05-JUL-C-1
- Index to Jul-C-series in
- Arrival from
- Baku Azerbaijan, from the Elite Hotel arrival in Baku, through the “industrial wasteland” of Soviet-era petrochemical planned desert urbanization, now obsolete, to the city of Quba for lunch as we launch up mountain to the 34-family village of Dark at the roadhead, to the ride in to camp on horseback amid wolves, sheep, goats and rugged “Big Caucasus” wilderness.
- A most eventful hunting day in my life—and quite possibly my ultimate one! the extreme hunt for “Tur” in Babadog, the greater
- “What problems? Let’s get out and hunt!” Getting “back on the horse”—and far more dangerously—back on the steep scree slopes in pursuit of high mountain Tur.
- The high climb to spot bedded Tur, which spook at the sound of the “drive” and not the TV cameraman, who is forbidden to accompany me further, as we do the “gran prix du scree” in glissading down slope to return wearily to Tur camp on the Babachay river.
- Solo hunt up Babadog mountain’s steep slopes, spotting a fast-running group of tur at long range, with a single shot from the Bennelli rifle at over 387 meters, catches trophy Tur in flight: packing out the biggest Tur on the last hunt with the last hunter in return to camp closing it.
- Ride out at a gallop and trot down the Babachay River canyon to the village of “Dark”, farewell to guides, ride to Guba, lunch twice at Baba Ocagi with the big boss, and arrive back in Baku at another Elite Hotel for a much-needed shower and laundry, not to mention, licking wounds.