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Florida Mountains Ibex
#5433998
11/20/14 10:09 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,720
Texas Tatonkas
OP
Pro Tracker
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OP
Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,720 |
I had a buddy draw a once in a lifetime tag this year (his first time applying, Ive applied 15 years and never drawn)for ibex in the Florida Mountains. It was absolutely nuts, the whole thing. You hike straight uphill, then go rock climbing, then have to figure out a way to get down - and you do that about 2 or 3 times a day. We figured it wouldnt be that hard, only 25 tags and the mountains are only 10 miles long. We were wrong, spotting these tiny things requires a spotting scope - binoculars rarely work. Then when you find them you get to start hiking to them, and most of the time you get busted or they just disappear into the cliffs - after you had hiked 3 hours to get to them. We didnt have radios, huge disadvantage as all the guides out there had 2 or three spotters with radios telling the hunters where the ibex were while hiking. It got very frustrating after 3 days of walking out butts off then coming up empty handed. On the last day, I ran into an old friend who showed us where he had seen some ibex earlier in the day - then offered to hike with us to them. He pointed to the highest freaking spot on the mountain, and we tried to spot them and couldn't. But we decided to trust his judgement and took off towards the peak anyway. It took 2 hours to get to the point where we could actually see the peak, and we spotted a herd of about 45 goats. So we snuck around another point to a crack in the cliffs about 4 feet wide - this took another hour. When we spotted the goats, they were 472 yards away. I was calling marks off and best I could tell the goat was at 506 when he shot. He folded up and fell 200 yards before stopping, had a small bush not been there he would have gone another 500 yards. It took 45 minutes to get to the goat and by that time it was getting dark. So we gutted it, and hung it for the next morning....which meant we had to actually do that hike all over again. Just a crazy hunt in a crazy place.....I told my buddy he did that goat a favor by taking its life. Biggest billy we saw, you have to look real close Where he shot from
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434050
11/20/14 10:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,602
Sneaky
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,602 |
What an amazing hunt. I've always wanted to put in for it. I better just go ahead and do it.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434060
11/20/14 10:50 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,183
cowboybam58
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,183 |
Congrats to you and your buddy.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434061
11/20/14 10:50 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,806
Deerhunter61
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,806 |
Outstanding! Thanks for sharing and congrats to your buddy!
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434071
11/20/14 10:53 PM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 24,344
dkershen
Rev Dave
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Rev Dave
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 24,344 |
Great job! Thanks for sharing.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.www.NewHopeEquine.com - Health and Healing through Horses.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434088
11/20/14 11:08 PM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 5,080
Elkhunter49
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 5,080 |
Thanks for posting the photos and the report. Congrats on a fine looking Goat!! I Mule Deer hunted the Florida mountains in 1983/4 and I still remember those days as some of my most physically demanding days in the field ever. It was hot and windy everyday and I wore out a fairly new pair of hunting boots each year on those rocks! Thanks for the trip down memory lane....... now I think I'll go lie down. Baker
A true friend reaches for your hand but touches your heart.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434121
11/20/14 11:23 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,657
colt45-90
Texas colt45
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Texas colt45
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,657 |
no wonder the Apache liked the place
hold on Newt, we got a runaway
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434241
11/21/14 12:39 AM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,987
Michael W.
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,987 |
Might have been a tough hunt but I bet its one you'll remember the rest of you life. Congrats.
A clear conscience is often the sign of a fuzzy memory.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434363
11/21/14 01:46 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,353
James A
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,353 |
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434375
11/21/14 01:53 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 110,795
dogcatcher
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 110,795 |
Combat Infantryman, the ultimate hunter where the prey shoots back. _____________"Illegitimus non carborundum est"_______________
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434392
11/21/14 02:01 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,164
Chief Joe
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,164 |
Outstanding!
"It is the same boiling water that softens the rice, which hardens the egg." It's not always about the circumstances, but what you are made of....
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Chief Joe]
#5434433
11/21/14 02:33 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Outstanding!
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434473
11/21/14 02:54 AM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,010
NDN98
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,010 |
Once in a lifetime draw. Congrats to your buddy!
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434591
11/21/14 03:55 AM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 20,988
BuckRage
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 20,988 |
Great job and congrats. I actually live about an hr away from the Florida's and those are some of the nastiest, jagged, most unforgiving pile of rocks this side of the universe. Great pics but they really don't come close to showing how truly rugged those mountains are!
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434626
11/21/14 04:08 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,033
338ultra
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,033 |
A long shot bucket list draw of mine. Congrats!!!!
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434858
11/21/14 01:14 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,949
don k
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,949 |
Congrats. on taking a very fine Ibex.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5434878
11/21/14 01:29 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,719
cameron00
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,719 |
Sucker had a set on him.
Great pictures and congrats on an amazing hunt.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Mako My Day]
#5434970
11/21/14 02:16 PM
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,985
TonyinVA
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,985 |
awesome! X2
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: don k]
#5434984
11/21/14 02:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,650
Pitchfork Predator
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,650 |
Congrats. on taking a very fine Ibex.
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5435577
11/21/14 07:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 16
typical10
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 16 |
Great animal, sounds similar to my mountain goat hunt in Idaho, except it took 9 days to get a shot and kill at 440 yards. Outstanding jeff~
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5435661
11/21/14 08:50 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 685
BlakeJ
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 685 |
I didn't know Florida had mountains.....
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Texas Tatonkas]
#5435674
11/21/14 08:55 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415
jdk1985
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415 |
Instagram @justinkingwoodworking
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Mako My Day]
#5435938
11/21/14 11:25 PM
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,985
TonyinVA
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,985 |
awesome! \\ X2
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Re: Florida Mountains Ibex
[Re: Pitchfork Predator]
#5436142
11/22/14 01:25 AM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,197
tdecker22
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,197 |
Congrats. on taking a very fine Ibex.
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