Hunting Ibex in Kyrgyzstan

Mountain Range: Tian Shan Mountains
Area: Cementi
Altitude: 4001 - 4500
Organizer: Becks Hunting

Juan Ruiz de Velasco Treviño

11 September 

The three of us met at Terminal 1 to check in our luggage and rifles, which took longer than expected, and we had to rush to the boarding gate to catch our flight to Istanbul. 

When we arrived in Istanbul and were waiting for our next flight, we ordered some beers, which, to our surprise, cost €20 each.

12 September 

Once we arrived in Bishkek at dawn and after taking care of the rifles and ammunition, we had a nine-hour drive to the camp. We stopped twice along the way, once for breakfast and once at a supermarket to buy drinks and chocolate. 
When we arrived at the camp, they told us to rest and that we would try out the rifles in a few hours. They set up a target 200 metres away. We made some minor adjustments to the Leupold turret and then had dinner. At the camp, we met a German hunter who had shot his ibex that same day. He had cut his forehead with the recoil from the shot.

13 September

First day of hunting. At dawn, we rode for an hour and a half until we reached a high point where, in the first light, we could see quite a bit of terrain.

From the high ground, we spotted a group of ibex about 3 km away, and that's when the guides began to plan the hunting strategy. It consisted of riding around them on horseback and climbing to the top of the mountain so we could approach them from above.

The day dawned cold, sunny and windless. As we made our way towards the ibex, we enjoyed the magnificent views offered by the Tian Shan mountain range that morning. Behind us, we could see the 5,815-metre-high Koroleva peak, and to our right, another imposing peak with a snowfield marked the border with China. As we descended towards the main river, a group of Marco Polo sheep surprised us about 400 metres away. Most were females, with a few young males.

We reached the river and let the horses drink water and regain their strength, as we still had a long way to go to reach the area where the ibexes were. On the riverbank, we saw several Marco Polo carcasses and one ibex carcass, which reminded us of how inhospitable the climate in these mountains could be, or of nature doing its work, as they could have been hunted and eaten by wolves or snow leopards.

We continued on horseback for two and a half hours until we began to climb up the hillside where we had seen the ibexes hours earlier. The guides sensed that they had laid down and would still be there. 

Another hour of climbing, impressed by the strength and agility of the horses. Until, at an altitude of 4,200 metres, we slowly dismounted to look down and see if the ibexes were still there. As we looked down, we spotted a herd of Marco Polos just 100 metres away from us, but there was no sign of the ibexes. Back on the horses again. 

Cresting the ridge, we reached a point where we split up. Mariano and Yago stayed behind to survey a pass used by the ibex, while I continued on with the guide and translator to survey another pass further up. 

We climbed another 300 metres or so, leaving Yago and Mariano behind. This time, we decided to walk to reach the pass we needed to survey. We descended a slope with loose gravel to reach some rocks and thus dominate a ridge. When we were in position, the guide, with the help of the translator, told me that the ibexes were entering further down and that as soon as they shot, they would come along the paths we were dominating. I caught my breath, got ready and waited...

The guide insisted that I position myself to his right, and out of stubbornness I did so, but I was more uncomfortable. So I told him no, and as I was returning to my original position, we heard Yago's shot and then another shot a minute later...

The guide insisted that I stand to his right, and out of stubbornness I did so, but I was more uncomfortable. So I told him no, and as I was returning to my original position, we heard Yago's shot and then another shot a minute later...

Ready, lying down and leaning on the rifle's Harris rest, a few minutes after the shot I saw a lone ibex running towards us. I alerted the guide and the translator. I measured the distance, 300 metres... it was still getting closer, so we let it come... 200 metres and I still thought I could wait a little longer. As a reference, there were some small rocks 150 metres away, which it was heading straight for, so I put it in my sights and followed it until it reached those rocks, where it stopped facing us. As we were above it, I was able to put the base of its neck in my sights and slowly pulled the trigger until the shot surprised me. The ibex collapsed upon impact and began to roll down the slope to the edge where we were standing. I felt both joy and uncertainty about what my friends had done. A few minutes after seeing the ibex roll, a herd of six ibex appeared 400 metres away, one of them with a rather beautiful malformation on its left horn. We watched them walk away and cross over. When the ibex were no longer in sight, we saw one of the guides descend with them down the slope where we had walked down to find the dead ibex.

Little by little, we climbed down our side of the slope to reach the ibex. The truth is that these people move around in places that make you dizzy. When we reached it, we saw that it was an animal about 10 years old. I honestly couldn't believe it. The stalk, the long walk to the spot where we shot it, the hunt... everything had gone perfectly! We took photos to remember the occasion, and Mariano told me over the radio that Yago had also bagged his... so we had a double celebration when we got back to camp, with good wine, cheese and other Spanish delicacies.

14 September 

After lunch, Mariano arrived with his, so mission accomplished! We had already bagged the three ibexes we had been looking for, and most importantly, each of us had enjoyed it in the best possible way: with good walks and good shots. To celebrate, we finished off the two bottles of wine we had left and smoked a good cigar each. We decided to bring forward the transfer to Bishkek to the 16th.

The German hunter is still at the camp after hunting his ibex four days ago, so we suggested a target shooting competition. 
 

15 September

The day dawned sunny and windless, perfect for testing the rifles at long range. There was no sign of the German who had gone on an excursion to the opposite side of where we were shooting at 438 metres. The Tikka with the Leupold scope worked like a charm.
After lunch, we decided to go to the rock we had been shooting at to see the impact marks. Later, we went on an excursion and decided to organise our descent to Bishkek for the following day.

16 September

It had rained during the night and there was snow at higher altitudes. It was a beautiful sight as we said goodbye to the camp and the hunting area before descending to Bishkek. 
On the way back, we had to stop twice due to flat tyres. 

17 September

We visited the Osh Bazaar in the west of the city to buy gifts to take home. On the way, we stopped to see Ala-Too Square and even went into the National History Museum, which is in the same square, to learn a little more about this small but charming country. 

18 September 

Last day before flying back to Spain. We visited a gun shop that I had heard about in the morning, and in the afternoon we had a drink before going to dinner early so we could rest before the next day's journey.

19 September 

Flights back home Bishkek - Istanbul - Madrid

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