The rugged cliffs along the Adriatic are as steep as they are tranquil. Throughout the arid landscape, there are herds of goats, but among them there is something else too — a special creature known as the kri-kri. It was initially thought that kri-kri, with light brown coats and dark rings around their necks, were a true subspecies of wild goat, but we now know they are actually just a long-established type of feral. Humans have been fascinated by kri-kri for thousands of years and some believe they were worshipped in the ancient world.
Kri-kri were once common all around the Aegean, but these days, they are endangered and are only found on Crete. In part, the Nazis are to blame because during the German occupation in World War II, there was nothing else for guerilla resistance to eat while they were hiding in the mountains. It is illegal, as you can imagine, to stalk kri-kri. However, one of the greatest threats to the 2,000 that remain is hybridisation with ordinary feral goats, and it was one of these hybrids that Jens Kjaer Knudsen, the former president of the Nordic Safari Club, and I had the pleasure of stalking in Croatia when spring was blooming into summer.
Long game
There is a feeling among some that stalking kri-kri hybrids is easy, and they would possibly be right if it was simply a case of hunting from a boat, but due to dense bushes, you almost always need to go ashore. For our trip, our guide Milutin Zampera had hired a local boatman to take Jens and I along the coast in the hope of spotting an animal. Occasionally, it can be a long game as it isn’t possible to land due to the swell. When that happens, Milutin notes down which rock the animal disappears behind in order to return and search for it from the land side.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 4, 2021-Ausgabe von Shooting Times & Country.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 4, 2021-Ausgabe von Shooting Times & Country.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside