Info on late goats in 6-09K

[bruin]

I was lucky enough (1:1 odds!) to draw this tag. I haven't hunted this area before but from Google Earth and maps it should have some good potential. The information that I'm most interested in is what the access is like? That time of year there's going to be lots of snow obviously and I'd like to know if the roads I see on GE are open, and if they're being or will be plowed for logging especially in the south end specifically. Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks

[sherpa-Al]

The area is slowly getting grown in but there is still quite a bit of access. How late of a hunt are you planning on? Anything after mid to late Nov will most likely be snowed over requiring a quad w/tracks or sidebyside. After the middle of Dec snowmobiles are allowed. My first goat was taken from that zone in the winter, Jan 25th, my friend and I hiked to the top of the mountain where it was windswept to find the goats.

Al.

[gerrygoat]

You might want to consider coming a bit earlier in the season, I could give you a bit more info for September-late October hunts. I wouldn't count on any roads being plowed. PM me if you want.

[bruin]

Thanks for the info guys. Earlier is a no-go for me. Its going to have to be Jan/Feb. I'll have to look into possibly renting a sled or tracked bike. Anybody have a dealership they know in the Skeena (Smithers,Terrace etc)that would do something like that?
Thanks

[kitnayakwa77]

Access will certainly be tough without a sled at that time of year. Kickstart Motorsports or Ken's Marine in Terrace may rent sleds?

[bruin]

Great, thanks for the info.

$800 for a Tundra for a week, OUCH!

[Rackmastr]

I've always thought one of these hunts would be SUPER cool to do......a late season goat hunt would be a pretty cool adventure I'm thinking.

Just for an idea (for someone who has never hunted the area), how high are the goats in January and if a person had a sled could you get into some of the country and have a reasonable chance of finding one in a 'safe' area to hunt one?

For $800/week rental I'd look at importing one from the USA for about $1500 and selling it once you've done your hunt!!!

[StoneChaser]

A buddy and I both drew for Reg 6-15A, and are planning a hunt for a week or so in mid Feb....hoping to arrow a hairy old billy or two.

We're fully planning on unplowed roads, and will each have a sled just in case....should be fun.

Good luck.

[ElectricDyck]

Sounds like an awesome time of the year for a thick long haired billy!.......and a lot of sweating with winter clothes on.:)

[gerrygoat]

For guys wanting to hunt winter goats it is usually better to wait till February instead of December/January, generally speaking the weather is nicer, the days are longer and the snow is more stable. Of course it's still winter so anything can still happen weather wise :) BTW they are fully haired out by early November.

Rackmaster, the goats can be almost anywhere that time of year from the very top to the lowest cliffs, I'm not sure exactly why they do what they do, sometimes they find winswept ridges up at the top that are easier to feed on other times in the deep snow who knows why they are up there.

[Krico]

Chances are you will have a very long sled ride to get into your zone. Follow gerrygoat's advice, he knows what he's talking about. I'm sure with all your experience you already know this, but don't even think of going on that hunt without crampons, harnesses and climbing rope. I'd even bring a helmet...Even with that gear kgriz and I could not quite reach the goat he shot this past Feb, and our spare "non-climbing" rope came in handy for use with a grappling hook we constructed to pull the beast off a nasty ledge.

[Krico]

Thought I better add - if there are any creek crossings along the way you may be screwed trying to cross in Feb - not from the water level, but because of the 12 foot straight down drop off the snowbanks at the water's edge. They get crazy piles of snow in that part of the province. This very thing kept us from hunting one particular valley we really wanted to get into this past winter. Even though we found a place we likely could have dropped down, there was no way possible to get the sleds up and over the banks on the far side...and yes we had shovels!

[bruin]

I haven't checked this thread in awhile. Thanks for the advice guys. Anything more is still appreciated.