My friend Ali Aliev invited me to take part in the hunt which was organized at the end of October, 2018 in Alatay, Kazakhstan. The mountain’s slopes are usually covered by snow at that time and it makes the trophy search much easier. It was cold at nights but during daylight hours the temperature rose to 3-5C. I got the trophy in the first day, and helped other hunters as the assistant in all other days.
The hunt began from the walking examining of the area. I and guides spent 5 days and night in the mountains. Fortunately there was no rain but the tops of the mountains had been covered by snow. Sheep had gone down to valleys and grazed on the northern slopes, grass there was more succulent after a late snow came down.
That hunt wasn’t easy because the animals were very active and fearful. They ran away at the slightest rustle. The first day ended without any result. Next morning we got up early and went to the area where they used to feed. We waited several hours before the trophy size male appeared. It moved very fast and hid behind the hill. We ran after it and detected the male in an hour. The shooting distance was 205 meters and I got the trophy.
It was the amazing and easy hunt for beginners. We made scouting in the evening and started in the morning. I easily detected the trophy and got it. The only complexity were that animals moved very actively and mountains were covered by the thick forests.
The hunt for the Pyrenean Chamois took us the whole day from 6 am to 7 pm. It was organized near the border between Spain and France. The density of animals was very high but we couldn’t find the trophy size male for a long. At last we did it. I got the trophy with the horns 23 sm each. We removed the scalp and vultures ate the rest of the carcass very fast. nothing is lost in nature.
In Spring 2018 I talked with Valery Dorovsky about the hunt for the Siberian Ibex for me and Voitekh in the Sayan Mountains. This hunt was the first mountain expedition for him after he had the heart attack. We all felt tension and worried how it could be. It was very important for me that Voitekh would get his trophy and everything would be good with his health. His words in the Minsk airport, that he is going for the hunt like to the war and not know if he came back or not, strained me much.In Moscow we met one more hunter Alexander who joined our team in this trip in the Sayan Mountains.Abakan. We arrived. Valery met us at the airport and we found that all things arrived except my luggage. How could it be? We had to drive about 150 km by car and then sail about 200m by boat. I was absolutely sure that Aeroflot wouldn’t deliver my luggage to the hunting base. Fortunately we worked with the professionals. They found the way out very quickly. Valery's friend was going to drive to the same destination the next day and agreed to take and deliver my luggage. But it wasn’t the end of my problems. I don’t know why but the gun’s claim in Abakan takes lots of time. It’s a normal practice for them. And when I’d got my case it was broken. The gun barrel was sticking out of him. What did they do with it that could broke it? The beginning of the expedition wasn’t encouraging. I hadn’t luggage, my gun was damaged. But Valery ensured me that everything would be well, he said that we’d find the clothes and test the gun. Go ahead to the Mountains. I had good boots and that was enough. I was ready for the expedition.We visited Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP on the way to the base. It impressed us with its scope and grandeur. Then we saw the reservoir which was filled the drowning woods. Nobody know what to do with it, the problem is still not solved. At last we arrived to the base and made acquaintance with our future guides. They all very experienced and professional people. When we were having dinner Valery made the remark that my wife’s birthday would be soon on October, 29 and we had to finish the hunt before so that I’d be in Minsk in time. It was the bold task because there were 3 hunters. We decided which guides will be hunt with each of us. The morning started. Alexander and his guide left the camp a little bit earlier on the open boat. I with Voitekh and our guides used the cutter. In a half of an hour Voitekh detected the group of Ibexes on the slope. There were some trophy size males. The distance was about 350m but Voitekh denied to shot because there wasn’t opportunity to approach close. I and my guide Vasily decided to risk and went. While I was looking for the comfortable position for shooting, Vasily noticed two males which grazed lower than the herd. The distance was 270m. It was a pity that Voitekh didn’t join us but it was late to regret. I had to fire. I made all necessary correction and shot. The echo reverberated through the ravine but I didn’t hear if there was a clap or not. Vasily saw that the Ibex crouched and went down. The second one followed him but then came back. I was going to lay and shot once again to the second one, when the guide stopped me. He noticed a column of dust behind the ridge. It meant that the first Ibex had fallen. We started to climb. I tried to find the blood on the ground or bushes but didn’t notice anything. Luckily Vasily revealed it in 30 metes. I hit to its shoulder blade. So I got my trophy of the Siberian Ibex. It was so fast that I didn’t taste the taste of hunting, not enjoyed the process. It was the gift of the Altai. Then we took it down and cut the meat.Voitekh went on to hunt. We stayed and listened to them by the radio. We heard how they made the approach, chosen the trophy male, lost and found it. We had cut the goat and cooked shish kebab while they were hunting. Alexander and his guide sailed a boat past us, Yenisei is a huge river and they didn’t notice us. They headed for the base , though were going to stay for a night, it meant that they also took a trophy. At 3 o’clock we’d hear a good new that Voitekh took his trophy. He did it. My guide said that they’ll join us in an hour but he didn’t knew Voitekh. He always spent not less than an hour just for making pictures , plus they’d need time to cut meat and descend. I considered that we’d see them not early than at 6 pm and I was right. The main intrigue of this hunt was that Voitekh got not one but two Ibexes. When he got the first one they detected one more and bigger and he couldn’t resist. The horns of the second trophy was 102 sm what was the good result for this species.So I happened that we took four trophies in the first day. The plan was overfulfilled by 133%. That's what it means to deal with professionals. Thank you very much to all team. I’ll try to be in time for my wife’s birthday!
