With the ever increasing price of a North American Sheep hunt, where are the best values internationally?

[Northern Safari]

Wasn't the Tur hunt shut down in Azerbaijan due to COVID? Wonder why it hasn't reopened since.

 

[Aoudaddy]

I just return from an ibex/chamois hunt from Russia. Everything went extremely smooth getting rifles through customs & had no problem. It just takes time and need to have the right paperwork. It’s a must to have the right outfitter there to help through the process. Absolutely no way you can get through it yourself.
The hunt went great with three hunters, taking Ibex the first day all very respectable older age class trophies. My buddy shot his chamois on the second day a very nice nine-year-old..
We had put this hunt off for several years because of the conflict and I’ve known several people hunting there with no issues. There was absolutely no sign a war was happening. Plenty of tourists & business as usual.
Tur hunts are my favorite of all mountain hunts. The Dagestan hunts are closed in Azerbaijan & North Osetia (where I took my first) but are open in the Dagestan region of Russia boarding AZ. My outfitter says there have had great luck on good trophies.
I’ve secured a Sayan ibex & Kuban tur hunt for the Washington WSF banquet auction in March. I wouldn’t consider these donations unless I was 100% confident in the safety of travel.
My buddy & I are booked back next year for snow sheep.

Would you be willing to share the outfitter via DM?

 

[Aoudaddy]

Wasn't the Tur hunt shut down in Azerbaijan due to COVID? Wonder why it hasn't reopened since.

Yes it shut down during covid

 

[Starbailey]

It was shut down during covid, but not because of covid. It was my understanding there was internal waring going on between several different groups.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

It was shut down during covid, but not because of covid. It was my understanding there was internal waring going on between several different groups.

That’s what I’ve heard as well and my commentary above about issues in the overall region/russian side was related to this, not the larger global conflict.

 

[Villreinjeger]

When seeing prices on sheep hunts, Insee they are not for me. But that doesn’t concern me, as I have found my heaven: New Zealand alps.
They offer solenoid the worlds best hunting, for Tahr and Chamois in pristine wilderness. True backpack-hunts is the way to go, it is the wildest and best experience you can have! It is not for everyone, so you need to be fit, and the weather can be hell, so hounded to have a good head too. I did my first Tahr hunt 26 yrs ago, my last in 2024. I prefer DIY hunt, but a guide is the ticket for success. It is very hard on your own.
Some guides offer helihunting, or heli assisted trophy collecting. They literally fly around till they find a promising bull, put you on the ground and often herd the bull towards you,,., the practice should be banned but isn’t. That is what they do for the guys not beeing able to climb the hills…
I reckon it should be banned as everything is not for everyone! Do the real deal!

A descent option is to be flown in to a hut for a week. Only transport in-out Then a pick up after a week or so. Done that a few times. Gives you more hunting time, as it takes a day or two to walk into the prime areas. You still do BIG days!
I usually walk in half of the time, adds to the achievement and saves me the money, you can pull off a 14 trip, 7 days hunting DIY hunt down there for about 3500USD, all total…

These guys used a guide, which I highly recommend, at least the first few times. It is a new game, new environment aso. Takes some time to adjust!

 

[medvedyt]

chamois and tahr are certainly great hunts but they are not sheep ... you can still find in free range sheep in europe but you have to work and make your language skills as some guides do not speak that much english ...

i do loved my chamois hunts in europe for sure.

 

[C07pernice]

Can someone point me in the direction of a Spain ibex hunt for under 5k like a few guys have mentioned in here, where what outfitter etc?

 

[medvedyt]

Can someone point me in the direction of a Spain ibex hunt for under 5k like a few guys have mentioned in here, where what outfitter etc?

ibex for that amount will not be a trophy male but more a cull hunt.

 

[Northern Safari]

Someone needs to send NZ some invasive Dall Sheep.

 

[medvedyt]

Someone needs to send NZ some invasive Dall Sheep.

i think those days of invasise species are long gone. i still do not get why they did not put dall, snow and ibex there ... but again it is over now ...

 

[WBT]

Can someone point me in the direction of a Spain ibex hunt for under 5k like a few guys have mentioned in here, where what outfitter etc?

Just sent you a message.

 

[Te Hopo]

Someone needs to send NZ some invasive Dall Sheep.

We do have some impressive sheep like the Arapawa rams but wild herds are very scarce, most of them are on game farms

 

[Samson7x]

When seeing prices on sheep hunts, Insee they are not for me. But that doesn’t concern me, as I have found my heaven: New Zealand alps.
They offer solenoid the worlds best hunting, for Tahr and Chamois in pristine wilderness. True backpack-hunts is the way to go, it is the wildest and best experience you can have! It is not for everyone, so you need to be fit, and the weather can be hell, so hounded to have a good head too. I did my first Tahr hunt 26 yrs ago, my last in 2024. I prefer DIY hunt, but a guide is the ticket for success. It is very hard on your own.
Some guides offer helihunting, or heli assisted trophy collecting. They literally fly around till they find a promising bull, put you on the ground and often herd the bull towards you,,., the practice should be banned but isn’t. That is what they do for the guys not beeing able to climb the hills…
I reckon it should be banned as everything is not for everyone! Do the real deal!

A descent option is to be flown in to a hut for a week. Only transport in-out Then a pick up after a week or so. Done that a few times. Gives you more hunting time, as it takes a day or two to walk into the prime areas. You still do BIG days!
I usually walk in half of the time, adds to the achievement and saves me the money, you can pull off a 14 trip, 7 days hunting DIY hunt down there for about 3500USD, all total…

These guys used a guide, which I highly recommend, at least the first few times. It is a new game, new environment aso. Takes some time to adjust!

Do you have any recommendations for guides?

 

[Spiral Horn]

A Mouflon, Ibex and Chamois combo sounds like it would make for a great hunt.

Here's an example of a Bronze Iberian Mouflon:
View attachment 848014

Those are clearly beyond Bronze-level Mouflon. If someone booked a Bronze-level Hunt with the expectation of taking that class of animal they’d likely end up rather disappointed.

Everybody gets to set their own hunting goals - often heavily influenced by budget and time. If pursuing Slams, etc, especially under the European System, the $ difference between mature-representative and outstanding trophy animals can often be staggering.

I’ve done it myself - have all the Spanish Ibex, Chamois, and Mouflon - all free-range. Only my Gredos Ibex and Mouflon were outstanding animals. While all the hunts were fun and rewarding in their own way (I love Spain and its people), in hindsight, I find hunts focused on trophy class / fully-mature animals (open to taking the best animal we can find) more exciting, challenging, and the success a bit sweeter. Also notice that I wear a contented grin and guests more deeply admire my mounts of fully-mature specimens that display the full majesty of the species. I’ve been blessed with a few along the way.

So, these are choices. Chasing slams can lead to sacrificing trophy quality or hunting in less-prime areas in pursuit of the species count. Nothing wrong with that if filling the species list is the goal. At this point my goals more precisely focused on specific species or adventures I’d like to experience.

 

[medvedyt]

here are few photos to show you what are bronze medals european sheep.

here is the cic specification sheet:

European Mouflon

The CIC UK Trophy Evaluation Board (TEB) is the only organisation authorised to offer a service to estate owners, deer managers, stalkers and hunters to measure deer antlers and other trophies in accordance with CIC rules.

www.cicukteb.com

1st picture:
Large 76cm mouflon trophy with 190,5 CIC points. Bronze medal (included) . Horns length: 76 and 75cm

and the next pictures are from a bronze medal one as well.