Hunting female chamois and kids begins on 1 September and ends on 31 December.
The chamois belongs to the bovid family Bovidae and is characterised by horns that continue to grow throughout the animal’s life and are never shed.
The horns are skin structures made up of a bony horn core, a nerve and a horn sheath of keratinised skin. Both males and females carry horns, but in males they curve more strongly towards the crown, are thicker close to the head and form more pronounced hooks. Horn growth is fastest during the first four years, especially the second and third years, after which it slows to one or two millimetres annually.
The chamois has a strong, compact body and is extremely agile, capable of moving across the most demanding terrain. Powerful muscles and elastic hooves make it an excellent climber and jumper. Its bones are light and porous.
The summer coat is light brown to yellowish, while the winter coat is almost black. Both sexes have a dark stripe running from the muzzle across the eyes to the ears and horns. The upper part of the head, the cheeks, part of the neck and the area beneath the tail are light, ranging from white to cream. A narrow line of darker hair runs along the spine.
Male chamois have a pronounced beard or strip of longer hair along the back, which is valued as a hunting trophy.
A chamois may stand 75 to 80 centimetres high and measure 110 to 130 centimetres in body length, with a tail up to ten centimetres long. A female may weigh up to 35 kilograms, while a male may weigh up to 45 kilograms.
The lifespan of a chamois is approximately 20 to 25 years.
The species is distributed across Europe and Asia Minor, particularly in the Alps and the Carpathians. In Croatia it occurs in parts of Gorski kotar and the Croatian Littoral. In the past it also lived on Velebit and in parts of Dalmatia, but intensive hunting reduced those populations. It was later reintroduced to Velebit and Biokovo, where the populations have been successfully maintained.
Chamois may be found at elevations from 400 to 3,000 metres. It is primarily mountain game and lives on rocky peaks, but also favours gentle forested slopes, mountain pastures, gorges and quiet areas with abundant food, protection from enemies and favourable weather conditions.
Its diet consists of grasses and berries from mountain meadows and pastures, as well as buds. Chamois lick salt and drink water only very rarely.
Because of its exceptional hearing, sense of smell and eyesight, the chamois is extremely alert on open ground and is almost impossible to approach unnoticed. It lives in herds containing females with kids up to two years old, while young males form groups with other males. Older males often live alone but may join herds in autumn under the leadership of an experienced female.
The mating season begins in November and December and lasts for three to five weeks. Males fight for access to females and, during the rut, release scented substances from glands behind their ears to mark territory. The female carries the young for six months, and kids are born in May and June. Within only a few hours, a young kid can follow its mother across demanding terrain and remains with her throughout the year.
Chamois communicate by bleating, by whistling as a warning of danger and by crying out when wounded.
Hunting dates and methods are provided for information only. Final dates, permits and conditions are confirmed in accordance with the regulations in force and the rules of the relevant hunting ground.
