Marco Polo Argali
The corridor where the Tibetan argali from the east and the Marco Polo argali from the west meet during the rut and have produced a naturally occurring hybrid argali – the Marco Polo (Morph) Argali, previously referred to as Matison Argali. Perhaps only 3-4% of the overall Marco Polo Argali population, the are dispersed widely across an extensive range.
They are found in the Wakhan Corridor through the southern Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan along the northern shore of Lake Victoria on the Afghanistan border and eastward into China’s western Tibetan Plateau.
Specie / Hunt Description
International sheep hunters seek out this sheep either on a solo hunt or in combination with Marco Polo Argali and other species of Tajikistan. They are large, weighing up to 300 pounds with horn bases more massive than a Marco Polo argali. The horns form a tighter spiral with little or no flare and usually in less than a full curl. The tips are typically broken or heavily broomed. Rams have a ruff of long white hairs on neck and throat, and a darker crest on the back of the neck. Theye are nonetheless a stunning sheep, especially in light of what it takes to penetrate their high-altitude territory and hunt them.
Getting There: Hunters will be met in Dushanbe and assisted with firearms clearance. Hunters can overnight but we usually begin the drive to camp, overnighting in Khorog before completing the journey the next morning.
Hunt Strategy: This is a specially equipped vehicle-assisted hunt that enables a lot of vast open territory to be covered with multiple stops to glass for sheep. Most sheep are taken between 4,000-5,000 meters (approx.13,500 -16,000 ft.). Shots from 350-550 meters (approx. 400-600 yds.) on average and can be longer.
Season: September-February. Our guides apply time-tested hunt strategies for temperatures and seasonal patterns of movement during the entire season.
Length of Hunt: 5-day hunt plus 4 in-country travel days.
Options: Bukharan Markhor, Bukharan Urial, Bukharan Ibex, Pamir Ibex, Marco Polo Argali. Please inquire about individual and combination hunt options in Tajikistan.
