for me there's no other home like this
the people see they're just everything
in there the beasts the IBEX
it's just not been like
three climbing mountains fly-fishing
or this it's that's what life is and if
I couldn't do it I've wonder what was
here for us is special because it's so
wild you're far away from civilization
no connections with normal world you
feel free last time okay and I said
there's no LaHood I want to do because I
just can't get any better than this so
yeah this is just what I want to do
this mid agen ibex hunt starts in the
cultural melting pot of Kyrgyzstan SCAP
Atal Bishkek from dates to dog fat this
is a dog fat dog fight is okay but it's
better to take you in the Badger fat it
stinks a lot but in elves it's good for
a cold apparently our old friend Thomas
fatigued from Artemis hunting has
invited David along to film what
promises to be an extraordinary hunting
trip altitude tough terrain horseback
snoring and a very tough quarry means it
will be one to remember
joining Tom oh are like-minded Mad Men
Craig tooth and Rob gearing Craig has
done this before and he said yes to this
trip before Tom had even finished his
sentence he's the technical wizard
behind tier 1 respected for their
quality scope mounts and shooting
accessories Rob gearing is a hunter
fisherman and mountain climber and the
inventor of the javelin magnetic bipod
the one I'm worried about is the
cameraman to break in the curve virgins
gently Tom Oh has a roadside treat for
David and Rob and well let's just say he
hasn't been completely honest they start
with fermented mares milk that bit is
true
nicely written shop just eat them like
candy like it's not bad
David now thinks he has to chew on
sun-dried pea testicles it is in fact a
hard very salty cheese initiation come
on you can do it
with that initiation over and done with
but with bits still stuck in their teeth
the taxi takes them as far as Naren in
the east
from there it's another two hours by
Road and two more offroad
the first camp is a couple of railway
carriages there's enough light for Rob
and Craig to zero the rifles are 3,000
metres above sea level so my ties today
just for the attitude and tomorrow we'll
go slowly on horses
Rob sensibly has the compact and light
Blaser r8 Craig has something a little
more weighty but he loves it
we're using a walker custom rifle built
by Pete Walker in Halifax in Yorkshire
and it's based on a bat action
Frigga super match barrel and it's
topped off with a one of the new Zeiss
v8 scopes fantastic for long-range
dialing in which you need to do with
these animals because you can be
shooting up to seven eight hundred yards
with them so you really need your object
up to speed and I've never found
anything as good as this yeah topped off
with the Tier one mount again because
it's a very heavy recoiling rifle it
does need something that's got a really
holy securely and again I've never found
anything as good as a tear or mount does
help and I actually might in fact that
idea out of course but yeah maybe a
little bit of prejudice in there and
they've topped off again with Tier one
muzzle break just to tame the recoil
because on a rifle like this it's
actually using 94 grains of powder
pushing a to latrine bullet at 3,100
feet per second so it's very heavy
recoil
lots of muzzle flash and I don't like
recoil the muzzle brake really does
taming so usually ideal to moderator on
here putting kurkistan you're not
allowed to use moderator so the next
best thing
stop the muzzle flip not recoil down to
probably less than a 308 we've got the
rifle now shooting accurately up to
seven hundred yards if we go a message
go way down to pilot error around
after a decent night's rest and some
diesel siphoning is another two hour
drive further into the mountains we're
close to the Chinese border and there
are plenty of reminders that the
Russians like this place too
the ponies and saddles mean we have
reached base camp and the guys are
presented with a welcoming meal Marco
Polo is on the menu
ad 25,000 pounds of trophy animal it's
probably the most expensive lamb on the
planet the horse trekking element of
this trip has been David's biggest worry
keen to saddle up but with his anxieties
lost in translation he ends up
needlessly riding off at speed into the
distance while the others take the Jeep
to the RV point 45 minutes later and
with some chafing issues everyone is
assigned a pony after three days travel
including an unscheduled night in
Istanbul the hunt for mid Asian ibex has
begun Burkitt's a man and Ola take the
intrepid hunters across Plains riverbeds
and up mountain passes
there's not another soul up here just
yaks by Beck's
Marco Polo and wolves hence the need for
the ancient rifle just before we set up
camp for the night of the guides a spot
our first
it's a good sign but now it's time to
beat and sleep and prepare for tomorrow
what a few days it's been an incredible
incredible scenery a good bunch of guys
bit saddle-sore this morning but not too
bad actually I'm quite surprised but the
biggest challenge so far has been the
horse's testicle in the mares milk but
seeing ibex last night was was really
really exciting so so hopefully today
we'll get online
it's a frosty morning but the Sun soon
warms the mountains the group ascends
another few hundred metres and waits for
the guides to report back
they spot a group of animals Rob's to
have the first shot Rob goes with a kiss
along the ridge to drop down onto the
ibex Tom oh and Craig with a man to work
along the cliff face Keeping Up with the
welly wearing a man is hard going
especially we watch and wait to see if
Rob will be able to take his chance rob
has his blazer and Tom OH is going to
use Craig's rifle the animals continue
to graze about 900 meters away and
appear settled then they're off spooked
possibly wounding Rob and we're off to
the rifle slides off the rucksack as he
takes the first shot it's a clean miss
his second shot at 440 yards strikes
home okay there's no time for
congratulations what Greg has a chance
of a shot as the animals are still in
range but not for long so Craig follows
the sure-footed guide the thrill of the
chase means you ignore the chip drops
there could be an ibex over the next
ridge we arrive too late and a man makes
his feelings known under his breath no
translator required
when they go they gather they certainly
do
Mary's challenging quarry very you're
working as much against the terrain as
you are against the wildness of the
animal
oh that's nothing to be T he says just a
little to happen and our translator in
the back and desist just telling miss
out useless way I thought keeping up
with him I'm just glad to have made it
here but I had looking forward to
climatically
I'm really pleased I miss first shot the
second one was spot-on it was very
awkward position and second shot I
didn't go for the biggest one I meant
for good one they were all good edge I
went for one which presented itself
really good and I was
very nice I'm really happy with this one
and thanks to my guide
what was behind the household side Oh
Hulan and air kiss gralloch the IBEX
it's been an adrenaline-fueled morning
45-yards comes to join us there'd be no
chance for him but tomo has got his
trophy it's all very well shooting one
of these animals but it's getting it out
that's the problem they packed the
horses and the guys walk up the mountain
to the ridge china tajikistan
nothing from this animal is wasted back
at camp the entrails are cleaned and the
joints packed ready for storage they're
to be stored under a rock face for us to
pick up when we drop down the mountain
pass in a few days time hopefully with
the few more animals
next time Rob pulls off an almighty shot
we learn some helpful nothing worse than
a sore back side so the trusty coconut
fat is full marks again oh not so
helpful tricks for making life more
comfortable when hunting in the
mountains