Spanish Ibex: Back to Gredos Mountains

Gredos: a privileged hunting destination whose history dates to 1905.

Gredos is today one of the most special hunting places in Spain. Its landscapes, villages, the wide variety of accommodations available for hunters, together with the outstanding management measures implemented around the Spanish Ibex, makes of Gredos a true reference for any hunter passionate about mountain hunting.

We must go back to 1905 to understand what Gredos is today and its significance amongst the international hunting community. It was in 1905 when the local authorities of the different villages and the private owners of the region decided to transfer the hunting rights to King Alfonso XIII. Years later, the monarch, declared these territories as part of the Royal Reserve. At this point, King Alfonso XII assisted by Marqués de Villaviciosa de Asturias, created the most legendary team of rangers, responsible for the protection of its almost 40,000 hectares and the ibex population which at one point was about to be extinct.

Despite the difficulties along the way, including times of terrible poaching and the controversy regarding the wolf populations in the area, the management efforts throughout the years, enabled the region of Gredos to become, by all means, the most emblematic area to hunt Spanish Ibex.

It is always crucial to do some prescouting.

After this year’s slow down, the mountains have been extremely calmed. The lack of hunting pressure and mountaineers made the ibexes keep on with their relaxed lives totally unimpeded for many months. On the other hand, the mobility restrictions imposed in Spain and the appeal to individual responsibility did not allow us to check our areas as much as we would have liked.

No matter what kind of animal we are looking for nor what kind of trophy we aim for, any time that we are about to begin a new hunt, we always like to do a bit of prescouting trying to search for the right “candidate”, making sure that the animals have not moved to another territory and by the end of the day, trying to have a plan. Nothing ever turns as you have planned, but as an outfitter, it is always good to have an idea and think about different alternatives if plans A and B do not work. There is usually no chance for plan C but if we have to take it, it needs to work. For such purpose, weeks before our hunt began, off we went to the mountains. What a nice feeling it was to see so many billies, some of which were outstanding. The hunt looked very promising!

On your marks, get set…go!

After a long wait, the moment to get back to Gredos was finally here. Our hunter was a very special friend and a loyal hunter to Camino Real Hunting Consultants. Over the years, we have had the honour to arrange some of the most interesting hunts around the world for him, including some outstanding mountain hunts in North America, Europe, Asia, and Far East Russia. Gredos was not going to be an exception.

The hunt would take place in Gredos northern face, where there is a tendency to believe that trophies grow larger, although this is not always 100% true. Arriving to the area on the eve of the hunt, we had a delicious dinner at the hotel and planned the bits and pieces for the next day. The building is an old wool drying warehouse from the 18th century refurnished into a brand-new hotel which offers amazing facilities and first-class service. Not only the cozy environment and spacious rooms but the hotel’s location, offering extraordinary views, is what makes this place so special.

What to expect from a hunt taking place in spring season?

If there a negative thing to say about hunting ibex in spring, that is, that their coat is usually not in optimal condition as it would be in autumn and winter. Other than that, spring is a very appropriate time of the year to get a big ibex.

With the first buds popping out, the old ibexes come down from the higher parts of the mountain to recover from the cold winter. Temperatures are relatively warmer, and days are longer, allowing to enjoy the mountain in better conditions. Additionally, during spring, the ibexes get together in big groups, being common to see herds of 30 to 50 billies sticking together. The trails should normally be free of snow, meaning that the walk on the mountain is slightly easier than in winter. And last, but not least, the bushes covered in bright-yellow flowers offer a stunning view of Gredos.

The early bird catches de worm.

This time of the year, with longer days, force us to start hunting very early in the mornings. During the first couple of hours after sunrise, it is normally easy to locate the first groups of billies feeding on the fresh buds.

The temperature was 39°F and it was a quiet dawn. On the highest peaks, the remaining snow from the previous days reflected the rays of the morning sun. Just after starting walking and about 5,250 feet high we spotted the first group of ibexes. The truth is that we could see dozens of animals everywhere, most of which were young billies. Although we got to see some ibexes with excellent genetics, it took us approximately 2-3 hours since we began climbing until we saw the first couple of nice-looking trophies.

As the temperature started increasing, the different groups started moving uphill. I always find it amazing how quickly animals move. You glass them for a while and by the time you realise where they are, they are about to disappear in the distance!

After some time of glassing in all directions we finally spotted our “candidate”. He was part of a huge group of approximately 50 ibexes which was divided, at the same time, in two different herds. Our boy was clearly the biggest of the group together with and another ibex which presented a narrower shape. At about 520 yards we counted 12-13 years of age and saw that our “candidate” met all the requirements to be a fantastic trophy. It was still too far for a clear shot, so we decided for him to go over the ridge before putting a stalk on him.

We waited for approximately 20 minutes and then, the hunt was on. Up we went. The terrain was very steep but was easy walking. The beautiful yellow bushes -so typical from Gredos during this time of the season- offered a perfect cover. The changing wind and the number of animals made the approach quite complicated. By the time we got to the top of the ridge, right where our ibex had disappeared, the wind changed direction towards them. What we thought it had been a perfect approach, was far from being perfect. All of a sudden, there were no ibex left. However, the group moved into a huge mountain saddle where I knew we would have another chance if we were lucky. Without wasting much time and with the wind on our faces, we cautiously began our stalk again, getting within 295 yards away from the group. Although the only rest looked very unstable, our hunter, who is used to overcome this kind of situations, looked for a gap between two rocks and was able to put a perfect shot on this superb gold medal Spanish Ibex. As seen on the following picture, the ibex describes a perfect “lire” shape, typical of the Gredos Ibex.

At Camino Real Hunting Consultants we ready for more action.

The increase in the number of people being vaccinated in Spain and the rest of the world seems to have inspired some countries to start opening its borders already. We invite any hunter interested in visiting Spain to contact us so that we can provide you updated information about which are the specific requirement to enter the country. Some countries are only required to show a negative PCR test after landing.

Wishing you all a happy hunting and looking forward to meeting you soon.

Alvaro Mazon (Jr).