Thread: Winter Chamois

I've never hunted chammy but keen to get into it. I was wondering what the habits of chamois in winter are? Do they come down lower? Do they favour sunny faces? Any help would be appreciated? I would be keen to tag along with someone if they are planning a chamois trip

Cheers in advance

Chamois have a really good coat, and often get too hot in winter so don't discount the shady cold faces. I was told by a guide many years ago that chamois don't mind wind, and don't mind rain, but they don't like both together.
They need food so look for areas of less snow where the plants are poking through, chamois tend to be closer to the bush/scrub edge so that prob doesn't change much in winter.

Yep as stug said, cold faces. They'll even lay down on the snow to keep cool. They like smaller guts and side creeks and feed on the fringes of these.

I actively avoid cham but places I see them in the top half of the south are usually heads of side creeks/slips/tight dank creek heads and occasionally on the tops never far from a tight dank creek head or bluff system.
Further south they may frequent the tops and the flats moreso.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I actively avoid cham but places I see them in the top half of the south are usually heads of side creeks/slips/tight dank creek heads and occasionally on the tops never far from a tight dank creek head or bluff system.
Further south they may frequent the tops and the flats moreso.

and a farmers paddock don't forget !!

Originally Posted by mikee

and a farmers paddock don't forget !!

Haha that would be handy

The only thing that will make chamois change their range is availability of feed, they don't give a shit if its cold but obviously get pretty hungry and have to change their tactics if there's three feet of snow sitting on their feed. Where do you plan on hunting them?

Look for light coloured vegetation in creeks for feeding animals in the morning, they will then move to a good vantage point at the top of the scrub belt in scrubby country or onto a vantage point on a dark cold face in more open rocky country. They will be looking down so hunt them from above if you can - going up one side of a hill and peaking over the top is a safe plan.

Will be a combination of both the Lewis and Arthur’s pass where I will be looking for them


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Cheers @Ryan_Songhurst and @Moa Hunter that is bloody good info

April is a good time to find them low having a feed up before winter