Mid-Asian Ibex…exceptionally challenging!
4th September I met a very nice group of friends and clients at Almaty Airport. After 6 hours of driving South-East, we arrived at the main camp, 20 kilometers from the border with China, extremely deep in the mountains. We only had enough time to pack a small backpack, sleeping bag, rifle, and bullets, the next 5 days would be just us against nature.
Many hours of hard horse riding every day, up and down, scouting for these shy and evasive Ibexes. Sleeping in tents on top of those mountains, no phone signal, nothing except the sound of our thoughts and breathing. Too much time maybe to consider if it’s been worth it, too much of a risk, too far away from home. But in the end, it happened, 472 meters, a light breeze, majestic old Ibex standing proud on top of a rock and boooooooooom, the 30.06 bullet flies like a bat out of hell…doooooooooown…right on the same rock, not one second of suffering. I have never seen a shot like that, it was the “perfect” shot.
It took us 3 hours of extremely hard stalking to get to the rock, there are no words to describe the feelings and the emotions, the exceptional 23-year-old and 134 centimeters length Ibex speaks for itself, IT’S ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!
I’ve just returned, really tired, but I can’t wait to go again! Come and join us!
