Hunt in Gorno Altai

How to get here

Our hunters fly first to Moscow, where they will be met by an interpreter, who will help with customs clearances, weapon declarations etc.. Depending on the time of arrival, you will spend the rest of the day Moscow. The next morning you will take a domestic flight to Barnaul.  The flight time is around 4 hours. From here the drive to the hunting district will take 13-14 hours. Alternatively it is possible to fly directly to Novosibirsk via Frankfurt or Istanbul, from where the car transfer to the hunting district will take 16-17 hours.

Hunting Methods

Hunters are usually awoken an hour or two before dawn. At this time of day you can usually hear the whistle-like calls the maral stags make during the rut. You will leave the camp on horseback, reaching the district where you will hunt for maral stag around sunrise. Normally they will be grazing in small herds on the open grass-covered mountain sides, often you will see a large maral stag in the company of a small group of hinds. As far as ibex is concerned, the hunt will take place at a somewhat higher altitude. The hunt is carried out, as it does elsewhere,  starting from a high altitude then working your way down, while making a thorough search of the mountainside for areas they might be grazing. Once you have spotted a good trophy, the rest of the hunt will be carried out on foot. normally a number of ibex will be seen every day, but they are extremely vigilant, have incredible eyesight, and can be difficult to approach within shooting range. 

Siberian Roebuck

Hunting for Siberian roebuck takes place in the lower-lying regions of the Altai mountains. Trophy sizes generally lie between 500 to 900 g, although some trophies are bigger. The hunt takes the form of stalking, on foot or on horseback. Hunting takes place in the period between 1st August - 15th September, and accommodation is provided in a simply furnished tented camp on in a hunting cabin.

The Maral Stag

In general the Gorno Altai offers good populations of game animals, and because of the low hunting pressure here it is perfectly possible to bag a really good maral stag. Most trophies have a weight of between  8 – 12 kg. The hunting here also takes place either on horseback or on foot at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 m. above sea level. Therefore it is important to be in good physical shape to make the most of this hunt. The prime hunting season is from 1st September to the 15th October, but it is possible to hunt maral stags until the 15th January. Accommodation during the hunt itself is usually in a simple tented camp.

Sibirisk Ibex

The Siberian ibex lives in a landscape of steep rocky slopes and cliffs high up in the mountains at an altitude of over 2.500 m. a.s.l.. It is a difficult and challenging hunt in often inaccessible gorges and high valleys up to  3,500m a.s.l. The average length of the trophies here is between 90 – 120 cm. It is possible to hunt ibex between 20th August to the 31st December.

Other Kind of Hunts

It is also possible to hunt both ibex and maral here in the same district. The best period for such a combination hunt is from mid-September to mid-October. On an autumn hunt here it is also possible to hunt brown bear. The bears here have an average size of around 7 feet. Brown bear hunts can also take place between 20th April and the  20th May, and it is possible to combine this hunt with wing-shooting for capercaillie and black grouse, as the hunting season for these beautiful game birds opens on the 4th Saturday in April. Wolves can be hunted all year round.

Climate

Altai has a temperate continental climate with relatively short, hot summers and long, cold winters. In september day-time temperatures are usually between 10-15ºC while during the night temperatures are between 0 to -5ºC . Normally the weather is agreeable during the hunting season, with sunny days and calm winds, but snow is also possible from the end of September/beginning of October. 

Typical itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Moscow, customs formalities, fly on to Barnaul or stay overnight in Moscow. Alternatively fly to Novosibirsk

Day 2: Arrival Barnaul/Novosibirsk and transfer to camp.

Day 3: Rest day after your long journey, shooting-in of rifles e.t.c..

Days 4-12: 9 days hunting

Day 13: Return transfer to Barnaul/Novosibirsk, where you will spend the night.

Day 14: Fly to Moscow/Frankfurt and further on to your home airport.