PEDRO AMPUERO
ampuero.pedro@gmail.com
FACEBOOK
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INSTAGRAM
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YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sSo1-QOsZdRYTZnoenXfQ
SPOTIFY
https://open.spotify.com/show/5FUJwqrd8mnUT8b3MdYAz5
I grew up in Bilbao, Spain, and began hunting with my dad at the age of five. Like most, I started hunting with a rifle and then switched to slug hunting with a shotgun, which forced me to get closer and made it more of a challenge. At the age of 14 I discovered bow hunting, and since then it’s what I probably try to do most. I am now 32 years old.
I consider myself very lucky for living in a country like Spain, where I can enjoy hunting all year round, from small game to big game. This gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of days every year in the field, hunting a wide variety of species and terrains. In Spain we have forest, deserts and high mountains, species like ibex and chamois but also three types of deer, wild boar… Not to mention all the small game we have. Its truly a paradise.
I also enjoy a lot going abroad and discovering new places, terrain, people and cultures. There is an amazing world out there, and every place has an adventure waiting for us. Apart from my home country of Spain, I have been lucky of having hunted in amazing countries like Kyrgystan, Pakistan, Kazahstan, Sudan, Centro African Republic, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Cameroon, Benin, Mauritius, Uganda, Namibia, Canada and the United States.
I like everything around the outdoors, hunting partridges with pointing dogs, stalking roe deer, climbing after ibex and sheep, guiding friends, tracking wounded game, natural photography, packing out, discovering new areas and cultures… Everything is fascinating! What I most enjoy about hunting is the freedom, pureness, wildness and challenge, in the moutains we can really find ourselves. If I would have to say what is my favorite, it would be bowhunting high mountain big game.
But probably the most amazing part about hunting, is getting to share this experiences with family and friends. I have share so many good experiences with my dad since I was a kid, that I really feel fortunate of having born on a hunting family. On the other hand, if have met some really amazing guys along the way, which I could never been thankful enough for their friendship.Surround yourself by better people!
I couldn’t find pics of a lot of you, but here are some selfies with people that rock a lot!!
As I try to spend as much days in the field as possible, I want to give back and share them with everyone willing to take a look to it. I am not trying to teach or explain things, probably the opposite, I hope to make you want share your experiences too so we all can learn and have a great time with them. There are a lot of hunters inspiring me everyday, and hope one day I could do the same to someone.
Here you’ll find all of my most important hunts, with pictures, articles and videos, and also my social channels to follow my adventures. Lets be proud of what we do, and try to change the image of hunting.
Hope you enjoy it!
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If you want to get to know me better, you can read the interview below published on the french magazine Charc in October 2014.
How would you like to be introduced yourself?
Maybe as a passionate young adventurous bowhunter, which loves spending time in the outdoors.
Hunting backgroud, is this a family culture?
My dad is probably one of the most passionate hunters in Spain, so I have grew up around sheep, guns, dogs, hunting pictures, books and stories. He started taking me out after roe deer with the age of 5 and with 7 I shot my first buck. With 12 i went on my first trip abroad for Barbary Sheep in the Nubian Desert of Sudan. Hunting has always been part of our family life.
What got you started into bowhunting?
I was able to hunt with my shotgun alone at the age of 14. After shooting a few bucks at really close distance is when I felt in love for hunting at close distances. I found an old Black Bear bow that same summer, which my dad couldn’t use because of an accident in the north pole, and since then I have been with a bow in hand whenever I can. It took me three years to get my first roe buck spot and stalk, I will never forget the feeling of accomplishment of that one.
How many days you hunt per year?
I try to go as much as I can, being typically over a hundred days per year. Spain have an all year around season, which really helps for this. There is always something to go after
What is you best animal to bow hunt and why?
Hard to answer this one, since every hunt has its own appeal. Focusing on the animals I hunt the most, bowhunting roe deer is part of my life, everything around it is fun. Chamois live on the wildest mountains on spain, and its challenge is a beauty. Ibex is the most impressive animal and always amazing to hunt them. Finally hunting red deer during the rut is the most intense one,interacting with them is very special, and the hardest animal to get in my opinion.
If you could go in one hunt this year where it would be?
The most important part of hunting for me is sharing it with the ones you care about, so for one hunt on a year I would either go for chamois with my dad or to the peak of the red deer rut with my group of hunting friends.
What are your best memories in bowhunting?
My most memorable hunt to date was a Dall sheep hunt in the Northwest Territories, Canada. I had harvested a ram on the last day of the hunt, and my dad was waiting for me at the main camp. I hadn’t seen him for ten days. He had also harvested a ram, and the hug we gave each other when we reunited was unreal. Tears came out, from a mixture of excitement and weakness. It was a special moment.
Any particular less positive moments?
Probably one of my biggest disappointments was hunting in Kyrgyzstan.One of those hunts I always dream about, hunting the tian shan ibex with the bow and arrow. I trained hard for it, and it didn’t took long to discover a sad reality about the situation there. Animals were highly poached and they were really crazy, almost imposible to get into shooting distance with the bow. The saddest part was discovering that the own hunting guides were the poachers. They pushed me to shoot ibex with the gun just for the pics, and even took my rifle to shoot one just for fun. The last day we saw a group of karelini argalis, and they pushed me to shoot it for free just for the picture. I rejected since hunting is more that shooting trophies for pictures, and my guide took the rifle run and shot one just for fun. I just took my horse and went back to camp and finish the hunt. The saddest moment I have ever experience, its really sad to see such a paradise and such gorgeous animals managed like that.
