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Publications - OVIS Magazine - WINTER 2008 |
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George Harms(NJ) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 5
This next report comes in from George Harms (NJ), ho hunted in Mongolia during August 2007: I had a great opportunity to go to Mongolia with my very good friend Gary Hansen (CO) and Bryan Tyler, a guy that works for him; a very nice young man. We had a great time. We had a great hunt. The whole thing was arranged with Ankhaa through Vladimir Melnikov. Vladimir had another one of his guys that works for him, by the name of Vladimir Koshcheev, come along with us. Ankhaa did a great job organizing and locating some very nice animals for us. When I was hunting for my Hangay, Hurzgerel was the local guide who did a great job and I got my animal pretty much right away. I actually shot him the first day I was hunting. Then we went to a different area; a lot of traveling from one place to another.
We hunted in the East Gobi Province near the China border, and I got a very nice Gobi argali. Undrah was my local guide. The first animal I went for, I had Mugi as my interpreter. Bolar was the interpreter for the second two animals. Adiya was the local outfitter for both Gary's Gobi and mine. We had a very, very good hunt. Then we went and got our Gobi ibex. That was to a totally different area. We were a little hurried because we didn't have a lot of time. We actually had a day and a half to hunt. We didn't see anything worth shooting the first day, but we were all able to get Gobi ibex the second day. We had a very good time.
I have enclosed a photo of the dinner and party the night before we departed. Everyone was a great help. It was a good hunt, we moved very fast. We traveled an awful lot. The weather was nice, a little cold and windy at times. We did have one day where there was a sandstorm. It was a really good deal. I really enjoyed being with Ankhaa and Vladimir, the interpreters and all the guides. A special thank you to Gary Hansen and Bryan Tyler for putting up with all the different things that took place. It was a great time! |
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Larry Higgins(MI) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 15
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| Larry Higgins (MI) took this hard-won Mid-Caucasian tur in Kabardino-Balkariya, Russia during August 2007. Larry was hunting with Profi-Hunt. |
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My good friend, Larry Higgins (MI) has reached the lofty milestone of the Capra Super 20. Larry got to #19 after taking a Mid-Caucasian tur in August 2007 and then hunted in Spain in September 2007 and reached the Super 20 when he took a Cantabrian chamois. Here are Larry's two reports:
Species: Mid-Caucasian tur
Date taken: August 11, 2007 Location: 60 miles west of Nal'chik in Kabardino-Balkariya / Kamenskoye Game Mgmt Unit
Outfitter: Profi-Hunt
Guide: Omar
Highlights: This is a grueling hunt and fortunately I got my trophy on my third climb. Base camp was very nice and the spike camp was good.
Length of horns: 30 6/8 x 31 3/8. Bases: 12 2/8 x 12 2/8. The ram was 11 years old. Total score: 141 2/8 SCI. |
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Mike Adams (LA) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 27
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Mike Adams (LA) took this Kuban (Western) tur on a September 2007 with Profi-Hunt and guide Alexey Maximov.
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Mike Adams (LA) sent a photo and short note to document the Kuban (Western) tur he took in September 2007 with Profi-Hunt. The only details Mike gave were, "Alexy Maximov, Profi-Hunt's guide, accompanied me on the hunt. It was enjoyable but tough." That echoes the sentiments of practically every other tur hunter, Mike. Thanks for the photo and report! |
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Gary Hansen (LA) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 43
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| Gary Hansen (CO, left) with Mongolian guide Bayaraa and Gary's tremendous Gobi argali taken in August 2007. |
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COVER PHOTO: Gary Hansen (CO) first sent us a photo of his Gobi argali earlier in the fall, and when I saw it I thought, "Good Lord, I have never seen a Gobi that massive." Gary always makes fantastic photos of his sheep and goats, and I figured it was something he had done with the camera to make it look so big. I was dead wrong, because in late November Gary sent his SCI score sheet and it is the new world record Gobi argali! Gary's ram ended up with a final score of 226 3/8 SCI. The dimensions of Gary's argali are: L 55 4/8" x 16 5/8"; R 58 2/8" x 16 1/8". Here is Gary's story of how it all happened:
About 11 years ago, I had the good fortune to hunt Mongolia for the Altay argali and ibex, as well as the Hangay argali, and always dreamed of going back. Earlier this year, I got that opportunity and, along with two good friends, George Harms (NJ) and Bryan Tyler, went in search of both the Gobi argali and ibex. The three of us were looking for Gobi ibex; George was also there for the Hangay and Gobi argalis; and I was also in search of the Gobi argali. We booked these hunts through Vladimir Melnikov of Profi-Hunt, in conjunction with his friend and partner, Khurlee Ankhbayar (Ankhaa) of Mongolei Reisen Safaris. Ankhaa set up and coordinated the entire hunt through his competent Mongolian staff and had his guides, camp and staff in place and ready when we arrived. The food/cooking was excellent, as well as the accommodations and vehicles used. The yurts we stayed in were comfortable and fairly large, furnished with carpet, stove, framed beds, table and chairs - all the comforts of home. Once you leave the paved roads of Ulaanbaatar, much of Mongolia is like a time warp back to the time of Genghis Khan, and the yurt design really hasn't changed much since that era.
