2022 Goat Hunt

[jamfarm]

After trying for a goat tag for about the last 7 years in different areas of region 3 I finally got drawn. My hunting partner and I always put in for goat in the same area, if he gets drawn I’ll go with him and vice versa. Two years ago he drew the tag in the same zone as my tag this year and we went on a scout mission on probably the hottest day of the year in August. Usually when we hunt together he shows up at my place 15-20 minutes early in the back alley but on that scout day two years ago he slept in. I drove to his apartment and had to throw work parts from my truck against his 2nd floor window to wake him up at 3 in the morning, he thought it was rain hitting the window on the sunniest day of the year! We eventually headed out and got to the area that I had e-scouted on Google earth, a ridge that looked hikable that could get us up into the alpine, every other slope was way too steep to hike up.


A few weeks previous to our 2020 scout trip I was passing though the area with my wife on our anniversary and we drove up to the end of the logging road where the hike would begin. While my wife waited in the truck I hiked up the mountain about 20 minutes through the old growth and it was easy to hike through, I thought that we would motor up on the scout trip. Well when we got there for the scout trip the first 20 minutes was easy and then it turned into thick rhubarb. Not to mention the black flies, mosquito’s and horse flies were horrendous. Eventually we made it up into the alpine and got set up. We glassed a few hills but didn’t see any goats. The next morning we pushed a bit further into the zone and we finally started seeing goats, of course they were at least 2km across the valley on steep inaccessible slopes and the others we saw were about 6km up at the head of the valley.

First evening of the 2020 scout trip
https://i.imgur.com/EuSK5zA.jpg

[jamfarm]

We headed back down to the truck on the second day and on the way down the hill I stepped on a wasp nest but my friend got the brunt of it and he got stung a few times. He yelled out ‘Bees!!!’ and as we’re running down the hill I yelled back ‘Wasps???’ Since I’m a beekeeper I was looking for clarification, we laughed about that later. When it came time for the hunt he was just too busy with work so we couldn’t see the hunt through. We still kept putting in our draws for goat in various areas of region 3.


Fast forward to this spring and I check to see if I got any draws and lo and behold, I finally drew a goat tag. August rolls around and we do another scout trip but this time we went into the zone from a different route. A mutual friend of ours had the draw in the past and had gone in this other way which was new to us. From where we parked the quad we could see up the hill so we just started hiking up. We hiked though some regen forest, some old growth and then up a huge shale slope. Eventually we got into the alpine and stopped for lunch. In general the bugs weren’t as bad as a couple years back but the horseflies were still terrible, as I hiked I used a fir bough to swat the horseflies away to my buddies amusement. We kept pushing up through the alpine valley glassing as we went and eventually pushed up to get to the main ridge at the top. We got our tents set up, started glassing and started seeing goats. The next day we hiked up and over into the head of another valley to this spot we called the ‘molars’ since the rocks looked like huge teeth and saw another 8 or so goats. After a couple of days of scouting and seeing and observing 20+ goats we headed back down.

[jamfarm]

Nanny & kid on this years scout trip
https://i.imgur.com/qGTNoR9.jpg

[jamfarm]

Finally this last September rolls around and we do our annual elk hunt, upon returning I have some work but I’m starting to think about the goat hunt although my partner wasn’t sure if he could make it since we did a full 2 weeks of elk hunting. The other person I was considering to take was my wife’s uncle who is in his 70’s and lives in Calgary, he only bow hunts and is an accomplished hunter. I also considered doing the hunt solo but didn’t need to since my hunting partner agreed to join me. The catch, we only had less than 4 days.


We left in the early evening on Wednesday October 5th and we had to be back on Sunday, not much time at all. On the drive up all sorts of thoughts go through your head, will there be another truck(s) at the trail head, how many other hunters will be there, there’s over 15 authorizations given out, surely there will be someone else there hunting. Well, we got to the spot around 2am and no one was there; excellent. We slept in the truck for a few hours and after a quick breakfast and coffee we headed up the route that we went up 2 months before. The hike wasn’t too difficult even though we were loaded and we were in good spirits, especially because there were no bugs now and this was the actual hunt.


We made it up into the alpine and got up to the main ridge and set up camp. Since the weather was so nice in early October this year we left the tents at home and just brought our siltarps. I have a Rab Siltarp 3 that worked great for this trip. We started glassing that afternoon and didn’t see any goats.

