kodiak18
10-30-2014, 06:21 PM
Ive never wrote a story on here before but thought I would give it a shot. The whole trip is a story in its self but I will keep it short to just the basics and hunt. Ive never hunted out of Canada other than Wyoming so this was a big step. It was a 21hr flight from Calgary to Bishkek. It was another 8hrs to the hunting camp. We travelled to the area in the dark. When I woke up I could not believe the mountains and scenery!
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014001_zps1faa6152.jpg
We headed out on horses for about 5hrs. Glassing different valleys and slopes. Then then decided to go up this valley for the evening.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014005_zps362134af.jpg
We set up camp and after that was done we had to have tea and snacks again. Any time they can find a reason for tea breaks they will have one! After that they wanted to walk to the back of the valley and do some spotting. We where only about 30min from camp and we found a group of 7 way down lower than where we were seeing tracks. We looked through my spotter and saw 2 of them looked to be mature. We hiked up the ridge out of sight from the Ibex. The plan was to get up high and go over the edge and shoot one. I was really worried about the wind as it was really blowing towards the Ibex but they figured it was no issue. After about 1hr Bukar went over the top as we stayed back a bit. He came back and said Ibex were just standing up. I thought we better get up there as I was thinking they probably smell us. Im not sure what they thought as we sat there for another 15min. Bukar went back up to check. I wasn't surprised when he started waving frantically to get up there. They were way up the other side by now. They had obviously smelt us. All 3 of them where yelling in there own language but I could understand the "SHOOT SHOOT" part. I had no idea where they were all I could see where small ones on the top of the cliffs going up the mountain. I think they were trying to tell me where the big Ibex was as I found them still climbing the cliffs but almost at the top and gone! Makus had my range finder and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me for yardage. Finally he wrote in the snow 350. The wind was really blowing and my wind meter was in my tent along with my pack as they told me nothing was needed other than a jacket tonight! He was moving pretty quick also. I put him between the 300 and 400 yard pin on front shoulder and pulled the trigger. I couldn't tell what happened after the recoil but they where cheering. I picked him up again and saw he was standing near the top but really wobbling. I took one more shot but was low and not needed. We had to climb down to where they were and then scale these cliffs. This is where I shot from. He was on the top off the cliffs.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014016_zps730ccca4.jpg
When we got to the top we found his tracks and noticed he fell off the other side but could not see him. We had to climb a lot higher as it was way to steep to go down that spot. We found a decent shale shoot all the way down to the Ibex. I have no idea how far he fell or how far he rolled but it must of been a long ways as he was almost at the base of the mountain. I was very excited when I saw his horns where intact! I had been waiting for this trip for 14 months and now I finally got to grab my Ibex.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014031_zps7c0a52d4.jpg
Im not one for putting my gun in pics but they insisted! They butchered the animal and I mean nothing went to waste! We got done just as dark came and a course they had no flashlights and mine was in my pack in my tent. We made it back and went back in the morning with the horses. Later that day we headed back to the main camp. We celebrated and spent 2 days there before I headed back to Bishkek. My wife got me a flight home 4 days early. It was an amazing hunt and experience.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014068_zps40c0b433.jpg
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014001_zps1faa6152.jpg
We headed out on horses for about 5hrs. Glassing different valleys and slopes. Then then decided to go up this valley for the evening.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014005_zps362134af.jpg
We set up camp and after that was done we had to have tea and snacks again. Any time they can find a reason for tea breaks they will have one! After that they wanted to walk to the back of the valley and do some spotting. We where only about 30min from camp and we found a group of 7 way down lower than where we were seeing tracks. We looked through my spotter and saw 2 of them looked to be mature. We hiked up the ridge out of sight from the Ibex. The plan was to get up high and go over the edge and shoot one. I was really worried about the wind as it was really blowing towards the Ibex but they figured it was no issue. After about 1hr Bukar went over the top as we stayed back a bit. He came back and said Ibex were just standing up. I thought we better get up there as I was thinking they probably smell us. Im not sure what they thought as we sat there for another 15min. Bukar went back up to check. I wasn't surprised when he started waving frantically to get up there. They were way up the other side by now. They had obviously smelt us. All 3 of them where yelling in there own language but I could understand the "SHOOT SHOOT" part. I had no idea where they were all I could see where small ones on the top of the cliffs going up the mountain. I think they were trying to tell me where the big Ibex was as I found them still climbing the cliffs but almost at the top and gone! Makus had my range finder and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me for yardage. Finally he wrote in the snow 350. The wind was really blowing and my wind meter was in my tent along with my pack as they told me nothing was needed other than a jacket tonight! He was moving pretty quick also. I put him between the 300 and 400 yard pin on front shoulder and pulled the trigger. I couldn't tell what happened after the recoil but they where cheering. I picked him up again and saw he was standing near the top but really wobbling. I took one more shot but was low and not needed. We had to climb down to where they were and then scale these cliffs. This is where I shot from. He was on the top off the cliffs.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014016_zps730ccca4.jpg
When we got to the top we found his tracks and noticed he fell off the other side but could not see him. We had to climb a lot higher as it was way to steep to go down that spot. We found a decent shale shoot all the way down to the Ibex. I have no idea how far he fell or how far he rolled but it must of been a long ways as he was almost at the base of the mountain. I was very excited when I saw his horns where intact! I had been waiting for this trip for 14 months and now I finally got to grab my Ibex.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014031_zps7c0a52d4.jpg
Im not one for putting my gun in pics but they insisted! They butchered the animal and I mean nothing went to waste! We got done just as dark came and a course they had no flashlights and mine was in my pack in my tent. We made it back and went back in the morning with the horses. Later that day we headed back to the main camp. We celebrated and spent 2 days there before I headed back to Bishkek. My wife got me a flight home 4 days early. It was an amazing hunt and experience.
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah170/tlmailhot/Ibex2014068_zps40c0b433.jpg