Mongolia has a population of just 2.7 million people spread out over an area half the size of Europe. Mongolia resides on a high mountainous plateau over 5,000 ft above sea level. The Altai, Hangai, Hentii and Hiangan mountain ranges surround the country and shield it from the humid and warm airflows from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in an arid, high desert type environment.
The Gobi Desert makes up a little less than 1/3 of the country. The Gobi Desert is primarily made up of dry rocky mountains and valleys. It is a unique ecosystem that is home to snow leopards, ibex, wild sheep, goats, wild horses and antelope. There is even the Mazaalai bear that has made its home in the Gobi desert.
Arrival and Departure
Clients from the US need to book their flights to Ulaanbaatar through their travel agents. Ulaanbaatar is the Capital of Mongolia and provides numerous tourist activities and historical while at the same time providing fully modern services.However, we can assist you with travel arrangements via Bejing or Seoul. You need to book these hunts at least a year in advance as it takes time to process and secure the limited number of permits available, and overall a lot of work goes into setting these hunts up.
If you travel by way of Bejing, you will be met at the Bejing Airport by an English speaking company representative who will help you clear customs and your firearms declaration. If you are traveling via Seoul you will need to overnight in Seoul, we recommend that you have us secure your hotel room for you as we can generally get better rates.
On return, when you re-enter the U.S. you will go through customs and will have your trophies checked by USFWS before heading on to your final destination. Note, make sure to fill out all necessary paperwork to bring your firearms out of and back into the U.S.
Travel to Hunting Camp
Hunting camps are located all over Mongolia depending on what species you are going to hunt. The distance from Camp to Camp at times can be quite far. Typically you will be traveling by way of quality 4×4 vehicles. You will have an English speaking camp manager who will accompany you throughout your entire trip. Typically you will be traveling 7-10 hours by way of 4x4s to reach your camp. Your guide and camp staff will meet you at the camp, they are all extremely friendly and helpful people.
Camp, Accommodations and Food
Accommodations will vary by hunting area. Some will have well equipped base camps with permanent buildings, Yurts, outhouses, generators, furniture, stock corrals and trophy care facilities. While other camps will be more like spike camps consisting of Yurts, portable trailers or lightweight tents.
Food is basic meats, rice, pasta, salami, bread, nuts, vegetables, fruit, soups, etc, which is quite good and filling. If you like any special snacks like candy bars, juice mix, jerky, etc, you will need to bring that with you. Bottled water is generally available, but you should still bring a water filter, steri-pen or purification tables. Generally tea is served with every meal, so if you prefer coffee, let us know ahead of time or bring instant packets with you. The camps will also have sodas, fruit juice, beer and vodka available.
The Hunt!!!
Normally, when you arrive at the main camp, we will start off doing some scouting together. While scouting we will be discussing some of the characteristics and behaviors of your desired game species as well as viewing some of the actual game animals. If the animals move out of the area for some reason or we cannot find a good one, then we will move as necessary to another camp until we find an animal we are happy with.
Hunting Mongolia: Species, Seasons and Trophy Quality
Mongolia holds two ibex and three argali worth travelling for, each in its own country and each on its own season. Below is what to expect from every one of them, and how a hunt is actually run.
Gobi Ibex
The Gobi ibex is the closest relative of the Altai, living in the rocky mountains of the southern Altai range where it reaches into the desert — the Gobi Altai. Scarce feed and limited water keep it smaller than its northern cousin. Look for a brown coat with a light patch under the belly and between the legs. A mature male stands a little over three feet at the shoulder and weighs around 260 pounds.
Season: 15 July to 15 October. Average trophy: 34 to 37 inches, with the best going to about 42.
Altai Ibex
The larger of Mongolia’s two ibex, and the one most hunters come for. Altai ibex hold the steep cliffs and narrow canyons of loose rock in the drier part of the Altai range, in Hovd and Govi-Altai provinces. They feed morning and evening and lie up in shade through the middle of the day. The coat is red-brown with a light patch, darkening as a male ages, and mature billies carry a long beard. A big male stands around three feet at the shoulder and weighs close to 280 pounds.
Season: 15 July to 15 October. Average trophy: 37 to 45 inches, with the best reaching 48.
Rock paintings in these same mountains show ibex kept as domestic goats around 8,500 years ago, which gives some sense of how long people have hunted this ground.
Argali
Sheep numbers are good through the southern Hangai, the mid-Altai, the steppe mountains and the semi-desert north of the Gobi. Three varieties, three different animals:
- Altai argali — 50 to 54 inches with 17 to 19 inch bases. Most areas top out at 55 to 57; a few special areas produce 57 to 61.
- Hangai argali — 47 to 51 inches with 16 to 18 inch bases, and some areas into the low-to-mid 50s.
- Gobi argali — 46 to 49 inches with 16 to 17 inch bases, the best going 51 to 53.
Argali season: 1 July to 30 September.
How the hunt is run
In the Altai you hunt on horseback and on foot. Through most of the Gobi and Hangai it is jeeps and hiking. Spiking out with backpack tents is rarely necessary, though it is there for the prepared and ambitious hunter who wants it.
Spot and stalk is the method throughout, because it lets us judge animals properly through spotting scopes before committing to a final stalk. We do not chase animals.
An ibex or maral hunt runs on a nine-day schedule with five hunting days for one animal, or a twelve to fourteen day schedule with ten hunting days if you want two species. Argali hunts are twelve to fourteen days with ten hunting days, though they often finish sooner.
Permits, and why you book early
Only a limited number of permits are issued each year, and a great deal of work goes into securing them. Hunters need to commit well ahead — this is not a hunt that can be arranged at short notice, and the permit is the constraint, not the calendar.
Camps
Camps vary with the area. Some are well-equipped bases with permanent buildings, yurts, outhouses, generators, furniture, stock corrals and trophy care facilities. Others are closer to spike camps — yurts, portable trailers or lightweight tents. Heat comes from coal or dung-burning stoves.
One thing to plan for: your trophies travel separately
Mongolian export law does not allow trophies to travel home with you. Everything is shipped after the hunt, at the hunter’s expense, and we handle the process from this end. Build that into your expectations before you go rather than discovering it at the airport.
What the hunt includes
- Visa support — letter of invitation and voucher
- All hunting licenses and tags
- CITES and veterinary certificate permits
- Area fees and taxes
- Firearms permit
- Meeting, greeting, pickup and transport at all airports
- Transport in Ulaanbaatar and to and from camp
- English-speaking interpreter
- A local guide and camp staff for each hunter
- Lodging and meals in camp, cabin or tent accommodation
- Trophy skinning and preparation
- Local medical insurance in Mongolia during the hunt
What it does not include
- International flights
- Excess and overweight luggage fees
- Lodging before and after the hunt, and meals in Ulaanbaatar
- Alcohol in camp
- A Western guide, on the hunts where that is optional
- City tours and other non-hunting excursions
- Staff tips
- Rifle rental, if you need one
- Trophy shipping