Basecamp
https://i.imgur.com/qWZzBR4.jpg

[jamfarm]

The next day we went to the head of the other valley up by the ‘molars’ where we previously saw goats and again nothing. Where did all the goats go to? Was it because it was so dry and they had moved due to a lack of water or were they moving into their wintering range? Eventually I spotted some goats with the Maven S.1A way down the valley, about 5km as the crow flies. I tell my hunting partner that we should go and check them out and he agrees, hopefully there’s a billy there. We break camp and start hiking to where we see the goats, it ends up being about 6.5km with all elevation gains and losses, up and down ridges. We get to the area where I think the goats are I slowly drop down this one spine hoping to see the goats and I don’t see them, I push a bit further across a slide and around another spine and eventually I see a goat but it is still a ways away, I had dropped down too early and it was too late in the day to get closer.

The 'molars'
https://i.imgur.com/0a3ewiM.jpg

[jamfarm]

Full circle, the ridge we were on in 2020
https://i.imgur.com/h1v9Kz0.jpg

[jamfarm]

I hike back up to where my buddy is and we hike back up to the ridge and set up camp. Unfortunately we failed to top up our water at the last place where there was water so we were able to make dinner and after that I had 400ml of water left. During the night I wake up and drink the rest of my water so no coffee or breakfast the next morning.


That next morning I get up before first light and hike down closer to where I think the goats will be. After hiking down the ridge a few minutes a spot a lone goat on this small rocky outcrop across and below me. Then I spot 3 more goats below the first one feeding in the trees, definitely a nanny and a kid and a 3rd unidentified goat.


I glass the first goat on the outcrop and determine that it is a billy. He was 360 yards away and 25° below me. I’ve never shot an animal that far away, I’ve never needed to. Previously in the week though I went out shooting and shot 300 and 400 yards. I got the Sako Carbonlight settled in on a large rock and dialed the Maven RS-1 up to 15. The goat was bedded broadside and I slowly squeezed the trigger and crack! the shot echoed through the valley. I couldn’t believe it, I just shot a goat, it was about 7:30am. I immediately reload and the goat stands up but he’s facing way from me. Regardless, I get settled in again and wait, I didn’t have to wait long and he turns broadside again and I let another 160 grain TSX fly, I hit him again and he lies down. Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve shot a goat but there’s also the realization that it will be a challenge to get to him. It also dawns on me that it’s a good decision that I made to bring the rifle. I would have loved to shoot a goat with the bow but I’m not sure if this is the area for it since it’s so steep.

After the shot
https://i.imgur.com/2ZzDc75.jpg

[jamfarm]

I always think of a story another hunting buddy from PG told me, the first time I had a moose draw we drove into the draw area in the Cariboo during the summer to scout and he spotted a moose in the middle of a huge swamp. I asked him if you would shoot a moose in the middle of a swamp. He said ‘yup, you shoot it and then have to figure out how to get it out’. Of course you need to have the tools to get that moose out of the swamp but the point is you have to take the opportunities when they present themselves. Well, I felt like I had just shot a 900lb bull moose in the middle of a swamp.


I hike back up to camp and we break down camp and start figuring out a way to drop down to the goat. There were a couple of extremely steep slides and we knew that if we dropped down a couple of them we couldn’t get back up them since they were so steep so those were out of the question. We eventually found an area where there were a few trees and small benches to drop down. But we can’t see the goat and we figured that we should be able to see him from where we are, where did it go? Then I’m thinking that it’s tumbled but it was lying where I shot it for at least 20 minutes. So we drop down these benches and scraggly trees and into the slide. From there we are above the outcrop that the goat was on but again no goat but we do spot blood. We work our way along the outcrop and as we get closer to where the goat was bedded we see a lot of coagulated blood but no goat. We get right up on the rock where the goat was and look over the edge and there he was, he managed to climb down about 15’ from where he was bedded.

https://i.imgur.com/lclBZ7N.jpg

[jamfarm]

So we get started in dressing & quartering him out and taking care of the hide. Now the work really begins, we are fully loaded and remember we didn’t have any water. So we make the decision to drop down into the valley, it was steep and a difficult hike down. We get to the valley floor around 2pm, replenish our water and have lunch. We then start making our way up the valley to get back to our original base camp. We’re pretty excited so we’re singing and making a lot of racket in case there’s any grizzlies in the valley since we did see some old sign. Our goal is to get up this valley and back to our base camp and if not just get up into the alpine to camp for the night. We hike until after dark with our headlamps on and don’t make it to the alpine but we set up camp and lay out the meat, hide & head on some huge rocks away from camp.


The next morning we pack up and continue our way up to base camp. On the way up we found someone’s snowmobiling stash which had a 40 pounder of fireball in it so we owe someone a few shots that we had. We keep hiking up but to get up to the main ridge where our basecamp was there was one extremely steep section. I said at the start of the hunt that I wouldn’t take any chances but here we had no choice, this was the only way out. We took our time and made our way up this one very steep section using some rope that I had. From there we safely got back to base camp, salted the hide, packed up the rest of our stuff and made our way back out.

