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The pursuit of elusive mountain game takes you to the most isolated parts of the earth, places you would not even dream of going otherwise. Hunting in the high mountains perhaps gives greater pleasure to its devotees than any other quest around the world. Even though the taking of a mountain trophy might not be as complicated as tracking dangerous game, the sport is conducted in such magnificent, yet difficult, surroundings that it attracts more dedicated extremists than most other forms of big game hunting. |
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The events leading up to, and the actual travel to the mountain hunting areas, create ever-growing hope and anticipation. The joy of camp life is temporarily free of phone calls, the hustle of a big city and other curses of civilization.
There are always difficulties and disappointments to be overcome, but these are outweighed by the many new experiences daily.
The eyesight becomes keener, so that a motionless ibex bedded in patchy shade under a big rock outcropping, invisible for the first few days, stands out clear and sharp; a herd of bharal (blue sheep) among blue shale can be spotted a mile away by some slight movement of an individual ram.
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The joy of stalking takes its turn. First is the patient search, then the sighting of the animal, and finally anxious examination of the trophy quality. Next comes planning the approach with its resulting long detours, or uphill grinds, perhaps crossing a precipice that tries every nerve and muscle. Then, the final crawl and squeezing the trigger, to produce a fine trophy. When priceless photos are taken, they are only mementos of hours or days of hard work which have culminated in the triumph. These photos, as well as the memories, will produce an everlasting reflection of the quest.
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Setting out on every trip has a thrill of its own. Perhaps parts of the preparation may lessen with age, but there is always the joy of achievement that comes from taking a wary old mountain trophy on his own ground. That feeling will last forever.
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