Отчеты

I still remember my first hunt in Mongolia. It was in August 2012, and this first one was then followed by a series of trips collecting Mongolian trophies. The plan was to start with Gobi Argali and Gobi Ibex. We arrived to Ulan Baatar and took a domestic flight to Dalanzagdad (1 hour 40 minutes). It took us about 2-hour drive to get to the hunting camp by Toyota Land Cruiser.  We spent that evening at the camp, resting. On the second day, we checked our guns for the long distance shots and scouted around at the afternoon.Local hunting has its specific character. If Mongolians organize the hunt, then one needs to supervise them all the time to make them do the work. It was a good camp with shower etc., but the people needed to be controlled to keep on going: cook the food, clean up etc. The camp was located over 100 kilometers away from the hunting area. It is impossible to understand why anybody would put up a camp so far away from the mountains and make the hunters to cover such distance each day. It would be a lot better to put up a camp closer to the hunting region, without causing any damage to the area or the hunting process. In addition, the hunters almost always experience intoxication because of the local food. Antibioticshelp.The local guides knew the area well; however, they were unable to show the spot where they had seen the sheep during the pre-scouting. I have ordered the pre-scouting in advance… They said they located 2 groups, one of which had a 43 incher.  However even without any experience in Mongolian steppes, I could tell that the area was empty. Most probably, it was heavy raided by the local poachers. During 7 days spent in the area, we saw only three rams; all of them were 3-4 years old. As a result, in despair to get a sheep, we decided to hunt Ibex. Next 3 days we spent trying to find Gobi Ibex: each day we got up at 4 a.m. and then there was about an hour drive to the hunting area. The average size seen was about 31-34 inches, which is enough minimum for SCI. We met a group of 4-9 billies, and several loners. Also seen large groups of females with youngsters. Average shooting distance was 300-400 meters. We decided to stop searching and get the largest one. Ishotthebiggestoneseen– 34 inches.  We moved to another area, Hangai, to find the Argali. Crossed Gobi from the south to the north. We were told that it would take about 6 hours, however we spent about 12 hours in the car.I have to say that we had only 2 hunting days left out of nine.We got up at 5 a.m. and went to the area, where the guides had located a group of nice Argali. Saw a group of sheep (about 10 males). The largest one was estimated to be about 50 inches or even more. Completed the stalking and got 44/45 inches ram. Good enough. We went back to the camp for overnight.On the 8th day, we went back to Ulan Baator (4-5 hour drive on a pretty good road). Has some sightseeing during the trip. Next day I flew back home. The trophies arrived at the end of the season.In 2014, I went to get Altai Argali and Altai Ibex. Had the same troubles with locals: the guides did not accept responsibility for judging the size of the animal and mistaked the wish for the reality. I have to say, those were not the easy hunts, however very memorable.

When I’ve got the information that there were two health shooting licenses, me and Evgeny Haritonov- the representative of the Stalker Group flew to Vladikavkaz. It was my dream to hunt for Dagestan Tur on the Caucasus Mountains in Russia. After 5 hours of climbing and 5 hours of tracking down we approached  545 m. I shot twice and got 2 Turs- 10 and 7 years old. I appreciate the professional work our guides and especially Aslanbek Margazanov.

