Feb 14-27

Hunted: Balerean Bok on Mallorca Island in the Mediterranean, Beceite Ibex in mountains of NE Spain, and SE Ibex in mountains just out of Almeria in the far south.

Hunters: Gary Joesph and myself

Outfitter: Caza Hispanica, Vicente Gil

Agent: me…

Rifle combo: TC .300 Win Venture – Nikon Monarch 7 4x16x50 scope with BDC (used a lot) and Winchester 180 grain Accubond CT ammo


I could write a book on this trip as we just spent 11 days in Spain hunting and touring with Caza Hispanica. I am going to just put up pictures with some explanations to not bore you with a day by day chronicle. In the end, this was one of the best overall trips of my life from hunting to touring, to the people to the food and culture. This would be a perfect trip to take a wife on, and overall I give it 5 stars…

We started out on Mallorca for Balerean Bok (one of Capra 20). They have been wild there for over 4,000 years, brought originally by the Phoenicians. Incredible landscapes above the Med. with fine people. Gary shot a nice billy and a mgt. nannie. I shot 2 nannies.







The one thing that really stuck out on this leg was that after a successful hunt, we had a traditional Mallorcan lunch, on the tailgate of a pickup, we couldn’t talk directly a whole lot because of language differences (we did have a translator), but we had a blast laughing and hanging out with limited conversations…we are all hunters and it comes through. This was no different than a bunch of guys here in KY right after a morning of turkey hunting, etc.








Then we moved to Beceite area. This was wonderful hunting ground with incredible views. In late afternoon of the first day, I took a wide old ibex at 308 yards, and he dropped in his tracks.








The next day after a few unsuccessful stalks, we got Gary above a group of billies at 150 yards, and he hammered this gold level 11 year old with super mass. Again, this was late in the afternoon. There are a ton of ibex in this area.



Then we drove 6 hours to Almeria in the south. After quite a bit of glassing and climbing, we found a band of ibex with an old, heavy billy. The local guide, my cameraman and I went off up the steep mountain in 2 feet of snow, and after 2.5 hours, we found the band of ibex bedded out of the brutal 30 mph wind. I was able to get to 168 yards, and after 30 minutes, the big boy stood up, and I dropped him in his tracks. He slid about 100 yards down hill to a ledge and luckily stopped. The walk off was tough, and I am sure I fell 10 times.







We did a bit our touring back up the coast, and visited Peniscola, and its castle, and then went back up to the Beceite area for our last few days.










Vicente wanted me to look for a really big ibex (or nothing), and he said there was a monster in the area that they usually see 2-3 times a year, but they had never had it all come together.

We actually found him the first morning, but we had 30-50mph winds, and I didn’t want to shoot at 400 plus yards across canyon. As we were moving in a bit closer, he disappeared in the trees, and we waited him out for 10 hours, and he never showed.

The next day, we felt he was still there, and spent over 7 hours trying to find him. Mid-afternoon just before we were about to pack it in, he emerged across the canyon. The wind was still terrible (25-30mph steady crosswind with 50 mph gusts), but I had a shot at 300ish yards. I aimed 15” to the right on a quartering to shot, and I hammered him in the shoulder.

He took off down hill, so I swung out in front and shot again at about 330 as he went behind some trees. We would find out later I hit him a bit back on that one. Then he emerged on a big rock quartering away at 350-360 yards, and I punched him in the rear and blew him over the hill.

As he was running after the first shot, Gary said he could see blood on his shoulder, and come to find out, the first one was perfect and the exit wound was the size of a golf ball on his off side shouler. No idea how he ever took a step.






This ibex was HUGE! He was 92 cm in length, and 81 cm wide with heavy mass. The guide, outfitter and the gov’t guy who had to do all the official measurements and paperwork said that none of them had ever seen one as big. They were all taking photos with it, and you could tell they were genuinely super excited. I guess he is truly a monster, and though I have never entered an animal in any record book, Vicente said he was sure this one would rank in the top ten of the SCI and European record books. It was a great hunt for sure.

We spent the last day in Valencia looking around, and we went back to what had become our favorite restaurant for some incredible rabbit, chicken, snail and shrimp paella. What a way to end the trip.

Beautiful pictures and great trophies, seems like a blast!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

I got to do this.
Would you take your wife on this one?

Awesome Tim! Great trophies all round. Spain in always a blast!

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
I got to do this.
Would you take your wife on this one?

Take your wife, it is a fabulous place to be.

I lived there for 3 years, it was the best 3 years of my adult life before I got married.

Excellant report and Great trophies !
Looks like a wonderful time hunting and exploring the country. Great Job.

Tim
Looks like a very cool trip.
Congrats on the great trophies.

Absolutely the best trip I have ever been on to take a wife. I am going back and will be taking my wife. Will pick a little warmer month. If anyone needs help with this exact hunt, please contact me. I am happy to help set it all up...

Congrats Tim,
Looks like a great adventure for all.

Tim,
Absolutely wonderful and thanks for the pictures. That is some incredible scenery and awesome animals.
Regards

Great pictures, Tim. I lived in Mallorca when I was a kid and have always wanted to go back and hunt.

Tim,
Your report brought back many great memories. Vicente runs a fine outfit and I am glad to see you shot that monster billy. Vicente and I spotted him across a canyon one evening and he was truly magnificent! Well done on a superb hunt in one of the most beautiful places I have ever hunted.

And by all means, take your wives, mine loved the trip!

PS: Roberto's has the absolutely best paella I have ever tasted!

Congrats on a great hunt. Both Mallorca and mainland Spain are great places to hunt.