Marco-Polo-Argali

Kyrgyzstan

Hunt with us in Kyrgyzstan, far from civilization. Experience a real wilderness hunt, professional hunters, a stunning landscape, live in the tent and hunt for your Marco Polo ram. The combination of abundant wildlife, enchanting scenery and physical challenge attracts numerous hunters every year. If you hold the trophy of your ram in your hands, the hardships of the past days are quickly forgotten!

Impressionen

Information Marco-Polo-Argali (Ovis Ammon polii)

The Marco Polo sheep (also called the Pamir Argali) is a subspecies of the Argali. It can reach live weights up to 140 kg with a shoulder height up to 1.30 m. The main distribution areas are in the Pamir (Tajikistan) and the foothills of the Tienschan Mountains (China and Kyrgyzstan). Marco Polo sheep live at altitudes of about 3,800 m - 5,200 m in very barren mountainous regions (rarely below 3,000 m). Together with the Blue Sheep, there is no other species that is hunted at higher altitudes.

Marco Polo rams carry enormous helical trophies which in exceptional cases can reach lengths of more than 60 inches (152 cm). In Kyrgyzstan, the average trophies in recent years range from 47 to 49 inches.

Both sexes live separated in packs most of the time. During the rutting season (November / December), rams go to the sheep and fierce battles between rams can occur.

Marco Polo sheep hear, eye and squirm excellent, which makes stalking a challenge.

Hunting / Season

Marco Polo sheep can be hunted in Kyrgyzstan from 30 September to 15 December and from 15 January to the end of March.

You fly to Bishkek and are then taken by a minibus into the hunting area to the base camp. There you can recover from the journey, get to know the hunting guides and your horse for the coming hunting days and make a test shot.

The hunt starts the next morning. You ride from the base camp with your hunting guide into the hunting area and build a Flycamp. From there will be hunted out in the coming days.

Usually you are with 3-4 Kyrgyz hunters in Flycamp (2 guides and 2 people who take care of the food).

In the morning, you will get up early and head into the hunting area. During the day, the rams are often quite high up in the mountains, which means for the hunter that he must also go to the summit. In the evening, another attempt is made to get a glimpse of the Argalis on their way to the groves.

If you have bagged your Marco Polo ram, the hunt is over. You turn down the Flycamp and ride back to the base camp, where you can relax.

Equipment

The hunt for the Marco Polo ram in Kyrgyzstan is a pure mountain hunt, where you can count on snow even on summits even in summer. We recommend applying several thin layers, which can be removed as needed. Functional underwear is advisable during the ascent.

The shooting distances can be relatively high, so a bipod can be helpful in taking the shot. We recommend high-performance calibers like 8x68S, 7 mm Remington Magnum and all calibres of the .300er group.

In order to be able to estimate the shot distance in the mountains better, a rangefinder is very helpful.

For detailed questions about the equipment we are happy to assist you. We were on site and can recommend the right equipment.

Accommodation

On arrival and departure day you stay in a simple hunting lodge (base camp) and prepare for the hunt. During your hunting days you spend the nights in the so-called flycamps. The flycamps are made up of small tents that are placed in the middle of the hunting area in order to start hunting early every morning.