The Accurate Reloading Forums
Kyrgyzstan Marco Polo Sheep & Mid-Asian Ibex (Finished)
11 December 2012, 11:30
Mike BrooksKyrgyzstan Marco Polo Sheep & Mid-Asian Ibex (Finished)
quote:
Originally posted by RELBAT:
Looking forward to a private showing!
Take pictures and post them up!
NRA Life
ASSRA Life
DRSS
Today's Quote:
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a free cell phone with free monthly minutes, food stamps, section 8 housing, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
12 December 2012, 01:54
D. NelsonBrett;
Great report so far.............

Waiting.....
Best regards, D. Nelson
17 December 2012, 06:59
Frostbitquote:
Originally posted by D. Nelson:
Brett;
Great report so far.............

Waiting.....
Best regards, D. Nelson
And waiting, and waiting, and...........
20 December 2012, 03:27
FrostbitI could be wrong but this might be why the report is taking so long?
20 December 2012, 03:42
A.DahlgrenLovely Ma...uhmm....Cow Brett Congrats!!!

20 December 2012, 04:18
cal pappasNice cow, Brett. But you didn't have to go all the way tocndkgjeotunmdjkgirgjstan to shoot a cow. They have them in Alaska AND you could use your Mossberg shotgun!
Are you going to register this with SCI or just stick with the old standard of Roland Wards?
How many points and tell us of the charge!
Next time, use a double rifle and I'll post it on my website and maybe feature your hunt story in my next book (out this spring-summer).
You don't really deserve this shit, I know.
Cheers,
Cal
_______________________________
Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska
www.CalPappas.comwww.CalPappas.blogspot.com1994 Zimbabwe
1997 Zimbabwe
1998 Zimbabwe
1999 Zimbabwe
1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation
2000 Australia
2002 South Africa
2003 South Africa
2003 Zimbabwe
2005 South Africa
2005 Zimbabwe
2006 Tanzania
2006 Zimbabwe--vacation
2007 Zimbabwe--vacation
2008 Zimbabwe
2012 Australia
2013 South Africa
2013 Zimbabwe
2013 Australia
2016 Zimbabwe
2017 Zimbabwe
2018 South Africa
2018 Zimbabwe--vacation
2019 South Africa
2019 Botswana
2019 Zimbabwe vacation
2021 South Africa
2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later)
______________________________
20 December 2012, 04:29
Matt MooreNice One!
Moo! Moo! Buckaroo!
Matt M
20 December 2012, 06:00
little missquote:
Originally posted by cal pappas:
Next time, use a double rifle and I'll post it on my website and maybe feature your hunt story in my next book (out this spring-summer).
Cheers,
Cal
Cal, your book may be an antique by the time Brett finishes his report!!
Brett, you DO deserve this teasing!!! LOL
Cheers,
Joyce
20 December 2012, 07:10
cal pappasBrett:
I must say that I am sorry for all these comments, including my own. I don't know other's reasons but I have gone through a serious psychological evaluation of my behavior and it basically comes down to jealously. You see you are a young and handsome doctor, beautiful girlfriend, millionaire, good tastes in wine, firearms and the finer things in life. Me, on the other hand, lives in retirement poverty, hunts and shoots old and ugly boat anchor firearms, diabetic with one foot in the grave, and survives on an IV drip of testosterone and Viagra. My shortcomings should not be a reason to attack that wonderful trophy of yours pictured above.
Cheers, mate, and guess who let me on to the fact his thread exists.
Cal
_______________________________
Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska
www.CalPappas.comwww.CalPappas.blogspot.com1994 Zimbabwe
1997 Zimbabwe
1998 Zimbabwe
1999 Zimbabwe
1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation
2000 Australia
2002 South Africa
2003 South Africa
2003 Zimbabwe
2005 South Africa
2005 Zimbabwe
2006 Tanzania
2006 Zimbabwe--vacation
2007 Zimbabwe--vacation
2008 Zimbabwe
2012 Australia
2013 South Africa
2013 Zimbabwe
2013 Australia
2016 Zimbabwe
2017 Zimbabwe
2018 South Africa
2018 Zimbabwe--vacation
2019 South Africa
2019 Botswana
2019 Zimbabwe vacation
2021 South Africa
2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later)
______________________________
20 December 2012, 09:29
Frostbitquote:
Originally posted by cal pappas:
Brett:
I must say that I am sorry for all these comments, including my own. I don't know other's reasons but I have gone through a serious psychological evaluation of my behavior and it basically comes down to jealously. You see you are a young and handsome doctor, beautiful girlfriend, millionaire, good tastes in wine, firearms and the finer things in life. Me, on the other hand, lives in retirement poverty, hunts and shoots old and ugly boat anchor firearms, diabetic with one foot in the grave, and survives on an IV drip of testosterone and Viagra. My shortcomings should not be a reason to attack that wonderful trophy of yours pictured above.
Cheers, mate, and guess who let me on to the fact his thread exists.
Cal
Little Miss been sending you secret messages again.

