Hunting in Kyrgyzstan Marco Polo Sheep – Hume Argali & Mid Asian Ibex

The hunting world dodged a bullet earlier this month when the Kyrgyz parliament narrowly defeated a bill to close all hunting for a period of 5 years.  The measure failed to pass by only 2 votes!  The protectionist lobby has grown stronger in recent years, funded largely by foreign organizations.  The problem has been exacerbated by the seizure of several shipments of illegally taken trophies from remote regions along the border with China and trophies coming in from neighboring Tajikistan.  The scandal has damaged the image of sport hunting and made it easier for protectionists to gain traction in the government.  

Kyrgyzstan is home to both Marco Polo sheep, and the argali variety known as Hume argali, as well as Tien Shan argali and huge mid-Asian ibex.  It also boasts a good population of Siberian roe deer, wild boar and other species. 

The battle in Kyrgyzstan in NOT over.  We expect another attempt to close hunting in the coming months.   If you intend to hunt in Kyrgyzstan, we advise to do it sooner, rather than later.