BECEITE IBEX

BECEITE IBEX

TORTOSA - BECEITE

This is one of the most beautiful corners of Spain, notable for the striking contrasts of its rugged mountain terrain and the neatly tended fields and orchards of its unspoiled valleys. The massif forming the Puertos de Beceite constitutes a kind of bridge between the Sistema lbérico and the Prelitoral mountains of Catalunya. The range starts south-west of the Ebro and continues inland in a chain of calcareous peaks that rise from the Tossal d‘En Grilló (1,076 m/3,530 ft) to Encanadé (1,396 m/4,579 ft). Beceite includes portions of three provinces ­ Tarragona, Castellón and Teruel ­ and takes its name from the little fruit-growing village of Beceite, the last in the Teruel province. The Tossal dels Tres Reis (1,356 m/4,450 ft) rises at the meeting point of the three regions, near Fredes on the road to Los Puertos. According to legend, the three kings of Catalunya, Aragón and València used to arrange meetings here in days of old, each standin. The Tortosa-Beceite mountains range is the home for the biggest of the subspecies of Spanish Ibex.. The mountains are located very close to the sea, meaning that the climate is very mild, but the landscape is rough and rugged ­ an excellent scenery to enjoy hunt in its pure state.

DESCRIPTION

This is the largest and darkest type with the largest horns. Typically, the horns are straighter than in Gredos ibex and have a spiral turn of less than 180 degrees. Horn thickness remains constant for half the length, then decreases toward the tip, which is not as thin as in the Gredos race. While this is the typical Beceite horn conformation, other horn shapes may be found in this region and even in the same herd.

Hunting season: November 1st – May 31st Best time: November-December (rutting time) and April-May