Hello from Kyrgyzstan

tamara22325

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Dear users of the forum,
Being a senior student, i am writing my senior thesis on tourism, as part of it development of the hunting packages for one of the local tourism companies.
I would so highly appreciate if you spent two minutes taking part in the survey following the link Hunting Package Questionnaire.
Each of your reply means much to me and will contribute greatly to my project.
Thank you so much for your help in advance!
Kindest regards,
Tamara
 
Welcome to AH Tamara.
Where are you going to school?
 
Welcome to AH Tamara!
 
welcome to the site tamara
i will look at your survey now

it seemed harmless enough
good luck
 
Hi Tamara,welcome,will have a look at your survey.
 
I have done a lot of research for hunting, however I have never been a hunter and no one of my friends has ever been fond of hunting. I am currently in the process of development of the hunting packages. So I was wondering maybe you guys having some valid experience in hunting could give me some insight into what matters most of all in the package. How do you usually choose between different offers and is there anything else that affects your decisions besides destination and availability of the game? Is there something else you would like to be included in the packages which is not usually included? Any answers and ideas will be greatly appreciated:)
 
I have done a lot of research for hunting, however I have never been a hunter and no one of my friends has ever been fond of hunting. I am currently in the process of development of the hunting packages. So I was wondering maybe you guys having some valid experience in hunting could give me some insight into what matters most of all in the package. How do you usually choose between different offers and is there anything else that affects your decisions besides destination and availability of the game? Is there something else you would like to be included in the packages which is not usually included? Any answers and ideas will be greatly appreciated:)



Quality and quantity of Game

Reputation of the outfitter

References from Satisfied Hunters.

Price for what is being offered: Species, amenities, experience.
 
Hi Tamara. Good to see you here. Hope this helps with your studies. I have been to Bishkek and hunted in Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek was an interesting city. I enjoyed my days there. I may come back in the next year or two. We'll see how it all works out.
You have asked a very interesting question about choosing who to hunt with. I mean no offense, but I will be rather blunt. Russia and Asia have a large amount of corruption. As a visiting hunter I don't wish to pay my money and then have a poor hunt. Or worse yet fly into a airport and find no one there to greet me. No hunt at all. Many hunters have had bad experiences in your part of the world. there are scam artists everywhere. Finding good operators can be rather difficult. See items 2 and 3 on Brickburn's list above.
I can reasonably research guides and hunts here in the USA. Usually good numbers of last years clients to talk to. Africa is a little harder, but forums such as this and a couple others help in that aspect. It can be very hard to verify if a guide is legitimate or not in Kyrg. It is not cheap to go to your country and hunt. So we all want a reasonable chance at good quality animals.
I'll give you an example. Last year I hunted sheep and it was filmed for TV. My guide loves to sheep and goat hunt. I told him about my Kyrg hunt and asked if he might be interested in a Argali and Ibex hunt. I had seen a decent offer not too long before. His first question was if the hunt was with the same company I had hunted with before. When I said no he immediately said no. Too many scams.
Quality of animals is another factor. I'm looking at what is for me a high dollar hunt. Very likely my last expensive hunt. There are 3 animals on the top of my list... Argali, Sable and red stag. 3 very different hunts in very different countries.
I passed on a Argali hunt in Kyrg this past Feb. Partly because of few references and a fear of spending 2 weeks and getting nothing. The previous year 4 out of 6 hunters got their Argali. 66% success rate. I deemed that too low to risk $17,000 US on. As it turned out 2 hunters went and got their Argali and 2 ibex each. The other reason I passed was I was very unsure of trophy quality. On a hunt like that I want a TROPHY. Not just a representative animal.
My first hunt in Ktrgyzstan was Ibex only. Advertised at $4500. Unfortunately there were a number of "extra" expenses. We wound up with 5 nights in motels in Bishkek and Karakol plus those meals. Our guides rushed us out of the mountains as soon as we had our animals. In my opinion to save their costs. It added greatly to ours though. As hunters we prefer to know ALL of the costs up front. Surprises don't make for a good trip.
I hope that you can get a feel for what we want. Brickburn summed it up nicely. I went the long way around. perhaps you can see why. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Bruce
 
Welcome to AH, Tamara, survey completed.

To me the most important reason to book with an outfitter is the personal reference of someone I know. I will just not book a hunt without it.
 
Thank you very much for the replies.
Bruce, special thanks for such a broad answer. I know what you mean. Corruption here destroys each aspect of the country's development actually. And nothing is efficient in fighting it actually cause it lies in the form of governance. I am sorry your hunting experience in Kg was not that good as it promised to be. Hopefully next one will be better.
 
Welcome to AH Tamara! Gone to do the Survey.
 
Welcome to AH, Tamara! I filled your survey out.
 
