Отчеты

The hunt in Pakistan has been organized by “Profi Hunt” in March 2016 year. I chose Belochistan area, close to the Karachi settlement, as the place to go at the first time of visiting of this mountain country. Sind Bezoar Ibex and Blanford Urial inhabit the area. The road took about one day. I entered the flight healthy, but felt not well in Karachi. Three hours of drive by car to the Dureji city and I realized, that I was sick. All the symptoms were obvious. Of course, I was disappointed deeply, because I planned the trip to Pakistan for a long time, and this situation was not on hand. It is not a good idea to go in to the mountains being sick. Nor me neither locals had the proper drugs and I cured myself with lemon and hot tea with honey. When I was preparing the things in Moscow, the hand stretched to the antibiotics and antivirus drugs, but on some reason I didn’t take any of them. I didn’t sleep the whole night due to fewer. We woke at three AM and moved to the area of hunt on the Urial. The area was very poor, people live here as savages. The mountains covered with a real desert: not a single grass or bush. Some plants is present in the areas of the mountain rivers, flowing at the rainy period of the year from late June to late July. I don’t understand, what do the animals eat and how do they survive here. The same picture is at the mountain foots. People survive here due to some miracle. They manage to harvest several crops of onion and cereals during the year.           We stopped at the house of the respected in Pakistan family Butani. The house was very comfortable. Everything including the territory is neat and made out in European style. We moved everywhere accompanied by the armed people. The hunt started at 6:30 in the morning, just after the sunrise. By the large group comprising 15 accompanying men we slowly went to the mountains. Due to the high temperature, the strength left my body and I had to give the rifle and the backpack to the rangers, walking without things. After one hour and a half of walking up we reached the ridge from which a great circle between two ridges opened in front of us. It was the place, where the rangers noticed a group of males, one of which looked as it was of trophy size. After 30 minutes of search we found this group and started observations. We didn’t manage to see the required male and decided to change the position, for it was possible to observe the area from different angles. After some time, we noticed the ram from the distance about 200 meters. I hit it with the first shot. I shot the heart with a bullet 338 caliber, but the animal ran about 100 meters after that and only then fell down. The hunt on the ram was easy and fast. I hoped, that the hunt on the Ibex will be the same, especially because the illness developed.

The second night I couldn’t sleep due to the illness progress. We woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning and went to the mountains. The mountains were closer, than the area of hunting on the sheep. After one hour of ride by car we reached the height of 750 meters above sea level. Awful mountain roads: but it is better to ride bad rather than go good. After the sunrise we elevated to the height of 1000 meters above sea level. We noticed a goat when moved, but he noticed us as well and ran away. After some time I found a group of males on the opposite slope. The distance was a bit more than 400 meters. Two males were very nice, as I thought, the rest were young. I hoped to close the question with a single shot without continuous sufferings. But my guide Sha told me that the rangers told him about the other group of the goats, where the male with larger horns is present. We started to search. Unfortunately, that long search was unsuccessful and we didn’t manage to find this second group. We have met the goats from time to time, but they were young animals. I started to regret my decision not to shoot the first animals. We changed several sites and directions and made not less than 20 km during that day. That is not a problem for the healthy hunter, but it was a hell for me. The organism refused to go up from time to time, but no one was going to carry me and I understood that. Finally, after ten hours of search, when we were moving to the direction of possible descending we noticed a group of animals with an old and white male among them. I took him with the first shot. It made the locals happy, but I had no enough strength for the emotions. I was ready to shut off. Then was a steep descending and moving to the cars. The hunting was over. It was a real test of the strength for my organism. Of course, this is not a good idea to do like that, that is not healthy. But what is done that is done, I am happy that everything finished good.

