Spanish ibex and the red stag rut on one trip
The rut lasts little more than a month and is the finest hunting spectacle in Spain. It overlaps with the opening of ibex, and that overlap is short.
- Species
- Gredos Ibex · Red Stag in the Rut
- Months
- September · October
- Ranges
- Gredos Mountains · Northern and Central Spain
- Airports
- Madrid
- Duration
- 6 to 8 days
Indicative windows derived from the catalogue: firm dates are published each year by each region in its orden de vedas. Rates on request.
There is a very short window at the start of the season when both are possible: climbing for an ibex in the morning and, that same week, listening to stags roaring at first light down in the dehesa. It is the months listed above, and they are not negotiable: the rut is set by the stag, not by the calendar.
Why this pairing and not another
Because they are opposite hunts, and the contrast is exactly what makes it memorable. Mountain stalking is silence, glass and distance. The rut is sound: stags roaring all night, answering each other across the valley, and a stalk made by walking in on the roar. A hunter crossing the Atlantic takes two experiences out of one trip that have nothing in common.
The Iberian red stag in the rut
Hunted on the stalk across northern and central Spain during the rut, arriving through Madrid. It is the closest thing to what an American hunter understands as elk hunting, and at the same time completely different in landscape and management.
The ibex
Gredos is the subspecies that fits best here by season and by proximity to Madrid, which cuts the transfer between the two hunts to a few hours by road.
An honest word on dates
This is the most contested window of the year and rut quota is allocated many months ahead. It is a conversation for the previous season, not a last-minute one.
The hunts in this program
Frequently asked questions
- When exactly is the rut?
- It starts in mid-September and runs through October. The peak shifts each year with the weather and the altitude of the ground.
- Can Gredos be swapped for another ibex?
- Yes, depending on the year and the hunting order. Gredos shares the most window with the rut and is closest to the stag grounds.
- Can fallow deer be added?
- Yes. The fallow deer's groan coincides with the rut and is hunted in the same months, adding a third animal without lengthening the trip.
Secure your dates
Quota and the best dates are allocated months in advance. Tell us your travel window and we send confirmed availability.