Hunters arriving in Dhorpatan as hunting opens for this season

Hunting season for the year 2023 has begun in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, the only hunting reserve in the country, to allow tourists to hunt animals, Information Officer of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve and Conservation Officer Abinash Thapamagar confirmed.

For this season, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department has allowed for the hunting of eight Himalayan blue sheep (Naur) and six Himalayan Tahr (Jharal). The first season of the hunting begins from Nepali month of Ashoj to Mangsir. The Reserve allows the hunters for two seasons in a year for hunting purposes.

Likewise, the Reserve has issued permission to hunt the wild boar as well.

The Department announces a bidding from amongst the affluent hunters in the global market to hunt animals after allocating the number of Naur and Jharal to be hunted.

The hunters are allowed to hunt Naur, Jharal and wild boar in the Reserve from October 4 to the third week of November.

According to Thapamagar, the hunters from the foreign countries are preparing to arrive at the Reserve along with their Nepali assistants.

Tourists from as far as the United States of America, Russia, Germany and Bulgaria venture into Nepal for the hunting this year through eight different enlisted companies. It is said that five American hunters are coming for the hunting.

The Reserve will also deploy conservation officials along with the Nepali assistants for the hunters.

As mentioned in the bidding approved by the Department for this season, anything between Rs 1 million to Rs 2 million is charged to hunt a Himalayan blue sheep.

Established in 1987, the Reserve started attracting foreign hunters. Tourists take the Reserve as the main hunting destination among many such hunting destinations in the world.

The hunters who are allowed permission to hunt are given a 15-day timeframe to hunt Naur and Jharal in the direct presence of employees of the Reserve. They are armed with necessary weapons, guns, bullets and cameras.

Hunters charter a helicopter to reach the Reserve as it is difficult to use the road. In some cases, hunters return empty-handed as they fail to hunt an animal. Those who hunt a Naur or Jharal are allowed to take the hunted animal’s head with them to their home country.