Охотился с лобаза на приваде. На 3й день вышел, наконец.Дистанция 80м. Мишка вышел по светлому, в районе 18 часов.В Карелии весной мне понравилось, организация охоты на высоте.
Arriving in Kathmandu in mid-April, I joined a group with hunt organiser Asif Ilyasov of Global Safari Azerbaijan and cameraman Anton Astashin. We flew by helicopter into the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. Within two hours we were at our first camp in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve near the village of Dhule.
In the morning we sighted in our weapons at 100 and 300 metres (everything was fine) and then ventured deeper into the reserve. After a five hour journey we reached our second camp. Our first target was the blue sheep. We were accompanied by a local group of 23 people (gamekeepers, a manager, a cook, camp staff and, of course, 13 Sherpa porters).
The next morning we got up at 4:00am and began our ascent into the gorge an hour later. Shortly after we spotted some females and, unexpectedly, I spotted a small group of rams that even the head gamekeeper had missed. I signalled to them and we all started watching them through binoculars. The gamekeepers began to whisper excitedly, which was a good sign. We crouched down behind a small rise in the mountain. At that moment we clearly saw a worthy sheep, but the group was either lying down or grazing, unaware of our presence. Our sheep lay with his back to us for a long time. We waited for it to get up and turn towards us. Soon he stood up and began to move slightly to the right, exposing his side to us. The rangefinder showed 446 metres. I waited for it to stop and took the shot. It was a perfect hit; the sheep stumbled to the left, stopped, stretched and then fell over, rolling down the hill. Cheers and congratulations from the gamekeepers followed immediately! The Blue Sheep trophy in Nepal was taken on the first morning of the hunt after an hour's climb! It was a truly impressive trophy - an 11-year-old sheep with 24-inch horns! Despite hunting at an altitude of 4500 metres, we all breathed easy.
As the hunt was successfully completed early in the morning, we decided to move on to the Himalayan Tahr area. We spent the whole day travelling, which took 12 hours with a break for lunch. We could have stayed and rested, but we felt quite well. The next morning we got up at 4:00 and headed for the mountains. That day we saw several Himalayan tahrs and even some gorals, but we couldn't track any tahrs; they kept disappearing into the forest. We returned to camp in the evening.
The second morning of the tahr hunt started even earlier. We got up at 3:00 and left camp at 4:00. This time we went to the right of the gorge and within an hour we spotted a group of three tahrs, one of which was excellent. They were grazing at a distance of 346 metres. I took up a comfortable sitting position as the shot required aiming across the gorge. I placed my right elbow on my right knee for stability. I fired and the tahrs scattered in all directions. A cloud of dust and debris rose behind my target and I thought, "Did I miss? But when we checked the video, we confirmed a clean hit. Gamekeepers descended and found my 12-year-old (13-inch) tahr within 20 minutes. The trophy was shot at an altitude of 3400 metres. The Himalayan Tahr became the 30th trophy on my CAPRA list. I was extremely pleased with the organisation, the hunt itself and the service. My sincere thanks go to Asif Ilyasov of Global Safari Azerbaijan for his outstanding work - he really knows how to organise a serious mountain hunt. My 100% recommendation!
My second trip to Pakistan. This hunt sounds like a true adventure! Difficulties with weapons, extreme conditions, exhaustion—all of this makes the story even more thrilling. The expedition turned out to be extremely challenging. In February, I harvested two urials and an ibex, and in March, I had to return for the Himalayan ibex and blue sheep. I aimed to get all the trophies in one trip, but we couldn't meet the deadlines, so in March, I went back again to hunt the Himalayan ibex and blue sheep
The blue sheep hunt turned out to be the most challenging hunt of my entire hunting life. The quest began at the airport - I arrived, but my rifle didn't. They said I would have to wait three days for it to be delivered. But I couldn't wait, I had another hunt booked in Nepal and I had to hurry. My outfitters, Nimrod Company, quickly arranged for us to rent a weapon. We sighted in the rented gun, but any hunter will understand how difficult it is to hunt with a gun that isn't your own, especially in places as challenging as Pakistan.
The mountains were extremely tough, with strenuous climbs and descents, and we had to change locations three times. We saw lots of animals but no trophy males. We camped at 4,200 metres and endured the cold day and night. By the sixth day, my face was swollen from the altitude and I was exhausted, especially as I had hunted the ibex and then the sheep.
