KYRGYZSTAN: Cynep Meh A Hunting Aventure In Kyrgyzstan

arizona

AH enthusiast
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Messages
275
Reaction score
76
Media
24
Hunting reports
Africa
3
Asia/M.East
2
Member of
SCI, NRA
Hunted
South Africia, Botswana, Alaska, Canada, Most Western US, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia
So…. There I was, 11,800 miles from home, lying face down in the snow and rocks at the edge of an artic stream, partially in the water, with the horse that I was riding a moment ago lying on top of me pinning both my legs, I was unable to move. My rifle that had been slung over my shoulder went crashing in the rocks and water, and was now wrapped around my head along with my binoculars and were pinning my head down into the water. It was about 9:30 at night, very dark, and about 10 degrees. I was in some serious trouble.
This all started a few days before, no actually over a year before, when I decided to go Kyrgyzstan to hunt Ibex. After much planning and physical training that included climbing the mountains that surround my home in Phoenix every week, climbing the stairs in my mid-rise office building every workday (14 flights of stairs each way up and down) I was as physically prepared as I could be for a mountain hunt that would be a challenge for someone my age. A lot of practice with my 300 Ultra at long range and I thought I should be ready for the potential long shot this type of hunting can demand.

after the snow storm.jpg


A few days before I was scheduled to leave for this trip, I received notification from my booking agent that the road to the area that I was to hunt in had been closed by a rock slide and would not be reopened before my hunt was scheduled. Both myself and the other hunter scheduled to go with me were given a choice of going as scheduled into another area that the outfitter had arranged for us to hunt in, or reschedule the hunt for another year. My hunting partner decided to re-schedule, I felt I could not alter my plans because of vacation time, so I decided to go ahead as planned and hunt in the different area, although there were many unknowns about this hunt. This was a fateful decision but it was one I made myself.
I flew from Houston to Istanbul Turkey on Turkish airlines and spent one day in Istanbul (which I highly recommend) sightseeing and buying my wife a rug. The following day I flew from Istanbul to Bishkek Kyrgyzstan and was met by the outfitter and left the same day for the base camp.
The Guides: Because I had 2 outfitters involved, the original one and the one for the actual hunting area that I was in I had quite the group in camp, 2 guides, one from each, 2 camp managers, a driver and a cook. All this for one hunter, and by the way, no one else spoke English at all. The guides were polar opposites; one was short in his 40’s blading and a muscular build, he was very excitable and tended to freak out every time he spotted an Ibex. The other guide was 36, tall and thin, very quiet and both seemed to be in excellent shape even though they both smoked. The first time a good size Ibex was spotted the problems begun. The excitable guide started pulling at me to get set up and shoot right away, problem was I didn’t see the Ibex initially which increased his excitability by at least double, I did finally see the Ibex, at 700 yards, walking, the guide almost screaming shoot! Shoot! Shoot! I can make that shoot under perfect conditions, the conditions weren’t perfect, I missed the shot, never should have taken it, I let myself be intimidated into it. Only one more chance at a shoot happened on the last day of eight days hunting, an smallish Ibex at 600 yards, desperation time, again same story, rushed shot, ill advised, didn’t allow for enough wind and missed by a few inched in front of him.
The biggest problem with the area that we were in was that in order to get into the area where the Ibex were it was at least a 4-5 hour horseback ride from the base camp. This meant we could have to spike camp in order to stay within the hunting area that contained the game. After arrival in camp and a quick check of the rifles zero, It was decided that myself and the 2 guides would ride into the area that afternoon set up a spike camp and start hunting at first light the following morning. After a 4 hour horseback ride that was primarily uphill, as darkness started to set in, the weather changed, and the snow started. Another half hour and it was blowing snow and the wind gusts were severe, the guides decided to set up camp. The tent they had brought was a 3 season tent, and by the time they started to set up the tent the wind was hollowing and the blizzard was on, the show was coming sideways, and visibility was almost gone. The tent would not stay up; the guides finally got part of the tent up by reducing the size down to something the resembled a two man pump tent, with no height to it at all. The three of us jammed into this “shelter” for the night, was no fire, no way to keep one going anyway, and only cold meat and cheese for food. My sleeping bag was a very good one and kept me from freezing, but we spent a very uncomfortable night. We got up the next morning to about 8 inches on snow on the ground. The guides managed to make some tea, and soon thereafter we started hunting.
