We arrived to the hunting area at 7 am and next ten hours met lots of females Ibex and young males. We noticed old male at the sunset. It was very nice Ibex with great horns. I’ve heard the slap after the shot and it meant that I hit to the right place. The distance was 200m. Thank you very much to Stalker Group and personally to Evegeny Haritonov and Ludmila Baranova for the organization of this hunt. Many thanks to their partner in Spain Alexo.
We arrived to Sierra Nevada at the second part of the day, made check in and drove to the mountains. The guide who was tracking down the group of Ibex from early morning, waited for us. One of the males was bigger than others. I shot from the distance 300m and the goat ran on the three legs. In a km it couldn’t ran anymore and lay down. I made the second shot from the distance 680m. Unfortunately the Ibex fell to the bottom of the gorge from the 400m height and harmed the horns. We could pull it just on the next day. Thank you very much to Stalker Group and personally to Evegeny Haritonov and Ludmila Baranova for the organization of this hunt. Many thanks to their partner in Spain Alexo.
I got 9 years old Ibex from the distance 456m. It was windy 3/5 m/s , temp. +10C. Thank you very much to Stalker Group and personally to Evegeny Haritonov and Ludmila Baranova for the organization of this hunt. Many thanks to their partner in Spain Alexo.
Being in Spain I used the opportunity to hunt for Spain goats. I harvested 13 years old Gredos Ibex with the classical horns. Thank you very much to Stalker Group and personally to Evegeny Haritonov and Ludmila Baranova for the organization of this hunt. Many thanks to their partner in Spain Alexo.
The decision to take part in the hunt in the USA I took in Las Vegas in Jan. 2017. I visited the GSCO Show because was awarded by “Capra World Slam”. Vladimir Melnikov –the owner of the Profi Hunt company was also there. He introduced me to the local celebrity and outfitter Rowdy McBride. Rowdy is a landlord of the huge ranch in Texas where he organizes hunts for about 25 years. That place is the habitat of the some introduced species like Red Sheep, Armenian mouflons and Barbary Sheep or Aoudad.We settled that in a year I’d fly to the Show once again and then would join Rowdy on his ranch and hunt there. Unfortunately my plans had changed and I decided to fly directly to Texas.Rowdy told me that he would be free on Feb.5 and wait for us on the ranch. But it happened so that I and my cameraman Alexander arrived to the Williams Ranch earlier than the owner.We left Moscow on Feb.4 and arrived to Los Angeles the same day. Don’t forget about the time difference.It was a long way from home to Texas. First of all I flew 2.5 hours from Ekaterinburg to Moscow, then 12.5 hours from Moscow to Los Angeles. We spent 6 hours in Los Angeles waiting for the connection flight but didn’t sit at the airport but went to the city tour and met one from the local outfitters. We spent good time and even discuss future hunts in that area. Then we flew 2 hours to El Paso. We arrived to the final point at 1 am on Feb. 5. John Moor – the assistant of Rowdy and a true Texan met us at the airport. That friendly guy was dressed like western hero. It took us 4 hours to get the ranch. Three hours we drove on a wide paved road between cacti and typical one-story houses with a lawn. All these outside views were like scenery to the novel about “Little Golden America”.One more hour we drove off road and saw lots of the nocturnal inhabitants of the Prairie while driving. We arrived to the place late at night.Then we had breakfast and went to sleep before the sunrise. Rowdy would come just in the evening. Everything went according to the plan. We had the whole day Feb.5 to take rest, to select and test the guns. The first gun I chose was Blazer 7mm. At noon John suggested to drive to the nearest Mall and buy the hunting license. I was amazed that you can buy hunting permits like the food or clothe in the Mall. There was the Gun Shop in the Mall and no one was surprised. That place was typical for the locals. You could buy there all equipment including cowboy boots, hats and other accessories in the western style plus guns and hunting permits. Some of the data which were needed for the hunting license looked very strange for me. For example, they asked me about the eye and hair color. Then we paid 60$ and got the 5 days license. The ranch is the private land but they pay taxes in anyway. After visiting that place I wanted to buy the Cowboy hat and boots. If you buy just the Cowboy hat and use it with the “Sitka” jacket you would look strange. So you need to buy all goods and wear them together.So we visited the specialized shop where I could buy all I needed from holsters to hats and saddles. As I understood it was the favorite place of the locals. All citizens knew each other and most of them were friends. I think that, Happiness of such small towns is in these good and friendly relations.We came back to the ranch at 8 pm. Rowdy had flown soon after us. After the dinner we discussed future plans and went to bed. Next morning we woke up at 6.30 am and Rowdy offered me to look at one more gun cal. 300 WM which he had taken. I tested it on the distance 100m and it worked well. But when I shot from the distance 300m, it lost in the accuracy to the previous