Tajikistan Pamir Ibex Story

Joined
Feb 28, 2021
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765
Hard to capture the totality of an experience like this but I’ll do my best to describe the meat and potatoes. I was going for adventure which to me meant elevation/Mtns and a unique species to chase. The travel is as brutal as everyone talks about, the flights were the easy part with about 22hrs of flight time, the truly hard part was then getting in a car for 18-19hrs with poor road conditions that prevent you from sleeping because you’re bouncing around so much. We narrowly missed a rock slide by truly seconds and ended up rolling a truck in a snowstorm, like everything we all do the travel is the most dangerous part.IMG_3483.jpeg IMG_3322.jpegCamp was at 13.4k ft and after a headache the first evening my body settled in and I felt better and stronger each day. Most of the hunting was done between 14-15k ft and at some point you get used it. These critters were more more turned on than anything I’ve ever hunted, their eyes were incredible and I got pegged at 600yds just by popping my head from behind a boulder, it was humbling. Expect long shots, getting inside 400 isn’t easy with so little cover. The one I took was part of a big group that busted us crawling in a dry creek 400 yds away and ran up the cliff but stopped and I ended up shooting at 200yds. I of course wanted the biggest one I could find but after some failed stalks where the guides pushed animals and were too aggressive with bad wind I wasn’t going to get too picky and picked the first mature animal out of the group. It was an incredible experience but not for everyone, you have to be willing to go with the flow and recognize you can’t control much and you’re in their world, be ready to shoot long distance and enjoy high altitude mountain hunting. That being said I’m looking forward to my next adventure, Azerbaijan, Nepal, etc
 

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adamkolesar

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 9, 2019
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252
Location
Adirondacks
I just got back from Nepal. You're absolutely right about "going w/ the flow" on these hunts. It's all about the unspoken language all hunters speak. You have to be willing to shift expectations at a moment's notice. Congrats. Looked to be an incredible adventure.
 
OP
Sierra Hunter
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Messages
765
what an adventure. Do you have any details on the cat? Is it domesticated??
No but it was younger, they said she was about 3 and had been recently captured after attacking livestock. They had a really cool facility to rehab them and get them back (or so they say) but she was mellow enough for me to get in there with her. They had two others that they said would never allow a person in their space.
 

RC_

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 24, 2020
Messages
101
Epic hunt! Beautiful animal and country. Curious, what cartridge did you use?
 
OP
Sierra Hunter
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Feb 28, 2021
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He was super mellow and was brought in for an older hunter in camp so I didn’t ride him but he didn’t have the greatest footing and laid down after a day of walking around. Obviously who knows his conditioning but I wasn’t impressed.
I’ve read the yaks are the true go anywhere mount and put a horse to shame
 
OP
Sierra Hunter
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Messages
765
Epic hunt! Beautiful animal and country. Curious, what cartridge did you use?
Thank you! Ran a tikka 300 WM I put together this year with the good folks here on the slide, one shot with 200grains and it was sealed.
 
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McCrapper

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
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150
Thanks for sharing. The travel sounds wilder than the hunt. How long were you gone?


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