I have had my eye on an Ibex hunt in Spain since 2015. I studied abroad in Seville, Spain that year and always said that I would come back for a hunt in the future. Perhaps unsurprising, I tried to schedule something while I was over there but it wasn’t hunting season and my schedule was pretty packed with school.
Fast forward 8 years…. That bucket list hunt has been checked off! Pablo Carol from Wild Hunting Spain and I connected a few years ago to try to set up a hunt but with the pandemic and traveling restrictions we weren’t able to make it happen until this past March (2023).
THE WAIT WAS WORTH IT! It was a great hunt! I was able to connect with a bronze-class Beceite Ibex.
For those who may not know, Spain is home to 4 different species of Ibex - Beceite (northeast region), Gredos (northwest region), Ronda (southwest region) and the Southeastern Ibex (southeast region). Successfully hunting all of these species is considered completing your Spanish Ibex Grand Slam! My friend Tony who was over there with us finished his Grand Slam this year with Pablo and Oscar!
I have had several people ask how physically demanding the hunt was. I will be completely honest and say that for me it wasn’t the hardest hunt I’ve been on, but it wasn’t the easiest either. I definitely advise you to be in decent shape. I wasn’t on a hardcore workout regime before I went over there but I had been going on walks and doing cardio and keeping my activity levels up! I only hunted the Beceite subspecies but I heard them talking about how some of the other species are harder and some are easier depending on the region you are hunting.
One of my favorite aspects about hunting with Pablo and Oscar was that the experience does not stop when you get off the mountain. We stayed in cool boutique hotels/lodges and ate at some favorite local Spanish spots. The hospitality and experience of the entire hunt and trip was top notch. I would highly encourage you to reach out to Pablo and Oscar with Wild Hunting Spain if you are considering a hunt over there! They offer more than just Ibex hunts. There’s something about Roe Deer that all the locals go crazy about and say it’s a must-do hunt! So maybe when I go back that will be on my list!
I hope you enjoyed hearing about my Spain hunt! Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook if you have any questions or want to know more!
Get connected with Pablo Carol from Wild Hunting Spain to get on the books for your next bucket list hunt!
