I am not getting any younger and was thinking of doing a Marco polo hunt. It seems like it is one of the lesser priced sheep hunts and also exciting to be out of North America.
I have looked a lot and talked to many outfitters and I am having a had time narrowing it down.

Some hunts are real cheap under $20K and some are right at $30K. I am only looking at going to Kyrgystan as well.

I really want a good ram and have my thoughts of a 50" ram. Is that too unrealistic?
Also do the more expensive hunts give you a better chance at a bigger sheep?

If I wanted the best chance at a 50" ram for a decent price who should I look to hunt with? Are there outfitters with higher success for what I want?

Are there better areas to hunt than others as well?

Any thoughts?

Forest,

I've only hunted the Naryn River region in central Kyrgyzstan, so I can't comment area to area. What I can do is give me 2 cents on the price disparities and realistic trophy expectations.

45-48" is probably a realistic trophy expectation. 50" plus is definitely a better than average ram. +53" is exceptional. The year I went the largest sheep taken with the outfitter was 54". Mine was second largest at 50". The rest were in the 40s. A quick look through the last several Grand Slam/Ovis magazines would seem to confirm this trend. Quite a few of the sheep are in the low 40s, but not everyone is of equal physical ability, so perhaps that leads some to take the first ram they can (no dig just a fact).

As for price. I would be very careful with bargain hunts. I've seen a few horror story hunt reports from Kyrgyzstan and a common theme was a price too good to be true that lured them to go on the hunt. I would expect to pay $22,000-30,000 for a regular booked out hunt for both marco polo and ibex. A cancelation/end of season deal with a reputable outfitter might be a bit less??? I booked through Arjun Reddy and hunted with Seladang. I would hunt with them again. Brian Martin would also be a good one.

Brett

I'd agree, a 50" ram is pretty exceptional out of Kyrgyzstan these days. Lots of bargain hunts there and lots of disaster stories. Even with the best operators, I'd say it's still a roll of the dice as to the quality of hunt you get. I ended up on an incredible hunt and took an exceptional ram but things can go the other way just as fast. You pay your money and you take your chances. You'll get spoiled on your tur hunt this year...don't expect the same in Kyrgyzstan.

Hi Forest,

Brett nailed it. A 50" ram is very respectable for Kyrgyzstan. But much depends on the luck of the draw. It is so hard to judge the plus/minus from the typical shooting distance. All you might want to do is hold out for a nice one, and leave the tape at home.

Not all outfitters are equal. It's a third world country, with all the adventure that comes with it. I was pleased with my hunt, see http://forums.accuratereloadin...8321043/m/9241074491

Brett hunted the same area, and he took a smoking' ram. Do your homework, bring warn clothes, and enjoy the hunt!

Good luck,

Jack

I booked through Bryan Martin and went this past October. There were several issues beyond anyone's control which led to me not getting a ram. It is a long story but sometimes things just don't work out the way you hope they will. I did get a good representative ibex though. I could not stay longer since I had drawn a desert sheep tag in NM and had to get home for that hunt.

Bryan called me after a few days and asked if there was any way I could go back in February. I am the President of Eastern WSF and we had our show scheduled for this past weekend. I told him I could not go before that but I would leave right after. My flight is tomorrow night. The point I am trying to make is Bryan and his sister handled all the details,worked out when I could get back and made sure I had the opportunity to go. I will try and shoot another ibex while I am there. Could I have saved a few dollars booking with someone else, probably. Would I have had the opportunity to go back like I do, I don't know. I do know that I am being treated more than fairly. Sometimes saving some money works out but it is what happens when it doesn't that matters most to me.

Best of luck Jim!

Do not expect a 50 inch MP ram in Kyrgistan - if you get one you are lucky !

As I have stated several times here on AR - try the Norwegian outfitter Ansten Østby or the German outfitter Westfalia Jagdreisen. These guys have extensive experience from the areas and have been working with the local hunting organizations for years.

Seladang is also ok. But do not buy the cheap offers as the guys say. Hunting in these areas is no joke and there culd be a lot of red tape that cheap offers do not handle ! I have been there 5 times in these STAN countries and learned what is working and not !

If you really want big MP - go to Tadjikistan. But in Kyrgyzstan may be a little bit easier hunt because of less altitude.

N.B. The difference in price often means legal or not legal hunt (there is a kind of "almost legal" ).

Just got home from Kyrgyzstan yesterday. Missed a 500 yd shot at a ram well over 50 inches. The guides screwed up stalks on him and his buddy the previous 2 days. In 9 days I probably only saw 4 rams that would go over 50 inches. I didn't get one, but the outfitter is working on a deal to get me back for another try at a good discount. Booked through Theo at Skin Africa. He has it set up with daily fees and then a trophy fee if you kill a animal. I wanted to stay over 47 inches and passed on even stalking some in the 42-44 inch range. wasn't going to pay the trophy fee for a smaller ram. Will try to file an extensive report in the next 2 weeks. Bruce

Sorry to hear about your misfortune Gillettehunter but it seems to be an increasingly common story out of Kyrgyzstan. I'm starting to think that Tajikistan might be the better value these days. I hope your return trip brings better luck!

I just returned home last night from Kyrgyzstan. This was my second trip as I was there in October and did not kill a ram. This trip we saw rams everyday including some that were at 50" or better. Unfortunately those rams were very high up in positions that I was not capable of getting to. I was not in the condition I would like to have been and have no problem admitting that. Coming from 1000' above sea level I definitely had issues. I am very happy with the ram I did get based on that. Also I did get a vey nice ibex. We brought our animals home with us through JFK, met our broker and handed them over along with all required paperwork. That part went off without a hitch. All in all I would (am) considering doing the trip again in a year or two, this time with proper preparation and a much better training program prior to going.

Jim

Jim who did you hunt with would you go with them again?

I hunted through Bryan Martin, Asian Mountain Outfitters and yes I would definitely use them again. They are pretty well connected over there. We were at dinner Sunday night with the owner of the hunting company and our Cites permits were hand delivered to the restaurant so we leave at 8:00 am Monday morning. Their people over there know the ropes and want to make sure you take you animals with you no matter what.

Were you with Saku...Jim?

Saku met us at the airport and rode with us almost all the way to our camp but then had to go deal with some other issues at another camp. We met up with him when we got back to Bishkek and spent 2 days with him getting a tour of the city. Very nice guy.

Yes he definitely seems to know the right people Jim. Glad you got your ram...not sure I'd want to go back a third time myself....lol

It looks like a great ram Jim you should be pround of that one. I hope you put up a hunt report and share a few pics