SKYLINE
11-15-2008, 08:36 PM
Well, I`m a long time lurker on HBC, and first time poster. I decided I would finally come out of the weeds and post about my recent goat hunt with 2 great friends.
After much anticipation BCbillies, and my brother Thinair and I were on the road by 5 am with enough food and gear for three backcountry days of hunting goat. We knew the weather forecast was not looking good but we had the time off and were determined to go. We didn’t hike long before the rain turned to snow which made visibility tough (this seems to be happening to me way too much this season). After setting up camp we waited for a chance to start glassing but between the snow and fog we didn’t have many opportunities and night fell without any goats spotted.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_11.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11347&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
The next day we woke to rain on the tent and fog all around. When the fog would allow we glassed and we did manage to see 5 goats across the valley and 3 on a face above our camp. We decided that we weren’t going to shoot anything sitting in camp and chose to hunt the area that we saw the 3 goats even if visibility was poor. The plan almost worked and BCbillies and I got to within 100 yards of a feeding goat in a slide but because of the willow it was in we were not able to ID it properly and it ended up going into a canyon that only a goat can get into. Thinair stayed back a couple hundred yards to see if the goat would come out on a face above us and while he was there the fog cleared and he was able to see two other goats in a nearby gorge. Light was fading and we had to head back to camp but we knew where we would be heading for our last day of hunting.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/goat_1.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11350&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
First thing the next morning we headed up the gorge where Thinair had spotted the goats the night before and about ¾ of the way up we started to see lots of goat sign. We slowly made our way up the gorge and when we were about 80 yards from the top I caught movement on the cliffs above. I could just see the horns of the goat as it slowly walked towards the top of the gorge. I could tell it was a billy and quickly pulled my rifle off my pack (kifaru gunbearing system comes through again). I chambered a 160 gr. TSX into my 7mm Rem. Mag. just as Thinair said “Good billy, shoot”. I looked up and the goat was at the top of the cliff about 65 yards away. BOOM! I was sure that my shot was good but the goat walked away about 20 yards and then gave me another shot. Bang, flop. As we walked up to the goat I was once again amazed at what an incredible animal they are.
Nothing better than coming off the mountain with good friends and heavy packs. Thanks BCbillies, Thinair, and TSW (even though you couldn`t be there).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_22.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11348&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_33.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11349&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/goat_3.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11351&size=big&cat=500)
After much anticipation BCbillies, and my brother Thinair and I were on the road by 5 am with enough food and gear for three backcountry days of hunting goat. We knew the weather forecast was not looking good but we had the time off and were determined to go. We didn’t hike long before the rain turned to snow which made visibility tough (this seems to be happening to me way too much this season). After setting up camp we waited for a chance to start glassing but between the snow and fog we didn’t have many opportunities and night fell without any goats spotted.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_11.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11347&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
The next day we woke to rain on the tent and fog all around. When the fog would allow we glassed and we did manage to see 5 goats across the valley and 3 on a face above our camp. We decided that we weren’t going to shoot anything sitting in camp and chose to hunt the area that we saw the 3 goats even if visibility was poor. The plan almost worked and BCbillies and I got to within 100 yards of a feeding goat in a slide but because of the willow it was in we were not able to ID it properly and it ended up going into a canyon that only a goat can get into. Thinair stayed back a couple hundred yards to see if the goat would come out on a face above us and while he was there the fog cleared and he was able to see two other goats in a nearby gorge. Light was fading and we had to head back to camp but we knew where we would be heading for our last day of hunting.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/goat_1.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11350&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
First thing the next morning we headed up the gorge where Thinair had spotted the goats the night before and about ¾ of the way up we started to see lots of goat sign. We slowly made our way up the gorge and when we were about 80 yards from the top I caught movement on the cliffs above. I could just see the horns of the goat as it slowly walked towards the top of the gorge. I could tell it was a billy and quickly pulled my rifle off my pack (kifaru gunbearing system comes through again). I chambered a 160 gr. TSX into my 7mm Rem. Mag. just as Thinair said “Good billy, shoot”. I looked up and the goat was at the top of the cliff about 65 yards away. BOOM! I was sure that my shot was good but the goat walked away about 20 yards and then gave me another shot. Bang, flop. As we walked up to the goat I was once again amazed at what an incredible animal they are.
Nothing better than coming off the mountain with good friends and heavy packs. Thanks BCbillies, Thinair, and TSW (even though you couldn`t be there).
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_22.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11348&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/resize_33.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11349&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10913)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/goat_3.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11351&size=big&cat=500)