By the seventh day I was already negotiating to postpone the hunt until next year, but at four o'clock in the afternoon I finally took my coveted trophy. I was overjoyed to have my long-awaited prize. As the sun set, it became so cold that no amount of clothing could keep me warm, and a piercing wind blew. I was in a state of despair, but at the very last moment of the hunt, fortune smiled on me with a successful shot.
That day we climbed the mountain and spotted the sheep at a distance of 800 metres. From 10am to 4pm we lay on the rocks and watched them until they began to descend to the pasture within shooting range. I was shivering with cold and exhaustion, but when I took my trophy, my joy knew no bounds.
In the mountains I met Kevin Klumber, a mountain hunter. He was descending while I was still climbing. We stayed together at an intermediate camp and enjoyed a hearty breakfast and engaging conversation. He also mentioned that hunting the blue sheep was incredibly hard. It was a pleasure to meet such an outstanding hunter.
The hunt was organised for me by Nimrod Hunting Tours.
I began my 2024 hunting season with an expedition to Pakistan, and the entire expedition was very challenging. I harvested two urials, two ibexes, and a blue sheep. I wanted to take all these trophies in one trip, but we didn't meet the deadlines, so I had to fly back in March. It took much more time than expected to take my first two trophies. A lot of strength and energy were required, and we covered a large number of kilometers.
Pakistan is a completely different world and mentality; with dry laws and very spicy food, it has its own unique culture. Despite these differences, we felt safe in this country and successfully harvested all the animals we had planned. The hunt was organized for me by Nimrod Hunting Tours.
I took my first moose in the Smolensk region in 2012. We were hunting with friends in the autumn, using a drive hunt, and the grass was still high. The bull emerged from the distant forest, assessed the situation and moved towards the hunters, straddling the boundary between my position and that of my friend. I decided to let him come closer, but when the bull started to move away, I took the shot. The distance was over 150 metres. After the shot, the bull fell as if felled, but a moment later he got up and continued to move away. I fired several more shots and at the same time the neighbouring positions opened fire. Finally the moose collapsed. Thus my first European moose trophy was taken.
On 7 May 2024 we harvested the New Zealand Chamois on the same day as the New Zealand Tahr. It happened in the mountains of the South Island, near the town of Wanaka. Our guide and escort was experienced hunter Sean Roach. The chamois was taken at a distance of about 120 metres, with a 15 degree uphill angle. The trophy was an old male New Zealand Chamois. I would like to thank the team at Venator New Zealand for the excellent organisation of this hunt. Special thanks to the company head, Duncan Fraser, and also to Sean Roach. They are true professionals in their field.
My wife Alyona and I travelled to New Zealand on 1 May 2024. As well as holidaying, the purpose of our trip was to hunt two trophy species: New Zealand Tahr and New Zealand Chamois. The hunt was organised by Duncan Fraser, owner of Venator New Zealand.
The hunt took place on the 7th of May 2024. We hunted for both Tahr and Chamois in the mountains of the South Island near the town of Wanaka. Our guide and escort was the highly experienced hunter Sean Roach. The tahr was taken at a distance of 100 metres, with a 20-degree uphill angle. The first shot was a little high, but the second hit the target. According to Sean, the trophy was "exceptional". Without wasting a second, we moved on to find the chamois.
Hunted during the May holidays. This Chaimos gave in very easily. Up early and out for the hunt. We walked no more than 2 km through the mountains, canyon, and there it was, the goat. Standing, posing at 176 metres. The 300 Win Mag didn't give it a chance. Before the hunt, in the evening, I ate deliciously and drank a lot))). It didn't affect the outcome of the hunt)).
It was a fast hunt. From the road we spotted a large herd of ibex, some males of impressive trophy quality. We circled the mountain so as not to alarm them and began to climb from the other side. We took up position and began to wait. The wind was howling on the peak and we spent about 50 minutes under its gusts. Finally we spotted the herd. The ibexes were climbing up the opposite slope. Unfortunately, the distance was too great given the wind speed, so we let them go undisturbed and immediately followed them. Three hours later we reached them. The ibexes were climbing up the slope and almost over the ridge, so I didn't hesitate. I took up my position quickly and hit the ibex with the first shot. The distance was 290 metres. The ibex was 10 years old.
The hunt took place in the Nanai district of the Khabarovsk region on 26 February 2011 (at that time such hunting was permitted until 1 March). This hunting period provided a 100% guarantee of shooting an adult male of this species long before the shot was fired!
