2026 Kyrgyzstan Ibex Hunt?

[Rwolf]

For those of you that have gone or are doing the research, what would the total hunt for an ibex cost?

 

[Northern Safari]

Anyone having second thoughts about a Mid-Asian hunt now with the recent downing of that Azerbaijan Commercial jet?

 

[awhit13]

I’m in. I’ve already started a spreadsheet of outfitters and prices if anyone is interested.

I’m interested in this spreadsheet if you don’t mind sharing. I’m looking at a hunt for 26

 

[jacobfcollins1979]

Anyone having second thoughts about a Mid-Asian hunt now with the recent downing of that Azerbaijan Commercial jet?

I saw something but didn't pay too much attention - I head over September of 2025 so have a bit. But should be flying through Turkey.

 

[LonghairDontcare]

I’m interested in this spreadsheet if you don’t mind sharing. I’m looking at a hunt for 26

Me and another guy on here booked a while back and the pricing spreadsheet turned into my pack list spreadsheet. Ballpark you're 9k-14 for the hunt. Most cost is going to be based on proximity to hunting grounds and if they do or don't charge trophy fees.

 

[snider6464]

I have been a handful of times. It is the best mountain hunt for the money. The first time I went with Asif (Global safaris Azerbaijan). Was a great hunt, and was able to connect with a few locals. Ever since then I have gone direct with local outfitters. Pretty much all the "outfitters" online are just hunt broker/ resellers. They make it easy on the mind by talking to a western/ English speaking salesman. But other than that your still at the whims of the local guides/ outfit.
The northern region is usually the cheapest and easiest hunting, but smaller ibex (most common hunting area). If you are in for a real adventure the far eastern areas on the China boarder have the largest ibex and some of the steeper or more condensed mountains.
Every time is different with its own obstacles, but if you go into it with a "bend with the wind" attitude you'll love it.
Most of the hunts range between 6k-10k. So you'll spend 9-14k in total. What really has changed is the Kyrgyzstan governments way of issuing cite permits. In the past it has taken 24hours so we could bring trophies home in our luggage. But now it has been taking 2 weeks. They just launched a new website to issue them. So hopefully that resolves the issues. The trophies from our groups this year just hit the USA. The cost of export and shipping was 600$, importer (we use trophy shippers) was $1,400, then a USDA taxidermist charged us $550, then shipping from Houston to Colorado was another $200. So a large portion of the costs were getting the trophies home.
Kyrgyzstan evaluates each area individually and rotates closures for hunting. But locals always have a neighboring area to hunt so don't worry about that. There is some push from the bigger city people, just like everywhere, to end hunting all together. But the small villages have no industry and depend on hunting as a main source of income.
Happy to answer any questions I can. But if you go remember that asia hunting is a different world. It will be nothing like a high dollar Alaskan sheep hunt.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

So legit question… with current state of middle eastern affairs and consensus towards USA..
You guys not worried about being over there ?

Nope. I spent a decade living and travelling outside of the USA and never had a single problem. If anything I had the opposite of problems, there’s lots of good folks in the world.

 

[alaska_bou]

In the past it has taken 24hours so we could bring trophies home in our luggage. But now it has been taking 2 weeks. They just launched a new website to issue them. So hopefully that resolves the issues. The trophies from our groups this year just hit the USA. The cost of export and shipping was 600$, importer (we use trophy shippers) was $1,400, then a USDA taxidermist charged us $550, then shipping from Houston to Colorado was another $200. So a large portion of the costs were getting the trophies home.

Good outfitters there can still get a cites in a single day and fly home to let their clients fly home with the trophy in checked luggage. All of my 2024 groups did so with zero issues.

My experience with Trophy Shippers in Chicago was absolutely horrible. They didn't know how to clear a leopard which sat and accumulated storage fees until they figured their own business out, and they didn't know how to comply with basic confirmations for trophy shipments from another airline which added $$$ the outfitter had to pay for to reschedule shipments on three occasions. They outsource the actual trophy clearing process and they ended up charging me 10x the actual domestic shipping rate. The best import broker in the USA, IMO, is Maria at Hunter International outside San Francisco, and I have used quite a few of them.

 

[Rwolf]

I’m interested in going with a group if someone is putting a trip together.

