My neighbor/ hunting partner was able to draw a mountain goat tag here in Montana this past fall. Upon hearing this I was stoked to go on my first hunt like this. Chris had some intel on where he wanted to hunt. He helped his outfitter he used to work for about 20 years ago shoot a goat in the same unit. We didn't scout much during the summer, once fall came around we decided to at least drive to the trailhead and attempt to glass up some goats. That was ruined due to the wildfire closure in the area. With lack of preparation we decided to just go in the last week of September and see if we could turn something up. Made the drive up to the trailhead where there was no lack of company in the parking area. But the good thing is it's a one goat tag unit so we had no worries of hunting pressure. We started hiking right at first light and six miles later we were at the base of the drainage. With some luck we found an old cut out trail going through this alder brush hill side. Our plan was to glass across the drainage where there was some pretty large rock formations in tiers with alder brush consuming the landscape between the tiers of rock. The top 1/3 of the mountain just being all rock. Not very long into walking up the drainage we simultaneously say, "Goat!". He was roughly 350 yards and quickly moved into the brush. So we continue up the drainage, the direction he was headed. Another 15 minutes pass by and we turn him up again. Along with another five goat what seemed to be on a vertical cliff face at the top of the mountain.
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Upon seeing he was a billy we developed a game plan. He was below the third terrace of cliffs. Plan was to cross the creek (easier said than done due to the continues rock gorge of a creek bed) Get on the third terrace and locate the particular dead trees he was bedded by. Once again, easier said than done. Once on the other side the wind began to howl. We navigated our through the cliffs and brush to where we thought he was bedded. Of course he wasn't there. We decided to work up the hill and attempt to glass the group of goats on the cliff face. The decision was made to head back to the truck by four since we didn't want to find ourselves scrambling down the rocks in the dark. A thirty minute break and an afternoon mountain house later it was back to hunting. While working up the hill we kept alert because we might jump the goat our failed stalk had turned up. It was agreed that we would go to the next rock outcropping about 150 yards above us and see what we could see. If nothing turned up, turn around and head down the mountain. Halfway up to the rock Chris stops, unslings his rifle and says, "Goat!''. I catch the ass end of him moving behind this big boulder. Chris sneaks up by the boulder, where we both started to wonder where in the hell he could have went. I happened to scan over the top of the boulder where I thought I saw mountain goat horns. Sure enough, it was the goat. The billy had bedded behind a boulder with his horns sticking over the top. Every once in a while you could catch a flicker of his ear.
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I ranged the rock that he was infront of, 36 yards. After 30 minutes of sitting there, the goat stands up. The whole time I told Chris I wanted to get the shot on film. He waited to ensure my camera was going and took the shot. A few moments later and the goat was down. We were both ecstatic on how the day had turned out. We had got lucky multiple times and was able to fill his goat tag in one day. Got up to him, and thankfully died on a big flat rock, perfect for skinning and breaking him down.
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As we hunters know this is when the real work begins. Packs loaded and ready to roll Chris and myself disagreed on the route back. He didn't want to head back the way we came but walk this hillside down. Ends up turning out to be the wrong decision heading out a different way. The hill side was a pain in the ass. Once to the bottom we couldn't cross the creek due to a hundred foot rock gorge leading to the creek, so side hilling to try to get past it was the plan. He also didn't have a flashlight and it was getting pretty dark. Either way made it out. I checked my OnX once back to the truck, 15 miles and 16 hours. It was an awesome day all in all. In a unit I'll probably never be able to mountain goat hunt again in my lifetime. He checked his goat in, 9.5 inches and 5-7 years old is what the biologist said. Best Billy he's seen in a couple of years
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Thanks for following along on the quick story of the mountain goat hunt I got to join in on. Needless to say I can't wait for the day I can hunt for them myself
- - - Updated - - -
Upon seeing he was a billy we developed a game plan. He was below the third terrace of cliffs. Plan was to cross the creek (easier said than done due to the continues rock gorge of a creek bed) Get on the third terrace and locate the particular dead trees he was bedded by. Once again, easier said than done. Once on the other side the wind began to howl. We navigated our through the cliffs and brush to where we thought he was bedded. Of course he wasn't there. We decided to work up the hill and attempt to glass the group of goats on the cliff face. The decision was made to head back to the truck by four since we didn't want to find ourselves scrambling down the rocks in the dark. A thirty minute break and an afternoon mountain house later it was back to hunting. While working up the hill we kept alert because we might jump the goat our failed stalk had turned up. It was agreed that we would go to the next rock outcropping about 150 yards above us and see what we could see. If nothing turned up, turn around and head down the mountain. Halfway up to the rock Chris stops, unslings his rifle and says, "Goat!''. I catch the ass end of him moving behind this big boulder. Chris sneaks up by the boulder, where we both started to wonder where in the hell he could have went. I happened to scan over the top of the boulder where I thought I saw mountain goat horns. Sure enough, it was the goat. The billy had bedded behind a boulder with his horns sticking over the top. Every once in a while you could catch a flicker of his ear.
- - - Updated - - -
I ranged the rock that he was infront of, 36 yards. After 30 minutes of sitting there, the goat stands up. The whole time I told Chris I wanted to get the shot on film. He waited to ensure my camera was going and took the shot. A few moments later and the goat was down. We were both ecstatic on how the day had turned out. We had got lucky multiple times and was able to fill his goat tag in one day. Got up to him, and thankfully died on a big flat rock, perfect for skinning and breaking him down.
- - - Updated - - -
As we hunters know this is when the real work begins. Packs loaded and ready to roll Chris and myself disagreed on the route back. He didn't want to head back the way we came but walk this hillside down. Ends up turning out to be the wrong decision heading out a different way. The hill side was a pain in the ass. Once to the bottom we couldn't cross the creek due to a hundred foot rock gorge leading to the creek, so side hilling to try to get past it was the plan. He also didn't have a flashlight and it was getting pretty dark. Either way made it out. I checked my OnX once back to the truck, 15 miles and 16 hours. It was an awesome day all in all. In a unit I'll probably never be able to mountain goat hunt again in my lifetime. He checked his goat in, 9.5 inches and 5-7 years old is what the biologist said. Best Billy he's seen in a couple of years
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Thanks for following along on the quick story of the mountain goat hunt I got to join in on. Needless to say I can't wait for the day I can hunt for them myself
