marksjeep
Well-known member
Thank you for sharing the story and pics. Outstanding job!
Not an "On Your Own Adventure"
- Thread starter shoots-straight
- Start date
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
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What a great story. Sure glad you lived up to your moniker when the moment of truth arrived.
Addicting
Well-known member
Reading your story made me remember my layover at an old Russian base there in our way to Afghanistan. That cold and ice fog is quite the experience. Congrats on your hunt and some great memories. BTW, What did you think about the ravens? There coloring made me think of Bufflehead ducks I hunted on a local lake here.
bobbydean
Well-known member
A unique hunt. Thanks for the telling.
We have ibex in New Mexico on a bare rock mountain. Interesting seeing them in their true habitat.
We have ibex in New Mexico on a bare rock mountain. Interesting seeing them in their true habitat.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
Not quite done yet.
So with the Ibex dragged down to the bottom of the mountain in the dark, I had agreed to show the "Rangers" how to cape animals for American taxidermists. There was an issue with a hunter from Alaska that took a great Ibex but his cape job wasn't to good. The lips were short and the ears not turned, and eyes not skinned properly. So I gutted the Ibex, Rooter style, then did the preliminary cuts on the cape up too the head. Before I could do the rest the head Ranger says lets take the rest down to Village and you can finish there in the daylight. They wanted to hang the meat in the only tree around to keep wolves away, but Leopards could still get to it. I figured we'd go back to the Village but they wanted me to go to the camp for the night. So off we go back to camp leaving behind two Rangers to hang meat and take head and cape to the village.
Next day same as always they feed me, eggs, fruits, and nuts. Some candies from Russia, and of course tea.( I'll comment on this for just a moment. I sweat a lot as a old guy now. Drinking little tea cups of tea are great, but I was constantly dehydrated from not ingesting enough water. Finally I told them just bring me big bottles of water from now on.) Then after breakfast we head up the valley to look for more Ibex. I guess I could have shot another one, but told them that one was enough, and didn't need another unless they had one that was substantially larger than what I took. From what I saw, I'd say that the one I took, same one I passed on first day, was as big as they had in that Valley. So after we headed back to camp for lunch I asked if they had heard if Joe was heading our way or not. They told me that some people from the upper village came through and said that a bull dozer had cleared the road about 600 meters above the lower village. I told the lead ranger that I was heading down to see what Joe wanted to do. I knew we still had a week left he wanted to hunt something else or try and make it up there. We had been watching a large group of Ibex right from camp with two nice Ibex Billy's and they came with in rifle range on a couple of days while I was there. If Joe could get to camp he would have a good chance at one of those Billy's. So down the valley I head with the lead ranger. When we get to where I gutted the Ibex we find that the snow leopard had cleaned up the guts, and tried to get at the meat hanging. 4 rangers had come and took everything to the lower village. At that point we meet the dozer. It was working on one of the largest avalanche sites but had cleared the road to that point. It looked promising to me that Joe could make it in now to hunt. Just before we got back to the village with the good news we find where another avalanche had slid across the road again. It wasn't giant but still too much for a jeep to get through. When we got to the village the lead ranger put together a work party of villagers and everyone took a shovel. They literally worked into the night to shovel the road out so the vehicle could drive up the valley. The next day I see many a villager with bandaged hands going about their daily chores. These people were unbelievable in how far they would go for us. Joe was past ready to get on the mountain and so up he goes. He hoped his wife Deb could go, but I didn't think that was too good an idea considering the next 6 miles are still snow packed with just our trail to get there. So off Joe went. I will let him tell his part of the hunt as it wasn't my kill.
I was treated to some outstanding food back at the village. My wife, and Joe's were still suffering from symptoms of altitude sickness, and possibly flu. Our hostess was also the town nurse and offered to give shots if they wanted.
Twice a day our hostess along with the other woman made their way to the river to haul water. they packed what looked like 5 gallons at a time. They also had a spring creek where they filled up bottles of water from drinking. They packaged my Ibex, and had already done the cape job. All I could do was hope they had left enough lips, eyes and turned the ears. As it turned out (pun intended) they had not turned the lips, or ears, but had salted the cape. They had processed the head by boiling it and separating the horns from the skull. This was needed so I could take the trophy back with me is a duffel bag that I planned on purchasing in Dushanbe.
Our hostess wore her head covered the whole time we were there and she told my wife that she was morning the death of her father and would wear it for a year after his death. The house we stayed at was his and it was handed down to her. Her husband had added two bedrooms and a small bathroom with gravity fed water for your shower. I took one very cold shower there, but that was because 4 and a half days of hunting and my wife said that I'd be sleeping with the cows or goats if I didn't shower.
1st picture is wife in our room at village
2nd is a meal of undisclosed meat with Noon bread and rice.
3rd Their religion is Sunni Islam and the four beams going up like this with light is some sort of religious symbol.
4th is our hostess and village nurse. She attends English class each night.
