Rhyno
11-02-2013, 08:00 PM
I would like say my 3rd season chasing billies went smooth and all can together according to plan. But in fact it was quite the opposite!
For the 3 years in a row I was unsuccessful at pulling a goat draw, but that hasn’t stopped me from hunting them due to the GOS opportunities. I was starting from scratch this year due to my move to the east kootenays from Terrace. I was fortunate to have someone point me in the right direction to start.
The summer was spent pouring over google earth, goat population surveys and the back roads map book. On Oct 21 I set off on a two day solo goat hunt with my trailer in tow. I took off at 4 am in hopes I would be able to set up camp and be glassing by first light. I found the FSR that would allow me to access the basin I wanted without much trouble. However about 45 minutes in the condition was degrading rapidly and I starting to get a little nervous at I put it into 4X4 to drag the trailer through a sloppy section of road. As the road continued to narrow and its condition went from bad to worse I knew that first chance to turn around I had to get the heck outta there. After a mutli point turn in the mud and an hour of driving I was back at the highway were I started.
Ok I thought, plan A is out but I will head to a spot I was told held goats and I was confident road would be better maintained. 45minutes down the new road I was starting to get in to some goat country. I dumped the trailer and started to glass some prime looking spots, after a few hours not a goat was to be seen. Out comes the backroads map book once again and I see hey, I can get to my original spot from here. Although that road was a little tight at times I found the access to the quad trail I was looking for. Unloaded the quad and headed off on a wild ride, white knuckled from hanging on for dear life through the slides and boulder fields. Access and blocked ¾ of the way in, I was able to glass a few spots but again no goats to be seen. As I made my final decent to the truck I noticed something that made my heart sink…..my taillights glowing.
You see I was worries about my folding quad ramps being stolen so I stashed them in the cab. I unknowingly placed one on the driver’s side which rested firmly on the brake pedal. My battery was all but dead….no worries I thought I will boost is with the quad, so I hooked up the cables and let er run for a while…turned the key and nothing….not enough juice in the little battery to turn it over I figured. (please note I am hope less when it comes to anything with an engine.)
Ok I thought I will quad to the main road and try to convince someone to follow me back and give me a boost. So I hit the lock button, and heard them firmly slam into place as I shut the door. I patted my pocket and found them to be lacking a set of key. Ok, now things were really not going well. Dead battery and my key locked in the truck. After a quick assessment of which window would be cheapest to replace I slammed a 2x8 through the back window and had glass explode over the entire interior of the truck. But at least I was in! Oh wait a minute the battery is still dead! All of a sudden a light bulb went off in my head, what if I hooked the truck back up to the quad but let it charge for a while. ½ an hour later I was back in business and returned to my trailer feeling less than pumped about my hunt.
That all changed when I spotted 3 goats the next morning near the top of a mountain in a shale slide. They were only out a few minutes but there seemed to be a nanny and a kid hanging out to one side with a lone billy off to the left.
Once they disappeared I figured what the heck might as well go check them out. 4 hours later I found myself 200 yards away and eye level with the nanny and kid chewing their cud and taking a nap in the sun. I glassed and glassed and glassed but could not find the 3 goat. The snow was littered with track, with a set heading straight over the top. The other goat may have buggered off or could have just been bedded out of sight. Either way I made a deal with myself I would leave with enough time that even if I shot a goat I would have time to field dress him and pack it out with day light as I had no desire to walk down an unfamiliar mountain alone in the dark. I waved good bye to the goats and reluctantly headed back down the slope.
Even though I didn’t pull the trigger I still felt great about the hunt. I love seeing goat and hanging out in their living rooms, I resigned myself to the fact that it would be another year until I had another chance to chase goat. Or would I get out once more?
For the 3 years in a row I was unsuccessful at pulling a goat draw, but that hasn’t stopped me from hunting them due to the GOS opportunities. I was starting from scratch this year due to my move to the east kootenays from Terrace. I was fortunate to have someone point me in the right direction to start.
The summer was spent pouring over google earth, goat population surveys and the back roads map book. On Oct 21 I set off on a two day solo goat hunt with my trailer in tow. I took off at 4 am in hopes I would be able to set up camp and be glassing by first light. I found the FSR that would allow me to access the basin I wanted without much trouble. However about 45 minutes in the condition was degrading rapidly and I starting to get a little nervous at I put it into 4X4 to drag the trailer through a sloppy section of road. As the road continued to narrow and its condition went from bad to worse I knew that first chance to turn around I had to get the heck outta there. After a mutli point turn in the mud and an hour of driving I was back at the highway were I started.
Ok I thought, plan A is out but I will head to a spot I was told held goats and I was confident road would be better maintained. 45minutes down the new road I was starting to get in to some goat country. I dumped the trailer and started to glass some prime looking spots, after a few hours not a goat was to be seen. Out comes the backroads map book once again and I see hey, I can get to my original spot from here. Although that road was a little tight at times I found the access to the quad trail I was looking for. Unloaded the quad and headed off on a wild ride, white knuckled from hanging on for dear life through the slides and boulder fields. Access and blocked ¾ of the way in, I was able to glass a few spots but again no goats to be seen. As I made my final decent to the truck I noticed something that made my heart sink…..my taillights glowing.
You see I was worries about my folding quad ramps being stolen so I stashed them in the cab. I unknowingly placed one on the driver’s side which rested firmly on the brake pedal. My battery was all but dead….no worries I thought I will boost is with the quad, so I hooked up the cables and let er run for a while…turned the key and nothing….not enough juice in the little battery to turn it over I figured. (please note I am hope less when it comes to anything with an engine.)
Ok I thought I will quad to the main road and try to convince someone to follow me back and give me a boost. So I hit the lock button, and heard them firmly slam into place as I shut the door. I patted my pocket and found them to be lacking a set of key. Ok, now things were really not going well. Dead battery and my key locked in the truck. After a quick assessment of which window would be cheapest to replace I slammed a 2x8 through the back window and had glass explode over the entire interior of the truck. But at least I was in! Oh wait a minute the battery is still dead! All of a sudden a light bulb went off in my head, what if I hooked the truck back up to the quad but let it charge for a while. ½ an hour later I was back in business and returned to my trailer feeling less than pumped about my hunt.
That all changed when I spotted 3 goats the next morning near the top of a mountain in a shale slide. They were only out a few minutes but there seemed to be a nanny and a kid hanging out to one side with a lone billy off to the left.
Once they disappeared I figured what the heck might as well go check them out. 4 hours later I found myself 200 yards away and eye level with the nanny and kid chewing their cud and taking a nap in the sun. I glassed and glassed and glassed but could not find the 3 goat. The snow was littered with track, with a set heading straight over the top. The other goat may have buggered off or could have just been bedded out of sight. Either way I made a deal with myself I would leave with enough time that even if I shot a goat I would have time to field dress him and pack it out with day light as I had no desire to walk down an unfamiliar mountain alone in the dark. I waved good bye to the goats and reluctantly headed back down the slope.
Even though I didn’t pull the trigger I still felt great about the hunt. I love seeing goat and hanging out in their living rooms, I resigned myself to the fact that it would be another year until I had another chance to chase goat. Or would I get out once more?