After hunting up and down that range of mountains it was decided that one of the guides would go back to camp, get a better tent and a few things and return to a location for the second spike camp. We made a plan to meet at a second location to set up a new spike camp. While the one guide road off to get the new tent and a few items for base camp, the other guide and I hunted another area for the rest of the day. We arrived back at the location that we were to meet at for the second spike camp at dark at about 7 pm. No sign of the other guide. We had no choice, with no shelter we had to make it back to the base camp that night, we loaded up all the supplied on our two horses and started to go back down to the base camp. It was cold and windy, a new moon and very little light, At this point, both myself the guide and the horses were tired, and we had been going all day from day break to night fall with no breaks. My horse had my pack strapped to it along with my sleeping bag and other camping items. With the ground covered with snow, everything was slippery and going was tough.
After working our way down the valley for about 2 hours as we were on a narrow trail alongside a stream that drained the water from the surrounding mountains when my horse lost its footing, it fell on its right side throwing me off and down the bank of the stream and the horse rolled down over both my legs almost to my waist pinning me face down.
The horse wasn’t moving, after getting rid of the rifle and the binoculars I could take an assessment of my condition. I could feel my legs, and although I could not move, nothing felt broken; there were some rocks that were hurting me but nothing else. The guide came down the bank and tried to move me, and was successful and moving me enough that my head was out of the water. With the guide trying to move the horse to free me we were having no success, and I struggled there for about ½ hour to get free. Finally the guide got the horse to move enough I could free one leg. After more really hard efforts by both the guide and me, the horse moved enough that I was able to scramble free. As I broke free the horse slid further down the bank into the water completely. I was spent - at this point wet, very cold and exhausted because of all the effort to get free. The horse was still not moving, and laid in the water for a long time, I thought the horse was done, but after a while the guide managed to get the horse out of the water.
Everything I had on the horse was wet, including all my extra clothes in the pack; I was shaking so badly I couldn’t walk. After getting everything reloaded on the horse the guide helped me onto his horse and we proceeded to work our way back to the base camp. We arrived at about 12:30 am. I took the next day off hunting. It appeared that all I had was some frost bite to my fingers on both hands and some massive bruising on my legs.
I continued to hunt every day, normally from 4 am till 7 pm, with no further opportunities at an Ibex.
On day six, for some reason I have yet been unable to determine, the horse were removed from camp, we were left to hunt on foot with at least the 4-5 hours hike into the right areas just to get started.
I hunted 7 or the 8 days very hard, no Ibex.
On the last day in camp a Russian hunter stopped by the camp that could speak some English and we spent some time talking. He told me that the guides and everyone in camp had a nick name for me, I asked him what it was, he said – Cynepmeh - superman. Maybe no Ibex, but an adventure I will not forget, and kind of a cool nickname for a hunter.
I am back in Phoenix, the sun is out, temperature in the 80’s, I am healing up, in reflection, I am glad I spent so much time preparing physically for this hunt, if not, global rescue would be shipping remains home instead of a great story to tell. Making plans for the next adventure.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Now that was a adventure, glad you returned home safe and great post
 
Wow....

It should be about the experience and the journey and in your case it most definitely was!

Glad you're OK. That could have been BAD...
 
When was your hunt?

Potentially a very bad situation. Glad your okay.

Bummer that you didn't get a good opportunity at an ibex.

Enjoy the photos of the terrain. Looks like a neat place to hunt.

I'm honored to know Superman!(y)
 
The hunt took place 10/23 to 11/4.
 
The hunt took place 10/23 to 11/4.

Thanks.

I guess I would have thought there would have been more snow at those dates. Get healed up.

Arizona....aka....Clark Kent....aka....Cynepmeh!
 
I reading twice your hunting report, wich is phenomenal.......first of all, I am really glad you made it back ok to your home.
I have reading severals reports about hunting in those places and watched lots of videos, and I really belive that you need a 75 percent luck for a succesfull hunting there......

