4-01A LEH goat tag

[bigbucks18]

Looking for any info or leads about hunting 401A area for goats. I live on Vancouver island so physically going and scouting the area isn’t an option. Have e scouted the area lots. Reading older forms sounds like lots of grizzlies in 401 so am aware of that. Just hope someone can steer me in the right direction and help with some info. This will be my first goat hunt, so any tips help.

[Livewire322]

Look up. Way up. The goats are the furry white critters on the rock faces that nothing else dares occupy.

In all seriousness, some further details about when you’re planning on going will help folks provide guidance.

[bigbucks18]

We are planning on going end of September early October

[Rackmastr]

The Kish is big country. I haven’t spent a ton of time in it, but have hunted north of there. Lots of grizz for sure. Most every mountain in the flathead has goats around though. Early season they are extremely high up but by end of Sept or into Oct they should be down in some bluffs or on slides.

If you can hike and are up for packing in for a few days or covering some ground, you’ll get into goats for sure down there. Spend time looking at judging billy vs nanny and make sure you know what you’re looking at before making a shot attempt. Lots of time to look them over and come to a measured decision.

[Bado20]

Alaska fish and game has a goat sex judging quiz that I would highly recommend you review before going on your first goat hunt. It can be easy to find a band of nannies and juveniles and to see the biggest one in the group and think 'that must be a mature billy'. Odds are, if it's in a larger group outside of the rut, it's not. If you can find an experienced goat hunter to go with, even better.

[ElliotMoose]

That is big, wild country up there! Be prepared to put some serious boots to the ground. Spotting goats will not be the issue. Getting to them and shooting them in a spot where they aren't going to fall down and end up as goat soup at the bottom of the mountain is another thing.

In September the big billies will still be at the very top and if you do manage to get one the coat wouldn't be quite haired out yet. I would think about going early October as they will be haired out and moved down lower offering a more realistic stalk as mentioned above. The only flaw with that plan is that October is well into "it could snow 6" overnight" season in the Flathead.. In fact we've had to leave our trailer in there on a thanksgiving moose hunt!

We stopped going in there for our annual hunt as the elk population took a beating but it truly is some of the most magnificent country in BC. You will have an adventure no doubt so be sure to take lots of pictures.

PS I would absolutely be looking at as many goat ID quizzes as possible. Even for the experienced goat guys it can be a tough call at the distances you'll see them at!

[wideopenthrottle]

on my first goat hunt my partner was very experienced...i asked him what was the plan?....he said "we go up through the trees and continue up crossing trails...keep going up until we get to the highest goat trail... if it is too scary we go down to the previous one lower"....i don't tend to be scared of heights but i will admit i had to keep eyes forward on a few stretches where it was steep and narrow...so steep that you could not turn your back to the wall as my pack wouldn't fit without nudging me towards the drop.....there were many bare sections with tiny goat trails that went between small patches of trees .....the odd tree got a big hug when i got there...heheheh...going through the drainage shoots was pretty hairy at times too........Definitely a hunt i will never forget...a 30-50 foot rope was very handy for going down...did i mention the 3-6 inches of snow when we got to the shaded side of the peak...

[browningboy]

We used to hunt the Flathead in the early 2000’s, beauty country and unforgiving, just get up high and glass, know a Billy but also beware of grizzlies, there’s lots of them

[bigbucks18]

Awesome thanks. We are headed in at the end of September and our hunt will carry into early October. We are prepared to do lots hiking we plan to spend 7-8 nights up in the mountains. I will most definitely look into the goat quizzes, obviously overall goal is to take a nice mature Billy.