To “The Rooftop of The World” for Ibex in Tajikistan
- Thread starter MTGomer
- Start date
MTLabrador
Well-known member
Damn, some of those mountains could be right off the Beartooth front north of Cody. Looking forward to the rest.
Doublecluck
Well-known member
Nice! My buddy was there a month or so ago and killed a giant, he’s trying to get me to go with him next year. This might convince me.
QuazyQuinton
Well-known member
You can post all the pictures of mountains you want, but start showing the people and the food, and it really stirs the emotions and memories of being in Kyrgyzstan (not for hunting) a couple of years ago. We crossed into Tajikistan for about 5 minutes on two occasions, but that section of border is not the most stable, so we were mostly glad to stay with our friends on the Kyrgyz side.
QQ
cgasner1
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- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Messages
- 3,112
I was telling my wife the clip notes version of this tonight and she already said no. Jokes on her I’m sure I can find a different country to hunt a animal I didn’t know I wanted to hunt till 6 hours ago
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rjthehunter
Well-known member
Tajikistan, Marco polo, and ibex have been at the top of my list since the first time my grandpa told me the story about his hunt there.
Thank you for sharing your hunt!!! Just getting to the hunting area is an adventure in itself. Can't wait to hear about the hunt!
Thank you for sharing your hunt!!! Just getting to the hunting area is an adventure in itself. Can't wait to hear about the hunt!
antlerradar
Well-known member
MTGomer, Keeping HT great
EYJONAS!
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- Mar 17, 2017
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Great adventure Riley! Keep on rolling amigo!
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
This is fantastic, and I fell in love with that part of the world 20 years ago. Really need to get back. Congrats on the growing family!
We hiked up a drainage behind camp for most of the day. By earlier afternoon it was starting to open into a bit wider valley.
It is very steep on both sides. The rangers tell us to always be watching above for rock fall.
Using a large rock for shelter, we stopped and had a “fast lunch”.
I learned that any lunch that doesn’t entail pulling an entire tea pot out of a potato sacks and starting a fire is a fast one.
We were back on our feet and making our way up the drainage.
It was clear that the higher mountains above us were snowy or icy, but they were shrouded and fog, making it hard to tell just how large they truly are
Looking at a map, I knew they were big, because the Fedchenko glacier, one of the largest in the world and Ismoili Somoni Peak, reaching 24,500+ feet are nearby.
As we worked our way up the basin we would stop to glass. The rangers would occasionally say “eeeebex not eye-bex” and motion ‘small’ with their hands to indicate they saw Nannies/kids or small billies.
It is very steep on both sides. The rangers tell us to always be watching above for rock fall.
Using a large rock for shelter, we stopped and had a “fast lunch”.
I learned that any lunch that doesn’t entail pulling an entire tea pot out of a potato sacks and starting a fire is a fast one.
We were back on our feet and making our way up the drainage.
It was clear that the higher mountains above us were snowy or icy, but they were shrouded and fog, making it hard to tell just how large they truly are
Looking at a map, I knew they were big, because the Fedchenko glacier, one of the largest in the world and Ismoili Somoni Peak, reaching 24,500+ feet are nearby.
As we worked our way up the basin we would stop to glass. The rangers would occasionally say “eeeebex not eye-bex” and motion ‘small’ with their hands to indicate they saw Nannies/kids or small billies.
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At one point when we were stopped to glass, I made the mistake of getting out of the bottom where I was concealed by a steep bank to go up the bank to get a better view. A group of nearby Ibex were peaking over a ridge and caught site of me.
They did not hang around. As they went up the hill at 850 yards, and out of sight, with one shooter in the group, I was sure kicking myself for being so careless.
The rangers didn’t seem too bothered by this and assured us that there would be more EYEbex and less eeeebex as we got higher.
Up we go as the rain and snow start to fall.
They did not hang around. As they went up the hill at 850 yards, and out of sight, with one shooter in the group, I was sure kicking myself for being so careless.
The rangers didn’t seem too bothered by this and assured us that there would be more EYEbex and less eeeebex as we got higher.
Up we go as the rain and snow start to fall.
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As we get to the snow line, we stop and begin to glass. One of the rangers moves over to an adjacent finger ridge to get a look around the corner and up the mountain. It isn’t long before he is motioning us over to him.
Ibex. “Eye-Bex” he says. Meaning there are shooters in the group.
Ibex. “Eye-Bex” he says. Meaning there are shooters in the group.
