Jack Brittingham's 2003 Tajikistan Marco Polo Hunt
Field Report #5, September 30, 2003
Spotting the Monster Marco Polo
Having scouted the area by jeep while acclimating to the elevation, we chose to hunt our way up one particular valley on the third day, where we had already seen many sheep. This hike began at about fourteen thousand feet and continued slowly upward over about six kilometers, until we reached an elevation of sixteen thousand-two hundred feet. We saw many sheep, both male and female on our way in, and towards the head of the valley, Michael came very close to taking a ram out of a group of seventeen which we surprised at about two hundred yards. If not for some confusion between the two guides about which ram was the biggest, the third ram from the left would definitely have stopped a bullet. Michael was quick to pick out this ram as the largest and was lined up with the crosshairs on his chest. I was behind the video camera rolling the tape, just waiting for the guide to give him the go ahead for the shot on this very mature ram. It was all over in a matter of seconds as the whole group turned to depart. Michael had asked if he should shoot three different times, without a response from his guide. His disappointment was great as he saw a fine opportunity evaporate before his eyes.
We continued to the very head of the valley where we were treated to a special sight. On the skyline at least two thousand feet above us were thirty-eight rams standing in a snow bank looking down upon us. We set up the spotting scope for closer examination and discovered the original group we had seen earlier had joined up with more rams that must have been in another group ahead of them. Among them was one ram whose image I will never forget! Standing silhouetted against the skyline, this ram was all I have ever dreamed of in a Marco Polo sheep. With horns that came high off his head and swept down well below the jaw before coming back up, then out, with the tips pointing towards the ground, I was sure I was looking at a ram whose horns would easily exceed sixty inches. This magnificent animal was clearly the leader of this band, and rightfully so. He stayed in this location with the rest of the rams for more than an hour, with all of us taking turns admiring him through the scope, and knowing there was nothing we could do towards making an attempt for him. Over the course of the trip he was never seen again, but his image has been etched in my memory forever! Our hike out proved uneventful but we did gain the confidence to know the altitude was something we would be able to deal with.