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For those passionate about hunting in the mountains, the Carpathian Chamois is a must game. We are accompanied by Sylvain Bourgard who has organized the trip, together with his two best guides Valy and Daniel.
First it’s uphill (and enjoying the scenery).
However present in large quantities and density, the Chamois is scarcely hunted in the Carpathians and with good reason. The main predator of the species is not human, it is the wolf, the golden eagle and to a lesser extent the lynx and bear who regulate the Carpathian Chamois population. Explicitly that calls for a hunting plan composed of approximately 95 percent old bucks and five percent old goats, which is four males for every female within an area of 8000 hectares. The area is managed by Romsylva National forestry Administration and this is where we are heading.
…and climbing further. Up and up…
After about twenty kilometers of winding forest roads and potholes, our vehicle approaches a track ravaged by the torrential rain of recent days. There are four miles left until the end of the road, however we are forced to march on foot and carry our equipment which turns out to be a morning warm-up appetizer. We eventually arrive at the meeting point where we find a group of donkeys who will carry our backpacks and weapons. There’s hardly any time for a drink and a bite of an apple, before the convoy starts off towards the shelter where we will spend the next two nights.
At least we didn’t have to carry everything by ourselves.
The trail winds through a forest of beech trees and for every gust of wind a thousand leaves flutter in the air. At this altitude, autumn has arrived and is well established. The slope is very steep and although traveling at a slow pace, even the donkeys are challenged in this rigid landscape. The cry of large ravens is the only sound that breaks the silence with an amplified acoustic throughout the deep mountain gorge, when suddenly another sound draws our attention. Boar or stag? Nobody moves. Valy grabs his rifle and looks nervous. The sound breaks the silence once again and at this point Daniel also grabs his rifle, signaling us not to move.
Not quite the chamois-track we expected…
Branches crack and there is a rustling through dead leaves on the ground. The tension is peaking when a large brown head appears about 50 meters from us, shortly after followed by three smaller round balls, a bear and her three cubs. The majority of accidents in connection with Romanian bears are related to females with cubs and we quickly understand how dangerous the situation is, but everyone remains calm and nobody moves. Two rifles are pointed at the beast who is pretending not to see us. She takes a few blackberries and finally turns back without expressing any dissatisfaction. The bear was only 18 meters away and the slightest spark could have caused a potentially fatal situation for one of the two parties. Welcome to Romania!
A dangerous encounter.
After this dramatic event, we finally enter the shelter of Mount Negoiu (1546 m), a very basic, yet comfortable place. We are in the early afternoon and Valy proposes to extend the race in our attempt to chase a Chamois. The heat from the sun inspires us to go forth on the snow packed trails along the mountain slopes. We carry on for two kilometers before setting up the telescope in order to scan the mountain side facing us. Not long after, we locate a group of Chamois.A few chasing pursuits observed, leaves no doubt, the rut has commenced. It is impossible to get the rutting males into range at this point and we decide to make another attempt the next day. But Daniel suggests entering into a similar smaller valley nearby and we decide to follow suit.
Finally, the first one.
He is right, a nice young goat is gracefully taking advantage of a spot where the grass is still green, under the supervision of a male buck whose presence is not appreciated at this point. The distance is over 500 meters and only a few boulders provide minor cover for our approach. However, we are able to minimize the distance to just over 300 meters when we suddenly spot another goat who has discovered us and launches its cry of warning in a general direction.
Daniel knows that animals escape within a matter of seconds and advises us to be ready to shoot. Fortunately the rifle has a bipod which simplifies aiming. According to the rangefinder the buck sits at 312 meters. It is still, its dorsal hairs standing on end with tension, a fascinating silent spectacle broken by the detonation of the .270 Win reaching the animal in his lungs. The bullet is deadly, but the chamois had started on a last climb before being abandoned by his peers, so falls into a crevice. The first day of hunting ends and we return to our shelter by the light of our headlamps, exhausted after hours of concentrated experience in the Carpathian mountains.
Picking up the chamois in the mountains is not an easy task.
The next morning everything is covered in frost, and we decide to return to the place where we spotted the first buck. We take the same observation post and soon two figures descend the grassy slopes. The bitter cold has not calmed the arduous black devils, quite the contrary. Females and kids are watching the spectacle from top of the mountain, while the dominant buck is forced into a constant repetition of chasing off approaching rivals. The morning sun gathers at the top of Mount Negoiu which stands at 2535m tall. The party is not over.
Aiming, shooting, conentrating. The special moment.
We have to descend approximately 300 meters to cross the river that separates the two sides, then start the climb which promises to be steep and scattered with severely treacherous areas. Three hours later we are ready for action and with fresh tracks we can confirm that animals were here. In addition, we spot a chamois on the horizon. We have to pursue the march and climb again, until eventually an hour later we see a pair of crocheted horns protruding from the ridge line. They are here, 200 meters from us. Wedged behind a boulder, clinging to the steep slope. We attempt to find the large male, but in vain. Daniel is confident and we sit still for two hours. Chamois regularly appear and disappear, but he is not there.
The landscape is just breathtaking.
The scenery is magnificent and we benefit fully on account of an action-packed early afternoon with the chamois, which happened very fast. As we rest in the grass, a big boulder rolls past and barely misses us. The rock was upset by a large buck chasing off a younger rival. Christophe rushes to his rifle, presses against the granite block that served as our shelter and awaits instructions from Daniel. Both males continue their infernal battle without a halt in downward bounds, strikes and leaps into the air, when suddenly the young buck stops nearby. Has he noticed us? Regardless, his assailant stands motionless. Christophe makes a perfect shot next to his shoulder, which leaves the buck with strength to walk a few meters before collapsing in the grass and slipping towards us.
As we approach the buck we notice that the horns are superb and Daniel makes an estimate for it to be a potential gold medal. An official judgment will confirm the measurements the next day, after we return on foot through Mount Negoiu and the Carpathian mountain chain.
Extra-info about chamois? See below.
P.S.
The Carpathian Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra carpatia), is one of the eight sub-species of European Chamois. The Romanian population is well sustained on account of the conservation management plan which mainly shoot old males (occasionally a few females are permitted). The balance is kept naturally due to the many large predators within this wild habitat. The Phenotype of this particular Chamois is very close to that of the Alpine Chamois, however differing slightly in larger size with the average weight of 40kg for the bucks and 33 kg for the goats. Their horns are also farther apart and longer with an average of 24 cm for females and 25 cm for males.
Author:
Philippe Jaeger
Philippe Jaeger is originally from Alsace and in his youth he was opposed to hunting. He changed his opinion when he met people who explained to him that the foolish behaviour of some hunters had nothing to do with real hunting. Philippe got his hunting licence and bought a hunting dog, which he trained himself. Today he can’t imagine his life without hunting. He is now 46 years old and has a son, and, when he is not travelling around the world to go hunting, he enjoys his family life in the Vosges Mountains.
