Hunt for Marco Polo in Kyrgyzstan

In the morning you load onto your horse. In Kyrgyzstan you may have horses and jeep. During the day you may travel the upper edges of the mountains, glassing the hillsides and feeding areas. Sheep will normally be sighted each day. For lunch in the field we offer you hot drinks, sandwiches, salami, dry fruit and nuts. Once the trophy ram is located, you complete your stalk on foot. You will hunt at around 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Physical condition is a factor on the stalking portion of the hunt. A long range shooting, up to 500 yards (450 m) is normal for sheep hunting. Spike camp and horse back riding is a part of your hunt.

Game

There are three species of Argali in Kyrgyzstan: 1. Marco Polo, 2. Tian-Shan Argali, 3. Hume Argali. Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) inhabits the mountains to the South of the country from Naryn River up to the China’s border. Normally, Marco Polo in Kyrgyzstan is not as big as those in the Pamirs, Tadjikistan. These average from 50 to 53'' (125 – 135 cm). These Argali prefer wide plateaus and sloping mountains without steep ledges at elevations of 11,000-15,000 ft (3,500 – 4,500 m) above sea level. Tian-Shan argali (Ovis ammon karelini) is found along the westernmost part of the Tian Shan Mountains of China. These mountains extend into Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is similar to the Marco Polo, but its horns have a tighter curl and are generally thicker.
Kyrgyzstan has become a famous destination for big game hunters seeking a Hume Argali (Ovis ammon humei). The GSC/Ovis trophy classification committee decided in January 2003 to officially recognize the Hume argali. Even though the boundaries may change in the future, we are now using the Naryn River as the northern boundary and the height of land of the Ferganskiy Mountains as the southern boundary. Base camp is located at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) - there is no need for acclimatization. Local terrain allows for the use of horses and sometimes 4x4 vehicles during the hunt. There are professional guides, cook and helpers in the camp. So far, our partner has experienced 100% success rate.

Route

The most convenient and reliable service to Bishkek is on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul,

Turkey. You will be met by our crew at the airport before the customs and assisted with all the formalities. Right from the airport you go by car to the camp. During the trip you will stop for breakfast and lunch at the restaurants on the side of the road. Drive to camp takes around 8 – 10  hours.

 
Schedule

Day 1: Arrival to Bishkek. Custom formalities, transfer to the base camp (11-12 hours).
Day 2: Horseback ride to the spike camp (5-6 hours).
Day 3-11: 9 day hunt.
Day 12: Back to Bishkek, stay overnight.
Day 13: Departure home.

Hunting season

August 15 – November 31, January 1 – February 28. The best hunting terms start from November 1.

Climate

Usually, weather is favourable and more predictable in this region during the hunting period. During daylight hours in October the temperature is from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius and at night from -5 - -10 degrees Celsius. In November the temperature is from -10 to – 15 degrees C) and during nighttime from -15 to -20 C). Windy conditions.