Let's talk Ibex hunting

[Green Chile]

Yours is a good example of what is possible with pre-scouting and local knowledge, especially with rifle. I think it would be interesting to have some drone footage of that area as the terrain is pretty amazing...all around is flat desert and then it gets nasty quickly! The scale is hard to understand in this photo...those cliffs are huge. One of the big questions in hunting this area is can you recover the goat after you shoot it? It would be devastating to lose the animal afterwards and it definitely happens every year.

 

[BOSSGobbler]

Yours is a good example of what is possible with pre-scouting and local knowledge, especially with rifle. I think it would be interesting to have some drone footage of that area as the terrain is pretty amazing...all around is flat desert and then it gets nasty quickly! The scale is hard to understand in this photo...those cliffs are huge.

View attachment 630485

It pretty incredible to see the goat simply go straight up a rock face for sure. You are looking at them thinking "how in the world is that possible"....

 

[LivingTheDream]

I've wondered the same thing and just sent a booking agent friend that question. He hunts sheep and sells sheep hunts and should have some ideas on it. I have seen Marco Polo sheep hunts around 35k lately. What are you seeing?

35 to 37 in Kyrgyzstan and 45 in Tajikistan

I think they are cheaper because of the "stan factor". But they have been in this price range for years, where NA sheep have gone up. I can't believe I am going to say this but I think they do a better job managing their sheep. They adjust permits pretty much every year and there is fewer sheep hunted in general.

Also, and just saying and anyone should be aware when hunting Argali, they have had issues getting them imported in the past, though I heard that is breaking free some. But something to keep in mind.

 

[LivingTheDream]

From all accounts I’ve heard the Marco Polo (and Mid-Asian Ibex) are very plentiful and you can expect to see 2000+ animals over a 10 day hunt.

In Tajikistan yes, in Kyrgyzstan no. Different hunting styles at different times of the year.

 

[Green Chile]

The sheep in Asia are doing MUCH better than say Dalls in Alaska. You will see hundreds of sheep a day in some parts of Asia. Argali (not ibex) require a CITES permit as well as other specialized paperwork. I would be sure your outfitter is well versed on the process with a good track record.

I've heard there are considerable differences in hunting Tajik vs Kyrgyz areas. A lot of the Tajik hunts are kind of a high volume operation. Also the elevation in Tajik can be quite a bit higher than Kyrgyz....4-5k higher.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Argali (not ibex) require a CITES permit as well as other specialized paperwork. I would be sure your outfitter is well versed on the process with a good track record.

The biggest hold up on this was USFW I believe. But you are correct to go with an experience outfitter.

Everything you said is spot on. The more I am hearing about NA sheep the more concerned I am.

 

[Green Chile]

The biggest hold up on this was USFW I believe. But you are correct to go with an experience outfitter.

Everything you said is spot on. The more I am hearing about NA sheep the more concerned I am.

My understanding from booking agents in the US is that the permits holdup has been with USFWS. The hunters I've talked with are told they will get their permits but one of the countries (can't remember which one) submitted a 500 page document that is being translated to English, which is part of the hold up on the US side.

 

[LivingTheDream]

My understanding from booking agents in the US is that the permits holdup has been with USFWS. The hunters I've talked with are told they will get their permits but one of the countries (can't remember which one) submitted a 500 page document that is being translated to English, which is part of the hold up on the US side.

That sounds like a convenient excuse. No translator, Google or ChatGPT. You gotta love the government.

 

[mark-hunter]

and the score above gold medal baseline cost him an additional 12K USD

Red leg, would you happen to know what was the final CIC score for this roe buck?