The area we hunted the Gobi argali was near the small settlement of Erdene, in the East Gobi Province, just off the China border. My two guides, Muugii & Bayaraa, were both young and energetic and familiar with the area. Heading out of camp the first morning of the hunt, Bayaraa indicated to me that he had been out pre-scouting an area along the China border and had spotted a ram that appeared outstanding from a distance in both length and mass. Although most of us sheep hunters have heard similar stories, the excitement and sincerity in Bayaraa s eyes made me a believer, making my heart rate and adrenalin levels jump a bit. The first part of the hunt was slow going. The terrain we were hunting did not pro¬vide for long range glassing, so a lot of it had to be carefully covered on foot. On the second to last day, most of the day was spent driving through and over sand dunes that put us into sheep country only about three hours before sunset. We did a stalk on a small bachelor group to get close in on the lead ram that had good length and mass, and in my opinion was a genuine keeper, but when Bayaraa indicated he was not as good as the one he had seen, I reluctantly passed. While driving back in the dark, we ended up stuck on a sand dune and had to walk about 3 or 4 miles back to camp, getting to bed late that night. The walk back gave me a chance to reflect on both the great ram I had just passed on and our odds of locating that "outstanding" ram out there somewhere in that immense desert.
While heading out the next morning, they decided we would be better off entering the hunt area from a different direction. On the way, we had to stop and check in at a Mongolian military border outpost. As luck would have it, Bryan was able to tag along that day. This was Bryan's first international hunt and I wanted him to experience Mongolia as much as possible. By late morning we were seeing sheep. The terrain was not that high or steep and was more or less rolling, clustered with large rock outcroppings and, once again, did not provide for much long range scoping. The walking was slow and deliberate, as we were less than a mile off the border and could not afford to bust any rams out. The rams we were seeing were in small bachelor groups of two to five, and Bayaraa and Muugii had got us close in on a few of these groups before coming upon a bachelor group containing one of the largest rams (of any Ovis species) I had ever laid eyes on.
To make a long story short, this veteran sheep hunter totally lost his composure. The ram was upwind, feeding broadside at about 60 yards when we came upon him and three other smaller rams. Before we froze, he must have caught some movement because he slowly raised his turning it toward us as he brought it up. There we were, all in a row, hunched over frozen, Bayaraa in front of me with Bryan and Muugii behind me, staring at the ram standing broadside some 60 yards away and looking straight at us. I instantly had flashes of astonishment and panic going through my mind at the same time - asking myself how this monster got displaced from the Altay Mts. and what was he doing there in the Gobi. Thinking he would bolt at any instant, instead of simply bringing my rifle up and taking him offhand, I pulled a novice and swung my rifle up on Bayaraa's left shoulder, clicking the safety off at the same time I swung. I'm assuming Bayaraa was as rattled as I was, because the crosshairs were dancing all over the ram and the instant I pulled the trigger I knew I had shot above his back. At the muzzle report, the ram jumped, did a 180 and disappeared behind some large boul¬ders. Knowing I missed, I instantly ran to where I thought I could get another look at him. In those 50-60 yards of running, thoughts of dejection cut through my mind - blowing an easy opportunity at the ram of a lifetime, one that would never come along again, knowing the ram would be in China in a matter of a few minutes.
