Reports

Tahr hunting.

10th chamois.

From the 13th to the 15th of April, 2024, I went hunting on the island of Veli Lošinj in Croatia and successfully took a Kri-Kri ibex on the second day. The challenge of the hunt was the search due to the unusual heat for this time of year, almost 25 °C, and the fact that the mountains were completely covered with tall, dense trees.

From the 13th to the 15th of April, 2024, I went hunting on the island of Veli Lošinj in Croatia and successfully took a Kri-Kri ibex on the second day. The challenge of the hunt was the search due to the unusual heat for this time of year, almost 25 °C, and the fact that the mountains were completely covered with tall, dense trees.

From the 13th to the 15th of April, 2024, I went hunting on the island of Veli Lošinj in Croatia and successfully took a Kri-Kri ibex on the second day. The challenge of the hunt was the search due to the unusual heat for this time of year, almost 25 °C, and the fact that the mountains were completely covered with tall, dense trees.

From 31 March to 4 April I hunted Blue sheep and Himalayan tahr in Nepal. As always, the hunt was organised by Ilya Dmitriev, whose main task was to ensure maximum speed. There was no time for a lengthy expedition, and my organiser handled this brilliantly. On arrival in Kathmandu, we quickly completed all the formalities with the firearms and within four hours were on a helicopter that took us to base camp two hours later. From there we set off early on the 1st of April directly to the hunting area, a trek of about seven hours of fairly challenging walking. On the way we spotted a large group of sheep and even approached them within 465 metres, but the guide couldn't identify a good trophy, so we had to descend back to the trail. In the evening we reached the hunting camp at about 4000 metres. After a quick dinner and an even shorter sleep, we set off at 4:00am for the hunt, which turned out to be incredibly challenging. In total, we hiked for 14 hours, covering about 24 kilometres with a difference in altitude of 1300 metres. But the effort paid off. With one shot from 475 metres at a 23-degree angle, we took a 10-year-old sheep. It took three more shots to finish it off, because in the rush I forgot to set the scope for a new distance. We spent the night in another camp set up by our porters, this time inside the tahr's habitat. In the morning we faced an incredibly difficult climb up the mountain, which took about four hours. At the top we waited for about six hours and just when all hope seemed lost, there he was! A very large male. A shot from 405 metres at a 24 degree angle sent him tumbling into the gorge. We returned to camp and late that night the porters brought the trophy back. How they managed to get it back is beyond comprehension. At seven in the morning we set off for the helipad, which took about six hours to reach. We then spent five hours waiting for the helicopter. On the way to the capital, the pilot landed in Pokhara and told us he could not continue the flight. We struggled to get plane tickets and finally arrived in Kathmandu four hours later. On 5 April we flew back to Moscow. This remarkable but extremely challenging adventure was organised by Ilya Dmitriev! I highly recommend this hunt to all hunters; the key is that it can realistically be completed in four days and only requires endurance and good marksmanship. Good luck to everyone.

The hunt took place in the province of Yazd. After zeroing the rifle, we set off for the habitat of the Esfahan mouflon. For about 2 hours, at a distance of about 2 kilometres, we observed several groups of males in different directions. We identified the most interesting group for us and began to approach. We circled the mouflons from the downwind side and approached to a distance of about 900 metres. There were 3 adult males in the group. One was lying quietly while the other two were grazing behind the rocks. We decided to wait until they came into sight so that we could judge their trophy qualities. As the grazing mouflons emerged from behind the rocks, it became clear that the lying mouflon was the largest of them all. The distance to it was 886 metres. I made all the necessary adjustments and took my shot. The bullet hit the centre of the mouflon's body. It jumped up and disappeared behind the rocks. We immediately set off in pursuit of the wounded animal. At a distance of about a hundred metres, it noticed us and tried to flee despite its serious injury. I immediately took up my shooting position and successfully hit the fleeing mouflon with a second shot. The eight year old mouflon with its commendable trophy qualities will be a great addition to my trophy collection. I would like to thank the organisers for a superbly organised hunt. Every year the level of organisation gets better and better.

In the hunting reserve, we moved around on small buggies. Within the first hour of the hunt, we observed three groups of urials. Having selected the largest trophy male, we began to prepare for the shot. We positioned ourselves in the shade of a large solitary tree. The distance to the urials from here was 800 meters. I had plenty of time to accurately calculate the upcoming shot. The bullet hit the animal's torso, slightly below the spine. It ran a few meters and then sat down. It was the largest urial I had ever hunted. Many thanks to the organizers and gamekeepers of the "Hutalon" company for the rich, vivid, and successful hunt.

This was an intriguing hunt. After sighting our weapons, we drove 15 kilometers by car to a small village. There we switched to horses and began descending into the bed of a shallow river. After an hour and a half of riding, we reached an altitude of 2225 meters above sea level. We left the horses behind and continued on foot. The gamekeepers suspected that a herd of markhor should inhabit these areas. And indeed it was so. After covering just 400 meters, we took up an observation position at an altitude of 2236 meters, where we spotted two small groups. One of them included the old trophy male markhor that caught our interest. The distance was 453 meters. The first shot hit the target accurately but did not stop the markhor. The enduring animal moved away 550 meters. I made a second shot at this distance. Everyone clearly saw the second hit. But the markhor, without stopping, leaped another 20 meters and disappeared behind the ridge. We immediately set out in search of the wounded animal. The only way to reach it was along a narrow ridge. It was indeed an extreme approach. Dangerous cliffs were on both sides. We had to move very carefully, literally controlling every step. The markhor was behind the ridge. It was lying on the sheer cliffs two hundred meters away from me. A huge chasm separated us. It was evident that it was seriously wounded. I took aim and fired. The bullet hit the markhor again. It jumped up, ran a few meters, stopped... And then fell down from the cliff. We had to descend into the abyss to get the trophy. The organizers insisted that specially trained individuals would handle it. Several hours later, the trophy was brought to the riverbed. It was an elderly 12-year-old male. Despite the fall from a two-hundred-meter height, both horns were intact. Their length was 125 centimeters. Many thanks to the organizers and gamekeepers of the "Hutalon" company for the rich, vivid, and successful hunt.