I hunted in Iran at the end of January- beginning of February, 2014. We declared the hunt for 5 species. After arrival to Tehran, all other transfers from one place to another were made  by car and took from 4 to 8 hours each. The mountain in Iran are similar, it means that the height, slopes steepness and climbing are more or less same in all regions. The locals guides know all places which animals prefer and lead you to them. We met animals from the first hunting hours. Persian Desert Ibex.  There were lots of animals but it seemed that they are more anxious at the end of the season. The season is from the beginning of October to the end of February. We met lots of trophy size males with average horns 105sm. It was the traditional hunt and I got Ibex with 89sm horns. I am somewhat previous but tell that we spent 4 days for this Ibex. All other trophies were got at the first or second day.  Just once we waited for the beginning of the next hunt as it was planned in our schedule and devoted 2 day to sightseeing.  All other hunts started immediately when the previous one was finished. As the result all hunts for 6 species were finished in a week earlier than it was planned.Kerman Sheep. The transfer to the next hunting area took about 4 hours. On the second day we noticed two lonely males and tracked them down. The shooting distance was 430m. I harvested it. Arack Mouflons. The hunt was organized on the territory which belonged to the National Park “Mooteh”. Telling the truth I hadn’t seen so many animals in one place for a long time not even in Africa.  You could meet the herds of not scared Persian Gazelles and sheep on each step. During 4-5 hours we watched 200 sheep and more than 300 gazelles.  I missed the nice trophy (28-29 inches) and couldn’t catch it up. The next sheep, I got from the 350m distance, had horns 24.5 inches. Transcaspian Urial. We drove about 20 minutes up to the mountains and left the car there. Then we trekked by the pass which was the boundary between the National Park and “conservation territory”. It meant that you couldn’t shoot to the left but could to the right. We noticed few herds on both sides but the idea was to find the trophy with horns not less than with 1 meter.  But all males we watched had 34-35 inches horns. Next day we arrived the same place and trekked just 50 m when noticed the herd of males in 200m from us. We tried to followed them but they were fast and crossed the National Park boundary. We decided to look for another herd. After 1.5 hours of tracking we found the resting males, defined the size and started to approach. In two hours we managed to approach 480m. I calculated the distance took the right position and shot. It was the accurate shot. Trophy size was 37 inches and it was the biggest one among the males we saw before. Persian Gazelle. Thinking  that gazelles live in the steppe and we need not go to the mountains  for it, the hunt will be fast an easy. But when we arrived to the conservation zone  we found that these gazelles never stopped and kept us off not less then 800m.  In addition it was hard to define the distance because the rangefinder couldn’t use any mark. We tried to fire it not less then dozen times and stopped kidding about this hunt. On the next day we got this desired trophy at last. Red Sheep. Hunting area for the Red Sheep is located in 4 hours drive from the Gazelles area and 2 hours to Tehran.  In 4 hours tracking down we approached 300m to the sheep, I shot and missed.  The animals divided into 2 groups and ran. I shot once again to the sheep from the second group and missed it. One of the guides followed the second group and informed us, when came back,  that the herd moved not far and stopped for feeding. We started chasing them and came nigh into 400m. I missed once again! The sheep ran away and it became dark. We descended to the cars. Next morning we checked the guns, drove to the same area and went up to the mountains from the side where lost the sheep before. I got the trophy on the second part of the day -87 sm.  We saw about 50 males at that day.

С 30 апреля по 8 мая находился в Испании на горной охоте.На период поездки было запланированно отстрелять четыре животных, но охота приобрела какой-то характер гонки: отстреляв в первый день гредосского козерога, в ночь переехали в другой регион и после обеда добыли козерога сьера невада, затем два дня вместе с переездом понадобилось на добычу козерога рондо!С учетом добытого ранее бисайского козерога, вся четверка козерогов Испании GRAND SLAM была добыта! Затем еще были добыты на Мальорке балерианский козел и гибрид болерианского козла!В последнии три дня охоты были добыты кантабрийская и пиринейская серны!И так установлен рекорд охотклуба La Espadella за девять дней, семь трофеев и более трех тысяч километров по дорогам Испании и три внутренних перелета!

Sergey Yastrebzhensky recommend me the local outfitter from Croatia who is very professional. By the way the logo of his company is on our site. Croatia is the country where you can hunt for a great number of the mountains animals in their natural environments. Also there are stable populations of red deer, european roe deer, brown bears and a dozen of other animals. I was interested in getting the Dalmatian Wild Sheep and Kri-Kri (Hybrid) ibex. I arrived to Zagreb, met Josef and we drove together to Zaber, a small town in 300 km from the capital. Then we took the ferry to the Otok Dugi Island what meant “ the long Island”.  The animals, which I wanted to hunt for, inhabited there. At the first day I took the Kri- Kri Ibex with dominated genes of the Feral goat ( heavy weight, the length and the color of the wool), it was the atypical trophy with the one horn. The second day I got Kri- Kri (Hybrid) Ibex with the dominated genes of Kri-Kri, its body was as small as the wild goat's body, but the color was red. I had harvested my trophy of the Dalmatian Sheep in the morning of the Day 2. It was the mature male, 10 years old, with the one tooth. Additionally I’d got the nice specimen of the European mouflon. Teh whole hunt took me two days. I’ m going to hunt for Aoudad or Barbary Sheep  which has been introduced here many years ago and formed the stable population.

