This Really Gets My Goat

[ishootbambi]

Well I dunno if this is the right section for this but as an Albertan I'm going with it. I've kinda sworn off these inter web forums for a while as I'm pretty convinced they do more harm than good for our past time, but I feel the need to thank BC in general for allowing friends and family to hunt the province without the necessity of an outfitter. The best way I can think of is to share the story and pictures with other hunters.

So back in the spring of this year, my better half got to scheming with her sister to arrange a hunt for mountain goat for me with the brother in law. She may love me so much that she wanted to make me happy....or maybe she was just tired of listening to me whining about wanting one. Either way, she was hoping to surprise me by telling me the day before I was to leave that I was going. The wrinkle there is that there's a boat load of paperwork to arrange beforehand so I got to anticipate things for several months.

Finally the summer was winding down and I found myself heading northwest. Like a long way northwest. Like around 2200 km to the NW corner of BC from the SE corner of Alberta. I stretched it over 3 days stopping to see friends along the way, and picked up BR (BIL) as well. One last night in civilization and it was off into the wilderness for a week give or take.

After the long journey through mountain valleys we reached the base of the mountain where things got vertical in a hurry. We bushwhacked through the forest and scaled the rocks to get to the edge of treeline. We decided to camp in the shelter of the low conifers as the wind was givin er pretty good. We went to bed with 14 goats within eyesight and under 350 yards.

[ishootbambi]

We awoke well rested the next morning and as soon as BR unzipped the door on his side of the tent I could see goats at under 200 yards.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/004_zpsunp13vzw.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/004_zpsunp13vzw.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/007_zpscdvbq6bh.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/007_zpscdvbq6bh.jpg.html)

The previous night there were 5 billies right there, and one was nice, but not quite what I was looking for...especially on this, now my first day to legally hunt as per the permit to accompany. I was surprised and impressed at the length of the hair on these things already being it was only late August. I made it clear that if there was an 8 incher and a 10 side by side that I would shoot the one with better hair even if it had smaller horns. I told BR I was hoping to get a good looking billy to have mounted life sized and hair mattered most. He assured me we would have ample opportunity to look over several goats and I would be all but guaranteed to get one. I have heard that before, but only a few minutes in it was looking like he was correct. This was the best of the bunch low on the mountain.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/010_zpsxuly1xd8.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/010_zpsxuly1xd8.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

We decided to skirt this group through a wash and leave them undisturbed. First, I didn't want to leave an animal unattended in bear country for so long, risking not only spoilage but marauding Grizzlies. That and I was hoping to find a mammoth old warrior with a big poofy coat. Not only that, but BR had a sheep tag in his pocket. We were planning on spending a couple days over the mountain looking at Stones, hoping to add to his collection. He has taken 3 already but I guess some guys never lose the desire to chase them curly horned beasts. At 40k for an outfitted hunt I likely won't chase them myself so I was hopeful to just be part of a successful hunt for a Stone ram. There are some things I want that I will have to spend a crapload to get but I don't long for a Stone.

Anyhow, up to the top we went, feeding on all sorts of wild berries on the way. It was plain to see where the Bears had beaten us to the berry patches. Aside from giant purple seed filled grease pies, some bushes were stripped absolutely clean, while others were untouched and loaded with fruit. Fresh bear sign was everywhere...and so were the bears.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/019_zps4cgtjouy.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/019_zps4cgtjouy.jpg.html)

They never really got too close to us. Well, I shouldn't say that... They never appeared close. Their evidence was all around us but we didn't see any close by.

Once we crested the summit at a cool 7400 feet on the topo map, camp was set up and we cooked up some grub. BR went with the Mountain House all week but I can't stomach that crap.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/077_zpshwxwkjfu.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/077_zpshwxwkjfu.jpg.html)

[Surrey Boy]

Good job! Glad you came.

[Ride Red]

Aaaaannnnndd!!!

[ishootbambi]

After a solid meal and loading up on water to rehydrate ourselves from the long climb, we looked into the closer basins near camp and discovered several more goats, the majority being billies. We also located the first two Stone rams of the trip. They were just young uns so we headed back to the tent for a good night's rest as the next few days we were headed for the real ram country.

Every year after a long hot summer I look forward to the first breath of crisp cold air in the fall. To me that signifies the kickoff to autumn...and more importantly the official start of the hunting seasons. This morning was it. We had frost every night at the top, and the little spring we were drinking from had ice each morning. There is nothing as invigorating as filling your lungs with cool mountain air! It was quite a change from the blistering heat I drove up here in. It was hard to imagine only two days before I was blasting the A/C while wearing shorts and Jesus boots.


