“What is it? It looks like a cross between a deer and a moose.”
Yes, it does, but it’s a fallow deer that is found in Asia, most of Europe,
New Zealand, Australia, and many parts of south America. When Rose
and I attended the Safari Club International convention at Reno, NV, last
January, I happened to bid on a fallow deer hunting trip to Spain. I got the
bid. I spoke to the safari group, Safari Headlands, Madrid, Spain, who

       The guides, Alfonso and Carlos picked me up at the hotel in Madrid and 45 minutes later we were having coffee with Alexander, a third local guide. Ever drink Spanish or European coffee? You’re wide awake after that. Another twenty minutes and we were in the hills north of Madrid and on the move. I saw the first buck and doe as we parked the car and were getting out. That’s always a good sign. Then for the next three and a half hours it was climb a hill, use the binoculars to glass the next hill and the adjacent valley and then climb down and then climb the next hill that you had just glassed. Repeat numerous times. When we paused for lunch, all of my guides spoke English, I told them the morning hunt reminded me of an American children’s song. “The bear climbed over the mountain, the bear climbed over the mountain.......etc......” No sympathy from this group. Young guys....What do they know?. Carlos told me there is a similar song in French. Roast lamb, salad, potatoes, wine, bread, and then back to hunting.

       The morning was warm, especially with the hill climbing, but the afternoon cooled off and I needed my jacket. Alfonso and I sat and watched one hill area. While Carlos and Alexander went looking to see what was about. We had several bucks, and lots of does, pass by, but a millisecond of viewing the buck was not enough for a shot. It was getting late. Moved and tried another hill. Alexander saw a couple of bucks and had us go there. The bucks were gone. Then he said there were several over the next hill on the edge of a valley. We hurried and got there in time to see a buck crossing, then a doe, and meanwhile Alfonso had the shooting sticks, a tripod configuration as I used in South Africa, ready for a shot. The second buck crossed as the previous deer had and I had time for one quick shot. The Winchester 338 magnum, that had been provided to me by Safari Headlands, barked and kicked, and the deer was dead. It was a 115 yard shot on a moving target, but I did it. In case you didn’t know it, when you go on this type of hunt, with an outfitter, if you wound an animal and lose it, you still pay the trophy fee. Can you imagine paying thousands just for one bad shot and not getting the animal? I could and that really helped improve my aim.

       Then it was time for photos. Alexander went back to get the Jeep. By then it was dark. When he got back, I went to get something from the back of the vehicle. He said, “You might not want to reach in there because there’s a snake in there.” I thought he was pulling a joke on me, and this is just funny. Then he and Alfonso started looking in the car with their flashlights. Alfonso comes our of the front seat with a 28" inch snake that is lots thicker than our garter snakes up here. Don’t know what kind it was but the markings almost looked like a boa constrictor. I didn’t get too close even though they told me there aren’t any poisonous snakes in Spain. Haven’t looked on the internet to see if that’s that’s true.

       Spain was great. The hunt was great. The trophy will be on the wall with my South African trophies, and I will have the memories forever.                      Thanks Alfonso.