Kamchatka Moose Hunt - 2022

[fourfive8]

Thank goodness I never had the itch to hunt stuff that could otherwise be hunted in USA particularly AK. Now, you'd couldn't pay me to go to Russia for any reason. I guess the appeal for hunting there is/was for the wanderlust of a different adventure??? Riding around to hunt areas via helicopter in a country with altogether different hunting laws (ethical or not) was likewise never a draw for me. Nor was camping with loud, obnoxious Russians with baritone voices chugging Vodka and feinting comradeship while grunting "comrade" this, that or the other. Nope, no interest. But having said that, hope those involved in hunts with paid deposits get that money back.

My only knowledge of that part of the world is from visiting with Alaska natives about occasionally going there to visit their distant native cousins in Russia. I imagine that cultural exchange program is dead for the foreseeable future. I also worked with a fellow who went to Siberia on contract to trap and radio tag Siberian Tigers. I believe that program was sponsored and funded by one of the private international conservation outfits. I imagine the Russian government has little interest in conservation for much of anything, including Tigers, for any purpose other than show or grant money or hunting residuals. I also believe the locals in Siberia have little in common with those living in the more populated areas of Russia. According to my co-worker who lived with them during that work, those people are extremely poor with little to no support from the central gov in Moscow. They were very kind and friendly to him and pro-USA in general.

 

[Waldo2382]

I got a hold of the agent i was using for the Russia hunt and fortunately, they are very willing to work with me on other locations there are bird hunts, either Azerbaijan or Latvia. Anyway, it’s nice to know i have options. I was looking at the Azerbaijan for a duck hunt, but i guess it’s been closed for the last 2 years (the duck hunting) due to COVID and is expected to reopen this year. Fingers crossed for February/March

 

[Red Leg]

Can't imagine that sport hunting travel to Russia will sort itself out for a very long time. Naturally, our hunts are paid in full - settled up at DSC just before the Covid catastrophe. It was rolled forward twice during the pandemic and now we have a war and Russia on a list that looks a lot like North Korea. I am confident that I'll never see that hunt.

 

[WAB]

Sorry, but I have to agree with you. Unless Ukraine has a drastic change of heart on a compromise, which is highly unlikely, this war is going to last a long time. I suspect that the Russian hunting industry will have to be rebuilt from scratch. I suspect that more than a few guides may be on the casualty list.

Think about an interior grizzly hunt in Alaska. They are smaller but a far more beautiful and interesting quarry than the coastal bears. They also tend to have a much worse attitude. The hunt is much less expensive than a coastal hunt.

 

[fourfive8]

Who knows about the future of hunting in Russia or about the US based companies involved in it? I do know some US outfitters and guides and outfitters and PHs in Africa who would just as soon not have to deal with Russians. While we may call them oligarchs, many can be viewed as simply mafioso who don't speak Italian. A situation develops in dealing with them where once they get their claws into you, you can't extract yourself. Those big money elements in Russia are extremely powerful and can be very intimidating, with world-wide influence and strings. One outfitter in AK relayed a story to me about taking Russian hunters one time- for really good money and tips of course, then spending rears trying go to get rid of them. Then a few years ago an outfitter in Africa told me a very similar story about having trouble shedding themselves of Russian clients. No thanks.

 

[DAK]

Anyone have any updates on Kamchatka moose or bear hunts? Met an outfitter today at the NRA show who said the past year he’s done several hunts with Americans without issues but I’m trying to find some unbiased experiences. Thanks in advance!

 

[375Fox]

Anyone have any updates on Kamchatka moose or bear hunts? Met an outfitter today at the NRA show who said the past year he’s done several hunts with Americans without issues but I’m trying to find some unbiased experiences. Thanks in advance!

Look at the hunt reports section. There is a very recent and very interesting report.

 

[DAK]

Look at the hunt reports section. There is a very recent and very interesting report.

Awesome man, will do, thanks!

 

[DAK]

Man, quite the adventure and escapade! Sounds like a pass for me…

Look at the hunt reports section. There is a very recent and very interesting report.

 

[Mark Audino]

I just returned from personally hunting brown bear on the Kamchatka Peninsula (late April-early May 2024). Fears are logical but the outcome of news headlines rather than reality on the ground. Summarily, the people were genuinely happy to see us - from Immigration and Customs officials and local people at every stage of our trip. I think just being there indicated that we believed in their hospitality and humanity.

The right procedures enabled us to take our own guns and ammo. Bears everywhere. Our Itelmen guides, similar in appearance to Alaskan Eskimos and the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic, were among the most instinctive and hardest-working guides I have ever encountered. In all, 11 bears were taken, all squaring 10' or better, with 2 tripping over 11' square. Going back to Kamchatka for snow sheep in August and Moose in December.

 

[Tanks]

The only issue I have with a Russian hunt is that they might decide that they need more American hostages and arrest more people.

 

[Foxi]

I just returned from personally hunting brown bear on the Kamchatka Peninsula (late April-early May 2024). Fears are logical but the outcome of news headlines rather than reality on the ground. Summarily, the people were genuinely happy to see us - from Immigration and Customs officials and local people at every stage of our trip. I think just being there indicated that we believed in their hospitality and humanity.

The right procedures enabled us to take our own guns and ammo. Bears everywhere. Our Itelmen guides, similar in appearance to Alaskan Eskimos and the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic, were among the most instinctive and hardest-working guides I have ever encountered. In all, 11 bears were taken, all squaring 10' or better, with 2 tripping over 11' square. Going back to Kamchatka for snow sheep in August and Moose in December.

Please tell us more about the organisational aspects,;which airports were used?
Which line?
How is it possible to take your own weapons to a country that is on the Western embargo list?
(also as pm)
In the EU this makes you liable to prosecution, but not in the USA?
To which country did you have to transfer the money, or did you take it in cash?
I know that Profi Hunt/Moscow ,pretends and says that everything is above board and almost completely normal, so it's logical that a chef praises his own menu.
But a travel agent with us advised me to stay away from it.
Reasons:
Spare parts and maintenance of domestic aeroplanes do not inspire confidence.
Because of the embargo, many planes are on the ground and are/can't be serviced.
It takes almost 10 hours to fly from Moscow to Petropavlovsk.
It is currently not possible to transfer money from an EU country to Russia, either take it with you or transfer it to an account in Dubai or similar.
It can also happen that you (me as a German and EU+nuclear member) get punched in the nose by a disgruntled Russian, because the Russian pop propaganda claims that German soldiers are fighting against Russia again.what nonsense, but what do you want to do against propaganda, where all media are state-owned.
Will the trophies really come back one day? do you have any experience from your circle of friends (not from Proi Hunt)?
All these considerations do not contribute to building trust (to put it mildly)
It is true that the offices still issue visas for Russia and you can fly to Moscow via Istanbul, for example.
For me, I have unfortunately buried the dream of hunting in Russia.
I admire your willingness to take risks.


Foxi

 

[deewayne2003]

The only issue I have with a Russian hunt is that they might decide that they need more American hostages and arrest more people.

To each his own on the risk vs reward calculations; however I'd still rather go to Russia than Mexico.

 

[JimP]

To each his own on the risk vs reward calculations; however I'd still rather go to Russia than Mexico.

Personally right now I wouldn't go to either.

A moose or bear hunt just isn't that important.

 

[Tanks]

To each his own on the risk vs reward calculations; however I'd still rather go to Russia than Mexico.

I quit going to Mexico for vacation about a decade ago. I used to do the yearly Newport to Ensenada sailboat race until a few years ago and quit doing that as well after an incident at Ensenada.