I’d chosen. The bullet'd moved to the right though there wasn’t any wind. I left the first one. It was used not less than 20 years that’s why I called it “Grandma”. But it worked well in any case. It had ideal ballistic and the trajectory of the bullet. But I would have to fire ahead if want to take a sheep. We couldn’t correct the battered 10x Swarovski scope but it was also well enough. So I could use that gun for 300-400m shooting without hesitation.The hunt started at 9 am. In a half an hour after we left the ranch our PH detected the group of sheep which consisted of females with lambs. There were some young males but they didn’t have trophy size. The distance to the herd was 600 meters what was too far for my rifle. We had four hunting days more and decided not to hurry and look for the better trophies.Two hours we were driving by territory and spotted lots of Barbary sheep. But most of the males, we’d seen, were about 5-6 years old. We were told later that big males inhabited on the the side, higher in the mountains.At noon Rowdy noticed the group of sheep leaded by the old male. These animals were very careful . They uncovered our location when we were in 600m from them and ran to the opposite destination. It was lunch time and Rowdy suggested to wait when the group would stop to rest. So it happened. They crossed the gorge, moved to the opposite slope and set there. We solved to go around the hill and approach from the top. When we came the place and I found the male which stood between the rock and the tree. It was the best time to shoot but my cameraman couldn’t make video because he was late and needed time to go down . The sheep left the position while we waited him.Rowdy was very upset because he, like any other PH, was interested in the result of the hunt not in making video. We got a grip and continued. Pretty soon Alexander, who was the reason of our fault, detected the same group on the opposite slope. Animals moved slowly and made stops from time to time. The shooting distance was 350m. I took the comfortable position and wait. At last my trophy stopped for a moment and I fired. We all heard this dull thump, which is so "recognizable" to the hunter’s ear. It was the accurate shot. I hit to its bone. The sheep ran ten metes and fell.It was 8 years old male though I thought it’d be older. Its horn’s tips were broken in the battles for females. Moreover it was the only male which grazed with females and big enough for that territory. Rowdy said that my trophy gave all he could to the Nature and spent all resources. It served its life for the further development of the red sheep population.
We hunted together with Alexey Kim. The outfitter company Jasmin Safari organized very good hunt. We stayed and ate in the hotel. All local guided were very professional and local staff was friendly and polite. There were enough animals to try once again if you missed. The terrain is not mountainous (2500 m) but some rocky parts demanded to concentrate and physical exertion.The weather was sunny and it allowed us to get the sheep and the ibex per each, then it dramatically changed. The rain with strong wind started. I harvested my Ibex from the third shot and additional test. It became 8 years old sheep which I shot from the distance 200m.
My hunting schedule had changed to the end of the year because I needed to get the trophy of the Okhotsk Snow Sheep. I tried to take the Yakutia Snow Sheep when visited Okhotsk in the first time but used that time for hunting for the Okhotsk Snow Sheep.That’s why I had to hunt for the Yakutia Snow Sheep in November which is considered to be one of the hardest season in a year. Sasha (my cameraman) and I arrived to Yakutsk on November, 17. The average temperature at that time was 30 degrees below zero. The logistic to the sheep habitat was very complex. It took us about two days to reach the Base where we arrived in the late evening on the Day#2.The morning started from the scouting of the surroundings. I had never seen such high population density of the mountain ungulates. Probably I saw something like that in the North Ossetia but not so. We detected some groups of animals which grazed on the hills just sitting in the camp. We drove about 3-4 km from the camp and spotted 4-5 small groups of animals. There were some trophy size sheep but we detected the definite group while driving to the camp and wanted to find it. The group which we saw, was in 5 km from the camp last time and we drove to that destination. We were lucky because the animals were on the same place. Four big males stood on the top of the hill. We decided to go around the hill and climb. The temperature was -37C and we had to ascend to 600 meters. The breech bolt of the gun froze and I had to warm it. But I got my trophy from the first accurate shot. The shooting distance was 535 meters.I had to note that mountain hunting in the frost -37C isn’t same like hunting in the normal temperature. Each mountain hunting is extreme but if you need to feel new emotions or increase the extreme level, I suggest to make it in -40C degrees. It'll be double extreme. I promise. Thank you very much to Alexander Motorin for the organization of this hunt. Everything was organized on the high level . The only complexity was in the logistic which took us 40 hours driving to the camp. But It worth it!
