There are as many hunting trip itineraries as hunting destinations, and for this reason here, at Caza Hispanica, we want to make it more visual to you and from time to time we will publish some sample itineraries so you know what to expect when you come and hunt in Spain with Caza Hispanica. On this occasion we are going to comment upon a 5 day Gredos Ibex hunt, that will give you a general idea of what a sample Gredos ibex hunting trip may look like.
Do your homework
As we already mentioned a few articles back, and as you already know from being an experienced hunter, there are several preparations you need to do before your arrival day to Spain. Here are the important 3 steps before the beginning of your Spanish hunt itinerary:
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Prepare your documents: HUNTING DOCUMENTS AND GUN PERMIT FOR SPAIN
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Prepare your luggage: WHAT SHOULD I BRING WITH ME? THE ULTIMATE GEAR LIST FOR YOUR SPANISH HUNT
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Prepare yourself and your gun: HOW TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR A HUNT IN SPAIN? HAVE YOUR RIFLE READY FOR THE SPANISH GAME
These 3 steps apply for any hunting trip to Spain, not only for the hunt of the Gredos Ibex hunt. Now we are going to get into the details of a 5 day Gredos Ibex hunt itinerary in Spain with Caza Hispanica.
Gredos Ibex hunting trip itinerary
Day 1: Arrival day at Madrid airport
The Gredos Ibex’s homeland is west from Madrid, so for a Gredos Ibex hunt you would fly into and out of Madrid. Flights from the US or Canada to Spain arrive normally between 9 and 11 in the morning. Caza Hispanica´s PH, Vicente Gil, and the interpreter would be personally waiting for you at the arrival gate in Madrid and we would go together to the customs office where we will import your gun.
After the gun has been picked up we would drive around 2 hours to Salamanca, one of the oldest cities in Spain and have lunch in the most important square of the city. This area of Spain is famous for its cured ham and meat in general (lamb, beef, pork) so make sure you delight your taste buds with these delicious local products.
After lunch we will have a quick stroll in the center of the town where you can admire the architecture of Salamanca and do some light shopping before driving to the hunting area of the Gredos Ibex, more or less one our from Salamanca. In the afternoon we will go out and sight in the gun to make sure you have it ready for your next day’s first Spain hunting day
Day 2 and 3: Gredos ibex hunt days
We wake up early in the morning, before the sunrise and have breakfast at the hotel. By when the sun is up we will be on the mountain starting our stalking of the Spanish Gredos Ibex. We will have 2 or 3 local guides with us and they will try to cover as much of the area as possible, using walkies to inform each other where they are located and what they are seeing.
Normally at midday the ibex stop their feeding and lay down and have a 2-3 hours nap. While they do this it is impossible to see them moving, so we will take advantage of their break and we will have lunch as well. Normally it would be a picnic style lunch, with sandwiches when we would talk about our hunting experiences, you would tell us about yours and by the end of our break we will know a lot more about each other. In the afternoon we will continue our quest until you will have harvested your desired Gredos Ibex.
We will see many animals in the concession that we use for our Gredos Ibex hunt. Our guides will tell you the size of each Gredos Ibex that we see, and when we see the one that you like best we will try to get as close as possible, as quietly as possible.
(Read Robert Zaiglin´s report on his Gredos Ibex hunt: Part 1 Part 2)
Day 4: Tourism day(s)
Whenever someone comes all the way to Spain to hunt a Spanish species they add at least one day for tourism, in this way they enjoy our vast cultural background and get to see the Spanish lifestyle as well. Normally after a Gredos ibex hunt we visit Wineries in the Ribera del Duero area (best wine cellars in Spain), Peñafiel castle, the aqueduct, cathedral and fortress in Segovia or the city of Toledo, which used to be the capital of Spain during the reign of Felipe II.
Accommodation and meals will be at best hotels and restaurants in the area. Our daily fees include lodging and food, so you will only have to cover the costs of entry tickets to these touristy places. The last night will be spent in a hotel close to the airport as on the next day you will have to catch a flight.
Day 5: Departure day
After a quick breakfast -if your flight is not too early-, we will head towards the airport in Madrid. We will have pass by the gun registration office again and prepare the documents for your gun. We will accompany you to your check in desk and after dropping off your luggage we will say goodbye, not before planning your next hunting trip with Caza Hispanica.
This is what a Gredos ibex hunt itinerary looks like with us. We hope we were able to give you a sweet taste of it. If you have any question or would like to talk about a Gredos Ibex hunt with us write us an email at info@cazahispanica.com. We look forward to hunting with you soon!