Post by: The Ursus on April 08, 2003, 02:48:00 PM
So who's been hunting for them? Who's planning a hunt? Who has stories? Let's get this topic rolling!!
The Ursus
Post by: Dirteater on April 08, 2003, 08:40:00 PM
Ursus, could you give us some ideas on what time of gear is necessary for a goat hunt?
Chip Cavin
Post by: Dirteater on April 08, 2003, 08:44:00 PM
Post by: Charlie Lamb on April 09, 2003, 12:41:00 AM
Post by: Steve O on April 09, 2003, 08:03:00 AM
I don't think young has anything to do with it. Sense just starts to creep in. I (34) hunted sheep last year. I decided I probably wasn't going to goat hunt after that. The terrain they hang out in is plain SCARY compared to the sheep mountains.
Post by: The Ursus on April 09, 2003, 03:29:00 PM
The goat in my pic. was my first and was taken last fall. My hunting partner, Chris Fannin (AKA juneaulongbow), and I put a lot of time and effort into researching the terrain with satelite photos and topos. Once we found a place that looked doable (safe), we did some glassing from salt water in our aluminum skiff, scouring the mountainsides for white spots durring the summer before season started. We located a large band of around twenty and figured that would be a good place to start. We blazed a trail to 2000ft where we stashed some provisions including a large tarp, 1 gal camp gas, canned food and nylon cord in a dry bag tied way up in a tree (we made two trips). That would be our camp once season started in late fall. All that to say, we put a lot of effort into making it a successful hunt way ahead of time.
All the rumors you may have heard about what a physically demanding sport it is, are true. We did our share of sweating up the mountain. As far as dangerous? Yes, but take a good dose of common sense with you and you'll be fine. The mountians of Southeast Alaska can be down right slick. I'm taking crampons from now on, snow or no snow. Some of my friends use ice axes for pulling themselves up hill and they double as walking sticks when comming back down, especially with a heavy load. Wool, fleece and Gore Tex are the rule. Don't skimp on quality gear. Some really like the plastic boots (Koflach) but I haven't tried them yet. I've got a pair of super rigid Meindles that are good. Those are some of the basics.
Based on my experience, goats have very good eye sight. Sound and scent control are not nearly as critical. Get above them and come down on them, they are less weary about things uphill (it still pays to be sneaky). Once they have you spotted from up above (say within a few hundred yards) they won't take their eyes off of you. Seldom do they bolt, but when they do they either walk away or slowly trott to another location. I've yet to see one run very fast. Before the snow hits they are usually pretty easy to spot. Often it's like spotting a golf balls on the green. The trick is getting to them.
I took my goat near Lynn Canal north of Juneau (look on the map). There are goats on nearly all the peaks in the area. Unfortunaly, you need a guide in Alaska unless you have a family member who lives here to take you. There are a lot of outfitters in BC but make sure you check out the guides here in southeast too. I think we have some of the BEST goat hunting opportunities around!! Also, you don't need to worry about drawing a tag here like you would in Colorado or Idaho.
Post by: Dirteater on April 09, 2003, 08:52:00 PM
Chip Cavin
Post by: juneaulongbow on April 11, 2003, 04:59:00 PM
Post by: AkDan on April 11, 2003, 09:48:00 PM
I see you have hooked up with Steve H. Give him a hard time for me ;) ! I am his sheep pard up in Fairbanks. Hoping to hook up with yall either this spring when I go out with him for brownies (if possible due to work), and when the time comes for goats, quite possibly this fall. Work will be the tell all!
I have a couple pics up on webshots. They are small however as I kinda screwed them up when going from our old computer to the new one (shrunk them to small). Got some pics from Steve too I would like to get on there. Figured now that you are in ak, we can get yaz drewling over the rest of the state :D !
Later,
Dan
http://community.webshots.com/user/lilhunter007
ps.
the first shot I am holding up a sheep tooled arm guard a good pard in Tn made for me! I dont have any close ups of it on the new computer but that ram is almost a spittn image of the ram he tooled.