BR didn't want to forge too far into sheep country and take the focus off the goats. He really wanted to hone in on finding me a great billy, but I assured him I wanted to spend a couple days looking for sheep. With that, we packed up camp and made tracks for the far ridge to get into the next basins. It was amazing to me how steep and deep this country was carved out of the rock.


http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/012_zpspuvfu6ay.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/012_zpspuvfu6ay.jpg.html)


We didn't carry water with us as BR knew of a source on the other side. Well, it was dry...except for the patch of snow in the rocks. I was thirsty enough to melt some snow, but that particular drift just didn't look right.


http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/013_zpsc3exhm3a.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/013_zpsc3exhm3a.jpg.html)

As I crept around the side I discovered that snow was kind of floating with nothing underneath. It may have held my weight but if it didn't I wouldn't be here to write this.

Now if you look way out in this pic there is a grassy plateau over yonder. On the edge of it sat the most colossal freaking beast of a goat you can imagine....and there wasn't much I could do about it. On the right of the picture you can sorta see the razor edge ridge leading to him. It wasn't a safe option on a calm day but with the wind blowing hard it was downright suicide!


http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/015_zps5ajyhdli.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/015_zps5ajyhdli.jpg.html)


The only way to him was to drop off the mountain, skirt the whole thing and come up the far side of him. The map showed about 5 horizontal miles and a crap load of elevation drop then a climb back up. We were already a long ways in. He was a whopper goat but he was safe. As I was admiring him however, BR located more young Rams below us.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/053_zpslyasdzjy.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/053_zpslyasdzjy.jpg.html)

[Everett]

Keep it coming:-P

[tuner]

You're welcome!!! From B.C.
Great story and pictures thanx for sharing.

[ishootbambi]

Soon the weather turned for the worse. A light rain began to fall and we had now made the decision to push a little farther into sheep country. As we gathered our gear and pushed up the next ridge a scene I wasnt expecting to see came into view. A pack string of 8 horses carrying four men came from the direction of our goat camp. BR knew of an outfitter in the area but they seldom venture this far from their base camp he told me. They had been near goat ridge and did not find the sheep they were looking for. Worse, they had to come through the ram basin we were going to check out and were now going back through it to get to their camp. I looked ahead of their train and saw two more young rams running like I've never seen sheep run before. From what I saw of Stones they are nothing like bighorns in their behaviour and choice of habitat. Meh, whichever...that kinda kiboshed our sheep dreams. As the rain turned into snow, we decided to head back to goat camp to get serious about the big white beauties.

After once again setting up the tent and unpacking we went for another look into what I affectionately called Hells Canyon. We saw several billies in there the other day, but this would be the first time we laid eyes on the old boy I would eventually put a stalk on. He had a big black smear across his arse, so we promptly named him Schitty Bum. He only gave us a few minutes to look, but he had the unmistakable blocky shoulders and wicked hump of a mature billy. BR verified through the scope that he had "pretty good pipe" on top but more important to me was the shaggy wooly hair he was rocking. He was a few hundred yards below us and the only goat on our side of the canyon. With a rifle I could have plowed him right then and there but I was hoping he would come up top to feed and I would have a chance to slide an arrow through him. At this point I thought patience was the right move. Besides, I was looking across the canyon at another mega giant. The billy we called Number 1 was 1200 yards across from us. His body was enormous with big black horns that matched. BR described him as having waffle cones upside down on his head.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/030_zpsr5ummqhz.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/030_zpsr5ummqhz.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/029_zpsqm5paueu.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/029_zpsqm5paueu.jpg.html)


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[ishootbambi]

Sorry for the slow going. Typing and linking on an IPhone is pretty tedious. And now I'm really gonna aggravate a few....but I gotta work early. I'll have to finish up tomorrow.

[604redneck]

Noooooooooo

[albravo2]

*******.

Great post.

[HarryToolips]

Great post thus far, and nice pics...

[howa1500]

More.........

[markomoose]

I'm liking this!What time you back 2morrow?

[NorBC]

...........

[Sitkaspruce]

Ban him....after he finishes the story......;-)

Looking forward to the rest tomorrow!!

Cheers

SS

[Zedbra]

I was just getting hooked! Looking forward to the rest tomorrow

[riflebuilder]

Awesome story thanks for sharing and this is what the hunter host program is all about share the best of BC with family and friends.

[warnniklz]

Sumbitch... gotta wait

[untilthelastbeat]

Nooooo! I'm leaving for my goat in less than 8 hrs! Must see motivation!!!

[charlie_horse]

You know what really gets my goat? Great story!

[wideopenthrottle]

wow ...can't wait for the happy ending

[Ride Red]

This is one of the best stories I've read on here, keep it coming. Great primer as I'm heading for a goat real soon.

[ishootbambi]

Sorry for the interruption guys. Let's get to it.