We estimate that it would take 3 hours to get in position of these Ibex.
But there is only 2 hours of daylight left.
For about half an hour we watch them, then begrudgingly make our way back to camp. The rangers talk of an early start to get on the ibex in the morning.
The rain and snow picks up.
An inreach forecast predicts a wet night and a wet following day.
Sounds like a good day to get some rest and get rid of the jet lag. But if the forecast is wrong, we’ll be after the Ibex first thing.
But there is only 2 hours of daylight left.
For about half an hour we watch them, then begrudgingly make our way back to camp. The rangers talk of an early start to get on the ibex in the morning.
The rain and snow picks up.
An inreach forecast predicts a wet night and a wet following day.
Sounds like a good day to get some rest and get rid of the jet lag. But if the forecast is wrong, we’ll be after the Ibex first thing.
SoCalhunt88
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2021
- Messages
- 164
Was there last November in the Pamirs, what an adventure. Can’t wait to continue following along, looks like you were after the Bukharan ibex.
Shortly after dark the rain picks up. We are awoken several times in the middle of the night to it pounding the tent.
As daylight comes, it is a drizzle, but the mountains are socked in. The snow line is about 500 feet above camp.
We drift back to sleep.
A few hours after daylight, with the rain beginning to pour heavy again, a light breakfast is delivered….
We hang around the tent for a few hours until early afternoon when the storm begins to break.
It’s time to hang up a few clothes that got wet the night before, glass from camp and eat more food and drink tea.
Glassing reveals eeeebex but no Eye-bex.
We also find 3 brown bears. A very large sow and two 2-yr old cubs.
They are across the river about 1.5 min away digging bugs or roots in a scree slide. Just like a MT griz would.
My biggest regret of the trip is forgetting my Ollin digiscope adapter.
As daylight comes, it is a drizzle, but the mountains are socked in. The snow line is about 500 feet above camp.
We drift back to sleep.
A few hours after daylight, with the rain beginning to pour heavy again, a light breakfast is delivered….
We hang around the tent for a few hours until early afternoon when the storm begins to break.
It’s time to hang up a few clothes that got wet the night before, glass from camp and eat more food and drink tea.
Glassing reveals eeeebex but no Eye-bex.
We also find 3 brown bears. A very large sow and two 2-yr old cubs.
They are across the river about 1.5 min away digging bugs or roots in a scree slide. Just like a MT griz would.
My biggest regret of the trip is forgetting my Ollin digiscope adapter.
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By late afternoon it is clear that the next day will be a decent weather day. The Inreach’s forecast confirms it.
Now I’m excited.
We eat another light breakfast consisting of 2 eggs, 3 sausages, various nuts and vegetables and head out at first light.
We are traveling quickly this time, knowing approximately where we should find some ibex.
As we approach the upper end of the basin, the clouds that have been shrouding the mountains begin to lift, revealing just how massive and glaciated they are. It’s beautiful, covered in a fresh coat of snow.
It doesn’t take long to spot a handful of nannies standing in the snow on a ridge line. Are they part of the same group with the shooters? Are they alone? Are they a different group? We aren’t sure.
We wait for them to dip around the ridge and we begin moving closer.
As we get higher, we can see more movement below where the Nannies were
Setting up the optics, it becomes clear that there are at least 30 ibex here. I can see 4 billies that I would gladly kill. One appears larger and darker than the rest. I show Kaylee through the spotter and tell her that when it’s time to shoot, to shoot this one.
Now I’m excited.
We eat another light breakfast consisting of 2 eggs, 3 sausages, various nuts and vegetables and head out at first light.
We are traveling quickly this time, knowing approximately where we should find some ibex.
As we approach the upper end of the basin, the clouds that have been shrouding the mountains begin to lift, revealing just how massive and glaciated they are. It’s beautiful, covered in a fresh coat of snow.
It doesn’t take long to spot a handful of nannies standing in the snow on a ridge line. Are they part of the same group with the shooters? Are they alone? Are they a different group? We aren’t sure.
We wait for them to dip around the ridge and we begin moving closer.
As we get higher, we can see more movement below where the Nannies were
Setting up the optics, it becomes clear that there are at least 30 ibex here. I can see 4 billies that I would gladly kill. One appears larger and darker than the rest. I show Kaylee through the spotter and tell her that when it’s time to shoot, to shoot this one.
buffybr
Well-known member
Great report so far...
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