rickiesrevenge
Lil-Rokslider
Finally getting around to posting about my 2018 goat hunt. Couldn't find a plane that would take us where we wanted but eventually after lots of phone calls I found a boat that was licensed as a transporter to take us in. Seems like more and more plane companies aren't willing to take hunters anymore. Anyways we got to the boat and they told us the weather was too rough to go. Forecast said 3-4'. The next day was supposed to be 9-12'. Ended up sitting around in a hotel for a couple days until they could get us out. Once there we immediately started seeing goats in places we could get to. Setup camp and went up the next morning. Weather wasn't great and visibility sucked. So we camped just below goat country. The inreach said the weather would be better the next day. Awoke in the morning to good weather. There was one goat on our mountain and it was a billy. Not a monster billy but my buddy was willing to take him if the opportunity came along. We got closer. Just over 200 yards. The billy dropped over a small ridge and disappeared for a few minutes. Figured he'd come up on the big ridge behind where he was standing. We moved closer. Sure glad we did. There was a chasm between us. Couldn't see a way through it so we let him walk.
Went back down to base camp so we could try a different ridge the next day. The weather sucked the next day. Blowing 60 and pissing rain. We elected to stay in camp and wait on weather. Seems like all the late season hunts I've been on we end up waiting on weather!!! Weather the day after was much better. The ridge was MUCH steeper in the first 1/2 mile than the ridge we climbed earlier. Crampons made it much nicer. My buddy who'd owned crampons for nearly 20 years had never worn them in that type of stuff. He was amazed at how much traction they give you. They're not just for ice and snow! Took us a couple days to get up to the top. When we did I immediately found a billy in a shootable position. Ben took a rest on a big boulder and let one fly from his 375hh. Billy took it like a champ! He was on his feet so we both started slinging lead. He dropped out of sight. Just then another billy came from around the corner and stood right were the first was. I told Ben I was gonna shoot him. Pretty much the same thing happened. We were able to recover both goats. Mine was were right at 9" and Ben's was 9 1/4". Took a couple more full days to get them back to the beach.
Went back down to base camp so we could try a different ridge the next day. The weather sucked the next day. Blowing 60 and pissing rain. We elected to stay in camp and wait on weather. Seems like all the late season hunts I've been on we end up waiting on weather!!! Weather the day after was much better. The ridge was MUCH steeper in the first 1/2 mile than the ridge we climbed earlier. Crampons made it much nicer. My buddy who'd owned crampons for nearly 20 years had never worn them in that type of stuff. He was amazed at how much traction they give you. They're not just for ice and snow! Took us a couple days to get up to the top. When we did I immediately found a billy in a shootable position. Ben took a rest on a big boulder and let one fly from his 375hh. Billy took it like a champ! He was on his feet so we both started slinging lead. He dropped out of sight. Just then another billy came from around the corner and stood right were the first was. I told Ben I was gonna shoot him. Pretty much the same thing happened. We were able to recover both goats. Mine was were right at 9" and Ben's was 9 1/4". Took a couple more full days to get them back to the beach.
