Species

Alpine Chamois - Rupicapra Rupicapra

The chamois is a fascinating animal to hunt. A mountain antelope with the sharpest of senses and the grace of a ballet dancer, a chamois bounding down rugged and steep alpine terrain with effortless speed and head held erect is a sight that will never be forgotten by a hunter.

Chamois were released into our Southern Alps in 1907 after being presented to New Zealand by the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria. Since the 1960’s Chamois have been particularly well established in our South Island, and New Zealand has the only free-ranging population outside of Europe and the Middle East.

Despite moving like a ballet dancer, a chamois looks like a bandit with a black band stretching from ear to ear, covering the eyes like a mask in contrast to the creamy coloring on the rest of the head and neck. The chamois have short hair, that darkens and thickens during winter and the mating season from May to June, with a prominent black dorsal stripe that becomes flecked with a silvery white during winter.

Both the male and female chamois carry horns. Although the horns on a doe can be as long as a bucks, the males horns are usually heavier with longer hooks.

Over the years our hunters have taken several No: 1 Chamois and each year we consistently harvest some of New Zealand’s best from our West Coast Concession.