https://www.thenews.com.pk/lat...ng-permit-for-232000

LINK HAS PHOTO.



US citizen hunts Markhor in Chitral after obtaining permit for record $232,000

Wildlife department says the horn size of the mountain monarch was 45 inches

By Arooba Ibrahim December 17, 2023

PESHAWAR: A US citizen on Sunday hunted a magnificent Markhor at Tooshi Shasha Conservancy of Lower Chitral district, sources told Geo News.

Deron James Millman, a US national, got a permit for trophy hunting from the wildlife department for a whopping $232,000, making it the biggest bid in history.

The sources added that the permit for hunting the Markhor, which is a wild goat that is native to high-altitude monsoon forests in central Asia, was obtained in October through bidding.

The wildlife department said that the horn size of the mountain monarch was 45 inches.

In October last year, the wildlife department in the country’s northernmost territory auctioned hunting permits for Astor Markhors at record prices under the trophy scheme.

Hunting permits are issued annually for various areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Tooshi Conservancy in Chitral District, Gehrait Conservancy in Chitral District and Kaigah Conservancy in Kohistan District.

Last year, the highest bid received for the associated species of Astor Markhor was $167,525.

The concept of trophy hunting has produced positive results as the Markhor population has increased.

Under the trophy hunting programme, local communities receive 80% of the licence fee and the government keeps the rest. The amount varies as licences are issued through a bidding process.

Moreover, only old and male Markhors are shot and such animals can be identified from their horns, gait and body structure. This programme has been cited as a huge success in biodiversity preservation in Pakistan.

The incentives created through the trophy hunting programme have introduced new ethical standards among the concerned communities that now protect their wild game species as an economic asset.

Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, is protected by local and international laws such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

https://www.facebook.com/perma...88153&ref=embed_post


Link to Chitral Wildlife Division Facebook, numerous photos.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1798...s-markhor-in-chitral

American hunts markhor in Chitral

The Newspaper's Staff Correspondent Published December 17, 2023 Updated about 15 hours ago


-Dawn
CHITRAL: An American hunted a nine-and-half-year-old Kashmir Markhor in Toshi Shasha conservancy of Lower Chitral district here on Saturday. He had got a permit for trophy hunting from wildlife department at a cost of 212,000 US dollars.

Divisional forest officer, wildlife division Chitral, Farooq Nabi told Dawn that unlike the previous trophy hunters, the American national, Deron James Millman, didn’t have to ascend the pasture in high altitude as he was fortunate enough to search a markhor in a wheat crop field near the adjoining Shali village.


He said that the markhor was standing in the middle of the recently-cultivated wheat crop when the hunter fired upon it, felling his trophy instantly.

Mr Nabi said that the horn of the markhor measured 45 inches, while 53 inches was the highest record in the history of trophy hunting in the conservancies of Chitral.

The forest officer said that due to the community-based conservation, the population of Kashmir Markhor had increased. He added that markhors descended to the wheat crops of the nearby villages of Toshi-Shasha conservancy for which the department compensated the farmers.

“Keeping in view the strength of markhors in a certain conservancy, the wildlife department puts to auction two markhors every year in Chitral district and the successful bidder is issued hunting permit.

Eighty per cent of the income accrued from the permit fee of the trophy hunting of markhor goes to the local community through the village conservation committees (VCCs), which have been organised in different villages,“ he said.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023

Is that first link photo showing the trophy shot in a wheat field where the second report says it was shot or has the markhor been dragged there for a gee that was a hard hunt photo

I'd feel real proud of spending over $200k to shoot a goat in a wheat field