I took this old guy at the head of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown last week. He was a real old battler. A broken femur that had healed years ago and a more recent cut pad. The cut pad was deep but almost repaired and the nail on the outside of the hoof had grown over to protect it while he favoured it. He was in great shape and fat as could be. That hoof damage is a common injury from AATH or helihunting. He would have attracted a lot of attention as his horns were over 10 inches and bases over 4 inches. I took him in the pre dawn darkness I almost did not shoot him as I wanted something bigger and figured him for a 9 inch buck but decided I wanted the skin and meat. I only measured him after I skinned and boned him and did a double take! I had to climb two passes with the meat skin and head to walk him out.




This video link is not hunting related its just a free climb I do to stay in shape. Any of you who ever flew into Queenstown that mountain above the airport its Single Cone. This is the climb. Free Climb North East Ridge

That's a great animal in wonderful country mate!

Well done!

What a trophy ! One of my best Chammy's was an old boy like yours. Blind in one eye, a chipped point on the end of one horn, slightly lame, horn bases had many close rings and were recedng in size . Unfortunately I never had him aged but would love to know how ancient he was. I hope you display yours somewhere he can be appreciated for many years. Congratulations.

Great Buck, well done !

Love that part of NZ. Was luck enough to take Camois there about eighteen years ago.

What a beauty!!

Wow. Must have been one hell of a hunt - just the thought of climbing & walking makes me hurt. LOL!

Hes a fantastic trophy! not just big, but full of character as well.

Awesome animal - congratulations!

That's a good older boy to take, looks about 7-8 by the horn growth rings that are visible.

Talking of old animals here is a really ancient chamois buck I took in the Copeland River area, South Westland. In the middle of the chopper meat hunting country this old boy had obviously been cunning enough or had a lot of luck to have escaped the gunships.

He was in very poor condition and his horns worn right down and polished to the point of one horn being opaque enough to see the bone underneath as the photo shows. Took him on a fairly fresh avalanche snow shute with about a 200m shot. After taking the head and moving off I was whistled by another chamois which took a while to spot but when I did he was folded and proved to be a nice head over 10" and in good eating condition. He must have been accompanying the old fella on their travels together. I never saw or shot anything so old as this buck and while not taking away the trophy value of a nice symmetrical specimen, this old head is certainly a trophy in its own right. His many growth rings age him at approximately 14 years old counting three years for the initial quick growth the chamois exhibit on all their heads.

The kill scenes are not a good quality, old 35mm slide photos.







The old boys companion

Cool.What was the year?

quote:

Originally posted by jaegerfrank:
Cool.What was the year?

Early 80's from memory, a lot of hunts in that area and can't remember each individual one now.

Nice trophy and a great piece of the World.

Love your stuff weathered..there is no buullshit at all..great stuff!

Does anyone know how old chamois can live? I shot some years ago from Austria 16 years old female. My quide tell me that it was oldest what he had saw his life but how old those really can live?

quote:

Originally posted by Ukko:
Does anyone know how old chamois can live? I shot some years ago from Austria 16 years old female. My quide tell me that it was oldest what he had saw his life but how old those really can live?

Judging by the general condition of the 14 year old chamois in my post I do not thing he would have lived much longer. Food in that area is not a problem for the animals. I did not think to look in his mouth to see how many teeth he had left but that would determine how well an animal could feed.

I think 14-16 years would about the age limit for chamois.

Thanks guys, That Chamois was checked by a very experienced hunter and he was aged at 9-11 years.
I was out again from Monday till today. A long walk to the headwaters and another 10 inch chamois. Got the head skin and meat out
This is the head of the valley


I will write something longer in a separate thread on this hunt

Weatherhead, I am somewhat jealous. Good sized heas.

Eagle, I would rather take an old animal with regressed horns, antlers than a youger one with better head gear. They don't get old by being stupid.

UKKO, love your sig line, very true to.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
What a trophy ! One of my best Chammy's was an old boy like yours. Blind in one eye, a chipped point on the end of one horn, slightly lame, horn bases had many close rings and were recedng in size . Unfortunately I never had him aged but would love to know how ancient he was. I hope you display yours somewhere he can be appreciated for many years. Congratulations.

aging chamois in 90% is not so difficult, looks here http://www.naturamediterraneo....20116171193_camo.jpg
some animals ( generally female) have difficult reading horns, because lack of calfing. "inverno" means "winter" in Italian. have around better pictue for age valutaton in chamois, will look for them.
Maximum age in chamois in litterature is 24, a female.
Buck of more of 13 are rare, female of more of 17 also. buck of 10-11 years (I mean 11 winters) are old. Female for be "old" have to have 12-13 years, for me...

G'Day Fella's,

Thank you all for sharing!
If I could only hunt one animal for the rest of my life, I'd probably pick Chamois/Chammy!!!

Doh!
Homer