The pack out
https://i.imgur.com/yH2DiUl.jpg

[jamfarm]

It ended up being a two day pack out for what I found out after I got the compulsory inspection done, a three year old goat. It was the hardest pack out I’ve ever done. On the pack out I kept thinking during each step that I won’t remember each step and how difficult each step was. But I also know from years of hunting that I long for these moments of intense hard work and I always look back fondly on them. Some of the hardest pack outs have been the best hunts and the best memories.


It also makes me think that if you get drawn for an animal you have to see the draw through, I really don’t like it when people put draws in with no idea of the area or access. I think that if you get drawn you have to do your best to go on that hunt, if you don’t go you are taking away that opportunity from another hunter. We didn’t see any other hunters on my goat hunt which was a bit surprising to me, I hope that others that got the draw were either in the zone earlier or planning on going later or in a different area than us.


I am also very grateful for my hunting partner, there’s a lot of people that wouldn’t want to hunt as hard as we do so I’m grateful that we are on the same page when it comes to effort and hard work. We had a lot of good laughs and good times as we always do and I look forward to our next hunt together.

[Imdone]

Great story and experience, good Billy, top of the world there!
Congratulations
For those wanting to goat Hunt, it's demanding, but harvest or not good for the soul. Do it while you can.

Goat hunts were always my favorite

[Evanguy]

Wow awesome story and write up. Thanks for sharing. I love reading goat hunt stories.

[J_T]

Great accomplishment. Always better when you work hard for it...

[decker9]

Way to go!! Congrats on a fine billy goat!! The ones you work the hardest for, always build the best memories. Thank you for taking the time to share your story, I quite enjoyed it with my coffee this morning :). A good size billy for being 3 years old!!

Any plans for a mount??

[IronNoggin]

We are finally seeing something of a return to what Hunt BC was all about! Love it!!

This is a very fine example thereof!
Great writing, a good alpine hunt, and excellent pictures!!

Congratulations are in order all round. https://www.tnof.ca/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/Pozitive.gif

As is my sincere Thanks for sharing this!
I am now likely over the proverbial hill for sheep / goat hunting, which leaves a rather nostalgic tear in my eye.
Living vicariously through your tale right warmed this old redneck's heart!!

Cheers & Thanks!
Nog

[Arctic Lake]

Good story to your successful goat hunt ! The pictures are great ! Love that type of topography !
I agree with Nog it’s good to see hunting stories in here !
Arctic Lake

[whitlers]

Nice job! Sounds like an awesome adventure and a beauty goat!

[markt308]

Awesome! Nice looking goat and beautiful setting

[dru88]

Thanks for taking the time to write a great story of your hunt and the pictures are great to.

[northof49]

Well done…nice Billy Goat! Sounds like a challenging recovery. Always amazes me how stuff doesn’t look as steep until you get on it. Thanks for the share.

[kennyj]

Great goat!
Thanks for sharing your adventure.
kenny

[SR80]

congrats on the goat, and great write up!

[Bugle M In]

Nice job!!
Great write up.

[HarryToolips]

It ended up being a two day pack out for what I found out after I got the compulsory inspection done, a three year old goat. It was the hardest pack out I’ve ever done. On the pack out I kept thinking during each step that I won’t remember each step and how difficult each step was. But I also know from years of hunting that I long for these moments of intense hard work and I always look back fondly on them. Some of the hardest pack outs have been the best hunts and the best memories.


It also makes me think that if you get drawn for an animal you have to see the draw through, I really don’t like it when people put draws in with no idea of the area or access. I think that if you get drawn you have to do your best to go on that hunt, if you don’t go you are taking away that opportunity from another hunter. We didn’t see any other hunters on my goat hunt which was a bit surprising to me, I hope that others that got the draw were either in the zone earlier or planning on going later or in a different area than us.


I am also very grateful for my hunting partner, there’s a lot of people that wouldn’t want to hunt as hard as we do so I’m grateful that we are on the same page when it comes to effort and hard work. We had a lot of good laughs and good times as we always do and I look forward to our next hunt together.

Completely agree on the hard packouts ..congrats on an awesome animal, looks like a great experience..how much meat approximately do you think you got off him?

[jamfarm]

I’d say we got about 40lbs of meat off of it, not that much really.

[HarryToolips]

I’d say we got about 40lbs of meat off of it, not that much really.
Wow crazy, congrats none the less on an impressive animal...

[high horse Hal]

great story and some stellar pics to help it along
agreed, the one pic looks like a large goat, great composition
the moose comparison made me chuckle