So with the Ibex dragged down to the bottom of the mountain in the dark, I had agreed to show the "Rangers" how to cape animals for American taxidermists. There was an issue with a hunter from Alaska that took a great Ibex but his cape job wasn't to good. The lips were short and the ears not turned, and eyes not skinned properly. So I gutted the Ibex, Rooter style, then did the preliminary cuts on the cape up too the head. Before I could do the rest the head Ranger says lets take the rest down to Village and you can finish there in the daylight. They wanted to hang the meat in the only tree around to keep wolves away, but Leopards could still get to it. I figured we'd go back to the Village but they wanted me to go to the camp for the night. So off we go back to camp leaving behind two Rangers to hang meat and take head and cape to the village.
Next day same as always they feed me, eggs, fruits, and nuts. Some candies from Russia, and of course tea.( I'll comment on this for just a moment. I sweat a lot as a old guy now. Drinking little tea cups of tea are great, but I was constantly dehydrated from not ingesting enough water. Finally I told them just bring me big bottles of water from now on.) Then after breakfast we head up the valley to look for more Ibex. I guess I could have shot another one, but told them that one was enough, and didn't need another unless they had one that was substantially larger than what I took. From what I saw, I'd say that the one I took, same one I passed on first day, was as big as they had in that Valley. So after we headed back to camp for lunch I asked if they had heard if Joe was heading our way or not. They told me that some people from the upper village came through and said that a bull dozer had cleared the road about 600 meters above the lower village. I told the lead ranger that I was heading down to see what Joe wanted to do. I knew we still had a week left he wanted to hunt something else or try and make it up there. We had been watching a large group of Ibex right from camp with two nice Ibex Billy's and they came with in rifle range on a couple of days while I was there. If Joe could get to camp he would have a good chance at one of those Billy's. So down the valley I head with the lead ranger. When we get to where I gutted the Ibex we find that the snow leopard had cleaned up the guts, and tried to get at the meat hanging. 4 rangers had come and took everything to the lower village. At that point we meet the dozer. It was working on one of the largest avalanche sites but had cleared the road to that point. It looked promising to me that Joe could make it in now to hunt. Just before we got back to the village with the good news we find where another avalanche had slid across the road again. It wasn't giant but still too much for a jeep to get through. When we got to the village the lead ranger put together a work party of villagers and everyone took a shovel. They literally worked into the night to shovel the road out so the vehicle could drive up the valley. The next day I see many a villager with bandaged hands going about their daily chores. These people were unbelievable in how far they would go for us. Joe was past ready to get on the mountain and so up he goes. He hoped his wife Deb could go, but I didn't think that was too good an idea considering the next 6 miles are still snow packed with just our trail to get there. So off Joe went. I will let him tell his part of the hunt as it wasn't my kill.
I was treated to some outstanding food back at the village. My wife, and Joe's were still suffering from symptoms of altitude sickness, and possibly flu. Our hostess was also the town nurse and offered to give shots if they wanted.
Twice a day our hostess along with the other woman made their way to the river to haul water. they packed what looked like 5 gallons at a time. They also had a spring creek where they filled up bottles of water from drinking. They packaged my Ibex, and had already done the cape job. All I could do was hope they had left enough lips, eyes and turned the ears. As it turned out (pun intended) they had not turned the lips, or ears, but had salted the cape. They had processed the head by boiling it and separating the horns from the skull. This was needed so I could take the trophy back with me is a duffel bag that I planned on purchasing in Dushanbe.
Our hostess wore her head covered the whole time we were there and she told my wife that she was morning the death of her father and would wear it for a year after his death. The house we stayed at was his and it was handed down to her. Her husband had added two bedrooms and a small bathroom with gravity fed water for your shower. I took one very cold shower there, but that was because 4 and a half days of hunting and my wife said that I'd be sleeping with the cows or goats if I didn't shower.
1st picture is wife in our room at village
2nd is a meal of undisclosed meat with Noon bread and rice.
3rd Their religion is Sunni Islam and the four beams going up like this with light is some sort of religious symbol.
4th is our hostess and village nurse. She attends English class each night.
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bowhuntmontana
Well-known member
What an amazing adventure! You, sir, have a talent for sharing a great tale. Thanks for taking us along with you to the other side of the world.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
We take so much for granted....fine recap shoots, thank you.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
ashersdad
Well-known member
That's an adventure of a lifetime!! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us all.
BrentD
Well-known member
Congratulations on an incredibly amazing trip. I'm not sure if I would not consider the snow leopard to be a bigger treat than the Ibex, but you got both, so it is unbeatable.
Maybe I missed it, but what happened with the cartridges that did not fire? From the description it seems that the primers failed. The bullets did not leave the case?
Maybe I missed it, but what happened with the cartridges that did not fire? From the description it seems that the primers failed. The bullets did not leave the case?
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Wow- simply amazing. Thanks for sharing.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
[/QUOTE]
Primers failed, totally, going to pull them and redo with new primers.
FI460
Well-known member
Truly amazing story. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing.
BrentD
Well-known member
Primers failed, totally, going to pull them and redo with new primers.[/QUOTE]
I'd be more than must a might POed with the manufacturer and they would be getting those primers back. Including all that I owned that I had left, along with a long letter of explanation. Primer failure is pretty rare, extremely rare actually. That many in a row is unbelievable.
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