So we woke up on Tuesday morning to light rain and howling wind. Thank goodness we were prepared for the weather with suitable gear., it would have been easy to end up cold, wet and miserable, but thanks to modern technology we were warm, dry and comfortable. Like it had been all week so far, the best billies were way up into the cliffs on the far side of Hell's Canyon. We spent the day just watching and relaxing, patiently waiting for one of the big boys below to make his way up to our vantage point. BR believed it was just a matter of time until one of the old boys club made his way up to the plateaus for some munching. After a couple of hard days humping it around the hills, it was nice to sit and enjoy the view for a while. It wasn't long before I spied a couple of out of place rocks way up at he head of Hells Canyon. The binos revealed two more Stone Rams. It took the big Zeiss spotter to confirm what we already suspected...more juvies. One looked to make the 3/4 curl rule, but that didn't help us. Surrounded by goats, sheep and bears it seemed like a good time to curl into the rock I was leaning on for a quick snooze. It might not sound comfortable but it kinda was. Musta been one of them posturepedic rocks I've been hearing about?

Anyhow, I was startled awake by BR hissing at me that goats were in the grass down below us. Sure enough there were two. They looked like adults, but no shoulders or muscled up necks were evident. To prove my hunch, two kids came scooting up behind them. There was a billy out on a finger ridge lower than them. He looked only average so we didn't give him much attention at first.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/037_zpssag3gpcj.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/037_zpssag3gpcj.jpg.html)

Now attitudes can change rapidly under the right circumstances. That billy getting up and heading in the direction of the ladies did just that. We had no idea why he was interested in following, but he was going to cross the meadow below camp too. The thought of not hauling an animal out of Hells Canyon was appealing as was the chance to make a stalk with my bow. I raced around the big rocks at camp in an effort to get in front of where he was headed. With an arrow nocked I creeped around the boulders just in time to see......nothing? Now how the heck did he get by me? I looked back to see BR only 100 yards away trying to get a look at the festivities. He felt confident I should have beaten him to the chute the nannies went into, but it didn't matter as he was gone. I wasn't heartbroken as he was only an average billy at best.

[NorBC]

And we're back!

[ishootbambi]

With that we went back to our lookout over HC. The more I looked down into that cavern the less I wanted to lug a goat out of it. But....it was becoming more and more obvious that was going to likely happen. From the lookout we saw more rocks out of place up at the head of the canyon. More Stones! This was a group of ten ewes and lambs. I felt like the sheep were taunting me at this point.

As the day wore on we dozed on and off...and rested. We discussed going down the next day, and I began to accept it might be necessary. It was around 4 pm when our buddy Schitty Bum gave us another look. BR again got pretty excited at the size of him. His coat was all I needed to be happy, and I began to visualize him in my house. His visit was again brief but we knew he was still down there! BR wandered up higher around the big rocky point we were hiding behind from the wind. He wanted to get another angle on the sheep up the valley just to be sure there wasn't a bigger ram we hadn't spotted yet. He wasn't gone a minute when Schitty Bum popped back out. I ranged him at 428 at a very steep angle. I considered what might happen if I dumped him right then. It meant that a bowkill was guaranteed not to happen, he would cause me a lot of work getting him out, and we would be in the cliffs that were wet and slick with no chance of getting out of there until well after dark. I did not reach for the gun. We had plenty of time yet.

About 2/3 of the way to the right and 2/3 down there is a big rock in a wash. Schitty Bum walked behind that rock and it was the last time we saw him...well Tuesday anyway.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/062_zpso5lnuxom.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/062_zpso5lnuxom.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

Finally! On Wednesday morning we were greeted with clear blue skies and the calmest day thus far. Immediately we began scheming. We decided before even leaving the tent that we were going to take advantage of this beautiful day to drop into Hells Canyon. We still had no billies showing above us so the decision was made to first look for Schitty Bum, and if that didn't work out we had a wild and crazy plan B. Remember Number 1? Look to the right of where he sits.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/029_zpsqm5paueu.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/029_zpsqm5paueu.jpg.html)


We actually came up with the brainwave that if we couldn't locate Schitty that BR would drop low into the creek below them and I would zip up a wash way off to the left out of the picture to get into the plateau above them. We thought if we could get them to see me above them first.....then with BR exposing himself below....that we just might be able to force them to walk across that shale slide. They would undoubtedly still take a good tumble, but without the huge freefall onto the rocks and subsequent bloody explosion, we felt it might be doable. It was a pretty out there plan, but it was all we had. Well, assuming we couldn't find ole Schitty.

[ishootbambi]

Now at this point I had a painful decision to make. A big goat with a life size cape I figured could be 120 pounds plus on my back. I didn't want to carry both my gun and bow. If Schitty was where we left him, the bow should work, but if plan B goes into place, I'll need a gun. It was with a heavy heart that the Bowtech stayed in camp and the Browning was strapped to my pack.

As we stood for a moment at the edge of a wash leading down into Hells Canyon, BR and I exchanged a look that required no words for us both to understand. Are we really gonna do this? Are we effin crazy for even thinking it's possible? With a nod we were descending the steep rocky grade. Once we were low enough...about a third of the way to the bottom, we began to sidehill towards our last landmark where Schitty Bum disappeared the night before. We made our way through the rocks and shale toward that big boulder where he vanished the previous evening. Was he still there? From the first time we saw him until the last he hadn't moved 75 yards total. We really felt he was there somewhere but we just couldn't find him.

