DAGESTAN (Eastern) TUR, KUBAN (Western)
TUR, MID-CAUCASIAN TUR hunting in Caucasian mountains.
Caucasian tur. Now
it is considered that there are 2 tur subspecies in the
Caucasus: Caucasian tur or West-Caucasian tur (Ñ.
caucasica) and the Dagestan or East-Caucasian
tur (Ñ. cylindricornis). Both species are large
goats with the body length of 120-180 cm, height of 78-112
cm, male weight is up to 155 kg (usual1y of 20-140 kg).
Their colour is reddish-grey, but the Dagestan tur usually
has a well-marked dark "belt" on its back which
the Caucasian tur does not have or which is not so noticeable;
These goats differ considerably in the structure of horns:
the Caucasian tur's horns are arched and their tops are
directed downwards and inside. The Dagestan tur has horns
curved in the form of a spiral and their ends are directed
back and upwards. The Caucasian tur is widespread in the
western part of the Main Caucasian ridge, and the Dagestan
- in the eastern part. At the area of about 400 sq.km.,
both tours meet together and quite often form hybrids.
Both tours have a very similar habit of life. The tours
live in the rocky areas of the Alpine belt of mountains
and in rocks of a forest belt. During the year they move
within the limits of one ridge or a mountain spur, but
they do not attempt distant movement. In April - May when
spring comes in the mountains, the turs wintered in the
Alpine belt, go down to the top border of the forest and
gather on the sunny slopes. The animals which spent winter
in forests also rise here. As a result, both populations
separated before that get together again. In June-July
most animals gather in the Alpine belt. In the second
half of summer turs are strongly attracted by the areas
where were there are snowfields and glaciers near which
they spend hot time of day. At the end of August -September
some turs, mainly females with young growth, go down to
the top border of the forest where there is still fresh
greenery on damp hollows and shady slopes. At the end
of October or in November, with the appearance of snow,
a group of turs goes down in the forest belt. The other
group rises above, at the wintering places in the Alpine
and subalpine belt and stays at the places of "blowing"
and "warming", whence the wind blows the snow
off or it quickly evaporates under the sun beams and from
the action of the wind. Lacking mineral salts, turs willingly
visit man-made saline soil and cover a distance of 15-20
km to get it. In autumn, winter and early spring turs
graze in the daylight hours. In summer they bed for daylight
hours, from 9-10 o'clock in the morning to 3-4 o'clock
in the afternoon bedding. It is very difficult to approach
turs, especially a big herd. Constantly one or a few animals
become alerted, raise their head, and at occurrence of
the slightest danger whistle sharply and thus give an
alarm signal. Turs have a perfectly developed sight, and
they notice a man at a very good distance, though usually
they do not show anxiety until they see danger. But as
soon as the man disappears in a gorge or behind a ridge
turs quickly leave the place. Turs also have a very well
developed sense of smell: they catch smell of the man
at a distance of several hundreds meters.
Travel duration
is: 7 days (Moscow/Moscow)
5 days of hunting.
Regions of hunting are:
Tver, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Novgorod Region, Kareliya,
North Ossetia, Krasnodar Territory;
Accommodation:
hunting camps, guest hunting houses, rural log huts..
Travel route:
travel by motor transport, either by plane or by train
from Moscow to the nearest hunting place, station or the
airport. Then you go by motor transport to the hunting
place;
Additional charges:
tickets Moscow -local airport/station - Moscow; Hotels
are paid according to the fact; Additional service is
paid according to the fact;
