Adiya Tundev, Big Game Hunter & Guide

Adiya Tundev, Big Game Hunter & Guide

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Outfitted by Adiya Tundev (right) of AT Mongolia Travel Group with number 2 SCI Altai Argali in Mongolia. SCI Score 258 1/2.

The name Adiya Tundev is almost synonymous with Mongolia’s argali sheep. He is by far the most famous of all the guides of Mongolia, and his participation in guiding western hunters for Mongolia’s sheep dates back almost to its inception. One thing is for sure: in the 1980s, 1990s, and up to the present, he has certainly gotten the “big ones” for his clients. Adiya became “the” person to hunt with if a hunter wanted to have a chance at a sixty-incher from the Altay Mountains. Rudolf Sand of Denmark wrote in his book that he went to Mongolia several times before he hooked up with Adiya and finally got a sixty-incher. Rudolf and his son Richard both got fine rams with Adiya in 1982.

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Adiya Tundev 2008 The Legend Award Winner, Grand Slam Club, Ovis

Many hunters have hunted with Adiya multiple times. For example, Al Cheramie got a great Altay ram with him in 1980 and a tremendous Gobi argali two years later. Another example is Arthur Dubs, who hunted with Adiya in 1992 to take a then-world record Gobi argali, and again in 2006 to regain the world record spot for Gobi argali. Art’s 1992 ram was later reclassified to a new category by SCI and GSCO as a Hangay argali, and is still in the Top Ten for that new category. Adiya had quite a bit to do with the popularization of the Hangay argali. As a matter of fact, Adiya was born in the Hangay Mountains town of Baruun Bayan on July 25, 1941.

His university degree in accounting and language arts was earned in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Since he grew up in the Hangay region, it is no wonder that he has directed many hunters to that area for huge argali rams over the years.

For well over thirty years, he has been guiding for and producing huge trophy rams for his clients. He is famous for big rams, whether they be Altay, Hangay or Gobi argalis. Is Adiya slowing down or retiring? Is he still getting big rams? Considering the magnificent Gobi argali he helped Mike Adams get in 2005, and the world record Gobi taken by Arthur Dubs in 2006, both questions should be easy to answer. Let’s just say that it appears that Adiya is at the top of his game and apparently has not peaked yet!


Monish