BR asked what I thought we should do. I didn't know... heck at that point I'd hunted goats for 4 whole days! I figured that if we were patient he should show eventually like he had the last few days. BR pointed out that we could burn the whole day waiting which could cost us even trying plan B. I agreed but we decided to give it a little time. As we looked across the valley at Number 1 he seemed to have grown even since the day before. I know he just looked bigger because we were closer. After about an hour I suggested we say screw it and give plan B a whirl. BR agreed and we started moving downhill in a wash. I didn't like that. The travelling was easier but we couldn't see anything of the mountain we were on! I wanted to get out of the channel but that meant rock hopping through some pretty rough crap. Well holy bajeezus!!! I didn't go another 10 yards when I saw a small tuft of white hair in what I can only describe as a vertical cave! Murphy you sunny beach!!! There was a goat right there at only 50 yards and my bow was a half mile up the slope and a half mile over. At this point I knew it was a goat...but wasn't sure of which goat?

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/095_zps5dijck4a.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/095_zps5dijck4a.jpg.html)

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[xfactor]

what a place for a nap! great story keep it coming!

[ishootbambi]

I was waving my arms to get BRs attention and motioned that we had a goat at bow range. He hadn't even seen it but hissed at me to shoot it before he took off. I told him I had only seen his arse end and he had no idea we were there. I was already halfway to camp in my mind to get my bow. First things first though...I needed an ID on this goat. Was it in fact Schitty Bum, or an unseen goat we didn't know about? I didn't want to rush judgement at this point and end up shooting a young billy...or worse yet a nanny!

I had to expose myself a bit more to see his head. I had the camera ready and BR was running video by now. That goat had his neck stretched out laying flat on the ground. I'd seen that a few times the last few days. I've never seen deer do that so it was kinda cool to watch. Sorry but that's why I don't have a good still before pic. When he did lift his head, any doubts of a less than trophy goat were immediately gone. So was any thought of running to camp for my bow as he locked his eyes on the out of place blobs on the side of the mountain. It took about a nanosecond for my rifle to replace my camera in my hand, but ole Schitty didn't seem to recognize us for what we were. I took the opportunity to just admire what a beautiful creature he really is. BR in the meantime was losing his mind at me for not shooting fast enough. It doesn't sound like very long, but I took at least 10 seconds to savour the moment and really burn that image into my memory bank. According to BR that was 11 seconds too long. He figured for sure Schitty was going to leap up, take one step, and become just another memory of a lost opportunity.

I felt a little sadness at what I was about to do. I always do, but even more so on this particular animal being as I had dreamt of this precise moment for so very long. Even as I held the crosshairs on him I took an extra couple seconds to suck up every detail I could. Okay, it was time. He was still bedded, and with so much hair on him I was trying to guage exactly where his shoulder and humerus would be. I wanted to break those bones to ensure he couldn't get up and take a tumble. Given his little cave he was bedded in I didn't see how he could get out.

BOOM! I couldn't believe my eyes!?!? That interbond bullet out of my 270WSM tore through him no trouble...but somehow I missed every bone in him. Like not even a rib. We found later that it was in the shoulder muscle, between ribs to smash lungs, between ribs again and out the other shoulder muscle. Unbelievable! I knew instantly I didn't break the shoulders because he stood up!!! BR was hollering to shoot again before he bolted, but he was already rocking. I thought he was going to lay down again. Wrong! He did his best Greg Louganis impression and pulled a perfect a reverse pike swan dive out of his cave.

At that I lost sight of him. I strained my ears but with some ringing from the shot I heard nothing. I thought he was right there where I last saw him. We packed up our cameras and picked up the packs to make our way to him. As I neared his cave I could see there was a tiny creek flowing in there. No wonder he wasn't moving! He had food water and shelter all within a 50 yard circle. That spot he bedded in was absolutely perfect for him. Where I shot from was literally the only spot you could see him from. Overhanging cliff rock shielded him from above and the walls gave no view from below or any side except exactly where I was. Had I come out of the wash just a few feet lower I would have walked right by not knowing he was there.

[ishootbambi]

With our packs on we inched across the steep cliff toward his little cave. Only one problem...he was gone! As I neared his bed he came into view about 150 yards down the rocky creek bed. The first thing I noticed is that he was no longer bright shiny white. The second thing I notice through the binos was that his neck looked twisted and broken. I was hoping hard that he survived the fall intact. The horn up looked pretty good so I was happy so far. It took us a few minutes to pick our way down to him. I wasn't pleased to pass another, and yet bigger waterfall. This one was about a 15 foot drop to solid rock. I wasn't checking scenery anymore, I just wanted to get my mitts on him. I stopped just above him and unbuckled my pack and tried to balance my gun, hiking poles and pack in the very steep wash. I heard BR moan a sorrowful "Oh no!"

