Kamchatka snow sheep, Mid-Caucasian tur in Russia and Dagestan tur in Azerbaijan

Reza Golsorkhi (NY) - OVIS Spring 2008 - Page 51

Reza Golsorkhi (NY) hunted in Russia and Azerbaijan in September/October 2007 and took three animals that pushed him into the Ovis World Slam Super 20 category - while some of them got him closer to a Capra World Slam too. Here is how it went: In September 2005 I went to hunt the three turs and chamois of the Caucasus Mts. in Russia, only to return with one trophy (Kuban tur) while facing nature's onslaught of rain, snow and fog for most of my hunt. I rebooked for 2007 with ProfiHunt, this time including the Kamchatka snow sheep.
After an 8-hour layover at the Moscow airport, I boarded the 9-hour flight to Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The following day, we left by helicopter for the flight to base camp. This time, throughout the five weeks, the temperature was in the mid-50s, it rained three times (at night), and there was a little snow at the higher altitudes. In fact, this was the first time I returned from a hunt with a real sunt an!

My guides, brothers Vladimir and Peter, had warned me not to expect to see many sheep. They were right, as we covered many miles and saw only three small rams and 15 ewes and lambs on the second day. On September 12 we spotted three rams, and after several hours of glassing and stalking came to within 250 meters for my first Kamchatka snow sheep. The ram was eight years old and measured 34", with 15" bases. The weather was good, with millions of mosquitoes to help pass the time.
I departed on September 19 for Baku for my Dagestan (Eastern) tur hunt. After a 6-hour drive, we arrived at a very comfortable base camp where Mirbala Manafov, the well-known guide and manager, met us. Once we set up spike camp, the two guides Akbar and Kami! told me to relax while they scouted the surrounding area. Around 1 p.m., Kamil came running back and told Vladimir Koshcheev, my interpreter, and I to get ready to move. We arrived at where Akbar was glassing a group of 28 turs, but nothing stood out in the group. While we were contemplating what to do next, Akbar spotted another group of 40 turs coming toward us. In that group, three stood out. We managed to crawl to 263 meters and I took an 8-year-old heavy horned tur measuring 31" and 32" in length, with 12 1/2 " bases. All of this happened on the first day!

On October 6, I arrived in Nalchik and was met by my friend and game manager Valera. We left the next morning for an 8-hour jeep ride to Tyutyusu Canyon for my Mid-Caucasian tur hunt. We saw quite a few, with two very big turs, but were unsuccessful getting close enough for a clean shot. We kept on climbing for hours up and down those steep inclines, but each time the turs would either outsmart us or the wind would betray us. On October 9, we spotted a good looking ram and after six hours of climbing managed to get within 310 meters for me to take my shot. The ram was nine years old and measured 28" in length, with 11 7/8 " bases. Ifelt relieved that I had managed at last to complete this hard quest for the three turs, even though it took me two trips to do so. As you mentioned to me, I am including my Armenian mouflon as a hybrid toward my Ovis World Slam Super 20. I took that sheep in November 2005.
It goes without saying that the three turs also count toward Reza's eventual Capra World Slam, for which he has nine different trophies at present. During his Russia/Azerbaijan trip written about above, Reza also hunted a Caucasian chamois but was unsuccessful on that one. We have a feeling he will be trying again. Congratulations on your Super 20, Reza!
17. I. Esfahan mouflon (1974) 2. Shiraz mouflon (1975) 3. Red sheep (1975) 4. Kerman sheep (1976) 5. Transcaspian urial (1977) 6. Dall sheep (1984) 7. Altay argali (1986) 8. Stone sheep (1987) 9. Desert sheep (1990) 10. Aoudad (1991) 11. Marco Polo (1999) 12. Rocky Mtn. bighorn (2000) 13. Kolyma snow sheep (2002) 14. Kuban tur (2005) 15. Gobi argali (2005) 16. Armenian mouflon (hybrid) (2005)17. Helan Shan blue sheep (2006)18. Kamchatka snow sheep (2007)19. Dagestan (Eastern) tur (2007)20. Mid-Caucasian tur (2007)