The hunt on the Konya Mouflon was organized by the Profi Hunt and Shikar Safari in Turkey in January 2016 year. I want to note the unreasonable high price for this sheep. The price was intended for the crazy collectors like we are. But everything is done and I have no regrets about that. I just want to give an advice for those, who has no such a trophy yet. It is possible to take several sheep and take much more rating points, not saying about the impressions, which, as I think, is an important part of our mountain expeditions This sheep is quite rare and its population size is low. It inhabits several regions in Turkey: in the areas bordering with Armenia and Iran, but the hunt is not allowed there. In Konya a limited number of permits are given per year.      The hunt here is different. It is almost impossible to find this sheep on the open areas due to the low number of the population. There is a governmental enclosed area covering 6000 ha in 50 km to the east from Konya city. The government decided to make this reservation with a special protecting regime for preservation of this subspecies of the sheep many years ago. The hunts are held here since 2010 year and five permits per year are given. The population includes 500 animals, as the local rangers say. But I have strong doubts about it after one and a half day of search. There must be 250 or 300 sheep maximum. That is my visual estimation of what I have seen. The international safari clubs decided to count this trophy as if it was taken on the opened areas, because it is a governmental area and the animal is critically endangered. This was the reason for me to take part in this hunt. Hence, I arrived from Moscow to Istanbul by plane and then went to Konya. We went to the hunting area in the second part of the day 16 January. The lands were in 40 minutes of ride from the airport. We made an attempt to search for the sheep at the first day, even though we had almost no daylight time, only about three hours. We have seen several groups: the first one comprised three young males, the second included 50 animals: females and males of different age, but there were no old trophy rams. In the morning of the next day we started to hunt at 7:00 in the morning. I have noticed a distant group comprising adult animals after the elevation by car on the main plato. The gusty wind raised, which made the hunting difficult and the conditions of approach for the hunt were more difficult as well. At that moment I have noticed two silhouettes of people on the next mountain ridge. When I told about my discovery to the local ranger, I understood that they were illegal hunters. The ranger started to organize the operation with other local rangers from the base camp and left us to follow the illegal hunters. It turned out after everything was finished, that two men were restrained. One of them was the chief of the local village. The guns were taken from them, the houses were searched and the protocols were made. But I am going to return to the hunting now. We have lost the sheep after the first unsuccessful attempt to approach to the animals. The mountains here are not cliffy, the slopes are gentl, hence, it was rather a pity to lose the animals. We managed to discover it second time after couple of hours. The sheep were grazing lower and laid to have a rest, as usually. The second approach more successful, I managed to take the trophy of 8-9 years old male. It is always difficult to shoot at the group of animals. It is difficult to choose the right trophy and the shooting becomes harder due to the risk to hurt several animals. I noticed that the largest ram was standing within the group and it was impossible to shoot him. That was the reason why I have chosen the ram, which was standing apart and against the mountains, which looked to be more or less of the trophy quality. I made the shot and the ram, being obviously wounded, started to jump on the mountain ridge. It stopped and stood not firm. The whole group ran to the mountains and I took the animal with the second shot. We were very surprised, when we approached the ram, because we noticed the second falling ram in 50 meters from the first one. It is difficult to pass my feeling at that moment. How could I shoot the second animal with all my experience? We looked the video and found out, that after going through the body of the first chosen animal the bullet flew a strange trajectory and hit the second younger animal, which was standing apart. It could be seen, that this ram left the area with the others just after the shooting and my injured ram stood at the place. I had a similar occasion in South African Republik, when hunted Sprinbok. At that hunt, the bullet went through the aimed animal, changed the trajectory and went apart injuring the second antelope. Sometimes even the experience doesn’t help. To tell the truth, I don't feel any special excitement while shooting and, as I think, I am coldblooded and provident enough at that moment. But such a thing can happen to everyone, even experienced one. I must tell, that the local rangers were not disappointed by the case and took the meet of the taken animal with a pleasure. Such a hunt of the holidays I had in Turkey. It was my 22th ram by the list of GSCO and 25th according to the rules of CMH.

I ordered this hunt three years ago. The Karmen island is about 1500 ha and placed not far from the Loretto city in the southern part of California bay. The island belongs to the Mexican company, which organizes the hunts on the Desrt Bighorn Sheep. The population includes about 500 rams and 15-19 animals are taken each year. The rams numbering 21 individuals were taken here in 1995 year and the active hunt started at 2005 year, when trophy adult animals grew up. I took a splendid trophy male of 10-11 years old with a good base of 14 inches or 36 cm at the first day. I also had a good fishing and catch a wild Bass.  The base was very comfortable and the stuff was nice and trained. I recommend to everyone.  

The first day we arrived  to Gilgit and it took us 16 hours. We stayed there for a night and next morning drove to the hunting area.  After two hours driving to the Chinese boundary we had to stopped because the mudflow came down from the mountains and blocked the way. I  got out of the car and looked around and did it in time. The herd of animals  was feeding on the opposite slope. The males had middle size horns but I remembered my unsuccessful experience in the last time and decided to shoot.  I got 8 years old trophy. It was one of the easiest hunts in the mountains. Thank you very much to Stalker Group.