When we rounded those rocks I could see all four rams running in high gear full out, side by side about 200 yards out. They were quartering away slightly right with the big ram on their far left - all headed for China. Knowing I would never see him again and had nothing to lose, except possibly ending my hunt by hitting one of the small rams, I stood there, swung the rifle sling around my left elbow, swung the vertical hair slowly right until it kissed his rear left shank and squeezed off. With the recoil, I couldn't see a hit but I heard the whap. Next thing I knew, Bryan, Bayraa and Muugii were all grabbing me, yelling, "You hit him!!!" Knowing I could never make that shot again in a thousand attempts, and knowing I did not deserve the ram, the only thing I could utter at that moment was that "I'd rather be lucky than good any¬time. " It was all over but the hugs and the pictures. What a hunt - from an all-time low to an all-time high within a matter of a few seconds! That's sheep hunting and that's what keeps us all coming back. My sincere gratitude goes out to Vladimir, Ankhaa and their guides, Bayaraa and Muugii, whose patience and persistence presented me the opportunity at this great monarch of the Gobi. |
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Roger McCosker(NV) and Butch Kuflak(CA) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 62
Roger McCosker (NV) completed his Ovis World Slam in October 2007 by taking a Kuban (Western) tur as #11 and a Mid-Caucasian tur as #12. Here is what Roger had to say about this hunting milestone: This also completes my tur slam, with the Dagestan (Eastern) tur I successfully hunted in Azerbaijan in 2004. I have sent along an extra picture of myself and Butch Kuflak (CA) with our Caucasian chamois as another view. Besides being a member of the GSCO board, Butch is one of the most accomplished mountain big game hunters in the world. Tur hunting is a substantial challenge. The mountains and scenery are stunningly beautiful, but the hiking/climbing in tur country is rough; daily, we traversed thousands of feet in altitude in steep mountains and cliffs, in loose rock/shale footing. It did cross my mind during the hunt that personal determination in hunting is certainly a positive, although it could also be construed as slightly crazy! After hiking the Caucasus mountains for over nine straight days, my feet, legs, thighs and back were screaming and I was pleased to take my ram at 250 yards.
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Roger McCosker (NV, left) and Butch Kuflak (CA) and their Caucasian chamois taken in Karacheyevo-Cherkesiya, Russia during September 2007.
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I have valued all my time in the mountains hunting and appreciate GSCO s efforts on behalf of hunters. From what I understand in THE HUNTING REPORT for October 2007, Dennis Campbell was the major contributor to the designation of the three different species of Caucasus Mountain turs, as designated as Ovis/Capra trophies. Thank you for your efforts.
1. Dall sheep (1995) 2. Desert bighorn (1995) 3. Stone sheep (1997) 4. Rocky Mtn. bighorn (1999) 5. Marco Polo argali (2000) 6. Yakutia snow sheep (2003) 7. Aoudad (2004) 8. Dagestan (Eastern) tur (2004) 9. Kamchatka snow sheep (2005) 10. Chinese blue sheep (2005) 11. Kuban (Western) tur (2007) 12. Mid-Caucasian tur (2007) |
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Dieter Ochsenbein(South Africa) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 72
Dieter Ochsenbein (South Africa) completed his Capra World Slam in Mongolia in September 2007. Dieter sent reports and photos on his 13 Capra species, but I have decid¬ed to use the last three hunt reports that completed this Milestone for him. Dieter writes: The Caucasian chamois I collected in the first half of October 2006. My flight was from South Africa to Moscow via Zurich and on to Mineral Nyye' Vody where I was met by my interpreter Evgeny from Profi-Hunt. We left by jeep for the hunting area, picking up the chief game guard on the way, who also had my hunting license with him. I had to overnight on the way and the next day we made it into the beautiful Caucasus Mts. The weather was almost too nice, warm and sunny. Our fly camp was an extremely basic affair and the table consisted of a wooden plank removed from an old sheep corral, laid across the bumpers of two Russian jeeps facing each other. My tent was very small but provided cover. Three more game guards joined us to help spotting. All was well organized, the