Spain is not expecting a closure of hunting the Beceite ibex but is expecting the permits will limited and very expensive.

Mark

Scabbies has been evolving differently in different territories since it was firstly detected in the province of Tarragona around 2014, if memory serves.
Different densities of population, different levels of resistance to the parasite, different levels of interaction with surrounding populations, etc. lead to very different situations.
For us it goes from starting to hunt again in areas where we have not been hunting them for 5 or 6 years, to areas where we have suspended all our hunting, to areas where you will very seldom see any infected animal.
So, if you want one, you just need a little investigation -and commitment- from the outfitter that you book with.
It is true that the number of healthy clean animals has been reduced drastically and that as a consequence we have seen the prices go up but they are still lower than what a Gredos Ibex costs, and still far from the silly prices paid for other mountain species.
It is no longer the budget Ibex it used to be, but the South Eastern or Sierra Nevada Ibex still is.
Salutations from Spain,

Thanks for your post Alvaro.

quote:

Originally posted by montero:
Scabbies has been evolving differently in different territories since it was firstly detected in the province of Tarragona around 2014, if memory serves.
Different densities of population, different levels of resistance to the parasite, different levels of interaction with surrounding populations, etc. lead to very different situations.

I find it very interesting how scabies acts so differently. It can be present in a population of chamois or ibex for a long time with limited damage. Then it can have devastating effects suddenly.

It is certainly a big threat to our beloved mountain game and I hope it won't be as bad as some project it to be.