When the Rating List of MHC was made I started to plan my hunting trips in accordance with it. My first expedition was to the Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan. My friend Vladislav Reznik and Stalker company helped me to organize it. After 4 hours flight we arrived to Almaty. The manager of the local hunting company met us and we drove together to the base. It took us about 8 hours and we arrived to the place at 2am. We got up at 9 am, had breakfast, packed everything we needed and drove to test our guns. I took the rifle Orsis 300wm. Most of the Ibex’s hunts are on the rocks and the distances are not more than 500m what is normal for such gun. The original plan was to ride by horses ( 4 hours) to the mobile tent camp, located in the gorge and go for a hunt from there. But we arrived late and the guides had to make some changes. The locals suggested to check the gorge Aksai first, which was near the main base. Aksai means the white gorge and they hoped that we could find Ibexes there. It was the mid of December when the estrus was over and animals (males and females) gathered into the herds. It took us about an hour and a half to rise to the height 2200 masl. We detected the big group of Ibex which slowly went up along the rocks on the elevation of 2900masl. We determined their direction and followed them. In an hour we approached them 450m but the animals smelled us and were on guard. One of the males distinguished by the big size and I decided to aim it. The first shot hit to its leg. The Ibex ran a little bit and stopped. I missed the second and third shots but the forth one was final, I got it. It was the magnificent trophy, 11-12 years old, its horns length was 120 sm. I was fully satisfied. So, my hunt was finished in the first day. I’d got the hare when we were going down.In the evening in the base, we steamed in the bath with Slava and relaxed after the cold day of climbing. The temperature on the top was -10C with hail. It was the best mountain base where I’d been before. It consisted of the solid brick house with all conveniences and many infrastructural constructions. The owner of the base was the Moscow guy Igor Cherdynzev. Thank you very much to them for the invitation to hunt there. Next day I flew to Moscow and Slava stayed to hunt.

I and my fellows flew to New Zealand in spring, 2008. This wonderful country attracts hunters, from all over the world, the great number of trophies which they can take there. The most desirable one is the trophy of the Red Deer. I took it and put the next goal to get the trophies of the Tahr and chamois. Unfortunately I didn’t find the chamois but got the Tahr. It wasn’t an easy hunt. The mountains in New Zealand are hard to walk. In the first day we spent about 5 hours hiking and saw just young males. I has to mention that the accompanying PH, like in Africa, strictly controls the decision when the hunter has to fire, it makes the good selection. I was tired in the evening and my feet ached me. Telling the truth I wasn’t sure that could walk next day. But in the morning I picked myself up and went to look for the Tahr. We had been rising about an hour and a half when the guided detected the group of males which moved not far from us. The slopes were covered with the forest and animals appeared and hid in the thickets. The guide warned me to be ready to shoot and I immediatly did it when the tahr appeared from behind the bushes and I’d heard the command. The trophy was taken from the distance 180m by the first shot. We came to the trophy, made pictures and take off its skin because I wanted to make the trophy in full size because of the unusual color of its wool. The unpleasant or tragic accident almost happened when we were going back. I used to carry my trophies by myself and not to put it on the guide’s shoulders and did same at that time. The descent was very steep and when we were going down the stones under my feet rolled and I almost fell when happened to catch the roots of the plants. It saved me because if I didn’t do it I would fall from the height 10-15 meters with the heavy backpack. My fellows were more afraid than I was but I managed to went down and carried my load to the car. I couldn’t straighten for a long time when took the backpack off, but after a swim in the cold mountain river, fatigue was gone, as it did not happened. It was the memorable hunt for the New Zealand Tahr.

I asked my colleague the Vice- President of CIC Imbrikh Shubba to organize for me the hunt for the Low Tatra Chamois. He helped me to get this rare license. The fact is that that the population of this species is very low about 100 specimen and only 4-6 licenses are available per year. One more license was auctioned in the Assembly of the CIC in Budapest. Mikhail Borodulin won it but he was too busy on his new work that why gave it to Alexander Shegolev who flew to that hunt with me. It was the end of October, 2013. The way from Vienne to the hunting area near the town Poprad, took us 5 hours. The town was located between the Low and High Tatras.We went for a hunt at 7.30 am next morning . The weather was warm and sunny about 15C. We drove a little bit and then hiked to the chamois habitat. The first male, which we’d seen, was in 200 from us and it ran up very fast through the thick forest and there was no opportunity to fire. That hunt was difficult because of the landscape. There was no meadows, the mountains were covered by thick forest with rocks and it made difficult to spot the animals. But at last we detected the group of males and approached them 200m. I shot by the angle though the thickets. I hit to the front shoulder blade. The chamois jumped up and disappeared in the forest. The guides approved that it was the accurate shot. We estimated the landscape and made the decision to climb and go around the gorge. It took us time to find the chamois. At first I noticed blood on the trees and that bloody track led us down. It was the mark that the male was seriously wounded. It fell to the bottom. The bullet hit its heart. It was the unforgettable descend along the narrow spring, equipped with lots of wooden and metal stairs which settled for the tourists who actively trekked there. We met dozens of backpackers and most of them were young people. I managed to finish the hunt in one day and got my 19th trophy from the Capra List. Alexander took his trophy on the third day.