What?!?! What!?!?

BR said he was broken! I asked how bad but he said nothing and just lifted his head. You can't begin to imagine my emotions at that moment. His horn wasn't just broken....it was gone. All of it. The side that was there looked to be broken off a good half inch...but the other side was totally gone and even the bony core was snapped off. I was sick! Hmm, I guess I only have this pic of the carnage.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/145_zps6qjtvzgk.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/145_zps6qjtvzgk.jpg.html)

Well I have more but this is the only one I loaded to photobucket before heading to work.

[ishootbambi]

At this point it felt as though I had a huge knife in my stomach and it was being twisted slowly. I had a lump in my throat and I'm not too proud to admit I was ready to cry. That was not how I envisioned that moment all these years. It didn't last long though as reality hit me. The damn goat only fell 150 yards or so. It might be in pieces but that horn is on this mountain somewhere!!! I put my nose down like a bloodhound and scoured every inch of that creek bed as I climbed higher back to the point of impact. Remember that lower waterfall I mentioned? That was where I found my first bits of goat that weren't just blood. He must have landed face first as there were about 6 teeth laying there on the rocks....but no horn. There was also a pretty good chunk of what used to be lung. Above that waterfall there was more blood, a little hair and more lung remnants. I didn't know how many pieces of horn I was looking for or how big they would be...but I knew I wasn't leaving that mountain without them. I looked up the last 60 yards or so to the cave and something caught my eye. Right there below the first waterfall right where I shot him looked to be a piece of black pvc drain pipe sticking out of the turf! My horn! I don't think I touched the ground more than twice as I flew the distance to it and plucked it outta the ground. I literally hugged it and kissed it and as fast as that knife was twisting in my gut it was gone...replaced with overwhelming relief. Looking back I wish I was calm enough to go get the camera and take a picture of it...but whichever...my mount would be complete! It was time for the hero shots!!!

[ishootbambi]

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/107_zpsuyjb2hp7.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/107_zpsuyjb2hp7.jpg.html)

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[ishootbambi]

As we all know, this is where the fun and games take a break and give way to the manual labor. As we carved him up and stuffed meat into game bags it was getting almost hot out. I put his skull off to the side as we arranged meat and hide in the packs and as we were nearly ready to begin the journey up and out of Hells Canyon, the last thing to go on top of the pack was the head. I didn't pose it for a picture...I just placed it out of the way until we were ready to tie it on top. As I reached for it, the perfect view hit me. It's almost as if Schitty Bum was taking one last look over the valley he called his home before departing for mine.....


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[d6dan]

Solid goat! and a great read. Congrats to both of you on a successful hunt.

[Sylus]

Awesome goat and write up! thanks for taking the time to write that out

[ishootbambi]

Anyone that has been in sheep and goat country knows how steep that terrain is. Pictures just never seem to capture it though. I hope for those that haven't experienced it that these couple give you an idea.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/139_zpsqsqbff4c.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/139_zpsqsqbff4c.jpg.html)

Enjoying a bottle of Sqwincher here. They don't sponsor me but I can't say enough good things about that sweet nectar.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/142_zpsgouqwbze.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/142_zpsgouqwbze.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

BR did not get a Stone on this trip, but he did take a nice goat of his own. I'll let him tell his own story if he chooses. I'd best not post up pics from the trip in and out either out of respect for him and his honey hole that he graciously took me to. I cannot say thank you enough to him for taking me out to fulfill a long standing wish of mine. And to our women folk for actually getting the paperwork taken care of instead of us men folk just talking about it. And again thanks to the folks in BC for allowing a hunt like this to happen.

I think our totals for the trip tallied up 18 sheep, around a dozen bears, and about 200 goats. That's not a typo...I'm serious. On the way home we saw the natives scooping fish out of the river right close to the highway. Those who have been up there will recognize the spot I'm sure. I thought it looked pretty cool.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/159_zpsetsjyqp0.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/159_zpsetsjyqp0.jpg.html)


BR also knew where to find some elk on the way home. No season here I'm told but a guy can look. Aug 28 and this bull had 18 cows he was defending from a satellite bill that was a little 6 point. BR figure the bigger one would get punted by a real herd bull in the next few days and become a satellite himself.


http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/168_zpsdclxnvsm.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/168_zpsdclxnvsm.jpg.html)

[604redneck]

Great story thanks for sharing!

[ishootbambi]

One final post and I'll be done.

A lot of guys seem to be interested in a gear list for a hunt like this. I'll just list my own stuff here.

