Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game East Meets West, Take 6: Back to the Mountains

Great story guys. Who had to get the penicillin shot?

That's one thing we for sure never needed to worry about. Ready & I both married way too well!


But climbing mountains is hard work, and calls for powerful paleo breakfasts of apples, walnuts, avocados, & speck (bacon). It was actually really tasty:





Then we had to pack up our gear:





And sometimes we had to fight with the locals to get into our hunting stands:





We had to get to the top of the small hill in the center [ironically called Glätz (bald)]...





... so that we could glass & hopefully make shots at the very bottom part of the big hill on the left. Ready's earlier photo with the chamois was from the lower left of it. Here's a better picture of the face from our shooting position:





Of course, the goats didn't need to be very far up on that hill to see us coming, & they busted us flat nearly every time.

FC

Having made the trek, though, we settled into some trees, and figured we'd try to wait them out. There was much glassing (and bs-ing...):






And surely enough, after about 3 hours, their curiosity got the better of them. One nose would poke over the ridge, then another, and another... In only a few minutes, there were 30+ Chamois hauling ass across the face of the ridge. They were bleating like a bunch of barnyard sheep, at well over shooting range. Worse, there was nothing but pairs of ewes with lambs. Not a great payoff for waiting so long.

A few minutes later, though, we saw some movement down low, and there were some likely candidates coming in at much better ranges. When I say, "likely candidates", I need to explain that our host had requested we take a female, between 2-4 years old, and preferably one that might not be in peak condition. I didn't understand it, but - their country, their province, their national park, their forest... their rules.

The group of 5 animals had one ewe with her lamb, so that left 3 possible shooters. So we waited, and held our breath, and got excited as they came into shooting range... and then one that was about the correct size and age stopped... and squatted to pee. BINGO!!!
(I told you that Paolo was awesome!) And in the end, we collected her. I'm sure Ready has lots more (and better) pictures:





If anyone must know, I used a Savage 10 in .308 with 130 TTSX bullet, and Leopold VX1 4-12x40. There - got that outa the way.



With the chamois accomplished, we attempted to collect some roe deer and red deer, so we went up high to do some glassing:





And Ready found a nice li'l perch:





Truth be told, it was actually a bit more precarious than it looked:





But he owned the territory like a boss:






FC

Uber write-up and pics thus far!

In the other direction, there was a great view of the town.





Every ridge in site had a cross on it. This one even had some small schnapps bottles placed there by previous visitors, paying forward hospitality to those who'd come behind them.


And speaking of schnapps, taking a Chamois of the correct size, age, condition, and gender definitely called for some more of Henrik's excellent home-brewed obstler:





The next day was up at dawn





And getting up higher on the mountain than most:





And glassing clearcuts







But the deer didn't cooperate.

FC

And while those Chamois might shoot back, the real reason for the hat-on-a-stick is that climbing mountains makes me sweat like Bill Cosby in a deposition. I had to take the hat off to let my head breathe!





Eventually, I took to wearing my do-rag under the hat to wick the moisture away before it got to my eyebrows then dripped on my glasses & bins. Thankfully, there are no pictures (that I know of...) of me in the do-rag.


FC

Nice looking country. I knew we didn't have to worry about the penicillin shot with you two. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

What more to tell?

No fence posts anywhere in sight -



"Glad, we have that Arctic Cat..." Joe effecting transport - tirolean style.



The "sentry" - perched high and on the look out.



Eyes on us...



As to hunting open spaces (clearcuts, meadows)



More later.

I hadn't seen the goat pictures. Excellent work, Ready.

Now... since the Poobah brought up the issue of the hat... Ready was quite resourceful in modifying his "38 Liter Kuhhirt Hut" when he found that the rear of it was binding on the top of his pack. However, it didn't look right with the back bent upwards at a nearly 90 degree angle.

So I asked him to spin it around, bent-bill facing forward, like so:





Am I the only one who thinks he bears a striking resemblance to Stinky Pete, from Toy Story 2?





FC

Now that's funny right there! Sounds like you guys had another grand hunting excursion. Thanks for sharing.

Paul

Awesome write-up! That country is gorgeous and that trip sounds like it would be a blast.

very nice

Great write up! Certainly a bucket list trip.

Some opportunities don't come along every day. When Ready saw our route would take us through Thuringia, he called his buddy who'd grown up in the area, to find out where we'd find the most authentic Thüringer Rostbratwurst:






Delicious? It was the würst!


In all seriousness, though, the entire adventure was completely born of the exceptional generosity of Ready, and his willingness not just to hunt with me for many days, but to dutifully put up with countless hours of my sophomoric dick jokes. The trip of a lifetime could not have happened without the friend of a lifetime.

Many Thanks, Sir.

FC

Ready is a good guy. Looks like a good hunt and some fine vittles.

Ready is a good guy. Looks like a good hunt and some fine vittles.

Tough life, but someone has to do it. Keepem coming,

Wow, outstanding gents.

The Alps are incredible in that part of the world!

I've never seen them like that.

GREAT write-up and pics.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thx!

Please excuse any delay...

Haveing now let a few days pass, I feel adequatly detached to once again face back those days.

In the foreground - the "Bar on the Kar".



This may bear an explanation:

As "Kar" the Austrian Gamsjager names the bare rock faces just above shrubline.

i. e. this:



Joe - being, amongst many positiv traits, a comedian of no ordinary merit, could not get himself past the pun suggesting itself, when he saw this:



Further on checking my notes from that day, I give you

"Lizards Lust"



and

"Do you feel lucky, punk?" "Move, go on - make my day!"



"Quarters!"



to be continued.

Continued.

"Night"



With this - I would, for my part, bring this to a close. Joesef is already talking about our next adventure - something I look forward to with some apprehension...

Thank you for taking an interest.