It was the end of the third day when my namesake and I began to doubt that we’d reach the hunting area! Moreover we would have to repeat that trip again on the way back.
The dream was going on. I slept and saw the dream where I was flying from Moscow to Petropavlovsk –Kamchatksy (PK), then changed the flight and flew to Palana before the storm came, then I was sitting in the ATV and changed it to the horse…
Everything was real. We saw Kamchatka’s sightseeing, swan in the hot springs, tried local delicatessens and talked to new people. It was real but I didn't believe that it happened with me.
The local outfitter Viktor Stepanov has informed us about all risks in our way to the hunt because lots of things on Kamchatka depends on weather. But we were lucky. I realized it when knew that the airport in PK was closed for several days after we had left it. The reason was the hurricane which came from Japan. Telling the truth we had some unpleasant moments when flew by Yak-40 to Palana. It was shaking like a feather.
I’m getting ahead but will make some conclusions based on our experience from the trip to the peninsula.
1. You have to be ready that the local flight from PK could be delay several times and then to cancel. It can last several days. The most comfortable and stable month in terms of weather is August. I don’t tell about such reason of delay when the plane just broke down. I got into such situation on the way back. There was something wrong with the plane in Palana and we waited when the new one would fly to take us. There are no domestic flights on weekend. It means that if your flight has been delayed on Friday, it’d automatically transfer to Monday. You’ll spend two day swimming in the hot springs.
2. If you use ATV to drive to the base, Don’t allow it to leave. If you decide to leave the camp earlier ( in the best variant), It’ll be very difficult to find it in the village. It can drive somewhere for mushrooms or berries or will visit the marriage of the best friend and so..
3. Get acquaintance with somebody who can help you with tickets, hotels and so. We used such help in Palana and PK.
4. Use EMS if want to deliver bags to/from home. We used that service on the way back and the bag have arrived to Moscow in four days after us. It’s more comfortable and cheaper if you account the cost for extra luggage in the plane.
5. Warning the family that you could come back home in one or even two weeks later!
All this things won’t be extra even if you are accompanied by the outfitter.
So, let’s come back to the sheep. They were the main reason why we visited Kamchatka once again. As Viktor said, the sheep felt good and was pasturing waiting for us, and not only sheep, bears were on guard too!
Viktor’s wife Nataly met us in Palana and we all drove by ATV to the base. It was late evening when we arrived. I saw lots of bears while we were driving but we didnt' met the big ones.Thus at the end of the third day, after six hours horse riding we reached the foot of the mountain and set the camp there. We camped tents near the alderwood and cedar woods with the nice view to the mountains and the river’s valley.
Our team consisted of two guides Gena and Anton, the cook Anna, the horse driver Viktor and my fellow and I.
In the first day we didn’t plan to hunt and left the camp just to walk and to monitor the surroundings while our cook Anna stayed to banish bears. We slowly went up.
The first climb is like the first cup of fresh water after the long road. You make a gulp and savor it. All next ascends are like routine though they are full of emotions and adventures. First hour we were going through cedar woods and succeed in it. In one hour more we reached the altitude 1000 masl, found the hollow, and began to look around. It was windy and it didn’t stop all next days. If we were on the neighbor hill we could admire of the water surfaces. There were the Okhotsk Sea from the one side and the Pacific Ocean from another. Incredible feelings! We were delighted by the beauty of nature, freedom and the beginning of the hunt. But we didn’t suspect that were being watched all that time.
Anton and Gena took the mobile gas stove and we decided to drink tea. The view from our hollow was beautiful, we could see the mountain range and the big circus. The guides told us that had seen sheep there a few days ago.
We had rest and started to binocular the surrounding once again. Somebody detected the herd of sheep which consisted of females with lambs grazed in four km from us. But then we noticed the lonely ram which was watching us all time while we drank tea. We couldn’t estimate its size from such distance. It was nervous, stood up each 10-15 minutes and moved to 200-300 meters from us. It was a half of km between the ram and females and four km more between the herd and us.
We had to decide what to do because time wasn’t on our side. We casted lots and I won jack-pot, that's why I had to try and to approach it. The only way to do it was to go around the circus and climbed between the male and females because they could start to move to its’ side and to hinder.
The Kamchatka mountains are not very high and relatively gentle but they consist of rolling stones like the Caucasus mountains. Therefore It is difficult to move there. You need to know about Kamchatka exclusive- huge volcanic stones. It was a rare pleasure to run on them. Anton and I were on the half way to the trophy when had to run. At the beginning we went in a plane sight of the male, which was shocked by our behavior and moved up. Then we hid behind the hill, went down to the river and moved up along it. We ascended between the male and the females. The ram hid behind the range. The guys, who stayed in the hollow, informed us by radio about the animal movements and it helped a lot.
We ascended 300 vertical meters and approached it 250 meters. The ram laid on the rocky slope and had rest. It wasn’t the biggest one but had normal size. I realized that Kamchatka was unpredictable and wasn’t sure when would have chance to shoot once again. I made the decision to fire and to get that trophy!
The wind was strong and blew across the shot’s trajectory and I made the correction. I was lucky that didn’t fire immediately and found two stones which could bother the shot. The caliber 300WM did not fail. We all heard the distinct slap. The male stood up and dint’ move. I shot once again and missed but it didn’t push. I had to shoot the third time to put it out of the misery.