Post by: TrapperJohn on April 11, 2003, 10:04:00 PM
Post by: AkDan on April 13, 2003, 02:56:00 AM
Hopefully we can get you up here for a bou hunt. You need to get MSN up so we can start chatting more and get it set up. That or email more often. Got a sheep hunt set up for august and will be back 22/23rd. There is some time there. I might however end up in a guide camp for moose right after that hunt till mid to late october. Still unsure and it's really going to depend on the summer work I end up with.
As per the storys, I gotta watch what I post. I am thinking of maybe writing something for one of the magazines. My only concern is nothing is on slides, everything is regular stuff. Plus I need some serious help editing. I never said english was my first language lol.
You saw the bou story I wrote right? I was thinking of adding it to the storys here along with the photos (after some serious editing of course).
Post by: Steve H. on April 14, 2003, 12:11:00 PM
On my most recent goat hunt the grassy slopes were the real dangerous spots. You start slidding and it is tuff to get back in control and start sliding over rocks and towards cfliff edges! That is SCARRY!
Will have to review adding pics to these posts.
Post by: Rick McGowan on April 17, 2003, 01:02:00 PM
Post by: BenP on April 26, 2003, 09:57:00 PM
Stevie, clear that spare room out, I'm movin' in.
Post by: Rick McGowan on April 27, 2003, 10:06:00 AM
!["[laffsmyl]"]("graemlins/laffsmyl.gif" "\"\"")
RicMic
Post by: Steve H. on April 27, 2003, 12:33:00 PM
Post by: Rick McGowan on April 27, 2003, 01:55:00 PM
:bigsmyl: RicMic
Post by: Terry Green on July 09, 2003, 09:05:00 AM
Post by: Jason Hansen on July 22, 2010, 05:45:00 PM
Post by: ozy clint on July 22, 2010, 07:16:00 PM
i'm planning on doing a pack in, pack out hunt for them next may/june. they are every bit the equal of a mt goat.
they are one of my ultimate goals. cheap too, for the cost of a plane flight to New Zealand and food i can hunt tahr. sheep and mt goats in north america are out of my league cost wise so tahr fits the bill very nicely!
Post by: Jason Hansen on July 22, 2010, 10:54:00 PM
Post by: Ragnarok Forge on July 23, 2010, 01:28:00 PM
The even worse thing for me is driving up the Gorge and seeing full curl Bighorn Rams standing 50 yards from the freeway watching traffic. They are in a closed hunting area for Bighorns and the big boys are often surrounding by 10 to 20 other rams. Fun to see but tough on a hunter with no options to go after them.
Post by: Sharpend60 on July 25, 2010, 02:26:00 PM
Thought it would be fun to combine hunting and climbing, both of which I really enjoy.
I was thinking you could rig fixed lines and repel to some nasty areas.
A decent climber could gain access to nearly anywhere.
Post by: MountainTool21 on July 25, 2010, 10:18:00 PM
Post by: MountainTool21 on July 25, 2010, 10:20:00 PM
Post by: wapiti792 on July 25, 2010, 10:48:00 PM
Post by: robertson on July 26, 2010, 04:35:00 AM
Great post and the mountain goat deserve it.
Post by: Steve H. on July 26, 2010, 04:57:00 PM
Post by: weedwacker on August 18, 2010, 01:11:00 PM
Post by: Tracks on August 26, 2010, 12:13:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Sharpend60:Yeah, I think there is something to this... except that the rock can be awfully chossy in goat/sheep country. I think that those with a climbing background are a lot more comfortable in the hills though, and more in tune with their climbing abilities and limitations.
Ive always wanted to hunt mountain goats.
Thought it would be fun to combine hunting and climbing, both of which I really enjoy.
I was thinking you could rig fixed lines and repel to some nasty areas.
A decent climber could gain access to nearly anywhere.
Since moving to Cordova, AK, I've started carrying a half rope, crampons, ice axe, webbing, and biners around on day hikes. It's amazing how steep, wet, and slippery it is in these parts! And now that I'm an AK resident, I can really start scheming about sheep and goat hunts, can't wait!