Publications - OVIS Magazine - SPRING 2009

George Harms (NJ) - OVIS Spring 2009 - Page 8 – Hume argali in Kyrgyzstan

George Harms (NJ) is currently Triple Slammer #77 and has really been after the international sheep and goats the last few years. In the Winter issue of OVIS, George was seen with his Kuban (Western) tur, mid-Caucasian tur and Caucasian chamois. Soon after I received those reports from George he sent me a photo of a Hume argali he took in Kyrgyzstan during October 2008 that got him to the Ovis World Slam Super 20 level. This was George's 20th different species of wild sheep, but in his files I have that he has taken a total of 32 sheep. George, I have you with 16 different species of Capra animals, so is the Capra World Slam Super 20 in the near future?

Arnold Jardstrom (CA) - OVIS Spring 2009 - Page 9 – Kuban (Western) tur in Russia

ProfiHunt

Gary Hansen (CO) - OVIS Spring 2009 - Page 23 – Hume argali in Kyrgyzstan

In early November 2008, my very good friend George Harms (NJ) and I traveled to Kyrgyzstan in search of the Hume argali. We booked the hunt with ProfiHunt. Vladimir Koscheev, who has guided me on other ProfiHunt adventures, accompanied me throughout this hunt. From Bishkek we drove 12 hours south to a comfortable base camp located at about 10,000feet elevation. The next morning, we rode horses another 8-9 hours to our spike camps - at about 11,000 feet, where we hunted from each day. Be prepared for a lot of horseback riding (up to 12 hours/day), as it is huge open country with lots of sheep to look over. The first couple of days we had seen decent rams but we were being very selective early in the hunt.
Mid-afternoon of the third day Vladimir spotted a bachelor group of six rams with one that seemed to stand out, about 4-5 miles away, so we planned an early departure the next morning. We were on our horses at 5 a.m. and some nine hours later we were off the horses and climbing to get a closer look. An hour or so later, we reached the top of the plateau to where we could see the rams. They were still about 3/4 of a mile away and moving slowly out. We all agreed they had not seen or winded us and were simply "moving" so we followed them about another 1/2 mile, up and down until we caught up with them where we could see they had joined up with another seven rams! The 13-ram bachelor group had then descended all the way down to the river basin below us and were bedded at the base of the ridge that ran down across from us.
From about 2, ООО feet above and across from them, we had the opportunity to carefully glass all of them and the sight of those magnificent Hume argalis all bedded down together was an experience I'll never forget. Within the group were three nice rams, with one exceptional ram that was heavy in mass, flared down, out, back up then down again - that classic argali flare! All I could think was what a hog, and how were we going to get all the way down there and into a shootable position in time before they moved out. Vladimir, Amman (local guide) and I quickly discussed our only two options; the first to backtrack back up and over to the other ridge across from us, then hike down to a point slightly above them - it would provide a good position and more importantly a much closer shot, but I felt it would take too long. The second option and the fastest was to go straight down the ridge we were on, keeping to the back/shaded side, which was hard pack snow/ice and then ending up with what I estimated to be about a 450 to 500-yard shot across the basin. With the high gusting winds, that would also prove to be much dicier, so I decided on what any level headed sheep hunter would do - stay on our ridge and go down the back side at them.
The steep hike/slide down took us\ about 20 minutes but there we were (more accurately, me), exhausted, soaked from sweat and about 460 yards straight across from them. Lying there with bipod down, waiting for the wind to subside, allowed me precious time to gather my composure and breath. Three rams had stood up and wanted to move but my lead ram was content to lie there a while longer to provide me the time I needed to take him in his bed. What a day - what a hunt and what a result - a gorgeous true Hume argali! Some seven hours later, we arrived back at spike camp at 11:00 p.m. Vladimir Koscheev and Profihunt delivered again for me. I can't say enough for the quality, excitement and outcome of this hunt. It's this type of experience that keeps us all going back.
Just as a closing note and suggestion for any of these Asian horse hunts: I would suggest taking a pair of over-size stirrups that allow you to get your hiking boots in and out quickly and safely, a tie-on saddle pad for added comfort, and a quality 60-power spotting scope needed for long range spotting.

Chris Jackson (MO) - OVIS Spring 2009 - Page 34 – Caucasian Chamois, Kuban (Western) tur in Russia and Dagestan (Eastern) tur in Azerbaijan

