American hunter bags Astore Markhor in Gilgit-Baltistan for $160,000

GILGIT: American citizen Deron James Millman was successful in hunting an Astore markhor within the Haramosh Community Controlled Hunting Area (CCHA) on Tuesday, under the ongoing trophy hunting program.

This markhor was hunted from the Sasi area of Haramosh, with a trophy size measuring 42-hinch. According to GB wildlife officials, Millman paid a whopping $160,000 as a trophy hunting permit fee to the GB Wildlife Department, in addition to having undergone the last hunt of the season, while the department auctioned four hunting permits for Astore Markhor this year.

Many other foreign hunters successfully hunted Astore Markhor’s in Gilgit-Baltistan this season. Last week, Justin Ryan Falatok, another American, hunted an Astore Markhor in the Bunji Community Controlled Hunting Area (CCHA) in Gilgit after a permit fee of $150,500.

Earlier this month, Bryan Kinsel Harlan of the United States also hunted an Astore Markhor in the SKB Community Controlled Hunting Area in Roundu village of Skardu after paying $150,500 as a trophy hunting permit fee to the GB Wildlife Department.

On January 23, Spanish national Carlos Mallo Alvarez hunted the season’s first Astore Markhor in the Jutal area of the Danyore Community Controlled Hunting Area (DCCHA) in Gilgit, obtaining a permit for $150,500.

The auction of Astore Markhor hunting permits was anything but simple this season, where three attempts were required before it was finally successful.

In December, last year, Gilgit-Baltistan’s Parks and Wildlife Department managed to auction four permits for the prized Astore markhor under a ‘first-come, first-served’ policy after two unsuccessful attempts at drawing higher bids for the 2024-2025 trophy hunting season.

The initial auction consisted of 118 offered permits on October 30th, including four given for Astore Markhor, 14 for blue sheep, and 100 for Himalayan ibex. Due to lesser hunter response, only eight permits were sold out.