Fishing and hunting in Kyrgyzstan: do you need a permit?

hi, I’ve got a bit of a basic question!!

Do you need a permit for hunting and fishing in Kyrgyzstan? For fishing, I’m guessing not, but for hunting—does the country have any restrictions on carrying firearms, and is hunting regulated there???

Is it possible to find gear in Bishkek, or do you absolutely have to go through an agency??

It’s not like I’m a huge fan, but eating some fish would be awesome!!

Well, I don’t know about the permits, but ...;;;

Avoid flashing a weapon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kyrgyz people are sensitive about those toys, and with a bit of vodka in their system and tourists waving guns around, it’s gonna get them worked up!

Plus, are you a hunter or discovering your inner nomad??

For fishing, no problem—just keep an eye on where you fish and ask for permission if needed (check with the locals if there’s anyone around). But clearly avoid hunting with a bow, blowgun, or whatever—just don’t do it.

Yeah, yeah, of course—my soul isn’t "nomadic" enough like you put it so well to dive into hunting. It was more to create a post that’d be more general, not just to answer MY fishing question.

But got it for fishing! We’ll ask, but at the same time, on the Kekemeren between Song Kol and Toktogul, I got the impression there aren’t many people around!!!

Do you know the country well??? I mean, *really* well??? Well enough to tell me the state of some rivers during July???

Have a great day!!

PS: I admit the conversation’s gonna go off track fast!!!

My question was more like, do you hunt in France?? No aggression, no bias, even if the tone I used might have been confusing... so sorry about that!

Otherwise, no, I don’t know the state of the rivers, except that glacial melt makes the water very, very cold—good for drinking (far enough upstream). The Kyrgyz aren’t fishermen at all, though, and they usually dry their fish around Issyk-Kul!

And when I say ask for permission, it’s because even if there aren’t any permanent residents (houses), you’ll often come across nomadic camps in many jailoos (especially in July). It’s good manners to chat with them before helping yourself.

Let’s avoid derailing the discussion!! (I struggle a bit with writing and getting the tone right.)

Happy travels

So we’ll be fishing but not hunting on Kyrgyz lands... Thanks to you, Simon—this answer will be really useful for bonding with the locals. Best regards,

Patrick

great chance to try a little fish in Kyrgyzstan!

From memory (but I might be wrong), there aren’t thousands of fish in the rivers—more in the lakes....

The fisheries inspectors mainly check for fishing of species listed in the Red Book. In practice, they drink vodka from yurt to yurt. The Kekemeren River gets really wild after Kyzyl Korgon.

really wild??? can you do it by canoe or is it sketchy???

Sham, you trained in the Drac or the Isère... As you feared, I'm going to derail the discussion. Is it possible to make a fire in Kyrgyzstan? I mean a good campfire to warm up at high altitude or heat up the pot...

At the risk of upsetting some people, I haven’t trained for canoeing. I’ve done at least a week of it every year since I was little, but I stopped 4 years ago. I’ve also done rafting a few times, but always with a guide. Tomorrow, we’re testing a canoe loaded with bikes on a lake (the "Island of Love") and then on the Isère River if all goes well.

As for fires, I think it’s okay in wooded areas!!! The density is so low that I think it’s like in Mongolia—people know you’re there and come to see you, or there’s no one around... so in either case, you can make a fire (unless someone tells you it’s forbidden).

Are you biking in Kyrgyzstan this summer?

At the risk of making some people scream, I didn’t train for canoeing. I’ve done at least a week of it every year since I was little, but I stopped 4 years ago. I’ve also done rafting a few times, but always with a guide. Tomorrow, we’re testing a canoe loaded with bikes on a lake (the "Île d’Amour") and then on the Isère River if all goes well.

For campfires, I think it’s okay in wooded areas!!! The density is so low that I think it’s like in Mongolia—people know you’re there and come to see you, or there’s no one around... so in either case, you can have a fire (unless someone tells you it’s forbidden).

You gonna bike in Kyrgyzstan this summer??

Yes, from July 28 to August 18. We’ve already talked, especially about the bikes. In the end, my daughter and I are bringing our own. For the route, check out my site...

You’re allowed to make a fire, but don’t tear down a living tree—there’s plenty of dead wood on the ground. Otherwise, there’s always Kyziak, the famous dried cow dung, and horse dung too. Once at Song Kul, in early June, it was so cold that we jury-rigged a dung stove using an old tin can.

The Kekemeren River canoe descent can be done between Aral and just below Kyzyl Korgon, but after that, you’ll have to portage once it merges with the Naryn. Between Suusamyr and Kyzyl Oï, forget canoeing—it’s class 6 rapids, so you’ll need to raft instead.

Permit for making fire: don’t pull up a living tree—there’s plenty of dead wood on the ground. Otherwise, there’s always Kyziak, the famous dried cow dung, and horse dung too. Once at Song Kul, in early June, it was so cold that we rigged up a dung stove using an old tin can. The Kekemeren River descent by canoe can be done between Aral and just below Kyzyl Korgon. After that, you’ll need to get out before it merges with the Naryn. Between Suusamyr and Kyzyl Oï, forget canoeing—it’s class 6 rapids, so you’d need to do it by rafting.

Thanks, changgulu, for your reply. Of course, I was planning to use only dead wood for fires—just to warm up in the evenings... We’ll also need to stay as discreet as possible.

Hi, this post is old but I’m heading to Kyrgyzstan soon and wanted to know if any of you managed to fish back then?