Neal says he has another eight clients booked for hunts this fall and next spring. He is working with a native operator in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, where most of the hunts in Nepal take place. It is composed of six hunting blocks and covers a total area of 960 square kilometers. Clients fly into Kath- mandu and the next day take a one-hour-and-20-minute helicopter ride west to the town of Pokhara on the eastern boundary of the reserve. From there, hunters set off on foot with Sherpa guides. The trek is long and will take hunters up to about 14,000 feet, but Neal says clients will have plenty of time to acclimate to those altitudes during the hike. Camp is based at 9,000 feet.
Groups of up to three can hunt Himalayan blue sheep for 14 days at a cost of $9,850 for single clients; $7,275 each for more than one hunter. The permit and license is another $1,800 per hunter. Neal is offering only two combo hunts for Himalayan blue sheep and tahr because he says the latter species is more limited. Combo hunts for 17 days are $14,400 for a single hunter and $12,500 each for more. The total for permits and licenses on a combo hunt is $2,300 per hunter. Seasons run March through April and October through November.
The helicopter flight adds another $4,600 for a single client, $2,300 each for two. There is an option to........(continued)
