Recently I traveled to Spain with a couple buddies and our wives.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ihotel.jpg)
We left the girls in Barcelona in a luxury hotel on the beach and we traveled to inland mountains to bowhunt for the Beceite ibex with the folks from Salvaforcaza. We booked the hunt through Bowhunting Safari Consultants (a sponsor here)and it was first class all the way.
We stayed in an old house located above the village of Vallibona.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain8.jpg)
Many of these villages were home to thousands but now very few live in some of them. Another village I hunted near was home to over 1000 but now the population is 4.
Wow. This one is going to be cool for sure. :campfire: :coffee:
Oh Denny, :campfire:
This will be good!
Oh man, this is going to be fantastic successful or not. Can you imagine hitting the 10 ring on one of those things?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain9.jpg)
The country was remote, scenic and rugged.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain1.jpg)
Many of the hillsides had terraces built into them. Some of these walls and ruins dated back to Roman times; a lot of history on the ground we covered.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain5.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain4.jpg)
Several times these walls were helpful when stalking in on the elusive and wary animals.
Wow very cool trip!
:campfire:
We hunted hard every morning and evening. I finally got a 25 yard shot after numerous stalks on the third morning of our hunt. A melt-down in my head/form resulted in a ricochet shot off both horns with two of the guides watching.
On the final evening of our hunt I crawled into shooting range of a decent buck/billy and hit low through the chest and off leg. They have very good trailing dogs and Miguel released his dog Txusca on the trail. She bayed the buck in a steep canyon and I was able to sneak in and put in a finishing shot. Very exciting!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/IIBEX.jpg)
Congratulations Denny! Very cool hunt and very nice ibex!!! :thumbsup:
Randy Cooling of Dexter, MI is one of my favorite hunting buddies. He was on the trip and hadn't connected yet. On the morning we were returning to town he went out for a quick hunt and was able to stalk in and make a perfect shot for a grand ending to our hunt.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain11.jpg)
our other hunting bud uses a compound and he took two ibex, so everyone was successful and this hunt ranks among my all time favorites.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain3.jpg)
Our group with the guides shortly before driving back to Barcelona.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Dsturgisjr/Ispain6.jpg)
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Good to see you enjoy in my country. The trailing dogs of Salvafor guides are amazings.
One ibex with a tras bow is an incredible trophy!!
Wow that had to be a great adventure,nice pics and congrats on your very cool hunt.
That is VERY cool. Thanks for sharing. That country looks amazing to hunt in - sorta like - hunt in a ghost town.
Jorge,you have a beautiful country and those Ibex are really neat animals for sure.
Very cool. :thumbsup:
That's just awesome!!! Beautiful country...Jealous!
That trio is the most exotic bowhunting picture I think I've ever seen!
Wow!
Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely awesome country and animals! Thanks for sharing sir!
That is awesome! great hunt and congratulations.
Looks like the hunt of a lifetime ,congrats.
Speechless!
Way to go Denny!!!
What a trip! Had the family in Barcelona 2 years ago-Spain is a fav and I didn't even know about the bowhunting!! Another reason to go back. Juan Carlos, king of Spain, shoots a trad bow and has taken lessons from Mike Fedora-I'm pretty sure that's accurate. :archer2:
That looks like it was a great hunt, congratulations!
-Jay
wonderful experience !
thanks !
Another great trip for you Congratulations Denny!!!!!!!
Outstanding! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats to all of you. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: That's awesome, congrats! :thumbsup:
I'm speechless. Your accomplishments with a longbow leave me green with envy. You should be very proud.
Thanks for posting. Great trip, trophies, & pix.
Congrats!! Why the decline in population at these villages?
The king is an avid hunter, but not a bowhunter. About the decline in population in the villages, nearly all the young people who was born in small towns has gone to live to the cities because the "comfort".
Jorge
Those are some nice ibex!
Thanks for sharin' the hunt!
