Hunting in Pakistan

Pakistan is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the north. Its northern terrain includes valleys and peaks rising into the Karakoram and Himalayan ranges, while the south has more hills, plains, deserts, and coastal zones. The mountain hunting zones of interest cluster in the northern, Himalayan tip of the country (Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), in the central-north areas around Islamabad and the Punjab, and in the southern Balochistan and Sindh. Small game, hog deer and wild boar areas are concentrated in the agricultural lowlands in the valley of the Indus river and its tributaries.

Mountain hunts are done by spot-and-stalk from ridges, traversing steep slopes and high passes, glassing from vantage points and then stalking a spotted trophy animal within range of a sure shot. When conducted near villages in community conservation areas, these hunts often attract the better part of the population, who are willing to act as scouts and even beaters in a driven hunt (Read a story by James Reed to get a feel of hunting in Pakistan). For hog deer and wild boar, driven hunts are actually quite common, while waterfowl is hunted from blinds, and partridge and quail over bird dogs. If you’re lucky, you may even participate in the ancient way of hunting migratory quail by throwing a net over a covey whose location is indicated by a pointing dog.