Goat Help

[KB90]

Hey Guys,
Im looking for some advice.

I've always wanted to go goat hunting and next year I'm taking the year off school so hopefully I will get a chance. I only get one year off so I wanna start planning now, I have alot of work to do. I gotta make it count or I'll be waiting for a few more years.......

...... But I have no idea where to even start. Nobody in my family has ever hunted them so I can't look for advice from them. There is open season in 5-15 and thats the closest area for me. I have an area in mind (Ghost lake) but I'm not sure how suitable it is for goats. Who do I go to talk too? It looks like it would hold goats but how do I know for sure? Is a CO someone I should talk too? Its open sept 1-oct 31st whens the best time to go?.....Alot of questions but I guess what I'm asking is where does a guy who has zero goat experience start?

Thanks in advance
Kyle

[Jagermeister]

There is a ton of info on the 'net. google mountain goat. be sure to go to the Alaska F&W site. They have a good item on identifying billies from nannies. Read Pat Ferguson's book, "Gone Hunting", you might gleam some info from that, Pat spent lots of time hunting goat in the Stewart area.

[Jagermeister]

Here's another link to get you started.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/mtngoat.pdf

[6616]

You need to pre-scout your area to find out where the goats live. Dope out the access and the trails/routes to the alpine, etc. You need to have found your goat (more or less) and determine how you're going to get to him before hunting season starts. No one can help you much with this, it just takes leg work and time behind the binos and spotting scope. Best capes are after thanksgiving weekend.

[FORKHORN]

Goat Hunting is a blast and can be very rewarding. Glad to here that your keen on it. I will offer the following advice.

Goats have quite short hair in early September and in my opinion the trophy quality is less. The later in the season that you can go the longer the hair. If there is a good amount of snow the goats will come way down the mountain sometimes near the valley floor. Be carefull hunting goats in deeper snow. My Father, myself and my Nefew were nearly killed by an avalanche while hunting late in the season. It missed us by about 30 yards and swallowed up the goat we had shot. Lucky we heard it coming and got out of the way. Anyway a good spotting scope and high quality binoculars will go a long way in helping you determine the sex of the goat before you go after it. It can be very difficult for a new goat hunter to determine the sex looking through a spotting scope at long distance. It is best to go after one that is on its own. This is an indicator that the goat is a billy yet it is not always the case.

Hope this helps
Stay safe out there the terrain can be extremely dangerous:smile:

[behemoth]

I suggest you put in for LEH, but use that spot as a backup. Get the book "the beast the color of winter" it is a great read for someone getting into goat hunting

[EvanG]

I am temporarily in williams lake and was looking to do some goat hunting in the area and found some nice areas in 5 15 but when i looked closer at the maps I believe the only open area where you will find goats is the junction of the north and south arms of quesnel lake.
Apparently lots of goats but boat or plane access only.