Chris Jackson (MO) hunted in the Caucasus Mountains in July/August 2008 and got the Dagestan (Eastern) tur, Kuban (Western) tur and the Caucasian chamois. Chris always writes very good hunt reports in great detail, so I'll let him take it from here:
Species: Dagestan (Eastern) tur July 24, 2008 Seki, Azerbaijan ProfiHunt - Alexey Date Taken: Location: Outfitter: Alexeev Guide(s): Jahangear, Tural, and Taleh Abdulkerimov
I booked this solo hunt at the 2007 GSCO Convention, and was pleased to later learn that I would be joined by Jeff Meyerl (PA).Our arrival in Baku proceeded uneventfully until I was informed of a paperwork snafu involving the serial number of my rifle. After several hours of "negotiation," the issue was resolved and we were introduced to our ProfiHunt guide, Alexey Alexeev.
On arrival in Seki, we met our guides and were told to sort through our gear, packing only the necessary essentials. All supplies were then loaded on the horses in soft-sided panniers that we straddled, as we rode along a dry creek bed and then up the mountain. This five-hour journey was my first introduction to the hearty stature of our guides and horses. One of our guides, Zaur, actually climbed 5,000feet in sandals. Only when we reached the steepest part of the ascent did our horses actually begin to breathe hard. These horses are much smaller than their North American cousins, but they sure are stout.
Base camp certainly wasn't what I had expected. Perched on a knoll at 7800 feet, it was a stone hut built by our guides. We also had three sleeping tents, and incredibly, live chickens. Our lead guide, Jahangear, was 60 years old. His two sons, Tural and Taleh, were in their late 20s. They were the sixth generation of Dagestan mountain men to hunt this area. The next day, we hiked around the back of a steep ridge until we came to a saddleback that exposed numerous gullies and meadows. We just started glassing when Taleh found two turs bedded under a rock canopy over 1,200 yards away. Little did I know, but Taleh considered this one of his secret "honey holes." It provided the turs with security, as well as shade from the hot sun. I was told that Steve Hornady (NE) and Craig Boddington (CA) both shot turs bedded in the same location.
Directly in front of us was a shale slide. We descended it quickly using our wooden walking staffs as rudders. At the bottom, we rested momentarily while plotting our strategy. Jeff and I decided to try to take both rams, with one hunter getting the first choice and the first shot. I suggested a game of paper/rock/scissors to determine the outcome... lady luck smiled on me.
After climbing a grassy slope, we continued along a ridgeline until we were positioned 165 yards above the rams. Both were still bedded and facing toward the back of the cavern. After I had set up for the shot, Taleh whispered that Jeff was ready too. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the case and I actually shot before Jeff was ready. My ram somersaulted several hundred yards down a cliff, and Jeff's immediately bolted from its bed. Nevertheless, he connected with a great 300-yard running shot. Following highfives and congratulations, we headed down toward my ram. Midway through the descent, I saw the ram standing in a creek bed. Shocked and surprised that he survived the shot and fall, I dropped into a prone position and fired another bullet that connected. He was 9 years old with 13" bases. The longest horn measured 35 1/2".
Species: Kuban (Western) tur Date Taken: August 4, 2008 Location: Dombay, Russia Outfitter: ProfiHunt - Alexey Maximov Guide(s): All
From Baku, we flew to Moscow and were greeted by Alexey Maximov of ProfiHunt. We spent the day in a hotel near the airport, and flew the next morning to Mineral 'nyye Vody. Instead of finishing the drive to base camp, Alexey suggested that we stay in Cherkessk, where he treated us to an outstanding dinner before showing us the local sights. The next day we traveled in two Russian UAZ 4x4 vehicles for the remaining six-hour drive, stopping along the way to check the zero of our rifles. By the time we arrived, the road was little more than a muddy trail cut through the forest. Camp was located at 5,800feet and consisted of a steel-walled compound that was occupied year-round by either forestry and game managers, or search and rescue personnel. This area is popular with rock climbers, and we were told that injuries and fatalities were not uncommon.
After consolidating our gear, we left the next morning for spike camp. We drove part of the way on a mining trail before mounting the horses for the remainder of our climb. Our camp was located in a high meadow near a spring-fed lake at 8,800 feet. We were now in the middle of tut country, surrounded by jagged peaks that topped 11,000-12,000 feet. The temperalure was much cooler than Azerbaijan, and we could see glaciers in nearly every direction. With the assistance of five guides, we split up the following morning and headed toward the mountains nearest our camp. Our guides planned that we would begin hunting in opposite directions. If no turs were spotted, we would climb higher, and then move toward one another. Any turs in the area would be located in the middle and most likely pass near one of us when they tried to escape. I hunted with two guides, including the head guide, AH. In his mid-30s, he was horn and raised in this area, and knew these mountains and the tur trails intimately. It was obvious that the rest of the guides respected his abilities and toughness. This guy could flat out climb. I did-n У know it at the time, but AH ultimately intended to climb to a particular area around 11,000feet, where we could glass and set up for a possible shot. He anticipated that the presence of Jeff and his guides would eventually push turs in our direction.
When we reached our destination, we had difficulty finding a suitable shooting position because of the uneven terrain. Eventually, we moved to a rock ledge where both guides began re-positioning rocks, in order-to create additional shooting lanes. While they were doing this, 1 glanced above me just in time to see the heads and horns of two tur rams as they appeared on the skyline 100 yards away. They seemed to be staring directly at me. I immediately froze, whispered "pssst" to AH, and pointed with my eyes to the turs. AH motioned Jar me to shoot. I slowly slid onto the flat face of a steeply angled boulder but could still only see their heads and horns. I was certain that I had been busted and that they were going to bolt off at any second. Fortunately, the largest tur took one more step up, exposing his brisket. I immediately squeezed off a shot that hit hard. To my surprise, he stepped up and over the top, and began climbing down toward me. One more shot to the chest and he fell dead, sliding down the loose scree. Although less than 100 yards away the incline was so steep that it took nearly 15 minutes to get to him. The massive dose of adrenaline that had just shot through my body now left my legs feeling like rubber.
As we were headed down the mountain, we stopped to rest and I could now also see Jeff" and his guides headed in our direction. They too had killed a ram. As we waited for them, dense fog appeared so we relied solely on All's sense of direction to get us back to camp. That evening, Jeff and I compared the horns of each ram. Both were 12-13 years old. Despite the fact that Jeff and I shot these turs in close proximity, their horns were vastly different. Mine were smooth and flared wide; the bases were 12 " and the longest horn measured 34 ". Jeff's flared back and had distinct knobs on the front surface. It wasn't quite as long, but the bases were heavier. These turs were substantially larger body-wise than the Dagestan (Eastern) tur.
Species: Caucasian chamois Date Taken: August 6, 2008 Location: Dombay, Russia Outfitter: ProfiHunt - Alexey Maximov Guide(s): Ali
While lingering over breakfast the following morning, one guide spotted a chamois near camp. We quickly devised a plan. Jeff would climb down directly toward the animal, while my guide and 1 were to circle the backside of the mountain, where we would eventually meet Jeff. As had been similarly planned the previous day, any chamois that tried to escape would most likely pass one of us.
After a mile or so of side-hilling along some steep grassy terrain, AH and I arrived at the front of the mountain that faced our base camp. We were now in vertical cliffs that were prime chamois habitat. As we slowly worked our way across, we saw Jeff sitting with his two guides and a downed chamois. Unfortunately, even though we had covered a lot of prime terrain, we hadn't seen any chamois. After congratulating Jeff on his Capra World Slam, we headed back to spike camp, packed up, and returned to base camp.
The next day, a band of 14 chamois were located In the cliffs we had crossed the previous day. After returning to the top of the mountain, we descended down on them. Unfortunately, they moved further away, down into the timber. After returning to base camp, AH suggested that we hunt another mountain where fellow St. Louisan Joe Crawley (MO) had taken a tremendous chamois. We arrived in the area late in the day, and soon spotted a solitary male feeding above us.
When we reached 8100 feet, we had closed the distance to 200 yards. One shot, and the chamois rolled down the mountain. He was a great old trophy with fully curved hooks. His bases measured 3 5/8 " and the longest horn was 8 1/4 " in length.