I hunted in Mexica in the Low California. We arrived there through Los Angeles and I used the rented gun. It was the wild hunt. The base tent camp was set near the mountain’s foot. We were ready to take sleeping bags and to spent few day in the mobile camp in the mountains but the guides found three good places where we could try to get the trophy. All mountains there have very difficult relief ,most of time we were mountaineering, not hiking and it was dangerous enough. The thorny bushes and lianas made it difficult to move. I got 8 years old legal male from the distance 240 meters. The descent was even more difficult than the climb. Thank you very much to all who helped to organize that trip.
Pakistan. The way took us the whole day. I flew from Barcelona-Istanbul-Islamabad-Karachi, then 2 hours’ drive to the hunting base. All roads are good but when we stopped for a toilet the guys with guns accompanied us. We accommodated in the nice, comfortable villiage which belonged to the Prince Bohani. I stayed in a separate house with three bedrooms, salon and canteen. The first day was unsuccessful. We woke up at 5 am and immediately drove for the hunt. I was told that we wouldn’t walk much, maximum half an hour and shoot from the car, in the reality we hiked 10-12 hours. The fellows who accompanied my spoke awful English, the word Water, I understood from the fifth time. The first Ibex we detected in 40 minutes but they told me that it was small and we waited for a bigger one. In an hour 3-4 more Ibexes came to our place but they moved fast and disappeared behind the slope. We changed the location and walked for a long time. Then my guides noticed the group of Ibex and run to them. ALL seven people including the porters who carried the fridge and water. WHY? The Ibexes were smarter than people and ran away. There wasn’t the interpreter with us and it was really tough. We couldn’t understand each other and there were some unpleasant situation as the result. When we went back to the base I explained everybody that I could shoot and they needn’t run all together. Also I asked to be accompanied by the interpreter and just one guide. On the Day 2, the crowed was even bigger than in the Day1. Night temperature was about 8 C degrees but it became really hot when the sun rose. The sweat was pouring and even my accompanyings were wet. We started at 6 am, drove one hour by car and then climbed to the mountain. The first time I shot at 10.30 am. The shooting distance was 200m. I had to be fast because animals were always moving. I got my first trophy Blandford Urial 31,5” Good size. At noon I tested the gun to the distance 600, and my guides realized that there was no necessity to approach 70 meters. We drove to another place and ascended to the mountains. They showed me the Ibex which stood on the top , the distance by rangefinder was about 1km. The climb took 1.5 hour but it was still too far for shooting. At last we noticed the group of Ibexes in 700-800m from us and started to come closer. It was really hot and no good position for shooting. I was so tired that even to lay was hard. I fired at an angle up. All the muscles were brought. I made the shot at 4.30 pm from 670m distance. The bullet passed throught the lower part of the males’ neck. The Ibex fell. We ran to the car because it became dark and it was dangerous to stay there at that time. It was a hard hunt because I’d lost lots of strength without any result but got two trophies in the one day.
Дагестанский тур, добыт мной официально в горном районе Ведуйчи, Чеченской Республики, с дистанции 510м. Ориентировочный возраст самца - 18-20 лет!!!Невероятная, спиралевидная форма рогов добытого самца тура просто впечатляет! Выдающийся трофей 2018г.По предварительным данным замеров трофея - НОВЫЙ МИРОВОЙ РЕКОРД (rank#1 SCI)
