From a hunting perspective, Azerbaijan's claim to fame is its Caucasian tur, a fascinating species of wild goat that lives in the rugged Caucasian mountains. Because of the tough, demanding environs it prefers, the tur is considered a challenging and worthy trophy.
Tur are among the largest wild goats in the world, and are found only in the most formidable mountains of the Caucasus, above the treeline in open terrain. There are three varieties of Caucasian tur, which are also sometimes called Caucasian ibex. They are the West-Caucasian or Kuban Tur, found in the western Caucasus; the Mid-Caucasian tur, which lives in the west-central Caucaus; and the Eastern tur, found east of Mt. Dyktau. The western tur is very similar to an ibex, with scimitar-shaped horns exhibiting distinct cross-ridges, a long beard and a light yellow-tan coat. The Eastern tur is very different, with horns that more closely resemble sheep than goats. They are also smaller than their western cousins, and reddish-brown. Their beards are short, wide and smooth, and their horns curve up and behind their necks, similar to a blue sheep but more massive. Their horns are also smooth, rounded and larger than the other tur sub-species. Eastern tur with lengths of up to 40 inches have been recorded, although they are rare. Eastern tur in the SCI record book have horns anywhere from 24 to 45 inches in length, with most falling in the 30-inch range. As for the Mid-Caucasian tur, it is found in mountainous areas between the ranges of the other two subspecies, and it has characteristics of both.........(continued)