20 December 2012, 11:10
Mike BrooksI heard that it involved a very difficult stalk avoiding the fences and the cowboys herding them into the shooting stand at the feed lot.
NRA Life
ASSRA Life
DRSS
Today's Quote:
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a free cell phone with free monthly minutes, food stamps, section 8 housing, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
20 December 2012, 11:40
BrettAKSCIWow.......
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
20 December 2012, 19:07
cal pappasMike:
Is your photo of South Africa's high fence hunting?
Cal
_______________________________
Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska
www.CalPappas.comwww.CalPappas.blogspot.com1994 Zimbabwe
1997 Zimbabwe
1998 Zimbabwe
1999 Zimbabwe
1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation
2000 Australia
2002 South Africa
2003 South Africa
2003 Zimbabwe
2005 South Africa
2005 Zimbabwe
2006 Tanzania
2006 Zimbabwe--vacation
2007 Zimbabwe--vacation
2008 Zimbabwe
2012 Australia
2013 South Africa
2013 Zimbabwe
2013 Australia
2016 Zimbabwe
2017 Zimbabwe
2018 South Africa
2018 Zimbabwe--vacation
2019 South Africa
2019 Botswana
2019 Zimbabwe vacation
2021 South Africa
2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later)
______________________________
20 December 2012, 19:15
D. Nelsonquote:
Originally posted by Frostbit:
I could be wrong but this might be why the report is taking so long?

20 December 2012, 20:48
Frostbitquote:
Originally posted by BrettAKSCI:
Wow.......
Brett
There is still hope this train can get back on track.

27 December 2012, 02:33
nubeWish I could see more pics and a story! Sorry Brett but I have kind of given up looking for a story. Any idea when you will have it together or some pics? Really been looking forward to it.
27 December 2012, 18:20
Aaron NeilsonBrett - I won't harass ya much, I just want to see more trophy pics.
Congrats man, looks awesome!
Aaron Neilson
Global Hunting Resources
303-619-2872: Cell
globalhunts@aol.com
www.huntghr.com 28 December 2012, 14:44
BrettAKSCIOk guys! Not finished, but I knocked out a huge section of it today. I have Istanbul, Bishkek, and the hunt up to and including the sheep finished. The ibex hunt is coming..........
To be continued.....
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
29 December 2012, 00:54
Frostbitquote:
Originally posted by BrettAKSCI:
Ok guys! Not finished, but I knocked out a huge section of it today. I have Istanbul, Bishkek, and the hunt up to and including the sheep finished. The ibex hunt is coming..........
To be continued.....
Brett
Nice job Brett. Thanks for taking the time.
Perhaps I can get Anton to photoshop some horns on your cow for you now.