Hello Tamara, I have answered your Survey. As additional information, please see below:
Fraud in Kyrgyzstan?
I made a wonderful trip to Kyrgyzstan in 2009; I shot two nice Ibexes, had nothing but praise for the team of locals and encountered no problem whatsoever.
Then I went back in 2012 with another company, for Marco Polo; I shot a ram on November 26, 2012 and in spite of the fact that I have paid everything, including the shipping, I still don’t know what happened to my trophy.
Here are some details:
I contacted Igor Kantsev of Extrem-Tours, also known as Hunting Club Taiga in the past, on July 2012 for what seemed a bargain Marco Polo hunt in Kyrgyzstan. Igor, aka Ibexhunter or Profyhunter, transferred my request to his Kyrgyz partner Adilet Ulukmanov of Aska-tur . The two of them choose the dates for the hunt. Adilet wanted the money sent to his personal bank account in Bishkek, not to his company account.
Another hunter would share the camp with me, looking for Marco Polo and Ibex. Upon arrival at the main camp on November 21st, 2012, this hunter was transferred to another camp, 3 hours away, for a maximum of 2 days only. From what he told me, he missed a nice ram the first day and then shot a small immature ram (he mentioned 36 inches) on November 23rd, 2012, his second and last day at that camp.
Because of problems with my baggage I arrived at the main camp on November 23rd and hunted there fruitlessly for two days on horseback. I was then sent by car to the other camp, again for a maximum of 2 days only, in spite of the fact that the contract states 14 days of which 10 hunting days, where I shot an ordinary adult ram on November 26, 2012. I immediately called my wife by sat phone and had my bank transfer 8000 US$ to Adilet, as requested, for the Marco Polo license. My bank transfer was guaranteed within 48 hours and November 27th 2012 is shown on the document as the value date (the date at which the money would be at the Kyrgyz bank). In the meanwhile the other hunter, after huntingIbex fruitlessly a couple of days with the Lada around the main camp, gave up hunting Ibex as he could see none.
Before departing,Kyrgyzvisitors arrived at the camp in two pick-ups. In a hurry our trophies were hidden and we were told NOT to tell we had shot our rams. Why? Who were these visitors?
We were back in Bishkek November 30, 2012, and when we met Adilet, he refused to let me take my trophy with me, pretending he had not yet received my money! (Later he wrote he received the money Dec. 4th, 2012, one day after my departure!). He told me he would shipmy trophy in 3 weeks, before Christmas 2012 (two thousand twelve); more thanONE YEAR later, March 2014 (two thousand fourteen), I am still waiting for my trophy! In the meanwhile Adilet is writing other hunters that he usually ships the trophies in a month time!
Adilet has refused to give me a reason for the delay andIgor says he does not know; they also refuse to give me a shipping date and lately they don’t answer neither my e-mails nor my phone calls, in spite of the fact that last June 2013, I also sent 700 US$ by Western Union, as instructed by Adilet, for the shipping.
As for the other hunter who was at the camp with me, he received his (I hope it is his) Marco Polo trophy on April 18th, 2013, AND, surprise! there was also an Ibex trophy in the box which he definitively did NOT shoot! Later this hunter told me that the Ibex trophy is a gift from Adilet. Judging from the e-mails and blown positive reports (great hunt, shot a nice sheep, shot an Ibex, etc.) this hunter has sent to others as a reference, he is probably trying to pay back Adilet for the Ibex trophy he received as a gift. This hunter also told me he wrote Adilet twice in my behalf, telling him to send me my trophy; I thank him for his help but so far his efforts have been fruitless.
Since Igor Kantsev advertised his hunts in Kyrgyzstan in the Hunting Report last August 2013, I have brought my case to the attention of the editor, Mrs. Barbara Crown, and I am grateful to her for contacting Igor and Adilet about my trophy. Adilet never answered Barbara e-mails and Igor wrote her once; he did not give any information on my trophy but he wrote several false allegations against me, namely that I did not leave any tip to the staff, that I wanted to hunt from a vehicle and that it was impossible that I was moved to another camp three hours away. I can easily prove that Igor allegations are false; it is evident he is trying to discredit me and of course his lies would have nothing to do with my trophy not being shipped.
Unfortunately Barbara efforts, which I appreciate very much, have been fruitless, as you can read in the January 2014 issue of the Hunting Report. In March 2014, The Hunting Report mentioned another negative report by another hunter who hunted in Kyrgyzstan with Adilet company; a warning is given by this other hunter to steer clear of Adilet Ulukmanov.
I have also contacted Harv Hollek, another Adilet partner, responsible of putting Adilet and his father Uluk in business 13 years ago. In spite of the fact that Harv brought hunters to Adilet and Uluk as late as November 2013, Harv has been unable to tell me what is going on. I appreciate Harv collaboration and I thank him for trying to boost my hopes, but even his efforts have so far been fruitless.
As a last bit of information to you, Igor is publishing on the Web, without my permission, a picture of myself with my Marco Polo, to accompany his advertising.
One more late news: according to a well known US agent, Adilet is holding back four more Marco Polo trophies shot by his clients.
One more news: two other hunters are awaiting for their trophies or license money from adilet.
For months I have not heard neither from Adilet nor from Igor and I do not know if I will ever get my trophy, which as stated above is fully paid, including the shipping. Barbara Crown of the Hunting Report calls Adilet behavior a hold up.
Kyrgyzstan is a beautiful country and can offer a wonderful hunt, but be careful with whom you deal. I am told that Adilet deals with several agents; as for Igor, he organises hunts to other destinations beside Kyrgyzstan.
Greg, April 2014
 

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