BTW - I like that nifty zip-off cover you made for your ArrowMaster Denny. I will have to give that design some consideration....
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Congrats Denny !!! :clapper: Is that a Phenolic riser Widow that Randy is shooting ??? :eek: Interesting !!!
Bill
Way to get it done Denny
That's a dream animal for me
What a stunning trophy! Way to go Denny.
That is awesome , thanks for sharing!!
I read all of your articles. Im sure it wont be long before this is in TBM or B&A Hunting!
That is awesome and looks like something I would love to do one day!
Congrats to all three of y'all!
Bisch
They are indeed magnificent cratures.
Thanks for permitting me the opportunity to share in this special experience.
Very impressive, in every way, story, pics,and trophys taken
Denny, you are the man. I picked up some of that stuff from Mike at Captivate M Outdoors I see you were using...thanks, he is another great guy :thumbsup:
Thanks for sharing! Did you see any other game (Boar, Red Stag, etc)?
Denny,
Absolutely off the charts. Ibex in Spain in Hemingway "For Whom the Bell Tolls" country is a dream.
Was disappointed you didn't post more pics of the beach... I've been to Costa Brava and the "scenery" on the Beach in Loret de Mar was worth the price of admission. If you get my drift.
Congrats!
All I can say is, "WOW"!
Super story and congratulations on getting it done. Amazing scenery and the Ibex is a terrific trophy. :thumbsup:
Real awsome stuff.Great animals.
Awesome buddy! :notworthy: :notworthy:
Thanks everyone!
Shinken, Rod now offers an arrow slot cover for the Arrow Master quiver.
JWilliam, Randy's riser is solid fiberglass lams.
Lucas, The only other game animal in the area we hunted that I know of was boar.
Absolutely freakin cool. I would love to chase one of those.
Always enjoy your adventure threads. Thanks so much for the awesome pics and story telling.
The old ruins are really something!
Congratulations!!
WOW. Great animal! Great trophy... Denny you look like you got in great shape too. Congrats
Congrats Denny. You are quite the Bowhunting Adventurer.
Looks like it was a great trip. congratulations
Cool trophies!
Very cool hunt! Congrats !!!
Great pictures of Spain and the Ibex hunt. Thank you for taking us along.
Fantastic,congrats :clapper:
What magnificent animals and a great hunt. Thanks for sharing.
Ward
Your hunts always rock! Kudos to you sir on a great looking animal and your awesome bowhunt for the ibex.
great job!! just wondering if you saw any european boar on you hunt? i had a friend who lived in spain for several years and said there are quite a few in spain, especially in the north.
Joebuck, Thanks for noticing buddy! ;)
Kamm, I didn't see anything but where hogs had rubbed on trees. Randy saw some though. We couldn't hunt them though as the local villagers hunted them. ( if I understood correctly)
Denny that is awesome. It seems no matter where you travel to you make it happen. Awesome Throphy.
Great rip and hunt!
thats Awesome. I was in spain this past March. I looked into getting away to go hunting but my wife would not have it. So, will have to go back.
do you reccomend going thru the Safari consultants or direct to the outfitter?
Gilbert
Denny,
Cool critter, Congrads. What is the NEXT exotic critter you are going after ???
Gilbert, I would go through Neil at BSC. It doesn't cost anymore, he provides you with country travel info, packing lists etc, understands traditional archery and supports TradGang as a sponsor also.
Tom, going back to Africa later this summer.
Randy, the real recognition on this hunt belongs to the dog, Txusca, for sure. I don't know how it would have turned out without her.
The Cooling Curse is broken!
Just found this thread and had to add my .02 Great story Denny, I hunted the same camp the week before you and enjoyed the experience as much as you did. I got my ibex in the last hour of the last day of our hunt.
I would recommend this hunt to anyone looking to take an ibex. Booking through Neil at Bowhunting Safari Consultants is definitely the way to go.