29 December 2012, 08:28
Ute 6.5Brett,
My wife and I are making the same trip in October. We are going to use a lot of your experiances and tips in planning our trip. How many days were you in Istanbul? How many days do you suggest to see the city if time was not a problem?
Thanks for taking the time to post your report!
P.S. You run with a tough crowd!
29 December 2012, 18:08
A.DahlgrenNice going Brett a dream trip for sure!
I see you have a blue tone in some of your pics a easy fix in PS will show you later.
30 December 2012, 08:05
BrettAKSCIquote:
Originally posted by Ute 6.5:
Brett,
My wife and I are making the same trip in October. We are going to use a lot of your experiances and tips in planning our trip. How many days were you in Istanbul? How many days do you suggest to see the city if time was not a problem?
Thanks for taking the time to post your report!
P.S. You run with a tough crowd!
Thanks Ute 6.5! I spent 2.5 days in Istanbul. I could have spent a week. If time is no concern I would give JUST Istanbul at least 4 or 5 days. If you're looking at going to Greece, Eastern Europe, or other parts of Turkey adjust accordingly. You are welcome to PM me for contact info if you'd like to speak on the phone or email. That's not a problem.
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
30 December 2012, 08:07
BrettAKSCIquote:
Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Nice going Brett a dream trip for sure!
I see you have a blue tone in some of your pics a easy fix in PS will show you later.
Wow! That is amazing Anton. I know nothing about editing or software. What software do you recommend for a novice?
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
30 December 2012, 08:08
BrettAKSCIThe report is finally finished guys! I'm doing a bit of editing at the moment and may add a few words or a sentence here or there, but it's done. Enjoy!!!
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
30 December 2012, 09:00
cal pappasBrett:
Best report I've seen.
Excellent job!
Cal
_______________________________
Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska
www.CalPappas.comwww.CalPappas.blogspot.com1994 Zimbabwe
1997 Zimbabwe
1998 Zimbabwe
1999 Zimbabwe
1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation
2000 Australia
2002 South Africa
2003 South Africa
2003 Zimbabwe
2005 South Africa
2005 Zimbabwe
2006 Tanzania
2006 Zimbabwe--vacation
2007 Zimbabwe--vacation
2008 Zimbabwe
2012 Australia
2013 South Africa
2013 Zimbabwe
2013 Australia
2016 Zimbabwe
2017 Zimbabwe
2018 South Africa
2018 Zimbabwe--vacation
2019 South Africa
2019 Botswana
2019 Zimbabwe vacation
2021 South Africa
2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later)
______________________________
30 December 2012, 20:36
SDRGreat report and what a stud of a sheep. That will save you a ton of money since you don't need to go to Tadjik to get a bigger one.
If you had it to do over what would you change in your gear? Or
wished you had?
31 December 2012, 00:20
BrettAKSCIThank you for the kind comments.
-I would have brought extra high quality binnos for the Kyrgyz.
-A ball cap.
-A slightly bigger sleeping bag. Mine was intentionally on the small side to save weight when back pack hunting up here. I ended up with pinch points in the foot box and got cold one night.
-Extra head lamps for the Kyrgyz.
-Extra batteries to leave with the Kyrgyz I gave my head lamp to at the end of the hunt.
-All three of the Kyrgyz guides I hunted with were good guys, but Gergal was above and beyond. He was like a father watching over his children. He was always looking out for you to make sure you were ok and safe with regard to the horses. I really appreciated it. You could tell he genuinely cared. Anyway he asked if I could get him pictures from my hunt. Had I thought to bring my computer and an extra thumb drive I could have left pictures with him. Now I'm likely going to send a thumb drive with pictures to France and have Renaud deliver them to him next year in camp. If you had some way to conveniently print pictures while there that would be amazing. Base camp had power FYI.
Honestly I was pretty dialed in on the gear. I didn't want or wish for much.
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
31 December 2012, 19:52
SDRIt looks like you have caught a bad case of OVIS PYREXIA commonly known as sheep fever. It is easier to notice the symptoms when you have the disease
What is the next sheep in the crosshairs?
Steve
31 December 2012, 20:41
BrettAKSCIOuch......hard to say. I have double fever too, so it's hard to say. I'd like to shoot a big elephant with a double, but the mountains call.......they always call......
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
31 December 2012, 21:05
BrettAKSCIA bit on trophy quality and expectations.....
Ibex:
There's no shortage of ibex. There's also a lot more hunting pressure on ibex than sheep due to the relative price differences. Finding and shooting a really big ibex is tough. Doable, but tough. I think a 40-42" ibex is a solid animal and shouldn't be passes. Anything more than that and you've done really well. But what about a 38-40" animal? If you're on a long combo hunt like I was and it's the beginning of the hunt I'd consider passing. If you're on a shorter ibex hunt or if it's the end of your combo hunt........that's something to really consider. For the record/to help people getting a handle on trophy judging my ibex was 38.5". Not huge, but average. There were a couple ibex in the last group of males I saw that were in the 38-40" range, a couple in the 40-42" range, and then the one that was 44-47". We just weren't able to make it work.
