Mountain Goat Advice

[geoskier]

Hello all,

First time hunter here. Going for a Mtn Goat first. I work in the bush during the summers and I am taking a week off here to get a goat. I bought a .270 Tikka stainless lite with a VX-I 4-12x40mm Leupold scope. Not a pro shot by any means. I have been able to stalk goats for fun this summer while working and I have got within easy shooting distance by my standards. Area is already picked out.

Can anyone give me any advice/tips they have for making this a success?


(NB: I have helped out gutting animals before and I am going with a friend who has hunted a fair bit but not goat (road hunter). Fitness is not an issue here, nor is navigation, gear, ect...)

Cheers

[d6dan]

Yup, Keep shooting til he doesn't move. Those goats can take a pounding!. I use a 338WM and even sometimes they still get up. Basically what I'm saying is anchor them where they are..Good luck to you on your Goat hunt..

[guest]

Safety first in goat country, second try VERY hard to ONLY SHOOT A BILLY ! Really really try to NOT shoot a nanny! Avoid family groups with a passion, find a lone goat, likely in tough country, a dirty looking one, cream in color are some pointers to finding a billy, study the M.O.E. Id methods of Billy over nanny. Don't SHOOT A NANNY.... can I say it enough.

Learn how to Cape if you want the trophy, and take enough hide for a shoulder mount, in other words, circle around the critter behind the front legs.

Learn how to debone the critter by watching vids on deboneing game. ASK tons of Questions from those in the know.

Shoot through the shoulders and anchor it, only shoot one if you can retrieve it, don't shoot if you might loose it to a great fall, they are not worth your own life.

They are one if not the hardest critters to hunt if you want a Dandy, too man give Rams the big accolades, good billies deserve the same if not far more credit to the sportsman then Rams.

Keep studying every aspect of the critter and the lay of the land before you go.

Don't take chances, they live in very beautiful, tough, demanding DANGEROUS country in many place.

OH did I say DO NOT SHOOT A BILLY !

good luck and be careful

CT

[gerrygoat]

Have fun on your hunt and take lots of pictures so you can save some good ones to look at for years to come. The only thing else I could say is be willing to walk away from a goat if it is in a really bad place where recovery is questionable. Even if you do everything right things can still go wrong but that's a different story. Like was said above goats are tough so make sure you get a good first shot in and be prepared to shoot again, your 270 will work well. Good luck.

[.270]

Don't rush the shot or identifying your billy, you should have plenty of time to observe them. Don't try to ID by body size, it can be deceiving, specialy when the wind is blowing and their hair is all fluffed up.

[BCHunterTV]

Try and set yourself for tagging a Billie, hike and glass hike and glass...but if you down a nanny out misjudging the sex it is what is and be happy with the animal youve taken

[buford19]

Practice shooting up and down hill, your distance will not be the same as shooting flat. Watch for scope eye, this can happen on steep angles.

[ufishifish2]

When trying to identify a billie, along with the horns, also remember to use the big puffy glands located directly behind the horns. It'll help you to avoid shooting a nanny.

[sako_300]

the big puffy glands located at the rear of the animal below the tail help as well...

[Elk Lake Trapper]

Don't chase the first billy you see. Most of the fun on these hunts is the patterning of movements and the strategy of the upcoming stalk. It will be very tempting to chase the first nice billy, using some half baked plan. This will usually result in a) having the goat move higher and into tougher country where only angels can follow, or b)shooting a goat in a tough place where angels fear to tread.

If you can pick one out, and get a daily pattern figured out, things will go well. IMO this is one of the best hunts available to BC residents, and one of the most underrated.

Keep shooting until they stop moving, is also really good advice.

[BiG Boar]

Read the book "Hunt High"
Gives you all the information you need and then some. I will be re-reading it before this years goat hunt.

[Deeboe]

Keep a meat sack handy if you are stalking---I got to about 60 yards of the goat i shot 2 years ago and that was really due to having the white meat sack draped over my back. He saw me but didn't seem to be worries as i guess i looked like another goat....
Also pick out a goat that is alone and separated from the main herd. Billies don't usually hang with the nannies and kids....

[geoskier]

Right on. Thanks guys. Trip report will follow regardless of the outcome. I will be up near Bear Lake (north of Takla Lake) in case anyone else is in the area. As well, just from work this summer I have come across two areas with 10-50 goats on single mountains. Difficult access and difficult terrain (I am 26 so it isn't a big deal) but I will likely be looking for someone adventuresome to join along next summer. Cheers

[troutseeker]

A beast the color of winter is another good book on goats.

[odie1830]

Only took one goat (billy) in my 15 plus years of hunting but , make sure you have the right camo on to match the terrain!, and take ur time. I glassed for 4 days and managed to get mine on day 5. Better make sure to get on the stair climber as well. Can be a tough hike but always worth it. Good luck and enjoy the hunt. Oh and if you can get above them might be ur best bet from my experience.

[Nekhani]

Light broken in Leather Gloves are a good thing to wear for the climb and decent. If you slip it is nice to have them on to save your hands from thorns and scrapes. Get the best set of binoculars your budget will allow and use them. Try to be safe, Try to stay in the timber on your way up and down. Use flagging tape to mark your routes if you don't use GPS. Don't climb yourself into a position where you cannot back out of. Easy to go up and get yourself to a point of no return but can be very hard to get your footing going back down. Always pack a coil of nylon rope with you as a safety line for the bad spots..If you are successful be sure to bone everything out and be careful not to load yourself up too heavy for the trek down. Depending on the terrain it can be very dangerous coming down with too much weight on your back. Be careful. Groups of Goats are family units of nannies and kids and you will not likely find your Billy amongst them. Look for the Old lone Goat usually in the toughest terrain. Glass in the morning and evening when the Old Billies are moving around feeding. Good Luck

[Twig-Chaser]

Good Advice everyone, thanks!

[BCHunterTV]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mhX4VQb-A4