I hunted for the Amur brown bear in the Khabarovsk Territory, in the area of the Kur river. The hunt was organised by Vadim Valentinovich Atroshchenko. Everything went very successfully; the bear was lured out for about an hour. I shot from a distance of two metres.

Film about this hunt After successfully taking the Bukhara markhor trophy, our team set off after lunch for the next trophy planned for this trip - the Bukhara urial. These animals are about 30% smaller in size than the markhor. The horns of male Bukhara urials can be up to 100 centimetres long. When we reached the gorge we quickly spotted a lone male of notable trophy qualities on one of the slopes. As we approached, the whole team got the impression that the male had no intention of leaving and was calmly grazing on the grass. The distance was 505 metres, but after making adjustments and aiming, I realised that shooting from that position was uncomfortable. I wouldn't be able to get a good shot from there. I changed my shooting position, made all the necessary calculations and adjustments. The new distance was 480 metres. The rifle was a .338 Lapua Magnum. I took the shot and it was a miss. The bullet flew a few centimetres above the urial and hit the rock behind it. It passed so close that it left a nick in the animal's fur. The male began to move along the gorge, then stopped and I shot again. Another miss. The second bullet went to the right of the urial. At a distance of 456 metres, the third bullet hit the target perfectly! When I analysed the shots, I understood the reasons for the misses. It was probably an error in measuring the distance. The rangefinder was not measuring the distance to the urial, but to the rock behind it. These few extra metres caused unnecessary vertical clicks. But experience teaches us well, and as I like to say, "Hurry up. There's no need to rush, it's better to check several times before you shoot. Nevertheless, the Bukhara Urial was taken. The shot went straight into the shoulder. The hunt was fast and comfortable. The weather was favorable and the landscape simple. Accommodation and food in the camp were of high quality. This type of hunt is perfect for bringing family or friends to relax, enjoy and contribute to conservation. Every trophy hunter plays a part in the conservation of wildlife. Thank you to the whole team for your coordinated and excellent work. The hunting farm is well maintained and it's evident that you care for the territory, protect the animals and maintain the population of these beautiful mountain ungulates. This was my first visit to Uzbekistan and I was delighted to get to know this country. I am confident that many more unforgettable experiences of real mountain hunting await us in the future!

It was a comfortable European hunt. We drove up, climbed a few hundred meters into the mountains, selected a trophy male, and brought it down with a single shot.

It was an excellent and very challenging hunt for the Markhor. After breaking my leg, it was difficult to move through the mountains. The 12 kilometers were tough, and the shot was taken at 688 meters. The Markhor fell into the ravine, and we were only able to get it at night.

Great hunt for Bukhara urial in Uzbekistan. Shot at 620 meters at sunset.

We started climbing at 4:00. The search took a long time. We covered 15 km during this hunt. The Markhor group was resting on the sunny side. We approached at a distance of 535 metres. There were 3 trophy males in the group. I waited for them to get up. After 10 minutes one of them stood up and it turned out to be the most outstanding trophy, with horns completing 3 full turns. The animal was taken down with a single shot - a precise hit to the heart. The markhor was 13 years old.

The weather was -10°C and it was snowing. We had to walk a lot. We covered about 10 kilometres before we spotted two males. We managed to get within 370 metres of them. I had to shoot from an uncomfortable position because the angle was +30°. The first shot fatally wounded the animal. Two hundred metres later I took Severtsov Argali. It was a 10-year-old male.

In Murghab they restricted my water intake and treated me with something. After a few days they brought me down. It took me a long time to find the film with the photos from that hunt. Other people had packed my things and not everything was found immediately. It was several years before they sent me the rolls of film and the Zenit camera with the telephoto lens I used at that time. I'm glad I was able to go down this difficult road. In those days, not many hunters knew about altitude sickness and I was lucky that I didn't delay my descent.

"TROPHY HUNTING IN KYRGYZSTAN. HUME'S ARGALI AND CENTRAL ASIAN CAPRICORN" — at this link you will find the film about this hunt. In November 2019 I returned to Kyrgyzstan for the second time. In January 2017 I hunted the Tian Shan Argali in the Kyrgyz mountains. In 2019 I returned for the Hume’s Argali and the Mid-Asian Ibex. The hunting was on horseback. We spent up to 8 hours a day in the saddle. We climbed up to 4200 metres in search of the ibexes. We finally found them at an altitude of 3680 metres. We managed to get within 335 metres of a small group of 6 males. I was able to harvest a magnificent trophy male with the first shot. It was a splendid specimen aged 9-10 years, with horn length of 110 cm. It was a challenging hunt. Low temperatures, high altitudes, lack of oxygen, long hikes and horse rides, and unpredictable weather made it a true test of skill and endurance.