CAUCASIAN MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

Dean Heintzelman ( USA) - August 30, 2006

Dean Heintzelman (USA) Dagestan Tur - 2006

DAGENSTAN  TUR - We departed Baku, Azerbaijan at 6:00 AM on July 31st to travel to base camp. Marcelo Sodiro-( a Tur hunter from Argentina)- and I, along with the guides and helpers arrived in base camp at 3:30 PM after switching vehicles twice enroute. The next morning at 7:00 AM Alexey M.-( Profi-hunt Interperter/Guide) -,Vygar-( head guide)-and I, along with four local young men left base camp and began hiking into the high country. We were prepared to stay two or three nights on the top of the mountain if necessary. I carried only my rifle and binoculars. As we got higher in the mountains we began seeing some female Tur with their young. We continued to climb higher in the steep rocky mountains.

Vygar and I were perhaps 200 yards ahead and higher on the mountain then the other five men when Vygar spotted a herd of male Tur. He motioned for me to get down and he peeked over the rocks. He motioned for the other men to stop and wait. He then motioned for me to follow him and we quickly climbed higher and closer to the Tur. We both peeked over the rocks and I ranged the Tur at 370 yards and it was then when I thought perhaps there were some "shooters" in the herd. We again dropped out of sight and quickly climbed higher. My lungs were "working overtime". Vygar took off my pack and placed it over some rocks and motioned for me to shoot; however, I could not see any Tur. Suddenly the group of Tur appeared from behind a rocky ridge walking at a fast pace in single file quartering away from us near the top of the mountain. I got them in the scope and the first one in the group appeared to me to be a good looking Tur. I raised on finger to Vygar and he raised three fingers. I quickly began following the third Tur in the group and fired. The herd began running and the third Tur stumbled and began a 250 yard fall off the steep mountain at 9:45 AM. I ranged the distance to the rocks where the Tur had been when I shot and the shot was taken at 260 yards. We made our way over to the Tur to discover it was a 101/2 year old Tur with 13" bases and 31" and 32" broomed horns. We all were very happy.

After returning to Baku, Alexey M. and I changed our tickets and flew to Moscow three days early only to find there were no seats available to fly to Mineral Vody - so we spent 3 days touring Moscow and watching hunting videos in the Profi-hunt office over the weekend.

Dean Heintzelman (USA) Kuban Tur - 2006

KUBAN  TUR  and  CHAMOIS  - On Tuesday AM, 8-8-06, Alexey and I flew to Mineral Vody where we were picked up at the airport my Mudalif-( wildlife manager) and his 16 year old son Rezuan. We traveled northeast to Mudalif's house where we spent the night. The next morning we loaded gear and food unto Russel's 4X4 military truck for the 4 hour ride into base camp over very rough terrain. The next morning at 7:00 AM, Aubee-( head guide),Badich-( ass. guide), Alexey and I left camp on horse back and within 25 minutes Aubee spotted 5 Chamois far below us on the mountain. A stalk and search for the Chamois took perhaps 11/2 hours and proved to be unsuccessful. We continued to ride the horses toward a high rocky mountain where we were hoping to find Kuban Tur. We ate lunch at noon, hobbled the horses and began climbing higher on foot. Aubee spotted a young male Tur 300 yards below us and we watched it for 20 minutes thinking that more Tur may be in the area. No luck !!!  We climbed to the top of the mountain at 10,500' and walked the very top of the rocky mountain looking off both sides for Tur. All four of us stopped on a rocky outcropping to glass and Aubee spotted a Chamois below us on the mountain. I quickly got into position to shoot and Alexey gave me the range of 260 yards through the 10X42 Leica binoculars. I followed the Chamois in the scope until it stopped and then fired. It ran 10 yards and fell. We celebrated and then made our way down to the 7 or 8 year old Chamois. It became very, very foggy on the way back to the horses and I was happy that the guides knew the country well so they were able to find base camp. We arrived in camp at 9:00 PM.

Dean Heintzelman (USA) Chamois - 2006

The next day we took food for three days and rode to another area to hunt Tur. Alexey and I set up a two men tent and Aubee and Badich slept in a crude cabin for the night. At 7:30 AM we left camp and rode the horses higher and higher into the mountains. It was a very difficult climb for the horses. At 9:15 AM Aubee spotted a herd of Tur 2 air miles away while glassing. We set up the Leica spotting scope and we knew there were males in the herd; however, we could not determine size from that distance. We rode the horses closer and continued to monitor the Tur. Because of the warm sun the Tur moved into the rocks. Aubee, Alexey and I began moving forward on foot. We moved cautiously and peeked over rocks looking for the Tur. We had waked and climbed perhaps a mile when Aubee spotted a young male bedded ony 110 yards from us. We watched as more Tur came into view. Some were female and young and others were young males. Suddenly Alexey saw a Tur he thought to be 9 or 10 years old. He told me to get my rifle and prepare to shoot. I quickly laid down and prepared to take the 150 yard shot. More Tur were moving and coming into view so I asked Alexey again which Tur I was to shoot. He looked through the binoculars and confirmed that it was the one standing on top the large rock. At the shot the Tur tumbled off the back side of the rock when the 150 grain Swift Scirocco bullet from the 7MM STW hit him high in the shoulder. The mountain seemed to "come alive" with running Tur moving away from the area. It is amazing how quickly they move over rough/rocky mountains. We climbed higher on the mountain and made our way over to the Tur. Alas, the animal was only 71/2 years old; however, it is a worthy trophy because of the rugged country in which they live and the effort required in getting there. We returned to the horses with the meat and cape and then led the horses down the steep mountain the 61/2 miles to camp. We repacked and left for base camp within an hour. We arrrived at base camp at 9:05 PM. We, as well as the horses were very tired. The next morning we broke camp and endured the truck ride back to the village.