Konstantin Popov (RUSSIA) - OVIS Spring 2009 - Page 38 – Blanford urial in Pakistan

Konstantin Popov (Russia) is a life member of GSCO and he recently sent reports and photos from all 12 of his Capra animals that constitute a Capra World Slam. Konstantin completed this hunting feat with a hunt in Pakistan during January 2009 for a Sindh ibex and Blanford urial. Even though the Blanford urial is an Ovis species, I want to use Konstantin's report because the Sindh ibex completed his Capra World Slam. Look for Konstantin's Ovis World Slam Milestone a little later on.
I booked this hunt through ProfiHunt and hunted with Pakistan Outfitters. My hunt was conducted 150 miles to the north of Karachi in the Sindh Province. In this area they do not practice the method of stalking the ibex. The reasons are (I) It is extremely hot here. The temperature descends below 25° С (102° F) very rarely, even in the "cold" months. (2) Although the mountains are not very high, they have many taluses and your feet are constantly sliding down. Accordingly, they don't want to risk the client falling. (3) This method is much simpler and quicker so it is effective for them to organize driven hunts here.
Pakistan Outfitters has organized Sindh ibex and Blanford urial hunts in this area for only three years. They had the driven hunt organized very well and had everything thought out down to the simplest details. The place for our blind was carefully selected. We could see the animals from a long distance, but the animals didn't see us, despite moving straight toward us, until they were about 250 meters out. There was a lot of time to examine everything and prepare my shot. After detecting five "mujahedeens " beside a rock barricade, the ibex stopped. There was not a very convenient position, but I decided to shoot anyway. The second after I shot we could see that four ibex ran up the mountain. We could not see the largest ibex so we crawled up to look for the downed ibex. One of the locals was up in front of me and when he found the ibex we heard an enthusiastic cry.
The next morning, we woke up at 6 a.m. and moved to another area to hunt the Blanford urial. The locals had already located where the urials were. Only about 500 meters from the vehicle and we were on the spot. From the rock outcropping we saw 10 rams 70-80 meters below us. From this distance, it would have been difficult to miss. This hunt didn't take any more than half an hour. The measurements of my trophies were 115 3/8 SCI for the Blanford urial and 89 0/8 SCI for the Sindh ibex. Both were 9 1/2 years old.