256 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



BURHEL (Ovis NAHURA) 



This sheep has a larger habitat than any other of 

 the tribe. It is to be found in all the trans-Himalayan 

 hill country as far as, and throughout, the Pamir 

 steppes, to the Tian Shan, which bounds that region. 

 He is a wary beast and affords good stalking, but 

 his head as a trophy cannot be called handsome, as 

 the outward, downward, and backward sweep of the 

 horns do not make much of a show. Thirty inches 

 in length from base to tip would be an exceptionally 

 good head. They are, however, the best of the wild 

 sheep in the way of mutton, which is a point in their 

 favour when meat is scarce in camp. In the high 

 plateau regions on the Tibet frontiers of India (i.e. 

 Hundes) I hunted these sheep with much success ; in 

 fact in some parts they are so numerous that one 

 gets sick of the sight of them ; for individually after 

 getting a few good pairs of horns I do not care to go 

 on shooting the same beast. Some years ago, when 

 in quest of the Hodgsoni (Ovis ammon of Tibet) I 

 got what I wanted without much trouble. I worked 

 up the Ganges river as far as the boundary range 

 and on to the plateau. 



A couple of days across the plateau took me to 

 my ground near the Millam Pass in the Hundes 

 district of Chinese Tibet, and I camped at the mouth 

 of a nullah running down from the main snow-range. 

 The burhel frequents more precipitous ground than 

 Ovis hodgsoni ; steep slopes of shale, which lie at 



