Chamois Hunts

Hunting Chamois

A medium-sized member of the goat family, chamois have long, powerful legs and a compact physique. Chamois weigh about 50 kg and have a shoulder height of up to 70 cm. The colors are generally dark brown to nearly black in the winter and yellowish-brown in the summer. Wintertime colors in older animals may be grayish-black. The head of the chamois is marked with distinctive white spots. The horns are upright, quite long, and bend back in the shape of a hook, with noticeable knobs spaced evenly along their length. Both sexes of the chamois have horns, but the male has the largest.

In Europe, the chamois are natives of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the Pyrenees, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, sections of Turkey, the Caucasus, and the Apennines. The chamois has been introduced into the South Island of New Zealand. Under the European Habitats Directive, a few chamois subspecies are under severe protection.

Chamois are popular game animals. They have two traits that are useful to hunters. First, they are most active in the morning and evening when they feed. Second is that they tend to look for danger from below, which means that a hunter stalking chamois from above is less likely to be observed and more likely to be successful.

Spanish Chamois Hunts

In Spain, the Cantabrian Chamois subspecies is more reddish in color with a lighter neck than the Pyrenean Chamois, which is darker. Along with having smaller, slimmer horns than the Pyrenean subspecies, it is also marginally smaller. The coat of females and fawns is identical to that of males.

High mountain stalking has become the most popular approach to chamois hunting today—one of the few species where both males and females are hunted. The chamois was also hunted in battues (driven hunts) in the previous century, but today there is just one Regional Hunting Reserve in Somiedo, Asturias, where this is still done.

The Cantabrian chamois can be hunted in Leon province, a four-hour drive north of Madrid. The hunting season is from the 15th of September to the 31st of October. The Pyrenean chamois can be hunted in the Pyrenees mountains along the border with Spain. The hunting season is from the first of April to the 30th of May, together with the first of November to the 31st of December. The Pyrenean chamois is slightly larger than the Cantabrian, somewhat darker, and the horns slightly thicker. The average trophy size is 90 - 95 CIC points.

Austrian Chamois Hunts

According to many foreign hunters, Austria is one of the friendliest hunting nations in Europe. This is so because hunting is a common family activity, and hunting skills are learned early in life. There are more than 130,000 hunters in Austria, and the sport is well-liked by locals.

Both the landowners and the hunting organizations in Austria work to preserve all the natural animal species, including the capercaillie, black cock, roe deer, red deer, chamois, mouflon deer, and alpine ibex.

You can find Austrian chamois in herds of up to 80 animals. One of the best times to hunt chamois is just before the rut. The chamois rut in Austria takes place in November and December.

In Europe, the hunting for chamois is determined by class. There are three classes:  

• Class 3 is made up of male and female chamois three years of age and under.
• Class 2 is made up of males 3-7 years of age and females 4-9 years of age.
• Class 1 is made up of males seven years of age and up or females over ten years.

Romanian Chamois Hunts

Experience chamois hunting in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Here you will find the biggest chamois in the world. The subspecies, called Carpathian chamois, live only in Romania. Romania holds the CIC world record for a chamois, 141.11, along with the first 8 of the top 10. One can say Romania is clearly the first choice for hunting big chamois. Their agility distinguishes the chamois, making jumps up to seven feet high and 18 feet long. Even on steep cliffs, they can reach a speed of 30 mph. The species is present in France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland, but in Romania, one can find by far the biggest chamois. Hunting takes place in the Bucegi and Fagaras Mountains. The hunter can experience the wild surroundings of the highest peaks in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains.

Experienced hunters know that the road to the sheep’s habitat is a long and difficult one. The chamois live on isolated slopes where men rarely walk. Hunting is carried out by stalking. This type of hunt allows you to enjoy all the beautiful views of the countryside and mountains. The chamois is good at easily sliding through the forest and climbing steep cliffs. The hunt is not just about having a good eye and a clear mind, but also relies on luck. Hunting chamois is a challenging experience. It isn't easy to reach their area, and the animals are usually first spotted at a very long distance.

The hunting period is from the 15th of September until the 15th of December.

French Chamois Hunts

In the Pyrenees Mountains, there is a fabled species known as the Pyrenean chamois. They are particularly common in South-Western France's woodlands and steep hillsides. The hunts take place at altitudes from 600 to 1800 meters.

Beginning in October, shortly before the start of the mating season, the Pyrenean chamois (male & female) hunting season opens. At this time of the year, males emerge from the brush and move to open spaces.

The season runs from mid-September through the end of February. Beginning in November is the rut. It's a fascinating time because often people can observe large, mature males looking for females.

Hunts can last from sunrise to sunset. However, the best times are mornings and evenings when the chamois are feeding. During the daytime, they tend to lie down in the bush and enjoy the sun.
Hunters must be able to shoot from 100 to 300 yards while laying on a backpack or shooting off a bipod. Your guide will try to get you as close as possible to allow a clean, safe shot