Grip and Grin Goats?

[Robert Hanneman]

With all the Grip and Grin Contests going on I thought we should do one for Goats! Post you picture and tell a little about the hunt. This one is just for fun!

I well get things started with my Montana billy. I was lucky enough to sneak with 55 yards and sent my first arrow right behind the shoulder. I have this rule when it comes to hunting. If they are still standing I keep shooting. Well four arrows and about fifteen seconds later my billy was rolling his way down the mountain towards the timber. I can not wait to draw another tag!

 

[Mike P]

2009 goat

Here's a pic of my DIY goat from BC. Hunted with 2 great friends and had a great hunt.

29 yard shot but had to shoot for 18 due to the 55 degree angle...was all i could do not to fall of the ledge shooting

 

[BackcountryBull]

I can't wait to draw a tag! Great looking goats guys.

 

[justin davis]

Still waiting to draw! Maybe this year!

 

[shanevg]

Great looking billy Mike! Can't wait to be able to take part in this contest!

 

[Bearhunter]

Awesome hunts guys!! Good lucking Goats!

 

[Rick Seymour]

I will have to take a picture of the word ...SWEET.... and submit that

 

[Mike P]

goats

Goat hunting is much like sheep hunting...very addictive

I have be lucky enough to go on 2 goat hunts and take 2 billys (first was with rifle, due to some horrible target panic and loss of all my arrows ) second was the one above with my bow. Hoping to do the next one with my longbow but will see how much practice time I will have before the season if we go for goats this year.

They are not hard to find and they typically are very curious but...getting to were they are is not so easy and retrieving them can be down right scary sometimes.

 

[rebecca francis]

Here is my BC goat

 

[luke moffat]

2009 9.5" Billy from Kodiak. Shot at less than 40 yards everyone else was tagged out and packing their goats to the salt, so I went out alone and found this year in a group with 2 more billies of similar stature:

 

[rebecca francis]

Here is my Alaska goat. This one took a bad bad tumble and broke both his horns off! He was a very decent goat before the fall. We filmed this one and it will be airing this August. It was a really cool hunt!

 

[rebecca francis]

Nice goat Luke!

 

[luke moffat]

Thanks Rebecca. The solo timer and dash pics are always tough solo, which pales in comparison to caping and butchering the thing on the side of the hill and trying to keep it from rolling to the bottom...SO much nicer with a buddy to help.

Bummer on your AK goat, my dad took one in '09 (the first goat hunt I had ever been on) and it took a tumble of 1200' down the mountain and broke both horns off at the bases. The meat was great though.

 

[Mike P]

2009 9.5" Billy from Kodiak. Shot at less than 40 yards everyone else was tagged out and packing their goats to the salt, so I went out alone and found this year in a group with 2 more billies of similar stature:

What the heck did your goat hook onto Luke...that is some seriously steep stuff and no trees to hook up too! Did you have to do a Cam Hanes and wrestle it down before it tumbled to the bottom...lol

 

[Mike P]

bases

Rebecca,

that goat has tremendous bases on it...wow

 

[rebecca francis]

Yes, we were judging it at a 9+ billy, until after the fall....pretty much a two incher now.

 

[Rick Seymour]

Great scenic photo RF. My cheeks would be shining from the tears. Assume a taxidermist can fix that though, as well as the battered face.

 

[Robert Hanneman]

Awesome goats all the way around! Luke you are living the dream up there in Alaska. Becky I really like your broken horn goat picture.

 

[Bighorse]

goat falls

Luke and Rebbeca great animals. Thanks for sharing. I've been involved in goat hunts twice now where big mature billys have been ruined due to a fall (8.5 and 9.5 yr olds). It happens and don't underestimate that reality. Be prepared for the extreme recovery. Luke, I still remember that hole you and Jake climbed into on Kodiak for that archery goat. WOW!!!! Dig up a photo of that.

I have the privlege of hunting goats every year living on Baranof island here in SE Alaska. I get a early season goat every year. I'm not necessarly a trophy hunter because I don't really like carrying out a huge load of meat through the rainforest. So I'm very happy with a smaller goat. That being said....I'm really wanted a big billy this year. Just because.

I've done the peeing thing, only to hump up the mountain and round a rocky corner two hours later and have five goats bunched up staring at me. I wasn't waiting for another drop of urine. Boom! Nanny.

I did the horn configuration thing last year with a spotter on a big solo high on the mountain above all the rest. Boom! 9.5 yr old Nanny

I contribute to the ADF&G goat quiz every year. Goats are very, very tricky unless your looking at genuine trophy class billies. Anything marginal or ho-hum is just plain difficult.

BTW....a 3 yr old goat is not old and still wanting to work the teet. Just joking. He's still not ready to leave the security of momma though. I'd consider a 5 yr old marginally mature and a 7/8 premium for harvest, 9-12 old in the goat world. Ages tend to come in like mature sheep. It's hard in them mountains.

More important than all this stuff. Stay safe in those goat hills folks. That rock is not our element and bad stuff happens when hunters try to be rock climbers.

 

[rebecca francis]

Great scenic photo RF. My cheeks would be shining from the tears. Assume a taxidermist can fix that though, as well as the battered face.

Thanks Rick, yes I'm hoping my taxidermist can fix it. It was pretty beat up though.