people friendly and helpful. We walked and climbed the mountains for five days. We checked into canyons and glassed all the peaks and slopes but no sign of chamois, not even nannies and kids. My guides attributed this to the warm weather. The general consensus was that the chamois must be in the woods to stay out of the heat. The stag roaring season was in full swing and it was very enjoyable listening to their mating concert every morning and evening. On the sixth day we headed for a long chain of ragged peaks and again the sun was merciless. We had climbed for about two hours without seeing anything when I decided to turn back and call it a day. My interpreter quite understood, but the guides decided to carry on, so Evgeny and I turned back to "camp. " I was busy shaving as Evgeny, totally winded, came up to me with the news that he had spotted a single chamois. I was not totally convinced, since I was not sure whether my interpreter knew what a chamois looked like. However I gave him the benefit of the doubt, grabbed my rifle and hurried after him down the gentle slope toward a vertical drop from where we had often glassed in the days gone by. The chamois was no longer in the spot where Evgeny hud seen it 30 minutes ago, but we kept on searching through our binoculars and BINGO. I saw just the head of a single chamois sticking out of the grass right close to the bottom of the 250-meter vertical drop. Eventually I found a place to shoot from, almost hanging over the cliff with Evgeny holding me by the ankles. 250 meters straight down in a very awkward position, but I had no other choice. Hit in the neck, the chamois never heard the shot that killed him. Happy hunter and VERY happy interpreter! |
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Gary Rigotti(OR) - OVIS Winter 2008 - Page 76
We now hear from Gary Rigotti (OR): Larry Higgins (MI) and I hunted in Russia. We left the U.S. on July 28 and returned home September 5 (a long time!). We hunted the Mid-Caucasian and Kuban (Western) tur. I also hunted the Caucasian chamois. Dave Myrup (UT) came over for the last leg and we all hunted Koryak snow sheep. I'll try to make this short, but a lot of interesting situations happened on this trip. First, my hunting clothes and gun never showed up in Moscow. I waited a day and still no rifle, so we left and hunted the Kuban tur and chamois anyway. I used a bolt action Russian 30-06 rifle with 4-power Russian scope. They told me it was 5" high at 100 yards. They were right on. Okay, this is cool. I felt confident. I shot my chamois, but never had a shot at the Kuban tur. Next area we hunted was for the Mid-Caucasian tur. Another Russian rifle, this one with a Swarovski scope. Oh, COOL, I'm in hog heaven!! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. When they gave me the box of 20 shells, they were all different brands and shapes. I fired it but had no idea where it was hitting. It s pretty hard to sight in a rifle at rocks when you have so few bullets, all different shapes. To be very honest, I would have been more confident with Tom Hoffman's (NY) bow.
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Gary Rigotti (OR) completed his Ovis World Slam Super 30 and Capra World Slam Super 20 with this Mid-Caucasian tur in August 2007 .
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Anyway, we climbed the mountain for four days. I had a shot at a very big tur (314 yards). I think I hit the side of the mountain. If I had my own rifle, it would have been over. After the first shot, it was WWII on the mountain. I WAS DONE. Then I thought that after Larry shot his tur, I could use his rifle. Larry did take a nice tur and we still had two days left, so I went where he hunted. I also had Vladimir for an interpreter, whom I didn't have on the first part of the hunt. The next two days it rained and was foggy, but Vladimir said we could leave here by noon and we would be all right to go back to Moscow. If the weather cleared, we would climb the mountain at 3 a.m. and get into position. The weather cleared a half hour after daylight. There was a tur feeding at 365 yards. I told Vladimir when he got out to 400 yards, tell me and I would shoot. Vladimir and the guides just shook their heads in disbelief they thought I was crazy. (Larry s rifle had a 400-yard reticle scope.) The shot was true and I had my Mid-Caucasian tur. Not big, but well earned. I was a very happy hunter. My thanks go out to Vladimir; without him I wouldn't have shot my tur. |
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