The hunt for Pyrenean and Cantabrian Chamois in Spain was organized by Profi Hunt company and its Spanish partner Diego Satrustegui with whom I hunted not once. I and my camera man arrived to Madrid on October,22 and immediately drove to the north of Spain. Our 500 km way lay to the Pyrenean mountains on the boundary with France. It was pouring rain all day and night. It finished at 5am and we were going for a hunt at 7am. Our team accommodated in the cozy hotel with the good restaurant. In the early morning after the light breakfast we drove for the hunt. The stars shined in the dark sky. On the half way we met our guide and went on driving. We managed to rise  1700 masl and then hiked. The part of our hiking led through the National Park and we had to carry guns in the closed covers. According the Spanish laws you can issue a power of attorney to the police and transfer to a foreign hunter the right to own rifle if he will provide at the Russian Embassy the  original Russian permit for the storage of rifled weapons in advance. It was easy and I went for the hunt with Diego’s gun cal. 2070 WM. Soon we noticed the chamois which pastured on the territory of the National Park, that’s why we went on further to the destination where we could hunt. We reached such place in an hour and stopped for monitoring. There was the big population of chamois and could see animals on the slopes, on the meadows and in the forest. We were ascending to the group of chamois when stumbled to the lonely male. I approached it 130m and tried to see it better through the forest thicket. At last I took the comfortable position and made the accurate shot. The chamois was taken. It was very interesting trophy, the mature male about 14 years old. From the hunter’s point of view it was the best shot because this male gave all its best genes and began to deteriorate, as we could judge by its horns. On the same day, it was decided to move to another Cantabrian chamois hunting area, which was located 500 km to the South-West.

I hunted for the New Zealand Chamois in March, 2014. The hunt was organized in one hour drive from Christchurch. During my previous trip to that country I didn’t hunt for the chamois that’s why flew once again. My wife Zhanna and the youngest daughter Dasha accompanied me plus Sergey and Maria Razroeve agreed to join us. Everything was organized by Profi Hunt company and the local outfitter KiwiSafari. Rodon and Match who were the representatives from the local company met us at the airport and we drove to the Hanmer village and accommodated in the cozy hotel. We had our own cottage. First two days we spent looking for the males but met just females with cubs. On the Day 3 I found the trophy and got it from the distance 100m. It was the mature male with damaged horn but I was glad because to take not typical trophy was a good luck for me.

The hunt for Carpathian Chamois was organized by Profi Hunt company at the beginning of November, 2013. The outfitter in Romania was Florina, responsible and pleasant guy, who being a young man worked in the hunting farm which belonged to Nicholas Ceausescu. Many years passed from that time but the most of monumental buildings and constructions were built at that period. Romania is a member of the European Union from 2007 but doesn’t show any economic success. The son of Nicholas Ceausescu jokes that his country won’t have enough color soon just to paint all buildings which his father has built. In 1989, as a result of the rapid revolution, the power of Ceausescu was overthrown, he and his wife Elena were shot right at the walls of the state institution in front of a crowd of militant public. It was the end of another socialist regime. It ruined like a house of cards. But let’s come back from politics to hunting.Hunts in Romania has long been famous for its organization and variety of trophies. There you can harvest red and roe deer, bears and wolves. There are good hunting for birds. But I and my fellow Viktor Kim arrived to hunt for the most big species among chamois- the Carpathian Chamois. The hunting region Ardzhich was in 200km to the north- west from Bucharest, in the southern Carpathians. The weather was beautiful, it was about 15C above zero and no wind. It was a pleasure to be in the mountains in such weather. It took us some time to test guns and then we drove to the place from where we needed to climb. The whole group was divided into two and we started to ascend. The rise from 1400 to 2100 masl took us about an hour and a half. Almost immediately we noticed the male and followed it. The chase took one more hour and we managed to approach it 300m being invisible. I fired from the someone else’s gun, cal. 7*64, with the old sight 1.5 *6*42 Zeiss. There was the inscription, engraved on the receiver “ Special for Nicolaus Ceausescu”. The first shot was higher than needed but I took the trophy by the next two ones. The distance was 380m. The trophy was rated in 111 CIC points what corresponded to the Gold Medal. That trophy was significant for me because I’d got the next level “Super-20 Capra” and became the third Russian hunter who had it. Next aim to get “Super- 30” and “Super-40”. Viktor Nikolayevich had got hit trophy too and came close to the World Capra Slam. Then we were going to Macedonia and flew there by the charter flight.