Tent.... Mountain Hardwear Drifter2
Sleeping Bag.....Marmot Helium
Sleeping Pad.....Exped Downmat UL7
Bag Liner....Sea to Summit silk
Waterproof compression sacks from Sea to Summit
Pack....Eberlestock Battleship
Stove....MSR Pocket Rocket
Hydration Bladder....Camelback
Water Storage....Platypus Foldable Bags
Hiking Poles....Black Diamond Camlock Trekking
Headlamp....Pelican
Toque....Outdoor Research Beanie Style
Helly Hansen HellyTech Jacket and Pants (rain gear, shells)
Sitka 90 Percent Jacket and Pants
Under Armour Scent Control pullover
Ice Breaker Merino undershirts x 2...one midweight one heavyweight
UA Performance underginch
Lightweight Merino Wool hiking socks from Merell
Zamberlan 996 Vioz GTX Boots
Outdoor Research Gaiters
Bowtech Carbon Knight Spot Hogg Sight QAD Ultrarest
Browning Stainless Stalker 270wsm topped with Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40
Zeiss Conquest HD 8x42 Binos
Zeiss Victory Spotter 65 mm

And some cheap camo gloves. I'll take recommendations on a lightweight waterproof, don't sweat profusely on early season hunts kinda glove.

[ydouask]

Very well done indeed ! I sure enjoyed your photos and writing style... think there might be a book in there someplace. Beauty goat too !

[warnniklz]

To quote the great Darth Vader "most impressive"

[HuntNmemories]

Excellent read and awesome pics. Thanks for sharing your hunt and congrats on your trophy Goat!!

[Ride Red]

Still one of the best inspirational stories I've read on here. Nothing like feeling there when you read a story. Congrats on your hunt and thank you for taking us along for the ride. Ride Red.

[Knute]

Thanks for sharing your hunt.

Really like the last pic of Schitty Bum checking out his hidey hole one last time!

[BigfishCanada]

Wow as I read I felt i was there, and could feel disappointment in my stomach as you said your missing a horn. Scary, amazing, challenging, painful, we could keep going on words that describe it

[goatdancer]

Great story, great pictures, and great goat. Congratulations.

[HD95]

What a great BC mountain adventure.I appreciate your taking the time to type it out for us to read.Thanks for taking us along on the ride.

[bearvalley]

Grear story. Congratulations on getting your goat!

[fuzzybiscuit]

Wow! Congrats on a very successful hunt!

A great story, beautiful pictures and excellent writing skills not only made me feel like I was there but also made for a really enjoyable read.

Thanks for taking the time to post up your adventure.

[Rackmastr]

Great story man and congrats on the successful trip!!!

[HarryToolips]

Wow sounds like a hell of a trip, congrats on a nice goat!

[ishootbambi]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I did a fair bit of searching this forum for past goat hunt pics and stories. I wanted to know what to look for when the time came to try to determine a real trophy billy from just an average one. Actually one comment on this thread stands out as warnniklz goat thread from a while back was one of my favourites.

I've had a couple questions about mentioning Sqwincher. For those that don't know, it's a sports drink kinda similar to Gatorade or Powerade. They sponsor Shockey and Cody Robbins shows. On TV they are drinking it prebottled but I've only ever found it in concentrated form. It is actually quite strong. I like it mixed just better than 10:1. The 500ml bottle I carried up the mountain made 13 500 ml bottles of liquid. Mio Sport does a similar job providing electrolytes in a smaller lighter package but I really don't like the taste. Sqwincher is delicious however. It is a luxury for sure when weight is an issue with everything on your back, but I thought it was worth it.

There was one more item in my pack that I am almost ashamed to mention. It is an inflatable pillow from MEC. They are a supplier of higher end camping and hiking gear at pretty good prices...but they are decidedly anti-hunting. They officially claim they aren't, but they are a financial supporter of PETA. The real test though is to mention to staff you are gearing up for a hunt. Good luck getting any service after that. Anyway, after hearing so many great reviews, I had to relent and try it out. I'm amazed at how comfortable it was. It's 200 grams or around 7 oz, but that little weight was very much worth it in my opinion. I'll never sleep on a rolled up jacket again. For those that can't support MEC there are options. Sea to Summit makes one that comes in at 70 grams. It costs a little more but the real drawback for me is that I thought it was too hard and flat.


http://www.mec.ca/product/5023-543/mec-base-camp-pillow-unisex/?gclid=CPfltIu-6McCFYdsfgodrnkCFw

BR is busy back at his job, but once he gets a chance he is going to send me the video footage of the moment of truth. If I can figure it out I'll try to post the actual scene of the shot.

[whitetailsheds]

Great write up and photos Dale......great billy!!!

[Krico]

I love the shot of your billy curled up in his hidey hole...so many places for them to disappear, good on you for busting him.
Great billy!

[Elkchaser]

Congratulations on a beautiful goat and more importantly for taking the time to share in such detail. Definitely no doubt how much you appreciated the opportunity the permit to accompany gave you - that is what it's all about, allowing good friends or family share a spectacular trip together. Thanks to your BIL too!

