Kashmir Markhor (Pakistan)
Blandford Urial
(Ovis vignei blandfordi)
Local Name: Gad (Baluchistan)
Scientific Name: Ovis vignei blandfordi
Local Area: Baluchistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan
Life Span: 10 – 11 years
Height: 76.15 – 91.5 cm (30 – 36 inches)
Weight: 40 kg (88 pounds)
Trophy Size: 65 – 75 cm (26 – 30 inches)
Hunting Season: November to March
Description:
Blandford urial is a subspecies of Asian wild sheep found in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Sindh provinces. These species live in the hills around Dureji, three hours from Karachi and close to the Indian Ocean, at elevations ranging from 1500′ to 3000′. They can grow to a height of 30 inches at the shoulder and weigh up to 80-90 pounds. It resembles the Afghan Urial but is smaller, with a smaller bib and neck ruff and no distinct saddle patch.
Blandford urials, like other wild sheep, are diurnal. They are more active in the morning and evening, and they usually chew their cud in the afternoon. Starting at dawn, a typical routine is to scope the area, moving from site to site. If a trophy animal is found, the hunters may wait until it is rested for the mid-day and stalk it from there. If something goes wrong with the stalk, Backup Plan is to try to catch the trophy as it makes its way to the nighttime feed area. This hunt is similar to any other mountain hunt in that it requires strong optics, a flat-shooting precise weapon, and, most importantly, good “climbing legs” and energy.
Hunt this Animal
