After flying to Islamabad Pakistan from Evanston Wyoming our group Mark Peterson, Eric ( last name needed ) Grant Boring, Tyler Nelson, and my self. Awaited bagged at the airport; fortunately, all of Mine and Tyler stuff made it, but Mar & Eric's guns had not. We drove to Farad ( last name ) Shkar Safaris head chef of Pakistan where Farhad & Kaan Karakaya ( shakers owner ) met us we had breakfast a discussed that plans for the hunt to come. Mark and his brother would wait for there guns before heading south to the Punjab area, but Tyler and I would be catching a noon flight to Karachi to begin my hunt for the Shind Ibex and Blandford Urial.
After a 2 hour flight, we arrived in Karachi waiting for our rides to prince bounties compound. We only made it about halfway when we stopped where some of out spotters had been watching some Ibex all day, and we made a hike up along drainage climbing to the top searching all about for the elusive goat. The spotters could no longer see the Ibex but told use where they last had seen them. We would go from edge to edge hoping overlooking trying to pick them up before they picked us up. After a few attempts, our local group peaked over a ridge then gave the hurry wave. My Guide Serkan, Me & Tyler worked our way up to get a look and possible shot, Serkan quickly found a shooter billy in the group and we got set up only 175 yards across the basin was three billies two being good an one being exceptionally good after finding the shooter I settled in waited for Tyler to get the camera ready and squeezed a shot off. The billy only ran 40 yards and stop, and as he was falling, I touched another shot off making sure the billy wouldn't go any further. The local religion believes in order to thank there god they have to bleed that animal out before they can eat it. So several of our spotters took off on a dead run to the ibex quickly poking a hole in the neck draining the blood and carrying the Ibex to us for photos. Less than 24 hours in Pakistan and we were already on the board.
Day two started early as we would have a drive to the Blindfold area. Arriving just after daylight to the area we already had spotters on the mountain that had the sheep found. We would have to make a 3-mile hike up the mountain to reach the top and look over at the sheep just off the other side. About thirty minutes into our hike we located a group of sheep on our side of the mountain after busting out the spotting scopes we quickly decided that none of the rams would be big enough, so we continued our trek up. As we reached the top the heat of the early spring day in Pakistan was rising just coming from snowy Wyoming it was a challenge to deal with the humidity. We quickly reached the spotter that had been watching the sheep, and he began to point the groups out saying some had disappeared un ledges and in draws to escape the heat of the day. After sorting through a few small groups, we were quick to find two rams just below us that had apparently seen us but were not spooked jus curiously watching us one was just a younger ram with short horns, but his companion was much larger and older! After looking over him a while we decided this would be a great Blindfold to take only 210 yards downhill, I settled in behind the gun and took a shot dropping the ram in his tracks< again several locals instantly started running to the sheep to drain the blood. After there ritual was over they tied the sheep up to a large stick and packed him up to us we had a great spot for us to spend some time capturing great images to remember the hunt from. After photos we did the 3-mile hike back down and to the truck.
That night we enjoyed our last meal in the Sindh province at the botany brothers compound and discussed plans for the next part of our adventure.
The next day we woke up early to make the 4-hour drive back to Karachi in order to fly back to Islamabad while waiting for our flight we enjoyed the fin quizzing of the Karachi Airport McDonald's, this is the cleanest McDonald's I've ever stepped foot in.
After arriving back in Islamabad we made our way to the ( hotel need to find name ) where we would stay the night and wait to head down south o the Punjab area. Mark and his brother-in-law Eric had been successful there already and were on there way up to the far north to hunt Blue Sheep & Himalayan Ibex.
Early the next morning we met back up with Bashmir our driver and Serkan to start the drive to the Punjab area. We would have a 6-hour drive through the culture-rich landscape of Pakistan. The drive was very educational as we passed royal villages and farmland. We soon found ourselves at the Minister of Pakistan's compound where we would stay while hunting the Punjab Urial. After meeting the prince and enjoying a late lunch we headed out to his hunting area where he already had guys out in search for rams, just like the other species we hunted on this trip they are well protected and cared for with guys constantly watching them to protect them from local poachers and predators this is why the numbers of these species are flourishing and with the value that hunters bring them they will stay well protected and cared for.
We met up with ( princes ) local scouts change vehicles and began up a small dirt two- track into the mountains. Driving about 20 minutes, we hit a dead end where a local was waiting for us he had found a big group of sheep with a good ram that we should have a look at. After a 15 minute death march further back in the mountains we quickly walked up on the sheep unfortunately they had moved closer from where he had left them so they spooked and ran down and across a draw lucky they weren't to spooked and stop to look back and then just began to walk slowly after some confusion we found the ram we came for and when the shot presented itself I dropped him with one shop at 250 yards. in this area they didn't drain the blood, so we all walked over to the ram and was able to be the first to put hands on him.
After some pictures, some music and some laughs we loaded the sheep on one guides back and head to the truck ending our trip in Pakistan.
This was an adventure of a lifetime in a foreign land that is said to be so dangerous.