Also known as Capra pyrenaica hispanica,  the Ibex is our emblematic species in Spain. This majestic animal that lives in the high tops of the mountains, moves around gracefully, jumps on and over rocks with agility and conquers with vitality. No wonder in Spain it is called El Macho montés, the male of the mountain as the mountain is its home and empire.
In Spain there are 4 main subspecies of ibex: Beceite, Southeastern, Gredos and Ronda. Hunting the four of them is called The Spanish Ibex Grand Slam.

Hunting season:
The hunting season for the Spanish Ibex is open from late October for some of them until the beginning of May, except the Ronda Ibex that can be hunted only until the beginning of April.

More on CIC and SCI measuring systems:
Have you ever been curious about the 2 different scoring systems for the Spanish Ibex CIC and SCI? Click here for a not-so-short summary of how they are different and how the Spanish Ibex is assessed.

Spanish Beceite Ibex

Spanish hunting species: Beceite IbexSpanish Ibex: BeceiteSpanish Ibex: BeceiteBeceite Gold Ibex with Caza HispanicaUniversal huntress, hunting in Spain

This is the largest Spanish ibex and darkest type with the largest horns. Typically, the horns are straighter than in Gredos ibex and have a spiral turn of less than 180 degrees. Horn thickness remains constant for half the length, then decreases toward the tip, which is not as thin as in the Gredos race. While this is the typical Beceite horn conformation, other horn shapes may be found in this region and even in the same herd

Distribution: Mountains of Beceite and Tortosa in northeastern Spain.

Medals:
Gold: 80 1/8″ SCI points
Silver: 75 4/8″ SCI points
Bronze: 69″ SCI points

Spanish Gredos Ibex

Spanish Ibex: GredosGredos IbexSpanish Gredos Ibex

After the Beceite ibex, the Gredos ibex is the largest and darkest in color and has the largest horns. Typically, the horns are lyre-shaped with a pronounced curve and a spiral turn of more than 180 degrees. Horn thickness decreases progressively from the base to the very thin tip. While this is the typical Gredos horn conformation, other horn shapes may be found in this region and even in the same herd.

Distribution:
 Mountains in west-central Spain, especially the Gredos and Batuecas mountains.

Medals:
Gold: 80 5/8″ SCI points
Silver: 75 6/8″ SCI points
Bronze: 70″ SCI points

Spanish Southeastern Ibex

Bob Zaiglin with the Spanish Southeastern IbexSpanish Ibex: Southeastern BronzeCaza Hispanica HunterUniversal huntress in Spain, Southeastern ibex

Smaller and lighter in color than the Beceite and Gredos types, but larger and darker than the Ronda type we have the Southeastern Spanish Ibex. Horn size and shape vary considerably from place to place, with those from the Sierra Nevada generally the largest. Horns from Tejada-Almijara tend to be the most distinctive, forming a circle with the tips growing toward the neck like those of a mouflon. The keel is smooth, making the horns almost round in cross-section

Distribution: The mountains and reserves of Tejada, Almijara, Sierra Nevada, Lujar, Cazorla, and Muela de Cortes in southeastern Spain.

Medals:
Gold: 74 4/8″ SCI points
Silver: 69″ SCI points
Bronze: 63″ SCI points

Spanish Ronda Ibex

Spanish Ibex, RondaGold SCI Ronda Ibex

The smallest type of Spanish ibex with the smallest horns. Overall color is a light brown. The horns resemble those of an Alpine ibex, typically growing upward in a V-shape, then backward with a spiral turn of only 90 degrees. Horn thickness is constant for half the length, then decreases gradually to the broomed tips. While this is the typical Ronda horn conformation, other horn shapes may be found in this region and even in the same herd.

Distribution: Ronda Mountains in extreme southern Spain.

Medals:
Gold: 66 3/8″ SCI points
Silver: 61 7/8″ SCI points
Bronze: 56″ SCI points

Ibex: Facts

A few hundred years ago, Europeans thought the ibex had magical powers. It does look a little like a unicorn with its long curving horns, but this animal is no myth. Ibex live in southern Europe and northern Africa. These magnificent animals look a bit like deer, but they’re actually a type of mountain goat. They live in mountain areas and come down in the evening to feed in forests and woodlands.

Where Spanish Ibex are in Spain

Male ibex live in small herds. In the fall, they fight each other to win the chance to mate with females. They run and crash against each other with their horns. Females live in larger herds with their babies. Ibex are herbivores. They eat lichens, grass, shrubs and woody plants.

Map hunting species in Spain

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