[Mighty Peace]

Congratulations on a beautiful goat and more importantly for taking the time to share in such detail. Definitely no doubt how much you appreciated the opportunity the permit to accompany gave you - that is what it's all about, allowing good friends or family share a spectacular trip together. Thanks to your BIL too!

Cant sum it up any better than this !!! CONGRATS !!!!

[wideopenthrottle]

incredible story and experience...so glad you found the horn...the only goat hunt I have ever been on we lost the tip on one horn and I totally relate to how "gutted" you feel... we never found it (it dropped about 400 feet from where it was shot)

[Getbent]

Really enjoyed your adventure...thanks for taking the time to post it up...make sure you get photos of the mount when complete for us.

[Jerlynn]

BR is busy back at his job, but once he gets a chance he is going to send me the video footage of the moment of truth. If I can figure it out I'll try to post the actual scene of the shot.

I find that the best way to transfer the video between friends is via dropbox (to get the footage to you from BR) and then use youtube to actually host it on the web for you. Then it's easy to embed in a post on here for the rest of us :)

[bangbangkhan]

great read! congratulations!

[Lefty-Canuck]

Great story! congrats on a really nice goat.

LC

[ishootbambi]

Holy catfish...LeftyCanuck! Four and a half years a member and this thread prompts the first ever post. Heck I'm honoured. Lol. Hope you can make it down here for a pheasant or two this fall.

[J_T]

Great story. Thanks for taking the time to put it and the images together.

Crazy, you take a bow, and you wonder if an opportunity might present itself. Cause it would be totally cool. But you don't want to miss the primary objective of taking a good billie home with you, just because he's at 60 yards and you really are only comfortable with your bow out to say 30. Good call on your part.

[The Hermit]

Well done on both story and hunt! Looking forward to the video and the BIL's story too!

I'm planning to head up there Oct 1 for a goat hunt... taking my bow AND my .308! Hope I have the jam but going to give it the old college try! Question: How did you pack the rifle and bow? Rifle in a pack rig bow in hand or?

[.264winmag]

Tpo notch story, pictures and Billy. Thanks for sharing and congrats, you definitely appreciate our hunting opportunities as much as anyone. Good to know about MEC, won't be getting any more of my business.
Cheers

[BCbillies]

Congrats! What an adventure and kudos on a well written story. That billy was well earned and will likely be one of your most memorable hunts ever.

[guntech]

Great story - great hunt... and it shows how tough you need to be, to be a goat hunter... a couple of tough old goats...

[shanevg]

Love this story! Thanks for sharing and congrats on a really nice looking goat. If you want some help with the video send me a PM and I can help you put something together.

[ishootbambi]

Well done on both story and hunt! Looking forward to the video and the BIL's story too!

I'm planning to head up there Oct 1 for a goat hunt... taking my bow AND my .308! Hope I have the jam but going to give it the old college try! Question: How did you pack the rifle and bow? Rifle in a pack rig bow in hand or?

Sorry for the slow reply Hermit. I was out on a road trip and had no pics available. Not sure how it happened but I actually didn't get a pic of my pack loaded up out there. Now that I'm home I snapped a couple of what I had going on. Now rather than pulling a gun out of the safe I put my trek poles where my rifle rode. I didn't hook it up for these pics, but I had a Primos bow sling on the bow for the hunt. This particular pack is an Eberlestock Battleship which has more straps cords and pockets than you'll ever need. I was talking about cutting some off but my better half hollered at me about modifying what she thinks is too expensive a pack to be slicing all willy nilly.

Anyway, you can see that things are pretty well in the right place for this setup. That tube on the passenger side is an Easton product. I think Plano makes something similar. Just a safer more secure way to get arrows up the hill. Hasn't happened to me but near everyone I know has lost arrows while hiking. Once up the mountain when I carried the bow in the sling, arrows rode in a quiver on the bow. One trick I've learned is wrap a fat rubber band around the fletch ends. Must work as I've never lost arrows out of the quiver that way.


Also so keep in mind my pack is empty here. Actually, because I carried two weapons, my pack going in was just a shade over 60 pounds with water. That's the heaviest I've ever been. Coming out was the heaviest too. We both brought out a goat each. First time I've ever done that. Every other time I've been that deep in, we have split an animal and carried half each. I have no idea what it weighed coming out as by the time I got home I had gear stretched out in my truck from the hood latch to the tailgate. I just wanted to get stuff cleaned up and put away so I didn't take the time to reload the pack to weigh it. All I can say for sure is that I was tuckered.