 

[snider6464]

Alaska_bou I'll definitely check out Maria. Trophy Shippers definitely did not treat us right. I had tons of issues with Gallagher Transport in the past also. I hope one will be decent eventually!

As far as the cite permits being issued in one day, I was not aware of anyone getting them that quick this year. But I hope everyone will be able to in the future, because dealing with importers and the whole process is expensive and time consuming.

 

[bascott1]

So legit question… with current state of middle eastern affairs and consensus towards USA..
You guys not worried about being over there ?

I got that question a ton when I first started planning. Went right after the Afghanistan withdrawal. Most people let the media and lies influence them. Don’t worry about it and go if it’s something you wanna do. I felt safer in Kyrgyzstan than I do in major metropolitan cities.

 

[JasonM]

I’m interested in going with a group if someone is putting a trip together.

I’d definitely be interested in going as well and I got a buddy that would likely go as well.

 

[idig4au]

Lived in Kyrgyzstan for 8 years and traveled extensively through the region. Zero issues or concern. It’s a great part of the world. As mentioned by others a lot of good people about. Don’t let politics or media narratives persuade you otherwise.

 

[aussiehunter]

Do not want to start a political argument but people from western countries ( i live in one ) are way to glued to what the media tells them. What the media says it is 99.7% the opposite. When i was getting my paperwork to travel with my firearm to Kazakhstan, the guy in australia said " good luck , i hope they do not arrest you, without knowing a single thing about kazakhatan ".... Only country i would be hesitant on is Iran, rest i would go with ease.

 

[ozyclint]

Do not want to start a political argument but people from western countries ( i live in one ) are way to glued to what the media tells them. What the media says it is 99.7% the opposite. When i was getting my paperwork to travel with my firearm to Kazakhstan, the guy in australia said " good luck , i hope they do not arrest you, without knowing a single thing about kazakhatan ".... Only country i would be hesitant on is Iran, rest i would go with ease.

Sadly that's the attitude you get when returning to Australia.

I declared my recurve bow once and then the lady proceeds to ask me if it's a crossbow.

That's like saying you have a gun to declare and getting asked if it's a rocket launcher.

Total ignorance

 

[LonghairDontcare]

A lot of people ask for my spreadsheet but the info got written over as I’m now in the packing phase. TLDR version is You’re going to be ballpark 9k-12k. If the company is based in the USA you’re at the top end. If they’re based in Asia and you’re fine with communicating over what’s app, the lower end. As long as you can shoot 3-400 yards, you’re going to bang a ram. You’re going to spend anywhere from 8-16 hours getting to wherever their concession is. You won’t be able to take your trophies home on the return flight (permits, time on salt, etc etc). Is it possible sure, but paying for them to come home later is cheaper than the rush permit fees, extra time on salt, and hotel add ons, etc. is what every outfitter who lives in Asia has told me. Two of us on here are booked for 27’. I vetted about 8 outfits in Kyrg only. I’m sure someone is going to say I’m wrong about something so let me preface that response with a pre-emptive “ok.”

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Call the USFWS and see if you can do your own paperwork for the CITES tag.

That would be my answer.

Foreign agents and outfitters will save you some money. But if you are importing your goat to the US the rules are strange.

As I understand it, Ibex is not a CITES animal and you can fly home with it. Argali is another matter.

 

[LonghairDontcare]

As I understand it, Ibex is not a CITES animal and you can fly home with it. Argali is another matter.

Correct. You “can” fly home with it. That’s After you rush your guide to get you back to Bishkek to put the cape on salt to dry it out and push him to turn around paperwork where he has to push a government official and you sit in a hotel room and stress about it all to bring it home to break even money wise and miss more work and never hear the end of it from your wife.

Let me know how that goes for you guys who go that route.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

I'll be enjoying Bishkek, my money is on nobody from work is gonna say Sh!t.

 

[LonghairDontcare]

I'll be enjoying Bishkek, my money is on nobody from work is gonna say Sh!t.

Do it if you can. Cool city from everyone has told me. Word of caution from some guys I met who just got back; they hung around 4 extra days and the hides were under 50lbs of salt and still weren’t close enough to chalk dry due to the humidity of the city. They left them there because they did not want to risk FWS rejecting them. $500 for the rush paperwork and 5 days of hotels and meals to maybe get it on my flight to save $200 isn’t worth it to me. I’m planning on taking my time off in Istanbul on the layover for three days.