There's also no shortage of sheep. I spent the first three days in transitional ibex/sheep habitat and didn't see sheep only sign. It was just luck. For whatever reason (wolves?) they had moved out of that area. They are nomads. The fourth day we saw sheep literally all day long. About 75 in total including the group of rams that my ram was with. After that I spent the rest of my hunt in ibex habitat where no sheep would go, so I never saw another argali the rest of the trip. I think trophy quality is pretty good for sheep. They tend not to get as long in the horn as the Tajik sheep, but they have heavier horns. I think the majority of sheep taken are in the mid to high forties. I believe my sheep was the second largest one taken this year by all of Renaud's clients. Again for the sake of people trying to wrap their head around trophy judging my ram was 50" on the complete side and 44" or 45" on the broken side. I had judged him 52" through the spotting scope, but from the angle I was looking had over estimated the drop of the curl. There was another ram with him that was a solid ram. He was likely a bit older with heavier mass. I passed on him because he was broomed on both sides and lacked the "argali flair" in his horns I was looking for. He was likely a good 44-47" with heavy mass. So something to think about if you're headed over. Do you want a double broomed ram or are you looking for that "argali flair" like I was? If they were dall sheep I'd have shot the older, heavier, double broomed ram in a heart beat!!!
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
31 December 2012, 22:14
FishN4EyesWell we razzed the crap out of you about getting the report done but it was well worth the wait!
Thanks for the great narrative and pictures, it was one heck of a comprehensive report.
Congrats on the sheep and ibex, sounds like you approached the hunt with a great attitude and perspective, what an adventure!
Chris
31 December 2012, 22:46
swsSuperb report. Best I have read.
I was speaking to Renaud about the ibex portion of the hunt for 2014 just before Christmas. I just wish I could afford the sheep too!
Thank you for giving me something to aim for.
31 December 2012, 23:14
JabaliHunterExcellent report and love the photos! A great hunt and adventure. Thanks
01 January 2013, 04:27
mbogobutchBrett,
Wonderful report, fantastic pictures, what a hunt, and adventure!! Congratulations on a great Marco Polo, and beautiful Ibex...Butch
01 January 2013, 21:09
RobinOLocksleyBrett,
That is a fantastic report. Comprehensive,well written,and exceptionally good photographs. It is almost like a manual for anyone wishing to hunt in Kyrgyzstan. Thank you for sharing with us and congratulations on a successful and enjoyable hunt.
Best-
Locksley,R
"Early in the morning, at break of day, in all the freshness and dawn of one's strength, to read a book - I call that vicious!"- Friedrich Nietzsche
02 January 2013, 00:32
reddy375Brett thank you for allowing me to arrange this hunt for you and congratulations once again on your great sheep and posting such a detailed hunt report. It felt like I was there on your hunt. I would also like to thank you for your understanding on the issues that cropped up prior and on your hunt. For sure you have the right mind set to hunt in Asia.
As a very experienced Asian hunter once told me on EVERY Asian mountian hunt there will come a point when you think "What the F---k am I doing here". But the flip side is that these are the most unforgettable hunts that you can go on.
Happy New Year
Arjun Reddy
www.huntersnetworks.com02 January 2013, 20:15
BrettAKSCIquote:
Originally posted by RobinOLocksley:
Brett,
That is a fantastic report. Comprehensive,well written,and exceptionally good photographs. It is almost like a manual for anyone wishing to hunt in Kyrgyzstan. Thank you for sharing with us and congratulations on a successful and enjoyable hunt.
Best-
Locksley,R
Thank you all for the kind comments! It was very much my intent to create a comprehensive guide to help anyone planning this trip. I hope it helps. This is a wonderful hunt!
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
02 January 2013, 20:18
BrettAKSCIquote:
Originally posted by reddy375:
Brett thank you for allowing me to arrange this hunt for you and congratulations once again on your great sheep and posting such a detailed hunt report. It felt like I was there on your hunt. I would also like to thank you for your understanding on the issues that cropped up prior and on your hunt. For sure you have the right mind set to hunt in Asia.
As a very experienced Asian hunter once told me on EVERY Asian mountian hunt there will come a point when you think "What the F---k am I doing here". But the flip side is that these are the most unforgettable hunts that you can go on.
Happy New Year
Arjun Reddy
www.huntersnetworks.com
Thank you Arjun for helping me set up this hunt. It really was an unforgettable hunt!
Brett
DRSS
Life Member SCI
Life Member NRA
Life Member WSF
Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter
May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick.
And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip.
-Seth Peterson
02 January 2013, 23:06
D. NelsonBrett;
Absolutely fantastic report and photos!!! Definitely worth waiting for.
Congratulations on your well earned trophies!
Best regards, D. Nelson
02 January 2013, 23:18
A.Dahlgrenquote:
Originally posted by BrettAKSCI:
quote:
Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Nice going Brett a dream trip for sure!
I see you have a blue tone in some of your pics a easy fix in PS will show you later.
Wow! That is amazing Anton. I know nothing about editing or software. What software do you recommend for a novice?
Brett
Photoshop