2015 Billy...

Broomd

WKR
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
4,281
Location
North Idaho
Love the hunting stories here at the 'slide and thought I'd share mine for this year. The Mountain Goat forum has been a bit quiet lately as well....:)

Like many here, I put in for an Alaskan draw tag this year, Kodiak dg473--Terror Lake. The odds ended up very long at 5%, but when I saw the good news that I had drawn I was ecstatic. My last goat hunt was in 2011, across Wild Creek from Terror Lake. That was a successful and fun hunt, but I swore I'd try the other adjacent unit to avoid the long slog from the salt into the goat clouds.
I'll be 52 in Nov., so fitness has been more of a focus than ever, and I worked hard all Summer to be ready to hit the rock for a quality billy and hunt overall.

After some intel from other successful tag holders (hat tip to RyanC and others) I planned for an early Sept hunt--decent temps and weather, and better hair than Aug--I booked with Roland at Seahawk...as good and knowledgeable as they come.
My son remained in Ak when we moved to the lower 48 some time ago, so he would serve as 2nd degree kindred for me. Wife also joined this hunt: she is as tough as they come and keeps an immaculate camp.

After some weather delays, we were finally able to board with Roland and got flown out.
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Some gorgeous country..
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We arrived on our lake late Friday afternoon Sept 4th just in time to set up a great camp. Hat tip to Brad (colonel00) for the use of his excellent homemade bear fence...appreciated my friend! Thankfully, we saw NO BEARS on this trip, but it was invaluable peace of mind!
Saturday we awoke to bluebird skies with no rain...it was go-time. We loaded up some spike camp equipment--about three days worth--and headed out to a bowl about 2.5 miles away, this bowl was socked in the clouds when we had flown in with Roland, but he assured us that the billies used the area.
We quickly realized that the deer in the area were thick, does and fawns were everywhere in the lowland, and as we started gaining altitude the bucks started appearing. The island has an excellent deer hear right now!
My son, Jon had some deer tags and was holding out for a nice buck, and he had also decided to wait on the deer hunt until we had given the billy hunt our best effort. This proved to be a very difficult thing, as we saw many very fine bucks on the way to our goat country.

As we traveled on I found this excellent complete Kodiak bear skull...
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Deer were numerous...
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Our destination...
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Took a speed-grass slide 'ala Becca Moffet--skookum goat huntress here at the 'slide....lucked out when I jammed--and snapped--a Leki pole and grabbed a handful of grass....one scary slide down. The two hours saved were worth it, but not by much!
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Broomd

Broomd

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Sep 29, 2014
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4,281
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North Idaho
Getting close!
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As we crested a high ridge we could see the entire bowl out in front of us..The weather was changing for the worse, but still holding.
We quickly spotted five billies. The swaro hd spotter showed they were all fine, mature billies. Great goats! And all but one were accessible... The billy on the far left was clearly the largest of the herd, we nicknamed him 'elephant' due to his immense size and rolls of fat and hair on his sides as he lay bedded above the snow shale/snow line. This was the goat I was going to stalk.
We eased down into the valley and started our stalk keeping to the hard left side of the valley to keep the biggest billies eyes from detecting us...
As we closed the distance to about 200' below 'elephant' we looked down over a lip and to our amazement there were seven blacktail bucks--four of which were sparring and locking antlers--really incredible stuff, we video'd the event. If I can embed it I will. It certainly reaffirmed that fact that the bucks were in the clouds!

Our stalk continued through the loose shale and grass slope until I looked up and saw the largest, coveted billy in front of us. He was looking right at me as I dropped, chambered a round and rose to settle the crosshairs. He never stood up and I let the .280 Remington fly. I had built the lightweight rifle last year for these high country hunts.

The goat rose and headed up into the abyss, and I sent several more rounds at him. After what seemed like forever he began to wobble and started rolling down the scree slide. He came to rest on the snow pack in the bottom of the bowl.
He was as large as we suspected....
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With son, the finest of hunting partners..
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After tagging and boning the billy we headed down the valley just as the weather became pea-soup. We fought to get down into the lower country, but it wasn't meant to be. The Black Diamond mega-mid teepee and sleeping bags never felt so good. We were thankful for the careful spike preparation.

We arrived back in our main camp early Sunday morning just as the skies opened and dropped two inches of rain in about five hours. It poured!

About 5pm the sun starting peeking out and it was deer hunting time. We hit the trail to get back up into the high country so Jon could see about finding a keeper.
We saw many deer, and bucks, but the wind direction was killing us. we kept at it reasoning that at some point we would circle back farther up and catch deer that hadn't winded us earlier. The plan worked perfect as Jon spotted a fine bedded blacktail chewing its cud.
We circled back down and below the deer using a cut canyon break to hide our stalk. After a fine 100 yard shot he had his buck.
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With mom...
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We went to work on the deer tossing the bone-in meat in the bags, it was 8:05pm and the pea-soup was returning. 35 minutes later we were back on the trail with the venison.

Back in camp by 9:30, tossed some duraflame logs on a fire and enjoyed the night. Gotta love fly-in camps!

Monday arrived and was gorgeous. We called Roland and he planned a noon pick-up. Perfect timing to bone venison and pack up our camp.
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Roland arrived right on time and a great flight ended a wonderful Kodiak trip!
 
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Timberninja

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
277
Awesome hunt, thanks for sharing the story/photos and congrats on a monster goat!
 

Graves14

WKR
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Jul 23, 2015
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885
Location
Idaho
I love reading stories like this. It's why Alaska is top of my list when we finally get away from this crowded coast.
 
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Broomd

Broomd

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Sep 29, 2014
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Location
North Idaho
Thanks fellas. Appreciate the kind words!

Goat measures 9 1/8th X 5 7/8ths. I have him at 6.5 years old.
The Kodiak griz skull I found is 22".
 

Bighorse

WKR
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
542
Location
SE Alaska
Congrats

Another one bites the dust! Not bad at all. Glad you didn't end up damaged from the slide. Smart bringing your spike gear into the high country! Good job
 

Becca

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Feb 26, 2012
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Wasilla, Alaska
I am playing catch up on hunt stories, after being out a lot of the last few weeks....really glad to see this one, what an awesome trip with your family! A great billy AND a blacktail...with the requisite climbing, pea soup and downpour weather, and a little slide thrown in for good measure. Glad your slide ended better than mine did :)

We are headed to the Rock at the end of October to hunt Luke's bear tag, and hopefully bring home some blacktail...I have still never shot a deer, so I am overdue. Your story and photos got me even more excited for our trip...thanks again for sharing it!
 
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Broomd

Broomd

WKR
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
4,281
Location
North Idaho
Thanks guys...
Becca, best to Luke on his Bear tag. Should be a hoot, looking forward to pics and the story.
The deer herd on the rock is excellent, hold out for a good one or two...you'll be glad you did.

Hunt safe!
 
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