Kyrgyzstan Hunting and Extortion

[capra-capra]

I just had a friend hunt Slovenia, 10 days and no Ibex. Didn't even see one, had 10 to 15 spotters every day.

Woww that is pretty bad fell sorry for him. Who did he hunt with?

 

[wesheltonj]

The Slovenia Ibex permits are hard to get. My outfitter that I used, said may be 2030, I could get one. I was speaking with one of my guides, that I was interested. He said they were very expensive. I told him I was not worried about the cost, it was the time. He said he knew someone that might be able to get a tag for me, we went to meet him, however he was unable to secure a tag.

The Alpine ibex are not even close to as a great looking trophy as an Mid-Asian.

 

[Northern Shooter]

I just had a friend hunt Slovenia, 10 days and no Ibex. Didn't even see one, had 10 to 15 spotters every day.

Expensive camping trip.

Don't have to pay the Trophy fee without an animal I hope?

 

[Green Chile]

Did they offer your friend anything for the lack of opportunity? Maybe a return trip or something? That's unusual to see NOTHING.

 

[DillonG]

Just find a good booking agent and go. Ibex in Kyrgyzstan is still the best adventure for your dollar in the world today.

My follow up question then, what would your process be to vet a good booking agent for the “stans”? I am still young enough, and in good shape to hunt there. You mentioned The Hunting Consortium. Is that the primary resource you would select?

 

[Scott CWO]

I hunted Tajikistan in 2018 and was able to bring my Marco Polo trophy home with me because the CITES export permit was available and I received my USFWS Import Permit before I went. These things are not possible at the moment but the outfitters will still take you hunting and you might never get your animal home. Buyer beware!

COVID really messed up things between Tajikistan and the USFWS. Sheep surveys were not done and when finally recently done, the USFWS refused to honor the survey until it was translated into English! These issues are being worked on right now and hopefully solved. It is important that hunters dig into these issues BEFORE booking. Once things are normalized, I would not hesitate to hunt through Bob Kern at the Hot Springs camp. I was at a different camp but my buddy was at HS. After comparing notes, I would hunt the HS camp if I were going back.

If you’re in “sheep shape” and take Diamox you will be able to handle stalking on foot. The problem is that most of the hunters booking these hunts are older or not in “sheep shape” so the guides try to drive up on sheep and the shots get long and risky. I refused to hunt in such a way and shot my ram at 17,050 feet on foot. If you can’t handle a North American sheep hunt, perhaps you have no business going to Asia, even with the use of vehicles or horses to get reasonably close to sheep because the elevations are much higher. Again, buyer beware.

If you are not able to take your trophies home with you, it is common to have to pay for shipping and handling. I wouldn’t call this “extortion” as the OP did but I understand his frustration if he was told he could take the trophies with him. African hunters are used to paying shipping and handling fees and it has now become the norm in Asia as well.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Woww that is pretty bad fell sorry for him. Who did he hunt with?

I never asked, I know he is on call if one is spotted given the tags are so hard to get. I think they only give out between 5 and 7 tags.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Expensive camping trip.

Don't have to pay the Trophy fee without an animal I hope?

You are right, no Trophy Fee, not really camping, hunting in Europe is hard from roughing it but he said they put in some miles trying to locate them.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I hunted Tajikistan in 2018 and was able to bring my Marco Polo trophy home with me because the CITES export permit was available and I received my USFWS Import Permit before I went. These things are not possible at the moment but the outfitters will still take you hunting and you might never get your animal home. Buyer beware!

COVID really messed up things between Tajikistan and the USFWS. Sheep surveys were not done and when finally recently done, the USFWS refused to honor the survey until it was translated into English! These issues are being worked on right now and hopefully solved. It is important that hunters dig into these issues BEFORE booking. Once things are normalized, I would not hesitate to hunt through Bob Kern at the Hot Springs camp. I was at a different camp but my buddy was at HS. After comparing notes, I would hunt the HS camp if I were going back.

If you’re in “sheep shape” and take Diamox you will be able to handle stalking on foot. The problem is that most of the hunters booking these hunts are older or not in “sheep shape” so the guides try to drive up on sheep and the shots get long and risky. I refused to hunt in such a way and shot my ram at 17,050 feet on foot. If you can’t handle a North American sheep hunt, perhaps you have no business going to Asia, even with the use of vehicles or horses to get reasonably close to sheep because the elevations are much higher. Again, buyer beware.

If you are not able to take your trophies home with you, it is common to have to pay for shipping and handling. I wouldn’t call this “extortion” as the OP did but I understand his frustration if he was told he could take the trophies with him. African hunters are used to paying shipping and handling fees and it has now become the norm in Asia as well.


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Scott, I have not been but this is exactly what the guys I know who hunt sheep said. They could have put on a stalk and got to within 400 yards, one even said 300, but he said the elevation was such a bitch as soon as he got to 500, he took the shot and dropped it right there. I know he had booked through Bob Kern.