Spillimacheen/Bugaboo Goat hunting

[Rackmastr]

Hey Guys,

I'd done a bit of a scouting drive earlier in the summer to hit the Bugaboo and its some pretty amazing country. Being new to BC I'm starting to try and find some GOS goat areas that are within 'day-hunt' distance from Cranbrook (2-4 hour drive).

Wondering if many guys hunt this area for goats, or if you hunt for elk/deer in there if you've seen many goats from the roads up in the mountains? I'm thinking later in Oct and early Nov the goats should start to get pushed down from the snow, etc but going to take a spin up there tomorrow and see what the area looks like.

Anyone hunt the area much or can offer any insight on finding a GOS goat in that area or nearby? PM if you prefer...just lookin for a few options this fall....

[springpin]

Good luck! I've not hunted there for goat, but there are some good pockets around this neck of the woods.. Maybe try to pm 6616(member on hbc) very knowledgeable guy.

[GoatGuy]

Search on the hiking/eco-terrorism sites. That should give you a good start. They have very nice, well-maintained trails! :-D

[wrenchhead]

Search on the hiking/eco-terrorism sites. That should give you a good start. They have very nice, well-maintained trails! :-D

Haha ya they may have mentioned game they have seen as well!

[6616]

There's good goat numbers in those MUs. Glass high at the top of the slides and above timberline. You can glass a lot of the goats from the Forestry mains. These's also goats in almost every tributary.
Be prepared to bushwack long distances, climb high, and work hard for these goats.

[bearslayer01]

i have hunted there lots i am looking for a goat huntign partner shoot me a pm

[Rackmastr]

Thanks for the pointers and the pm's guys! Hopefully will learn some good stuff tomorrow. It's nasty country for sure but will see how things go and super excited to get up there.

I will pm ya bearslayer!

[springpin]

Good luck! I thought 6616 would chime in!! lol

[Rackmastr]

Thanks! I am hoping I'm not too 'early' for the goats to be visible on the slides and cliffs, but I'll be heading back up later in Oct a few times and into November to try and connect. Will let ya know how I do tomorrow night!

[Walking Buffalo]

Break a leg!


You know what I mean. Don't want to curse ya. :lol:

[6616]

Thanks! I am hoping I'm not too 'early' for the goats to be visible on the slides and cliffs, but I'll be heading back up later in Oct a few times and into November to try and connect. Will let ya know how I do tomorrow night!

You're not too early, coats are shaggy and beautiful anytime after Thanksgiving.
Worry more about being too late because those mountains can get real difficult after it snows and the ground is frozen.

[Rackmastr]

Thanks...some damn good points on the weather and terrain in that country later in the season.

Full report tomorrow!

[Rackmastr]

Thanks for the help guys. I got into 7 goats yesterday. After hiking WAY up the mountain I realized that the two I had originally spotted were with another 5. I was pretty dissapointed as it took about 4 hours to get up there and they were nannies with one kid. I glassed them all and actually turned out there was a good Billy above them all by himself. He was at 515 yards and the nannies were scattered between 300-350 yards. They started to spook uphill when I was moving around the ridge so I decided I'd try and get steady and get a shot at the billy.

I dialed the scope and got comfy...re-confirmed with the spotting scope he was a good billy. By the time I got to some ground I could lay prone he was standing behind a little bit of a rock on a rough cliff. Would have fallen a LONG ways. I waited to see if he'd clear the rock and he ended up moving behind the cliff he was on and over to the next chute. By the time I got there, they had moved off or he was deep into some cliffy country.

It was a LONG hike up and into some rough stuff. I'll bring a hunting partner next time I try it as it wasnt a pile of fun alone...haha. Off to look for some sheep spots next week and then may get back up for goats by the 22-24 of the month.

Thanks again guys! Although my legs are feelin it today, I appreciate it!

[GoatGuy]

Welcome to hunting in BC!! If your aren't doing 5,000 vertical, you aren't having fun.

[Rackmastr]

Ya no doubt about that. Its some good rough country and definitely a lot rougher than a lot of the parts of Alberta I've hunted in the past. I did about 4000 ft of elevation yesterday and then a ton of side-hilling and up and downs over ridges and cliffs. Got bluffed out a couple times as well which is always annoying.

Overall it was good since I didnt hit a ton of shin-tangle or devils club. Most of my hike was open up an avalanche chute/creek.

They are tough goats for sure...but it felt good to get within range on my first day out.