2019 British Columbia-Goat, Moose, Caribou in 10 days!

[carsonkeys]

Blisters can ruin a trip faster than anything. I have experience having to do some hitchhiking out of the mountains in the past. It's great to see you pushed through it and were successful.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Ajt5110]

Awesome trip for sure! Thanks for sharing!

 

[pck5038]

DAY 2 (first hunting day):

We woke up early and set out in search of goats. This involved a 45 min walk down the valley, and then a couple hour walk up a basin and over a saddle. View attachment 126019

Two days ago I was at 500’ elevation, we started hiking at 5,500’ and that was only increasing by the step. My blisters barking, lungs and legs burning, I went to a real dark place on this hike. I put my head down just kept telling myself to put one foot in front of the other, and eventually I’d make it to the saddle where I could rest for a bit. A few hours later we reached the saddle and sat down to glass. Immediately we spotted two goats, both shooter billies. View attachment 126022

The boys asked me what I wanted to do, as if there wasn’t an extremely obvious choice. Still attempting to catch my breath I proclaimed we were killing one of those goats. We dropped 200’ to set camp, stuffed our faces with cliff bars and put a few in our packs for good measure, and took off into the cliffs. An hour and a half later we were within striking distance. The billies fed into an avalanche chute that was impossible to see into unless you were directly below or above. We carefully eased our way below them and finally spotted them. The younger billy spotted us immediately while the older was oblivious. We got set up and dialed the scope for the 360 yard shot. We just needed him to stand up and I was going to let ‘em have it. He stood, and immediately turned up mountain. Simon kept calling out the distance and we dialed. Finally at 430 yards he stood broadside. At the bottom of my breath the gun barked. “Left, left!” Simon said. I sent another round. “Same spot, right in front of him!” I knew my fundamentals were sound and that I made two good shot sequences, that second round was all the confirmation I needed to know that either the gun was off, or the wind was shifting my impacts. I held the crosshairs on the crease of the back leg and and went through my shot sequence. Boom! Double lunged. With blood pouring out of his side this old warrior kept moving up the mountain. He stopped again, and I hammered him. He stopped again, and I gave him another one. Finally, he gave up and tumbled down hill. By the grace of god he stopped on a boulder about half way down. View attachment 126026View attachment 126025View attachment 126024View attachment 126023

We butchered him, and set out back to camp.
View attachment 126028View attachment 126027

This was the single hardest hunt I’d ever done. We arrived back to camp and I was absolutely thrashed, and in love. I was in love with mountain hunting. I finally felt the pain and enjoyment that I’d heard about, and longed for, for so long. We fleshed the cape, caped the head, and made supper. I think I was asleep before I zipped my bag up. View attachment 126030View attachment 126029

Awesome photos and story

 

[reaper]

Awesome man

 

[vBC]

I second , when was your story published in the JOMH ? I am a big fan. In any case, thanks for sharing nonetheless.

 

[Hoffer]

Awesome stuff thanks for sharing

 

[carsonkeys]

I second , when was your story published in the JOMH ? I am a big fan. In any case, thanks for sharing nonetheless.

Thanks, my friend. See below for JOMH article:

My Father's Footsteps, By Carson Keys - Journal of Mountain Hunting

I grew up flying in my dad's Cessna, but his was equipped with tundra tires and not floats. Taking off and landing in a floatplane for the first time was ...

journalofmountainhunting.com