No doubt is an adventure that many people wants to live.......but I have the feeling that the people there is not able to make a primary or decent spike camp with the basics requirements.....seems that all of them only knows to scream shoot, shoot, shoot with an animal 600 yards away from you.....well, maybe is the way it should be there.....I will do it for free for sure......payding a 18000 for a MarcoPolo.......I am not sure......if I would have that money......maybe, I really dont know.....!!!!!

Thanks you for this great hunt report and your awesome adventure there......Good luck in your next.....!!!!


Sorry my broken english.
 
Last edited:
Im glad you make it back in one piece, horses can turn from a godsend to a nightmare in the blink on an eye. Better luck next try :) Are you planning to go back,
 
I reading twice your hunting report, wich is phenomenal.......first of all, I am really glad you made it back ok to your home.
I have reading severals reports about hunting in those places and watched lots of videos, and I really belive that you need a 75 percent luck for a succesfull hunting there......

No doubt is an adventure that many people wants to live.......but I have the feeling that the people there is not able to make a primary or decent spike camp with the basics requirements.....seems that all of them only knows to scream shoot, shoot, shoot with an animal 600 yards away from you.....well, maybe is the way it should be there.....I will do it for free for sure......payding a 180000 for a MarcoPolo.......I am not sure......if I would have that money......maybe, I really dont know.....!!!!!

Thanks you for this great hunt report and your awesome adventure there......Good luck in your next.....!!!!


Sorry my broken english.

Rocket, success rates are actually pretty good over there. As with any true wilderness hunt nothing is assured though, there are too many factors out of the outfitters control for that.
 
Arizona, a hunt of a life time...

i am not sure you will do it anytime soon or if you do you will pick a different outfitter.
 
Rocket, success rates are actually pretty good over there. As with any true wilderness hunt nothing is assured though, there are too many factors out of the outfitters control for that.


Diamondhitch......I have been reading your hunting report for MarcoPolo since some time a go......great also in fact......for that reazon I said......75 percent lucky time.....off course......hard places, real hunts, that have high value for me........I am belong to the old school and I know that you did a great hunt there even taking your Polo the last day.......and I didnt congratulates you in your thread but I am doing now.....well done.....and I said I dont know, but the most probable is that I play my coin there if I get the chance some day........but I am still thinking that they have to improve what they offers for money.....!!!!

Thank you my friend.....!!!!
 
Thanks for the tale.
Good to see you made it back, at least in bruised pieces.
You used your luck in a good way. You can hunt another day!

Great warning to be prepared mentally to tell the guide No.
Damn, its tough to do and deal with the pressure.


Im glad you make it back in one piece, horses can turn from a godsend to a nightmare in the blink on an eye. ………….
No sh*t!
Horses and mountains. Yeesh.
 
Im glad you make it back in one piece, horses can turn from a godsend to a nightmare in the blink on an eye. Better luck next try :) Are you planning to go back,
yes, I plan on going back within the next two years, and I will hopefully go to the area I was originally scheduled to go to.
 
Thanks for writing your story. My son and I took Ibex a few yrs ago. Went in Feb/ March. Snow, but not a problem in the hunting area. Just delayed us getting to the hunting camp. This past spring went back for a Marco Polo. 9 days on horseback. Horses are great, but when they go down crap can happen. It could of been much worse for you.. Glad your back safe. Interesting memories. It's hard to tell people what it's like to put in that much time, especially when little to no English is spoken. Lots of time to reflect. Hope your return trip is better. Bruce
 
Thanks for writing your story. My son and I took Ibex a few yrs ago. Went in Feb/ March. Snow, but not a problem in the hunting area. Just delayed us getting to the hunting camp. This past spring went back for a Marco Polo. 9 days on horseback. Horses are great, but when they go down crap can happen. It could of been much worse for you.. Glad your back safe. Interesting memories. It's hard to tell people what it's like to put in that much time, especially when little to no English is spoken. Lots of time to reflect. Hope your return trip is better. Bruce

Thanks Bruce, your right, lots of time to reflect, and I do hope to learn from this experience, next trip I will be better prepared mentally and will learn some basic Kyrgyz and Russian.
 
Thanks for the hunt report, I'm glad you are alright. Those hunts are mentally and physically hard.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Forum statistics

Threads
53,624
Messages
1,131,343
Members
92,678
Latest member
LynnePhife
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Impact shots from the last hunt

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top