After receiving the offer from Stalker Group to hunt for an Anatolian Chamois I flied to Trabzon immediately. We drove about 2.5 hours to the village where stayed for a night. It was snowing all night and in the morning the visibility wasn’t more then 100-150m. We spend four hours in vain waiting the weather would be better decided to drive to the mountains. We reached 2400m and started to observe the slopes. Two more hours passed, weather became worse. There was the risk that the road could be closed and we had to take the decision to drive back. When we were going to leave I noticed the male who ran in 80m from us. It ran 300m more while I’d prepared for the shot. I hit it to the right place. It was 8 years old male which became my 40th trophy from the MHC list. My thanks to Stalker Group for the organization and personally for Evgeny Haritonov for accompanying me in this trip.
The road on the car from the airport of Manas to the base camp in the area of hun t (Narinskiy District), which was on the height 3600 masl. took us 12 hours. Very comfortable camping of the hunters, even the banya is present. At 6:30 in the morning next day we left for the ram search. The hunt took place on the heights 3800-4100 masl. At 0:00 we noticed the group of the proper in size trophy rams and at 10:30 we managed to approach to 345 meters and make a shot. In general the one should be ready for the shot on the distance 550-600 meters in this area of hunt.
I had negative hunting experience with the rented guns before and when received the information about the shyness of Corsican mouflons (not allow to come closer than to 300-400m), I decided to fly to France with my own gun. The outfitter told me that there isn’t any need to have special permit for it. The only things which I has to have are the hunting license with the number of the hunter’s ticket and the confirmation that you are the owner of the gun (RHT). It sounded too easy but I trusted the information provided by Stalker Group.I received my gun and cartridges at the Lyon’s airport without any problems but in the oversized luggage stand. Nobody checked it. It took us 3.5 hours’ drive to the place where we spent the night. Next morning at 6.30 am we started climbing and in two hours noticed four females with lambs. In two more hours we saw three trophy size males but very shy. We tried to approach them to 500m, I made my first shot form the distance 700m and missed. Animals ran away. We found them at the sunset and managed to approach to 200m. I got it At the Lyon airport, the representative of the Aeroflot filled papers using data from my hunting ticket and led me to the place where I left it. Then he called to the police and asked them to check but they refused. That’s all. All procedure took us 15 minutes! I told about it on purpose because heard and not once terrible stories about taking personal guns to France. Thank you very much to Stalker Group and personally for Ludmila Baranove for the organizations of this hunt.
More details here:https://www.mooir.ru/forum/index.php?/topic/20107-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80/
More details here:https://www.mooir.ru/forum/index.php?/topic/16262-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0-2016-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%BC-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC/&tab=comments#comment-269875
It was my first hunt. It was the first experience when I'd realised what did it mean Mountains and decided to continute.....More details here: https://www.mooir.ru/forum/index.php?/topic/12372-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B1%D1%8E%D1%82/
From 10 to 15 October I hunted in North Ossetia. The hunting region was Karmadonskoy gorge and the nearest mountains within 50 km.I got the Dagestan Tur at the first day, horns- 80 sm, on the height 3170 masl. The shooting distance -218 m. Mid-Caucasian Chamois. I’ve got it on the fifth day on the height 1900 masl. The distance was 311 m.I used BLAZER R8, cal. 300 Win Mag, bul. RWS EVO 11,9 gr.Weather: At 6 am it was -6 C, on the height 1500 masl but at noon it became +22C.It was too hot for animals and they stayed on the elevation not less than 1900 masl.The complexity; Four out of Five by the 5 points system.Thank you very much to the Stalker Group company and personally to Jury Morozov and to “ the North Ossetia reserve” and its director Sozanov.
