Mountain Goat Recovery Mission

[AKSandman]

Who here has had to do a technical goat/sheep recovery? Talking full on ropes, harnesses, haul systems, etc.
How’d it turn out? What’s the story?

 

[miloak]

Best advice I ever read - don't take ropes, you might be tempted to use them.

Following this thread, could be an interesting read.

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[Mykolaivka887]

Best advice I ever read - don't take ropes, you might be tempted to use them.

Following this thread, could be an interesting read.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That's certainly a true statement.

 

[AKSandman]

Best advice I ever read - don't take ropes, you might be tempted to use them.

Following this thread, could be an interesting read.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

What is “wrong” with using a mountaineering setup? Can you expound on why you believe it is a bad idea?

 

[miloak]

What is “wrong” with using a mountaineering setup? Can you expound on why you believe it is a bad idea?

Lack of knowledge and/or skill in technical climbing possessed by me and quite likely most other hunters. At least I've never met another hunter that was also a technical climber.

You will certainly do as you wish and I wish you the best of luck.

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[BAKPAKR]

Here is a link to a thread about a recovery mission:

Goat recovery on a rope...

Since we are rolling into the offseason here and Randy and Wllm’s goat hunts are fresh reminders that goats live in some terrible spots I thought this adventure I had a couple of years ago could be some good entertainment, I feel like there's lots of speculation about "that spot is so bad you...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[woods89]

Here is a link to a thread about a recovery mission:

Goat recovery on a rope...

Since we are rolling into the offseason here and Randy and Wllm’s goat hunts are fresh reminders that goats live in some terrible spots I thought this adventure I had a couple of years ago could be some good entertainment, I feel like there's lots of speculation about "that spot is so bad you...

www.hunttalk.com

That thread is a great read.

 

[Nick Muche]

 

[AKSandman]

Lack of knowledge and/or skill in technical climbing possessed by me and quite likely most other hunters. At least I've never met another hunter that was also a technical climber.

You will certainly do as you wish and I wish you the best of luck.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks for clarifying your thought process. I would say that the sentiment of not doing something that you are not skilled/knowledgeable in is pretty universal. That being said, for the folks that are avid climbers/mountaineers/high angle rescue types, etc and hunt, what gear have you brought along? Static lines and some basic hardware?

 

[AKSandman]

View attachment 380963

What’s the story? Looks like the picture doesn’t tell the whole tale!

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Hunter & climber here ... A buddy's trophy pitched off a cliff and got stuck in a big crack half way down the wall. A little bit of repelling and the horns were recovered. Well worth the effort but not fast enough to save meat. Usually they just plummet to the bottom and get picked up in pieces. Otherwise the critters I hunt generally don't live in 4th/5th class stuff. Maybe one of those white goats would.

Climbers don't like to post their goat/sheep pictures 'cuz they think WKR's have time to surf "The Proj" looking for trophies.

Climbers and hunters have different opinions for "steep" and "inaccessible". Usually while hunting there is a less-direct way to get around rather than up something that needs gear to protect. I like how in the Goat Recovery on a Rope post linked above that GrantK nonchalantly says "We decided that as the terrain was steep, but not steep enough to easily haul the goat up whole that the easiest way to get it to the top would be to skin and quarter it where we were". Inaccessible transformed into "best if we quartered it here."

I just toss another pack in the truck if there's a chance of getting in some good climbing. The need for climbing gear while hunting is so remote though that it stays in the truck while actually hunting. Found some great obscure bouldering while hunting, and some rocky peaks I'd like to try someday. My hunting seasons are too short to waste that time climbing for fun though. Gotta focus.

I don't shoot game that is camped out on the wrong side of a property line. I'm wondering if I'd feel the same if it was in a difficult-to-get-to spot. I sure wouldn't want to slide into that pond in the background of the picture @Nick Muche posted above. Notice that the climber is not tied into the rope (crampons maybe), the goat is getting dragged up the hill.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Thanks for clarifying your thought process. I would say that the sentiment of not doing something that you are not skilled/knowledgeable in is pretty universal. That being said, for the folks that are avid climbers/mountaineers/high angle rescue types, etc and hunt, what gear have you brought along? Static lines and some basic hardware?

A pitch of 9.5 mm kermantile, harness, figure eight and 4 locking beeners

 

[Grisha]

"Climbers and hunters have different opinions for "steep" and "inaccessible"." I'm not an expert on goat hunting so I'm just commenting from the standpoint of technical climbing.This is a good thing in my opinion - you can die on a way less than technical terrain. If you have to go down on a rappel that likely means at a minimum you have to top rope back up - bad idea if you don't know what you are doing from start to finish (like setting safe protection). Its harder if you have to lead, this could be mixed rock and ice. Lastly if you are going to go after a downed animal in a really bad spot, you probably need to treat it like a big wall climb with a haul bag. Most climbers don't know how to do that either.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

"Climbers and hunters have different opinions for "steep" and "inaccessible"." I'm not an expert on goat hunting so I'm just commenting from the standpoint of technical climbing.This is a good thing in my opinion - you can die on a way less than technical terrain. If you have to go down on a rappel that likely means at a minimum you have to top rope back up - bad idea if you don't know what you are doing from start to finish (like setting safe protection). Its harder if you have to lead, this could be mixed rock and ice. Lastly if you are going to go after a downed animal in a really bad spot, you probably need to treat it like a big wall climb with a haul bag. Most climbers don't know how to do that either.

Exactly. Who in their right mind would want to carry cams, wedges, slings, webbing and 11 mm up a freaking goat mountain ....

 

[BBob]

Chuck Adams and his sheep guide used ropes to get to and recover his AZ desert sheep many years ago. If I'm not mixing things up I believe that was on the Hualapai reservation. His technique looks a little sketchy though

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yep, he did it on the Hualapai Reservation in 1990. I believe that ram completed his Super Slam.

 

[Bighorse]

I've carried some gear while sheep and goat hunting. Two situations ive found myself and partner in that rope is helpful for safety
Gear ( 20-50m static or dynamic line, Webbing for anchor or harness, locking device, Caribiner or two, )
One is a approaching and navigating risky cliffs to maintain stealth or just get to a bench or zone that maintains the stalk. Think small cliffs. Glaciated high country produces stuff like this often. It's protection in small spots that are traversable but risky.
Two is descending with a heavy load and dropping packs. The terrain when light is feasible but death inducing when humping a meat and trophy load.

I guess a third consideration is traversing something with slide potential.....If in a team the lead can get across (high risk) lay a line and the second man can have some protection.

The point is, I'm not a climber. I'm a hunter maintaining safety while completing high risk maneuvers in unknown terrain. I don't always scout and don't have guides so I find spots that are indeed dangerous and have the tools. I keep this kit light but it's still a bundle.

 

[AKSandman]

"Climbers and hunters have different opinions for "steep" and "inaccessible"." I'm not an expert on goat hunting so I'm just commenting from the standpoint of technical climbing.This is a good thing in my opinion - you can die on a way less than technical terrain. If you have to go down on a rappel that likely means at a minimum you have to top rope back up - bad idea if you don't know what you are doing from start to finish (like setting safe protection). Its harder if you have to lead, this could be mixed rock and ice. Lastly if you are going to go after a downed animal in a really bad spot, you probably need to treat it like a big wall climb with a haul bag. Most climbers don't know how to do that either.

100% agree that hunters and climbers have two different definitions of steep/inaccessible...