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/63603B6C-0502-4EB8-850A-1B5D63A3D745_zpsbyi1kgi1.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/63603B6C-0502-4EB8-850A-1B5D63A3D745_zpsbyi1kgi1.jpg.html)

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m581/isb11/F92BADD1-845E-431D-B958-BB55F83A75AE_zpsldoyuq8u.jpg (http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/isb11/media/F92BADD1-845E-431D-B958-BB55F83A75AE_zpsldoyuq8u.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

Oh and about the video.....ummm....yeah. I have it now and it's kinda cool to see it, but....well let's just say the language isn't really G rated. Given the scrutiny the hunting world has been under lately I think it might be best to not throw it out there in its current form. I'll have to see what I can do to edit the profanity a little bit first. What's neat though is that sometimes what you remember happened might not be exactly what the impartial camera lens saw. Not this time. I actually reread this printed version right before I looked at the video and I think I nailed it perfectly. Anyhow, I'll see what I can do to clean er up some.

[ishootbambi]

Haven't had much success with editing the video, but I did manage to pull a still from it...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/5E43DB37-3930-48ED-813B-DA2BFA523355_zpsqhsizlm3.png (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/5E43DB37-3930-48ED-813B-DA2BFA523355_zpsqhsizlm3.png.html)

BR managed to make it over here to Alberta for a whitetail hunt in November. I'll see what I can do about a story of that adventure.

[CanadianMulie]

Excellent write up. Felt as though I was on the hunt. Congratulations on the trip and hunt of a life time.

[Omenator]

I like real hunting stories, you don't see many in magazines anymore, mostly just gear reviews.
Nice goat and it sounds like you had a great time!

[ishootbambi]

Well I've got this feller home from the taxi shop. Pics are just off my phone so not the best quality.

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/98AE22F5-3504-47E6-B962-CE59504D3044_zpsw3j04yd4.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/98AE22F5-3504-47E6-B962-CE59504D3044_zpsw3j04yd4.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/0F6D4DC1-D6FE-4318-9472-B3A0E35CEB12_zpsozqydya3.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/0F6D4DC1-D6FE-4318-9472-B3A0E35CEB12_zpsozqydya3.jpg.html)

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/8D7BF59D-2CEF-484D-8160-6A0BE6407879_zpshttzkj6b.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/8D7BF59D-2CEF-484D-8160-6A0BE6407879_zpshttzkj6b.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

Given his brutal fall I knew I would see some scars. He looked like this when the hide went over the form...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/A1AD3812-F7EE-40F0-9F43-AD81D26B0F67_zpsdf1grrbh.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/A1AD3812-F7EE-40F0-9F43-AD81D26B0F67_zpsdf1grrbh.jpg.html)

And the final result is this...

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/01C5D178-6B2E-4712-AD0D-2BF7AB96069C_zpszolv5bjk.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/01C5D178-6B2E-4712-AD0D-2BF7AB96069C_zpszolv5bjk.jpg.html)

[ishootbambi]

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/2FDD3C0D-37FE-4A54-94E3-C90EF693DB97_zpsxedagb7u.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/2FDD3C0D-37FE-4A54-94E3-C90EF693DB97_zpsxedagb7u.jpg.html)http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/69C3B0CB-C979-4AA6-BF7E-4D7B39E386C7_zpsus7hcmxe.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/69C3B0CB-C979-4AA6-BF7E-4D7B39E386C7_zpsus7hcmxe.jpg.html)

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/ishootbambi/ABDA6440-45C4-4485-BCFF-409110ABFFB0_zpsayshrrur.jpg (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/ishootbambi/media/ABDA6440-45C4-4485-BCFF-409110ABFFB0_zpsayshrrur.jpg.html)

[nature girl]

Wow that was a great story. What an adrenaline rush for sure. And nice taxidermy goat. I am glad your wife lets you have taxidermy in your house. As some wifes don't like that kind of stuff. Taxidermy is cool. And always lets you relive the hunt.

[guest]

Terrific story, great pics, nice Finish in many ways. I cherrish all my Goats hunts as special times in incredible Country. They are a magnificent Animal and really demand hard work and determination .......

Beauty ! All round!

CT

[twoSevenO]

looks awesome ..... and super expensive :O lol

[albravo2]

That is a good looking mount. Bet you got some good looks on the way home.

[northernbc]

great goat and a great read, very happy for you

[selvir]

Great Story Love it...btw what kind of tent shelter is that on pic above? Thanks

[Backwoods]

Awesome storey followed with great pictures!!! Thanks for sharing, looked like a great hunt man

[Iron.Bender]

Great photo expose' thanks for taking us along

[Rattler]

Awesome story and pictures...thanks for sharing. Nothing quite like hunting sheep and goats imo...

[ishootbambi]

Great Story Love it...btw what kind of tent shelter is that on pic above? Thanks

I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you're asking. The tent we used is a Mountain Hardwear Drifter 2. In the pic showing the goats from the tent BR is pushing the rain fly back. It is designed to have good vestibule space in both sides.

[Glslickshooter]

Great story and pics!

[Wood butcher]

Wow.
Awesome read, great story.
Thanks for sharing.
Congrats on a great looking goat as well.