What you prefer stalking or tree stand?
Definetly stalking, I find a hard time sitting and waiting for things to happen. I like to try to make things happen, discovering new areas and the freedom of movement. I only use tree stand for waiting for wild boars at dusk, the rest always on foot, here and also abroad. Its more complicated but more rewarding.
Who other famous bowhunters do you admire?
I really admire real bowhunters which really enjoy what they are doing. The whole Foss family(Tom, Cam and Adam) is a good example of passionate bowhunters. They love bowhunting sheep and you can see that in all the things they do on their daily life. A guy like Cam that has been waiting for years to shoot his bighorn sheep, hunting hundreds of days for them, and hasn’t complete his grand slam yet, because he hasn’t found the right ram, that says it all. I would also love to learn from legends like Tom Hoffman, Jack Frost, Frank Noska or Bob Speegle.
Any bowhunting goals or plans in the near future? And in the distant?
I am moving to Hawaii to work there in a few months, so I would like to take the opportunity and discover the hunting opportunities of Australia and New Zealand, destinations which are too far away from us. I would like to take advantage of my last months in Spain to get out with friends. On the top of my list is to keep discovering the bowhunting opportunities Asia has to offer, and always ready for any adventure that step on the way.
Current equipment setup details and why.
I am shooting the PSE Pro line, changing of models frequently. Currently shooting with the DNA and the Full Throthle at 70 pound and 29” draw. I have them always equipped with a Spot Hogg Father 5 pin sight, Trophy Take Smackdown rest, Doinker stabilizers, and Winners Choice strings. For stalking regular game I use the Carbon Express Maxima RED 350 with the Bohning blazer vanes and Grim Reapers 100gr Fatal Steel, which the Carte Too Simple release over 300 fps that 420 gr arrow.
The gear I always use is the full layering system of KUIU, from base layers, to insulations, soft sell and raingear. They have pushed the limits of technical ultralight clothing, including also accessories like the carbon frame packs, tents, etc.. For glassing a pair of Leica Ultravid 10×42, Leica Rangemaster 100R and the Leica Geovid 62 Spotting scope.
Why you prefer compound bows?
90% of the game I shoot is spot and stalk, my favorite hunting terrain are the mountains, I am very selective on what I shoot, and like to travel abroad as much as I can. With this scenario where chances are so few, that confidence and extra distance I get with a compound bow is what makes it my weapon of choice. I try to take my traditional whenever I can, specially for the game I hunt the most like roe deer, wild boar, ibex or rabbits.
Training before going on a hunt.
For being successful there are three main areas where you have to train: Shooting; Physical; Field research.. There is not a priority, there must be an overall balance between the three, and depending on the hunt its important to value in which area you should focus to make the best of your training. If you are preparing a backpack sheep hunt, you should focus on your physical form and shooting, since you need to cover your deficiency on the knowledge of the game. If you are planning to hunt roe deer, you better focus on spending time in the field scouting rather than at the gym. All of these areas have to be trained on a daily basis, I try to keep in shape, shoot the bow three/four times per week and get out in the mountains every weekend. Get out of routine practice, work on shooting form, shoot far, close, fast slow, run, lift, glass, put trail cams,.. I try to dedicate the most of the time I can, but always enjoying what I am doing and keeping a balance.
Feel Enviromentaly friendly? Association you support?
If you love the outdoors, you take care of them as much as posible. We are part of it, and we have the responsibility to keep them as they are for the future generations. I support the SCI, Spanish Roe Deer Association, Spanish Blood Tracking Dogs Association.
You have travel all around the globe, what were you searching for?
Always in search of adventure. The wildest places on earth are in Canada, being there alone with you guide and pack is unique. Asiatic mountains are amazing, and countries are so different that cultural wise are the most interesting hunts. Africa use to be the hunting paradise, and there are still amazing places to discover. We are lucky to have a passion that can take us so many amazing places and people.
What does Africa mean to you?
Africa is way more than the popular hunts for plains game in South Africa from a blind. Africa for me is hunting with the Baka Pygmyes for bongo in the rainforest of CAR or Cameroon, tracking buffalo in the zambeze river of Mozambique, the okavango delta in botswana or for western buffalo in Benin, hunting the nubian desert mountains for barabary sheep and ibex in Sudan, traveling in a mokoro looking for sitatunga in the swamps of Uganda, spot and stalking kudu and oryx in the Namibian desert, etc… And still lots of things to do, hope to hunt lord derby eland on track soon in northern Cameroon, the mountain nyala in Etiopia, or the leopard on bait… Africa is a paradise, but unluckily it is slowly disappearing, but I invite you all to discover it.
How is the hunting situation in Spain?
We are lucky to have easy access to bow hunt all the game in almost all the areas. The season is open all the year around, and we have some great free range game which includes roe deer, red deer, flow deer, wildboar, mouflon, four types of ibex, two types of chamois, barbary sheep, balearean goat, wolf and fox. Probably the best country to bow hunt in Europe.
If you’d like to know more about myself here you can listen to a Podcast from The Rich Outdoors:
PEDRO AMPUERO 