Locking horns with an island ibex
Shooting Times & Country|August 4, 2021
White cliffs, rocky shores and an azure sea provide a stunning backdrop for a summer holiday with a difference as a Nordic hunter sets his heart on a kri-kri hybrid
THOMAS LINDY NISSEN
Locking horns with an island ibex

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.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin August 4, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin August 4, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023