Hunting Boc in the Mountains of Mallorca
“You will love it” -Nick Hoffman
Quickly, I settled my rifle into the monopod, and the crosshairs lined up on the slowly walking Boc. Click-Boom! What happened?
A week before my 65th birthday in 2016, I became ill with an infection that resulted in a permanent reduction of my physical endurance. Hard decisions were made after recovering from that painful ordeal. No more hunts that my physical condition would take any possible enjoyment out of the experience or put me or others in a dangerous situation. My dream of someday hunting an elephant was pulled from the bucket list. Ditto for a Yukon moose hunt.
Instead, I would jump on opportunities that were not too physically demanding, and better yet, if Carol, my non-hunting wife, could come along as an observer. The plan has worked, and since then, we have taken hunting and /or fishing trips to Florida, Hawaii, Tennessee, Wyoming, Argentina, Belize, Australia, and France. With friends, I have also enjoyed trips to Mexico, South Africa, Greenland, Canada, Idaho, Alaska, and Texas.
I continue to be on the lookout for unusual destinations and game that fit these guidelines, and Boc hunting on the Spanish island of Mallorca really looked interesting. Friend Nick Hoffman did the hunt a few years ago, and it was featured on his Nick’s Wild Ride Outdoor Channel show. His reply to my text asking his opinion of the hunt was, “You will love it.”
Permits to hunt Boc on Mallorca are very limited, but a couple of hunts were listed on the Online Auction website. My first attempt failed as I was outbid minutes before the auction closed. On my second try, I bid up to what I was willing to pay about a week before the auction closed and was actually surprised to receive an email that I was the successful bidder.
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic chain of Spanish Mediterranean islands and is known for its diverse landscapes, from dramatic mountains to stunning beaches. The capital city, Palma, has flights from many major European cities, making it a popular tourist destination. Roman and Gothic architecture is found throughout the island, with many historic sites, including cathedrals and castles. Mallorca has a booming wine business with many vineyards and places to shop and dine. In summary, a popular destination for both relaxing and active visits for the jet-setting crowd, such as hiking, sailing, exploring markets, and viewing architecture. Interesting, but not our purpose for visiting Mallorca in May 2026.
The Game and the Habitat
The Balearean Boc is a species of goat that is estimated to have existed on the island for over 6,000 years and is one of seven Capri species that inhabit Spain, along with four species of ibex and two chamois. The Boc is the only species of big game on Mallorca Island and inhabits the rugged Serra de Tramutana mountain range along the island’s northwest coast. A mature Billy has a striking reddish-brown and black coat, a long black beard, and horns that curl out horizontally. The Boc is recognized as a unique animal in the SCI record book with minimal entries compared to most game animals due to the small number of permits issued every year. In the European hunting community, the Boc is becoming one of the most coveted big game animals, and I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to hunt one.
Hunting is by spot and stalk across rocky & brushy terrain that can be treacherous, as I found out.
After entering the property and hiking along trails through the hunting area, many small Billys and Nannys with Kids were spotted in easily accessible terrain, but nothing worth stalking. A rapid conference in Spanish between the guide & property rangers, it was decided my wife and Charles, our ATP guide, would wait at the trailhead, and I and a game ranger would take a hike off the main trail. It would have been interesting to have started the step tracker on my phone!
The ”off-trail” involves a high level of physical activity to navigate the very rocky, steep terrain. In some spots, I can only describe it as trying to hike through a rock quarry. Visual and careful foot placement was necessary for every step taken. As on most hunts, I had my monopod for not only a shooting rest but also a walking staff, and in this place, a means of staying vertical!
After literally stumbling around for several hours, two mature Billys were spotted but spooked and evaporated into the thick brush they were feeding on, not giving me time for a shot if I had wanted to. Both of the Billys had a considerable amount of horn broken off, and I was going to pass on them regardless.
If you read, research, and watch programs about a planned hunt, a vision of what will happen develops. On this hunt, I expected we would spot the Boc at a considerable distance and climb and stalk using rocks and bushes to hide our approach. I would take a range reading and set up for the shot using my monopod against a rock or tree for a stable and comfortable shooting rest for the .270 Winchester I’m now using for the 46th season. The Boc might be alert from our position but not spooked. I would have plenty of time to relax, let my heart rate slow down, take a deep breath, exhale, move the safety, and carefully squeeze the trigger. I had visualized the shot many times, seeing the Boc fall with each imagined vision.
The opportunity was much different from what I had imagined it to be. Two mature Billys were spotted inside 100 yards during the third hour of my huff & puff, one careful step after another climb. My breathing was labored and my feet hurt, but they could have been a lot worse if not for made-to-measure Russell Boots and a new pair of “Darn Tough” socks. Adrenaline kicked in, and the stalk was on. A stiff breeze was in our face, which helped us close the distance. Both Billys had unbroken horns, and the follower was bigger than the leader, and I would take him if a clear shot became available. Binoculars and a range finder stayed in my chest pack, and if a shot became possible, it was going to be quick, and the Coriolis effect on the bullet would be of no concern!
The chosen Boc stepped into an opening, quartering away, and the crosshairs locked on the back of his rib cage, and he sprang downhill and disappeared at the shot. He was down within 20 yards, and now seeing him in the open, there was definitely no ground shrinkage. I no longer felt tired, thirsty, or hungry. A very, very special animal was down. Perfect was not the best word for our success; at this time and place, the best word was perfecto!
My Boc is certainly one of the finest game animals I will ever collect. Success was the classic case of possibly taking an exceptional game animal by not shooting a smaller one, and it worked out this time. Imagine the odds stacked against success, including low visibility in the rock and brush-infested landscape, and my physical exhaustion when the Boc was spotted. What, for that matter, were the chances of the Boc and me even being alive in the same time period, let alone crossing paths when I was able (barely) to shoot properly?
Sometimes a hunt can be compared to the adage about childbirth, in that the reward of the labor overshadows the pain. Pretty well sums up my Boc hunt! The following day, I should rest and relax, except that we were going fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, but that’s another story!
The late and well-known Butte, Montana, guide and booking agent Jack Atcheson Sr said it best: “Hunt while you physically can,” and that is what I intend to keep doing!
This hunt was provided by ATP Hunt, a company that has been in the Spanish Hunting business since 1979. Andres Torrico is the contact. Website www.atphunt.com