The hunt was done! I couldn’t express my feelings at that moment. I went forward that goal for a year and a half and now it was done! I had to calm and to go on hunting. We went back to the camp in the late night being wet and tired. It was the end of the first day.
Next morning we got up later because walked a lot before. Viktor (outfitter) had driven from the Base and was very surprised that we got the trophy in the first day. I did the deal with him to take one more trophy if it was possible.
Our priority was to get the trophy for my fellow. We all went to the mountains by the yesterdays route but Anton left the camp earlier to make scouting. The second day didn’t leave the bright impression. We hiked about 15-20 km and found new ways how to reach the best places.
On the third day we decided to transfer the camp closer to the place, where I got the trophy, and to monitor two large circuses. It took us a half of the day to collect everything, load all bags to horses and moved to the new place. The new camp was located on the shore of the mountain spring covered by thickets of bushes of Golden root. This plant helps to increase the mood and physical activity.
Gena and Anton went in exploration till evening. Misha an I went to the nearest hill and spent the day monitoring the surroundings. We wanted to find the bear. All kinds of rodents entertained us the whole day. They whistled from all sides and did it in unison. I decided to shoot one of tarbagans (marmot) when the hunt would be over.
Anna had cooked sheep meat and made Russian salad because was happy that we didn’t leave her alone in the camp.
The next (forth) day we all decided to make our best and to reach the result. We got up when it was dark, had breakfast and moved to the mountain. We had very simple plan. Gena and I would stay on the top and watch the territory using the scope while Misha and Anton went around all hollows on the middle level.
At 10 am we were ready to realize it. We were not alone laying on the top. Our neighbor was the fox which was catching lemmings in ten meters from us and didn’t pay any attention to two hunters. We drank tea and managed to sleep in turns while one of us was on duty with the scope.
Then the action started!
Anton talked us by radio that the group of four males was moving to our destination and two of them had trophy size. They didn’t move to our destination they went directly to us over the ridge. That group was in 800 meters from our fellows but Misha refused to shoot because wasn’t’ sure. Anton’s plan was not to allow sheep to cross the ridge. Gena and I began to move along the range looking for the sheep. Misha and Anton began to go up fast to us . Anton saw us and controlled our actions.
Suddenly, I stopped on the top of the lonely rock. My action camera attached to the head worked. The first ram from that chain ascended to the top. The distance between us was 20 meters. I shouted “Wow”, the sheep turned around ….
The plan was implemented partially. The sheep ran along the ridge but to the opposite side from Misha and Anton. I ran up and down and chased the sheep to the neighbor slope. The only thing which we could do next, was to lay down, to aim and to follow them with sad eyes. I could get bigger trophy if I shot but the chances of my fellow would became lower. So I just watched them while the animals went separate ways.
Unfortunately we couldn’t overtake them that day and didn’t find on the next one. Viktor was shocked when we described him the situation. He said that had never heard about corral hunting for the snow sheep.
Next day we moved the camp once again but left Viktor and Anna on the last place. Anton and Misha went to the far circus while Gena and I stayed to oversee the nearest one.
The main hero of that day was the wolverine which went slowly while Misha aimed but didn’t shoot. He was afraid to scare off the hunting luck. Then it was running in 50 meters from me and I couldn’t catch it.
The heavens opened that night and the temperature dropped to 0ºC. Everything was covered by fog when we got up. My fellow talked to somebody by satellite and made the decision to finish the hunt. I didn’t mind.
But I did what was going on. I got the marmot. The shooting distance was 100 meters. I shot with hands. We had eaten its meat and I gave its skin for the taxidermy.
We were going down to the intermediate camp. I carried the marmot and the rifle. We discussed what happened with us during those days.
But we would never forget what happened next.
When we were riding horses to the base first time , we noticed the river which flowed to the Base direction. The idea was to float by boat on the way back and enjoyed the beauty of nature. We suggested it to Viktor. He had never floated there beweore but had the adventurous character and he agreed. The outfitter found two rubber boats for us and for him.
I can't describe what has happened next. We overcame the first rapid and were full wet just in five minutes after we sailed. It was the mountain river and the outdoor temperature was +5ºC. In five minutes more I contrived to dip in the water the gun and the camera. There were two unproted vents which leaked air. It meant that each half of an hour we had to get to shore and to inflate the boat by mouth. It was very tough floating and soon we felt ourselves as the experienced aqua men who had to use all body parts not to drоwn or to freeze. But it was worth it. We saw fantastic views!
It became dark in four hours after we had started. At last we went ashore and hiked 2 more hours though cedar woods scaring the bears.
The guys who rode by horses waited for us on the base. They pulled two stored bottles of vodka and send us to the hot bath.
Next day we managed to fish for about three hours while waiting for ATV. Viktor’s wife Nataly was the avid angler. Can you imagine Kamchatka fishing? It was crazy! We caught lots of silver salmons, chars and went back to the base, the rest of the day we spent eating and talking with our new friends.
In the morning I I left the house and my breath caught when I saw mountains covered by fresh snow.
Now we had to go back.
