Balkan Chamois in Macedonia!

Sometimes you just get lucky and this was my lucky day for sure! We got up at four in the morning while it was still very dark and made our way around the side of the mountains. Before we got too far we stopped and checked the rifle using the head lights to shine on a box that we placed about 90 yards away. The shot was in a good spot, about an inch high which is normal since the rifle is dead on at 200 yards. We spotted a small group of chamois grazing in a grassy spot on a ridge a little way off and we decided to sneak up and see if there was a good one in the group. Sure enough as we got close we could see one chamois standing alone farther down the mountain then the rest but he saw us as we got within shooting range so we made a quick decision and Toni had me steady myself with his shoulder as a rest and I took a shot. I only had the top of the shoulder and the neck above the grass and the bullet struck about an inch higher then I would have liked but seeing that the animal was 100 yards away I should have expected that! The chamois dropped but I could see it was going to get up and in these mountains it is very difficult to follow a wounded animal so rather then risk it I quickly got back on Toni's shoulder and as the animal stood I took a great spine shot that droppedit instantly. When we got up to the animal we were both surprised by how long the horns were! This chamois was about 12 years old!! Toni thinks he will even be an SCI medal winner! I'm so excited, this was a great hunt and now we are after a mouflon and a wolf I can only hope my luck holds out!

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