Bezoar Ibex hunting
View 8 hunts View all hunts8 hunting trips from 4 outfitters starting from $10,000
Where to hunt Bezoar Ibex
The Bezoar Ibex is believed to be the progenitor of the domestic goat, and is classified as the same species. It inhabits the mountain ranges of Asia Minor, with most hunting opportunities presently to be found in Turkey. Turkey today is a modern industrial state, but for the Bezoar Ibex hunt you will travel far from the beach resorts and the sights of Istanbul, to remote mountain areas where life changed little since the Greeks and Trojans had their clash way down below at the coast.
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Bezoar hunting trips start from 6,800. However, some Turkish outfitters include in their basic price only a trophy up to a certain length, and will charge extra for each centimeter above this length. These surcharges can vary from 150 to as high as 500 Euro per cm, which can add over $10,000 to the price for a record-breaking trophy. “Any size” offers go for nearly $15,000.
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Learn more from our blog story
A trip to a remote mountain range that is wild enough to host a large population of mountain game, can’t help being an adventure. Especially when modern civilization screws up and leaves the hunter without gear and weapons, at the mercy of local tribes. This story tells how James Reed got out of this tight corner, and what he thinks about the people of Pakistan.
6 Jul 2016 The WatcherWhen to hunt Bezoar Ibex?
The hunting season for the Bezoar Ibex runs from September 1 to March 31, when the animals descend from high mountain peaks into more accessible ground. The best time for hunting is usually considered to be the rut, which takes place in November-December.
Hunting methods All hunting methods (5)
Bezoar Ibex hunting is the classic mountain hunt, and the hunting method employed is spot-and-stalk. The hunter and the guide will leave the hotel early, drive into the mountains, and climb to high elevation to glass the area for Ibex. Once a suitable male is located, the horn size is roughly estimated to make sure the hunter is ready to harvest it; when the price depends on horn length, some hunters may consider the male they see a bit too big for their wallet, while for the next guy the same animal will be too small. Once the hunter is sure that’s the animal he or she wants, a stalk begins. Modern rifles with laser rangefinders are great precision tools, but with the treacherous winds of the mountains, it pays the effort to approach the animal within the classic 300 yards or less.
Why hunt Bezoar Ibex?
The Bezoar Ibex attracted humans from the dawn of times. The males carry a grand pair of horns, which is said to be the biggest in relation to the body size. Standing about 140 cm in the shoulder, a Bezoar Ibex may have horns up to 150 cm in length, curving like scimitars over their backs. So great was the Bezoar Ibex’s significance for humankind that it was domesticated, but still people kept climbing up the mountains in search of the elusive goat, subjecting themselves to no small risk… for what exactly? The ? The skin? The meat? Or were they motivated by some inner drive that we can’t yet give a proper name to? Whatever it is, people who once caught the fever of mountain hunting will never be completely cured of the drive to ascend a tall ridge and put the majestic animal in their sights.
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