capra-capra
AH member
October 17th till 25th hunt for Ibex and Siberian Roe Deer with Pro Hunt Kazakhstan - Camps Tastau in the Dzungarian Alatau and Karatastek. Tastau is 15 hour drive from almaty and Karatastek 2 hour drive from Almaty.
The journey began with a 14-hour flight from Brisbane to Doha, followed by a 13-hour layover, and then a 5-hour flight to Almaty. Finally, it culminated in a 15-hour drive to the base camp nestled in the Dzungarian Alatau, right on the border with China. Set at an altitude of 1,800 meters, our camp was surprisingly modern, complete with running hot water, a sauna, and a generator. From the moment I landed until I arrived at camp, I was greeted with open arms by Natalya and Maxim, the husband-and-wife team who run the operation.
The next morning, it was time to sight in my rifle. I managed to get it dialled in after six shots, though I wasted three due to my nerves. With the guides leading the way, I rode up to hunt camp at 2,100 meters and prepared to climb even higher. Admittedly, I forgot to take any horse-riding lessons beforehand, but there was no backing out now—I mounted my horse and set off into the mountains. Thankfully, it wasn’t as difficult as I’d feared; it turned out to be a fantastic experience.
I had five days of hunting ahead. Day one was a bust, with snowfall and fog blanketing the mountains, making it unsafe to venture out. On day two, we woke at 5 AM to a crisp morning and an impressive 30+ centimetres of fresh snow. After a ride up to 2,550 meters and a trek over a ridge, we spotted a few billies, including a 105 cm one, which I decided to pass up in hopes of finding a larger trophy. In the afternoon, we pushed to 2,600 meters, but my head started spinning from dehydration at 2,800 meters, prompting the guides to call off the hunt for the day.
On day three, we rode for three hours to a new location at 2,200 meters, where we spotted two nice billies in the 115 to 120 cm range. Unfortunately, the guide miscalculated our approach. If he had let me peek over the left ridge, I could have taken a shot at 50 meters, but instead, we ended up climbing higher. When a 350-meter opportunity arose, I was too exhausted to steady my aim and missed. The frustration was palpable—I knew we could have had a better chance if we’d taken a different route. We returned to camp after another gruelling three-hour ride, having seen only females and young ibex, though we did catch a glimpse of a small Maral bull.
On day four, we climbed back to 2,500 meters, but the ibex were higher than usual, over 3,000 meters, likely due to the early snowfall. We spotted a group of 20 billies along with a magnificent Maral bull. While we considered pursuing them, the terrain was precarious. After breakfast, we packed up camp and moved to a different location. That afternoon, everything changed—I successfully harvested my ibex at 300 meters at 2200m with a single shot. In that moment, I was the happiest man on the planet, yet a small part of me felt bittersweet, wishing for a larger billy.
As for the outfitter, Kazhym Jumaliev of Pro Hunt Kazakhstan runs operations in the Tastau region of the Dzungarian Alatau, covering an impressive 50,000 hectares. I chose to book directly with him, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. The entire experience, from the warm welcome at the airport to the farewell in Almaty, was exceptional. The guides worked tirelessly to help me succeed, and I am grateful to Kazhym, Almira, Feruza, Sergan, Farhat, Maxim, and Natalya for an unforgettable adventure. I’ll definitely be back for a Maral hunt!
I guess for my first OS hunt this was a big bite but i am glad i did it. I am upset i could not climb higher due to my headache and am still upset after coming back. I can only say to others to please drink lot of water stay hydrated and one foot front of the other and push on. Remember what you are there for and luxury is not one of them.
Not being able to do these hunts every year i plan to do Maral back at Tastau, Sayan ibex in Russia, and that will be my OS hunting concluded.
If you want to get in contact with the outiffiter , let me know and i can pass on their details. They take good ibex and Maral bulls and this season 2 ibex in the 140cm range and others 130 cm + ,Maral average 12 to 13kg with some over 14kg.
The journey began with a 14-hour flight from Brisbane to Doha, followed by a 13-hour layover, and then a 5-hour flight to Almaty. Finally, it culminated in a 15-hour drive to the base camp nestled in the Dzungarian Alatau, right on the border with China. Set at an altitude of 1,800 meters, our camp was surprisingly modern, complete with running hot water, a sauna, and a generator. From the moment I landed until I arrived at camp, I was greeted with open arms by Natalya and Maxim, the husband-and-wife team who run the operation.
The next morning, it was time to sight in my rifle. I managed to get it dialled in after six shots, though I wasted three due to my nerves. With the guides leading the way, I rode up to hunt camp at 2,100 meters and prepared to climb even higher. Admittedly, I forgot to take any horse-riding lessons beforehand, but there was no backing out now—I mounted my horse and set off into the mountains. Thankfully, it wasn’t as difficult as I’d feared; it turned out to be a fantastic experience.
I had five days of hunting ahead. Day one was a bust, with snowfall and fog blanketing the mountains, making it unsafe to venture out. On day two, we woke at 5 AM to a crisp morning and an impressive 30+ centimetres of fresh snow. After a ride up to 2,550 meters and a trek over a ridge, we spotted a few billies, including a 105 cm one, which I decided to pass up in hopes of finding a larger trophy. In the afternoon, we pushed to 2,600 meters, but my head started spinning from dehydration at 2,800 meters, prompting the guides to call off the hunt for the day.
On day three, we rode for three hours to a new location at 2,200 meters, where we spotted two nice billies in the 115 to 120 cm range. Unfortunately, the guide miscalculated our approach. If he had let me peek over the left ridge, I could have taken a shot at 50 meters, but instead, we ended up climbing higher. When a 350-meter opportunity arose, I was too exhausted to steady my aim and missed. The frustration was palpable—I knew we could have had a better chance if we’d taken a different route. We returned to camp after another gruelling three-hour ride, having seen only females and young ibex, though we did catch a glimpse of a small Maral bull.
On day four, we climbed back to 2,500 meters, but the ibex were higher than usual, over 3,000 meters, likely due to the early snowfall. We spotted a group of 20 billies along with a magnificent Maral bull. While we considered pursuing them, the terrain was precarious. After breakfast, we packed up camp and moved to a different location. That afternoon, everything changed—I successfully harvested my ibex at 300 meters at 2200m with a single shot. In that moment, I was the happiest man on the planet, yet a small part of me felt bittersweet, wishing for a larger billy.
As for the outfitter, Kazhym Jumaliev of Pro Hunt Kazakhstan runs operations in the Tastau region of the Dzungarian Alatau, covering an impressive 50,000 hectares. I chose to book directly with him, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. The entire experience, from the warm welcome at the airport to the farewell in Almaty, was exceptional. The guides worked tirelessly to help me succeed, and I am grateful to Kazhym, Almira, Feruza, Sergan, Farhat, Maxim, and Natalya for an unforgettable adventure. I’ll definitely be back for a Maral hunt!
I guess for my first OS hunt this was a big bite but i am glad i did it. I am upset i could not climb higher due to my headache and am still upset after coming back. I can only say to others to please drink lot of water stay hydrated and one foot front of the other and push on. Remember what you are there for and luxury is not one of them.
Not being able to do these hunts every year i plan to do Maral back at Tastau, Sayan ibex in Russia, and that will be my OS hunting concluded.
If you want to get in contact with the outiffiter , let me know and i can pass on their details. They take good ibex and Maral bulls and this season 2 ibex in the 140cm range and others 130 cm + ,Maral average 12 to 13kg with some over 14kg.
Last edited:
