A wave of excitement rippled through the US hunting community last month when the US Fish & Wildlife Service awarded an import permit for a Kashmir (flare-horned) markhor to subscriber Wayne Lau. The question on everyone’s lips was whether this meant the flood gates had been opened to US hunters as regards markhor. The short answer is: Yes, but….
You can read all about the import matter and what it means for the future by turning to this month’s “Conservation Force Bulletin.” Here, I’ll tell you a bit about Wayne Lau’s hunt. I should note first that Lau purposefully completed his hunt for a Kashmir markhor just so Jackson could get the service to review and recognize Pakistan’s markhor conservation programs.
The Kashmir markhor are found in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). It is the largest and most highly sought after variety, with horns that often exceed 40 inches in length. The Kashmir’s range stretches from the northern Pakistan/Afghanistan border eastward where it overlaps with Astor territory, which extends into the disputed Kashmir region between Pakistan and India......
