Just got back from a mid Asian Ibex hunt in Kyrgyzstan. What an amazing adventure. I hunted with Global Safari Azerbaijan and had an excellent hunt. We were met in the VIP lounge at the Bishkek airport early in the AM and using the VIP service made getting ourselves and guns thru customs a breeze. It’s well worth the extra money.
From the airport we drove about 4.5 hrs to Naryn where we stopped for the night. Even though we arrived in Naryn around noon this is where we got some food and rest before the 6 hr drive to camp the next day. At camp we stayed in a nice house that had a sauna, soft beds, warmth, and good food. Each morning the guides would be up early preparing the horses and taking them to the trail head. We would hop in a car and they would be at the trail head waiting for us. We didn’t start early but waited till 7:30 or so before heading out each morning.
The 1st day we rode 19 miles on some amazing horses in the most spectacular mountain range I have seen. We saw many different groups of ibex but all far off in the distance. Towards the end of the day we found a group of 4 with 2 shooters. It took some time to figure out which one to shoot but we eventually got there and I had all the time in the world to set up but missed a chip shot at 360 yards on a real nice ibex. Not sure what happened but my best guess is I didn’t set up the rest well enough and yanked the shot high with the trigger pull. Only one of the guides spoke a little English and this did prove difficult in basic communications. After my 1st shot the guide was telling me to shoot again and I lined up on what I thought was the same animal. Well, that was a bad decision as I pulled the trigger and ended up killing one of the smaller billies.
These Ibex are beautiful animals and I was happy with the one I had shot. As I had said he wasn't the biggest but he looked dang nice to me. The guides weren't thrilled with what occurred but I wish I hadn't pulled the trigger the 2nd time as I made the assumption that the animals didn't move positions but they had and nobody told me. In any event I got a beautiful trophy.
The next day was spent exploring around camp as my buddy was out hunting for Ibex. He also had a Marco Polo tag and ended up killing a real nice Ibex and a beautiful Marco Polo in the span of a few days. We were able to spend a couple of days in Naryn and a couple in Bishkek exploring the towns. The people are friendly and live a simple life. Unfortunately we had to leave our Ibex there as the government officials who manage the paperwork were not in place to provide the needed documents. So anyone heading over there this year won't be able to bring their trophies back unless the department gets their act together and puts someone in the position to provide the proper paperwork.
Tips if you are heading over:
- It's cold, real cold, so dress warm
- Bring extra batteries
- Bring a soft gun case with a sling
- Diamox for altitude sickness and a prescription of antibiotic for stomach issues
- Be prepared to ride up to 20 miles a day
- Bring small gifts like t shirts or knives for the guides when you arrive. They love these small tokens of appreciation.
- If you aren't sure which one to shoot don't shoot and don't let them pressure you into shooting
- Have fun and roll with the punches
From the airport we drove about 4.5 hrs to Naryn where we stopped for the night. Even though we arrived in Naryn around noon this is where we got some food and rest before the 6 hr drive to camp the next day. At camp we stayed in a nice house that had a sauna, soft beds, warmth, and good food. Each morning the guides would be up early preparing the horses and taking them to the trail head. We would hop in a car and they would be at the trail head waiting for us. We didn’t start early but waited till 7:30 or so before heading out each morning.
The 1st day we rode 19 miles on some amazing horses in the most spectacular mountain range I have seen. We saw many different groups of ibex but all far off in the distance. Towards the end of the day we found a group of 4 with 2 shooters. It took some time to figure out which one to shoot but we eventually got there and I had all the time in the world to set up but missed a chip shot at 360 yards on a real nice ibex. Not sure what happened but my best guess is I didn’t set up the rest well enough and yanked the shot high with the trigger pull. Only one of the guides spoke a little English and this did prove difficult in basic communications. After my 1st shot the guide was telling me to shoot again and I lined up on what I thought was the same animal. Well, that was a bad decision as I pulled the trigger and ended up killing one of the smaller billies.
These Ibex are beautiful animals and I was happy with the one I had shot. As I had said he wasn't the biggest but he looked dang nice to me. The guides weren't thrilled with what occurred but I wish I hadn't pulled the trigger the 2nd time as I made the assumption that the animals didn't move positions but they had and nobody told me. In any event I got a beautiful trophy.
The next day was spent exploring around camp as my buddy was out hunting for Ibex. He also had a Marco Polo tag and ended up killing a real nice Ibex and a beautiful Marco Polo in the span of a few days. We were able to spend a couple of days in Naryn and a couple in Bishkek exploring the towns. The people are friendly and live a simple life. Unfortunately we had to leave our Ibex there as the government officials who manage the paperwork were not in place to provide the needed documents. So anyone heading over there this year won't be able to bring their trophies back unless the department gets their act together and puts someone in the position to provide the proper paperwork.
Tips if you are heading over:
- It's cold, real cold, so dress warm
- Bring extra batteries
- Bring a soft gun case with a sling
- Diamox for altitude sickness and a prescription of antibiotic for stomach issues
- Be prepared to ride up to 20 miles a day
- Bring small gifts like t shirts or knives for the guides when you arrive. They love these small tokens of appreciation.
- If you aren't sure which one to shoot don't shoot and don't let them pressure you into shooting
- Have fun and roll with the punches
