Blue Sheep
For the mountain hunter, pursuing Blue Sheep is as much an appreciation of the landscape as it is of the animal itself. The experience demands patience, endurance, and an intimate understanding of high-altitude country, making this diminutive sheep a truly memorable representative of Pakistan’s extraordinary mountain wildlife.
Specie / Hunt Description
Among all the majestic mountain settings in the hunting world, the Himalayas are virtually incomparable. This high and wild part of the world holds one of the grandest of all sheep species irrespective of its diminutive size – the Blue Sheep – and Pakistan’s population is thriving.
Getting There: Hunters will be met in Islamabad and assisted with firearms clearance. Depending on flight arrival times, hunters will either overnight or connect directly to the hunting area with a connecting flight. Weather can be a factor, in which case the journey to the base of the mountain takes 12 hours by car.
Hunt Strategy: You kill Blue Sheep with your feet. Blue Sheep hunts are conducted by traditional methods and exemplify adventure. Over the course of a 2-day hiking trek from the base of the Shimshal Valley, you will stop on the way up for an overnight and continue the journey until one of the base camps in the conservancy is reached.
This is old school hunting mirroring the classic portered foot safaris similar to how Teddy Roosevelt hunted in Old Africa decades ago. Ten to twenty local villagers lead the assent to Blue Sheep territory, carrying your camp and necessary provisions with strength and stamina exceeding what their age and lean builds suggest. Sometimes sturdy yaks are used and hunters can ride part way. Camps are located between 3,600-4,000 meters (12,000-13,000 ft).
Most sheep are taken roughly between 4,000-5,000 meters (approx. 13,000 -16,000 ft.). Shots are typically long – from 350-550 meters (approx. 375-600 yds.) on average.
Season: November and February (prime).
Length of Hunt: 10-day program including in-country travel days.
Options: The classic combination hunt with Blue Sheep includes Himalayan Ibex. A diverse range of other species can also be combined – Sindh Ibex, Blanford Urial, Punjab Urial, Afghan Urial, Chinkara Gazelle, and the Markhors. These species are found in different areas across the country and our expert team on the ground in Pakistan arranges a custom logistical plan for seamless permits and transport to all the relevant areas to be hunted.
