PUNJAP URIAL
SEASON: Hunting season for Blanford urial starts as early as October 1st and runs through the end of February. However early and late season hunts can be a little hard to handle due to high temperatures in the area and thus are not recommended so much. Best times for Punjap urial hunting in this area is the period between mid November and mid January when the weather conditions will be at its best. This is a hunt with very high success rate so the timing is important only for a comfortable hunt. Hunters should consider this as a hunt with nearly 100% success regardless of the hunting period they choose.
AREA: Predominantly, Punjab region comprises of a leveled plain, in addition to some mountainous and hilly areas, which are mostly situated in its northwest and extreme southwest. Distrubition of Punjap urial in this geography is between the Indus and Jhelum rivers, primarily in two hill systems named Kala Chitta and Salt Ranges. However hunting for Punjap urial is allowed only in a few protected areas on the eastern section of the Salt Ranges.
HOW TO GET THERE: Hunters are required to fly into Islamabad. They will be met by our representative at the airport and be asssited for the rifle clearance at the customs. This is a 10-15 minute procedure in general. There are several different areas to hunt Punjap urial. These areas can be reached from the Islamabad airport within a 1½ - 4 hour drive mainly on asphalts roads.
ACCOMMODATION: Hospitality is a way of life in Pakistan. Guests are considered to be a gift from God therefore people treat them with the most phenomenal hospitality one can encounter anywhere. The guests are treated like nothing less than royalty. Ruling families of the the hunting areas would like to make sure that their guests are well taken care of. So the hunters are accommodated in the family guest houses where they can have their own bedroom with a separate bathroom.
WEATHER: The climate of Punjab region is continental, with marked temperature fluctuations both seasonally and on a daily basis. Pakistan’s section of Punjab is characterized by a semi-arid climate, with increasing aridity from east to west and from north to south. Punjab has 3 major seasons, namely Hot season (April to June), Rainy season (July to September) and Cold weather (October to March) which includes the hunting season. Temperature goes as low as 40F (4 C) in January which is the coldest time of year. Mean day time temperatures in the area in January is 62F (17C) Temperatures may go as high as 80F (27C) in February although the average would be around 70F (21C). December has also similar values to February.
ALTITUDE: The Salt Range is located in the central part of Jhelum and the northern part of Sargodha district. These hills run in an east-west direction, reaching heights varying from 1640 to 3280 feet (500 t- 1,000m) above sea level. Hunting for Punjap urial takes place at these elevations.
DURATION of the HUNT: Our Punjap urial hunting organisations are for 7 days including the 2 days of traveling time. So actual hunting time is 5 days although all our hunts almost always ends within the first 3 days.
HUNTING METHOD: Any hunting day for Punjap urial starts by a hearty breakfast served in the guest house at a very early hour of the day. A ride of 15-60 minutes in a 4-wheel drive truck on dirt roads takes the hunter to the area by sunrise where most of the time local scouts meet the hunting party. From this point onwards hunters are required to hunt on foot.
Since the terrain is not too rugged or physically demanding and the local guides know the localities of the animals, it does not take hunters too long before they make their first contact with animals. Since the domestic goat is very common in the area and graze everywhere with their herder, the urial gets very skittish.
