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Outfitter : Swiss Fauna & Flora Department
Guides : Didier, Gerard and his cousin
Rifle : (wife’s) Blaser R93; .300 Win Mag.

As I posted before, I have been applying to the Swiss Hunting authorities for a few years now, for a permit to hunt Alpine Ibex – and this year I was approved. The trip was a bit rushed, due to lack of time to plan and prepare; so I grabbed the mountain hunting gear, and my wife’s 300WM (which was the only rifle I could find at home that the Swiss would accept the paperwork for – long story). Booked flights on Air France from Paris to Geneva, and a car from there, and I was off… or so I thought. AF ended up going on strike (as usual), and canceling my flight. Long story short, I drove 8+ hours from Sologne France, to Martigny Switzerland. The guide suggested I stay at the Forum Hotel in Martigny, which is acceptable, is a bit bare. The only issue was them turning the AC off around midnight, and it was stifling hot in my room. Slept with the windows open – but with a street lamp ~ 20ft away… was not the greatest sleep of my life.

Woke up this morning, and the guides and I were off as agreed around 6:30am. Didier has shown me a photo of a big Ibex he’d seen 10 days ago, and it was definitely worth us spending a day trying to find him. I’ll post a picture of the Ibex from scouting once Didier sends it to me. We were going to be hunting above the new hydro-dam above Emosson. The area is absolutely magical – the scenery breathtaking

Hunting with these guys is a hoot – they’ve all know each other 40+ years, and just go on telling jokes (many of them decades old… its hilarious). They really know the area well, as well as the mountain trails we used to climb ~2,700 vertical feet and a few miles, in a couple hours. We all needed a nice break once cresting the next-to-last plateau, before reaching the area the Ibex had been seen days earlier. As the 4 of us were taking vests off, and sorting out some water, Luna, the 1 year old terrier who’d been brought along, tore off into the rocks. At first we didn’t notice, and then only thought she was after Chamois hiding in the rocks. Until 110 yards out, the monster Ibex jumped up from his bed onto a large rock and starred down the small dog. We were so taken aback by the comedic site of the old Ibex head bobbing at the 10 lbs. dog, we took a minute or two to relax and get sorted out. It took a minute to confirm it was the right Ibex, and he was everything we were after. A nice shoulder shot, and 40 yard run later, he was down.

He is everything I had hoped for! 16 years old – would not have made it through the winter. 96cm on his long side, and 93 on the other. I’ll post more photos later, but he’s broomed both tips off, and rubbed them down so hard, a part of the sheathing on one side has cracked and rubbed off!

We took the rest of the morning and early afternoon to cape him out, quarter him up, and take a leisurely stroll back down the mountain, enjoying the day, each other’s company, and the great day afield.

This will not be my last trip with the Swiss Hunting team! They have “talked me into” a next Chamois hunt. And, a return Ibex trip for my wife is definitely in the cards!