The hunt for this subspecies of chamois was organized in the National Park near the Riana village. We had permits for the hunt there and were accompanied by two officers who worked in the park. That park was a habitat of Gredos Ibexes, red deer, roe deer, wild boars, chamois, there was a big population of wolves and brown bears, hunting for which is forbidden everywhere in the European UnionThe bears, except Spain, dwell the Transylvania’s mountains, Romania and Tatra (Slovakia). I was instructed to shoot if see the wolves. The weather wasn’t well and the forecast, which predicted rain for the whole night and next day, was correct. All next day we moved under the rain and observed mountains only when the fog disappeared from time to time. At some point we decided to dismount from the horses and climb to the place where the lonely male was detected. We hiked about 30 minutes when noticed it. I approached it 200 m. I got it by the first shot. It was the male 5-6 years old. So despite the bad weather conditions I executed the plan to take two subspecies of chamois in Spain: Cantabrain and Pyrenean.

I got the trophy of the Caucasian Chamois during my November trip to Krasnodar region. I has to mention that I took this trophy on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia because this species listed in the Red Book of Krasnodar region.  The hunting farm “Solenovskoe” bordered with Karachay-Cherkessia and I had the permit for getting a chamois from that region. We rode about 3 hours by horsed to the hunting place where detected the trophy males. I was really lucky at that hunt. I got my chamois from the first shot from the distance 320m. I was glad because wanted to collect all trophies to be nominated for the “Hunting Five” award. I managed to won the First Prize.

The hunt for the Balkan Chamois was organized by my Serbian friend Milun Radenkovich. It took place near the boundary between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the reservoir which separated these two independent countries. Being there we took part in the local hunting festival, devoted to the opening for the hunting of hares. 500 hunters from different regions of Serbia and Serbian Kraina (autonomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, inhabited mainly by ethnic Serbs) gathered in the restaurant. All of them had treated warm to the Russian hunter. Next morning we loaded to the ship near the Hatep settlement and went upstream the Drina River. The hunt was organized in such way that we monitored the rocks from the ship and could fire if find the good one or make a stop and follow the trophy by the land. We detected the chamois, then I went down to the rocky shore and looked for the animal I had seen. I was impressed when the male jumped down from the rock, flew about 30 meters and hid in the bush. I made the accurate shot from the distance 40m but we were shocked when reached the trophy. The trophy male had just one horn and its last leg was almost atrophied. We withdrawn from the nature a weak and sick animal, and then joked that it was the sanitary shooting.We spent lots of time with Milun Radenkovich drinking his own wine. We drank from early morning till night but felt well. There was the full home of guests, Italian hunters at his home who arrived for a feather hunt. Serbian music sounded in the hospitable home and everybody liked it and admired it. Thanks to him and his friends for a warm welcome and an interesting hunt.

My friend the Honorary President of CIC Piter Shram invited me to take part in the hunt for the Alpine Chamois on his hunting area near Salzburg. We accommodated in the beautiful, small and cozy hunting base, located on the height 1000masl, which was located on the Alpine meadow. Unbelievable but there were two restaurants nearby, where we had dinner together with the backpackers who stormed the Alpine paths. The specific of this hunt is so that it can last all day because this goat sleeps at night and is active during the day hours unlike the other animals. After 45 minutes of hiking along the slope we went to the traditional place where Peter used to hunt and stopped there. In a half of an hour I spotted the chamois which grazed on the slope. Piter gave me the rifle 243cal which is optimal for such hunts. I got my trophy from the first shot from the distance 280m.

We arrived to the place where were going to hunt and accommodated in the comfortable 5-star hotel “Magdalena”, located on the golf club territory. Next morning at 7 am we drove to the mountains. The local mountains weren’t high. The habitat of the Ronda Ibex isn’t wide in the comparison with the other Spanish goat’s habitat. This species has small horns.We climbed to the height 1500masl and started to observe the surroundings. We actively hiked along the ridges but watched some groups of females with cubs. At noon I detected two males but Diego examined them and said that they were young. We spent almost the whole day looking for the trophy size male. At 6pm we were going back and stumbled upon the herd of 6 males. Mountains respect walkers and we hiked enough to find our males. Diego and I chose the biggest one which was in 360 meters from us. I made three shots and they all hit it. It was not the most outstanding trophy but the normal one and I didn’t have choice in any case.