Understand Nepal > adventure > Blue Sheep Hunting
One of the countries, which has legalized hunting, is Nepal. Though not every region is authorized for hunting, the area of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve – with 1,325 km2 area, is enough for hunters to live their dreams of exotic hunting. The hunting reserve, established in 1987, lies in the Dhaulagiri Himal of the western region covering Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung districts with an altitude range of 2,850 m to 5,500 m. With appropriate license and permission, you can hunt individual animals in the specified regions, and out of the animals under the hunting list, Blue Sheep is the most popular one.
Home to different flora and fauna, Nepal's landscapes are unique, with many regions protected or conserved under the government's eyes. Tourists traveling in the national parks conservation areas can witness different species of animals, out of which, Blue Sheep is common. Out of a few countries that have legalized hunting, Nepal is the one with a small region of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve allocated for legalized hunting.
Department of Hunting has divided the hunting regions into six blocks, and you never know which block has a high number of Blue sheep. Along with Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr is also quite an exciting species for hunting. The hunting area has a varying climate from subtropical in the south to temperate in the hills to the arctic at high altitudes. The monsoon starts in June and lasts till September causing almost every day rain, creating a difficult time for hunters.
There are several hunting packages in Nepal for Blue Sheep in the hunting regions like Barsa, Gustang, Dogadi, Fagune, and southern areas of the hunting reserve. The packages will include your permission from different authorities, Heli tour, four-wheeler services, and other tools you will require for hunting.
The trophy hunting of Blue Sheep and Himalayan Tahr is one of the popular sports in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve that has attracted many hunters from different parts of the world. The hunting is allowed only in Sring and Autumn (March to April and October, November) with appropriate license and permission. The number of permitted hunting can vary each year, depending upon the population of blue sheep.
The hunting is popular among Europeans who come to Nepal just for hunting and being part of trophy hunting. Anyone can bid for hunting, but it is the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation who decides how many numbers of hunting will be approved.