The hunt in Greece on the Kri-kri ibex was a bit unpredicted. I was going to hunt in 2016 year, but in December 2015 year I had some free time due to the withdrawal of the hunting in Turkey. The season was ending and there were plenty of the permits for this hunt, hence, the Greek governments made a lottery. The lucky one will have the reserved license. I was wondered, when I received the call from the office of Profi Hunt and they told me, that I am a winner. I can’t say, that I don’t believe in luck, but I have never won anything before. I must admit, that I have never took part in any lottery before. Christo met us with operator Oleg Laptev in Athens. Being a cardiologist, he is a is a true hunter and he helps to arrange the hunting for the foreigners from time to time. After three hours of drive we reached a small seashore town Methoni, which is placed in the southern part of Peloponnese peninsula. We woke up at 6:00, had some breakfast and checked the weapons. I must take a special attention to the fact, that the hunt in Greece is allowed only with smoothbore rifles, what made me feel something new in my mountain hunting. We went to Sapyentza island by boat at about 8:00. We were accompanied by the governmental rangers from the national park and one hunter from Poland, who decided to test hunting luck and take the Ibex. It inhabits Krit, but the hunt here is prohibited. There are several more islands, where this subspecies of Bezoar ibex can be met. Sapientza island is a national reserve and any activity is prohibited here, but the hunt on Kri-kri Ibex and Mouflons is allowed, if a special permit is taken. Not more than six hunts are held per year. According to the words of the local guys, we were the first Russians, who were here. At least on their memory. We saw several groups of Ibexes at the first day, but couldn’t approach any of them. Difficult relief and the mountains almost totally covered with bushes made this hunt not easy. We tried to approach a single old goat at about two o’clock PM. He proudly established himself on the top of the mountain. But at some moment he left to the opposite slope, covered with bushes. The next day we decided to go directly to the place, where we met him and wait. The shooting was on the short distance, almost face to face, but the trophy has been taken. An old male of 12 years old with marvelous horns of 84 cm are going to decorate a newly established museum in Kaluga.

Just after the hunt in Alay Kazakhstan was finished I flew to Almaty for the move to Djungarian Alatau for the hunt on Dzhungar Ibex. The night road took us about five hours. At night I checked how the rifle shoots by killing a fox from the first shot. About 6:30 in the morning we with ranger Nikolay Mitrofanovich, who was seventy six years old at that time, and with Vladimir started elevation to the mountains. After an hour and a half we were observing the first group of Ibex. They behaved according to the mating period: males and females were moving actively in joint groups. At some moment, we started to observe three groups of Ibex, which established themselves in the different parts of the mountains. There was a group below us, which included one large and dark male. We started planning how to go down for them. At that moment, a male Ibex of the age eight or nine years old approached us to the distance 70 meters. I decided to shoot and took the trophy. As people say: “A feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air”.

This hunt was organized by my fellow and colleague, the head of the Association of Hunters and Anglers, Nikolay Abramovich Proskurin. It took place in the National Park but was legal, we had all necessary permits. Katon-Karagay National Park is located in the unique place near the boundary with Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. We arrived by plane  to Ust-Kamenogorsk and then drove 500 km to the hunting lodge located near the village Archety. Next morning we rode by horses to the mountains. After 40 minutes of riding we noticed the first animals. It was the group of males. One the them stood out form the others on the top of the rock. I and my guide were climbing by the next slope and the old male was going down towards us. The distance between us reduced to 320m. under the angle  32 degrees. I calculated the shot for a distance 280m, waited when the goat turned its side and fired. The bullet went through it and damaged its lungs and internals. It ran down few meters and fell in 50 meters below the place where I shot it. In 15 minutes the crows circled above the place where it laid and it help us to find it. It was the old male 15 years old. Knowing that the average age of the goat who live in captivity is 16-18 years I could say that we got very good trophy because that specimen gave all its best genes already. Thank you very much to my guides Roman and Alexander for the organization of this hunt. Coordinates where I took the trophy: latitude 49 12 24 36 and  86 35 56 10 east longitude. It was my 33rd trophy from the MHC Capra List.