Mountain Goat Anchoring

[Hackleback]

To answer the OP's question, yes, I watched my brother drop his billy with a 45-70 (Marlin Guide Gun), Rem Core-loct 300sp (if I remember correctly). Shot was about 120 yards, hit behind the shoulder and dropped at the shot, DRT. We recovered the bullet on the far shoulder just under the skin.

Think I punched it through the shoulders with a Rem 405 sp and a brisk load of 4895. To anchor, either hit cns or break the running gear. I’d opt to try to break both front legs/shoulders.

 

[slvrslngr]

Think I punched it through the shoulders with a Rem 405 sp and a brisk load of 4895. To anchor, either hit cns or break the running gear. I’d opt to try to break both front legs/shoulders.

I'll defer to you on this one as I was a bit oxygen deprived on that hunt and my memory may be a bit compromised.

 

[156821]

I have taken 2 goats, one with a high shoulder hit and the other a neck shot. Both 30 cal 180grn nosler ballistic tip. Both were complete pass through, and both took a major fall off a cliff face. One was 40 yards and the other was 420.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I used a 308 with a 165g accubond. This year I’ll be using a 300wm with a 200g partition.

 

[slimbo]

The only 99 percent reliable way to stop your goat from rolling off a cliff is not to shoot them on the edge of a cliff. Otherwise all bets are off.

 

[andegreg]

Great info. Just drew my first Mt. Goat tag and am super excited about this fall!!! Thanks for all the good info.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I shot mine with a .300 Win Mag . 212 ELD-X traveling at 3096 FPS. 340 yards. I know this bullet is controversial and would most likely react different at the ranges in discussion but it worked really well for me. Boom-Flip. Rolled about 20 yards darn hill without a twitch. No meat loss

Watch from the 15 min mark to 15:30.

Nice goat, nice video. At that angle, how far back did the bullet exit?

 

[swampthing]

The high shoulder shot with a soft explosive type bullet is your best bet for a "drop right there" shot.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Ive seen goats limp on three legs with one shoulder broken in half from a .30-06. Bullet didnt make it to the lung through the first shot. when it couldn't limp anymore, it dragged itself off a buttress.

deep penetrating 30 cal round through the shoulder when it covers the vitals (not stretched out forward) should do it. A second shot double lung should close it down.

Goats are nimble even after kill shots if they stay on their feet. Breaking shoulders and leg bones first followed by definitive lung shot is my goal.

Goat meat is bad enough tasting (chew factor) so bleeding out the muscles before death vs a spine shot death will offer better eating experience, IMO.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Goat meat is bad enough tasting (chew factor) so bleeding out the muscles before death vs a spine shot death will offer better eating experience, IMO.

I have to respectfully disagree Larry. Goat meat is our families absolute favorite wild game, period. Of the 10 or so goats that I've had the pleasure to help consume, not a one was even remotely bad, or tough for that matter.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

My exclamation was on spine-shot goat meat that didn't bleed out before death.

I love the flavor of goat meat, but not blood-rich meat from goats shot in the spine vs lung shot.

 

[AKDoc]

I always appreciate your perspectives lb and AKTb....and I echo your 30cal reference lb.

We've taken three goats between my son, daughter and I...and man has the meat quality varied in taste and toughness. I'm very mindful and truly practice responsible meat recovery/care in the field, and the wx/temperatures/field-hanging durations were pretty comparable across the three, so those were not likely the variables. The degree of bleed-out from the kills across the three did vary. I'm not sure if that and other factors was it, but it's a reasonable variable to consider, perhaps especially true with goat meat quality and taste? One goat was so damned tough it was an exhausting mastication muscles work-out at each meal (I'm exaggerating just a bit...but not entirely!). It's interesting though because I've head shot my last 6 or so moose, and those have been consistently awesome.

 

[BCJR]

300 wm /wsm and up for me from now on . I shot one with an 06 and a 168 gr vld at 150 yards . He was shot in the front shoulder and in the hips and still drug himself off the edge. I know people kill them with arrows but my experiences have shown they are some of the toughest critters around.

 

[Bighorse]

Shoot them on the flat snowy ice field on top of the mountain, then run up to them and lasso the anchor line.
CNS impact for locations that demand incapacitation. The mentioned point that their spinous process and spinal canal drop lower is important. If you impact a goat high on the forward chest it's gonna move and follow up shots are likely. If you can afford for the animal to move on the terrain, then standard big game hunting rules apply.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Yeah boys, as you know meat "quality and taste" is entirely subjective. I believe we are individual experts on preferences that suit us, and science only takes you so far in the taste-blame game.

In the end, a recovered trophy is A+ table fare...only some taste better than others.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I'm curious whether there is a nanny vs billy preference where either sex can be harvested? I'd hunt more goat if I could expect less chewy meat. Because we can, this year we're planning to harvest a small billy or a nanny for the meat. I haven't quite resolved the female harvest dilemma yet though.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I'm curious whether there is a nanny vs billy preference where either sex can be harvested? I'd hunt more goat if I could expect less chewy meat. Because we can, this year we're planning to harvest a small billy or a nanny for the meat. I haven't quite resolved the female harvest dilemma yet though.

I've never shot a nanny, but I have had a little meat from one that my buddy shot, and my son killed a 3 year old nanny several years ago, and they've all been great table fare. I don't know if I would be able to tell the difference or not. Here's an interesting story, back in '16 I killed a billy on my first day of hunting and had hopes of getting off the island a little early to get the meat taken care of and in the freezer. Well, that didn't happen. A big storm rolled in and I ended up having to stay several days longer than planned. It stormed non stop for 5 days, with very strong winds and rain, and one day Kodiak received the most rain it had ever recorded in a 24 hour period (over 6" I believe). During that 5 days, pretty much everything I had succumbed to the rain. The goat meat stayed wet almost the entire time, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Even though the temps were in the 30's and low 40's, and it was only rain water, I thought for sure that the meat was going to be ruined. Long story short, that goat ended up being some of the tastiest meat we have ever had. It was absolutely wonderful and not a bit of it went to waste.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

thats awesome. we're looking forward to goat country already.

 

[AK Troutbum]

You and me both brother, just booked this year‘s hunt yesterday.


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[SewardsFolly]

I hit mine right behind the shoulder with Nosler AccuBond in .270 140 gr. Started climbing so hit him again and shattered his shoulder, still climbed another 10 feet before I put a third in him and he finally gave out by leaping down a cliff I couldn't see. Thankfully his tumble wasn't more than a hundred yards or so and was pretty easily recovered. The first shot was great, those suckers are tough though.