Customer Story: Dan Rossiter's Hunting Trip in Kazakhstan

When hunting guide Dan Rossiter recently shared these epic photos from his trip to Kazakhstan, we had to reach out to hear more.  

Born and bred in Haast, Dan started hunting young with his dad.

“Back then anyone could sell deer — we’d be out a couple of times a week deer hunting, mostly bush hunting. It’s a shame you can’t sell them now like back then!” 

These days, Dan has two kids of his own who he loves taking out into the hills.

As a hunting guide in Lake Hāwea, Dan had long heard stories from hunters about Kazakhstan — its incredible beauty and wild hunting — so it was always on the bucket list.  

“I love mountain hunting & spend a lot of time hunting chamois and tahr.. Nothing beats spending a night or two camped up high! Hunting ibex high in the mountains sounded amazing... It wasn’t until recently that I heard more about Maral hunting, so I thought I might as well get both!” 

Hunting ibex around 11,000ft proved to be as tough as it was breathtaking, with horses used to tackle the terrain. 

“I’m not a horse rider and found it difficult at the start. The hunting was hard & the scenery epic, with lots of walking in steep country — but that’s exactly what I wanted. I’m done with horses though — my arse was sore for days! The scariest moment was definitely when my horse slipped on a steep trail at 1am and rolled on me… no health and safety with my guide!” 

No one spoke English, the guiding was bad (and at times very unorganised), but despite the challenges, Dan and his mate both landed giants, with their ibex measuring 1.3 metres.

“All in all it was an amazing trip! The Maral were bugling because it was the start of the rut. Camping on a ridge at 2400 metres, listening to Maral bugling around us, seeing wolves and bears — it’s something I’ll never forget.” 

Next October Dan is looking forward to taking his daughter to the States to hunt mule deer & bears.

“International hunting is bloody awesome… the scenery, the different species, the food, the guides — it’s not just about killing the animal.” 

Gear MVP List

“I lived in my Hunters Element thermals, Acclimate Hood, Spur and Boulder Pants — all worked great. The Acclimate Hoody was real good.” 

Acclimate Hood Core Series

Spur Pants Boulder Pants