Dean Heintzelman (USA) Mid-Caucasian Tur - 2006

MID CAUCASIAN  TUR - On Monday the 14th Mudalif, his wife, Alexey and I departed for the Nalchik area. We drove for four hours and waited to be picked up by the people from the Mid Tur area. We stayed in a very nice lodge near Nalchik for the night. Nick Ravinsky-(Profi-Hunt Interperter/Guide)-arrived by taxi from Mineral Vody at 11:55 PM. Nick was to hunt with me in the Mid Tur area. We left at 6:00 AM the next morning and drove for two hours where we loaded all gear and food into a large 4X4 military truck for the final trip into base camp. After going only a mile we encountered the roadway washed out by the high swift water because of the melting snow high in the mountains caused by the 95 degree temperatures the last several days. We unloaded all gear and food and carrried it up along a stream bank and over a log foot bridge. There were six of us to carry all the gear another 1/4 mile up the old mountain road. It was then decided that Toma-( head guide), Nick and I would load our packs with food and gear to hunt for three days and walk the 3 miles to base camp. My 75 pound pack seemed to get heavier as we climbed higher.

4X4 military truck August, 2006

We stopped to talk to some local men working on hay, and then Nick and I continued on to the base camp arriving within two hours. Toma and Michel-( local guide)- arrived at 6:00 PM shortly after the rain had stopped. Michel, Nick and I left base camp at 2:00 AM. Nick and I used head lights for the first 25 minutes and then Michel asked us to turn them off. We climbed up the steep,steep rocky mountains in the dark until 5:50 AM and then waited until it became daylight. We cautiously climbed higher as Michel and Nick glassed for Tur. Michel spotted a male Tur on the top of the mountain. We dropped out of sight and climber higher. We then ranged it at 450 yards. We again dropped out of sight and climbed higher. We peeked over the rocks and ranged it again and now we were within 350 yards. Michel wanted me to shoot quickly; however, I noticed some rocks 10 yards in front of us closer to the Tur and it looked

Dean Heintzelman (USA) August, 2006

like the bullet may hit a rock so I motioned for Michel to place my pack on the rocks closer to the Tur. We crawled forward and Michel placed my pack on the rocks. I quickly placed the rifle over the pack, settled the cross hairs on the rib cage of the Tur standing on the top of the mountain 340 yards away and fired. I thought I heard the bullet hit the Tur and Nick was watching in his 10 power binoculars and he also thought the Tur was hit; however, the Tur was out of sight immediately. We crossed the rocky steep slope as we climber higher to reach the area where the Tur had been standing when the shot was taken. Michel arrived first and saw three male Tur run off the back side of the mountain. He found blood and then noticed the mortally wounded Tur lying down over the back side of the mountain 180 yards away. It stumbled to its feet as Nick and I came out on top so I shot two more times hitting it in the hind quarters and it slid to a stop. The first shot had been through the rib cage at a very steep uphill angle. We made our way down over the rocks and found an 11 or 12 year old mature male with 13" bases and horns of 281/2" and 291/2". All three of us were very happy hunters.

This Tur was shot off the top of the mountain at 10,500'. The four hour climb of 3400 vertical feet in the dark was very, very challenging for my 60 year old legs; however, it also accomplished the goal of taking a mature Mid-Caucasian Tur. The climb coming down these steep,steep mountains with a pack and rifle can be scary at times. These mountains are some of the steepest I have encountered in my years of hunting.

Dean Heintzelman (USA) Steep Caucasian Mountains - 2006

CONCLUSION = The three Tur and a Chamois were take in 16 days. We were blessed with good weather and excellent guides. This truly was a memorable experience because of the majestic mountains, people met, disappointment and accomp

lishment. The time spent hunting in Azerbaijan and Russia in the Caucasian Mountains shall forever be cherrished memories for me.

Profi-Hunt is well connected with these local hunting organizations and they had everything arranged very well. The Profi-Hunt Guides/ Interperters - ( Alexey M. and Nick R.) - were very helpful to me in every way.

From my experience during this adventure it is my opinion that the three elements most important for the hunter to be successful hunting Tur in the Caucasian Mountains are:
1.- Physical Condition
2.- Positive/Determined Mental Attitude
3.- Shooting Ability

Thanks, Dean Heintzelman