From our position at camp we figured it would take four or five hours climbing to reach the area the goats were using to feed in. Once we started our ascent we realized how totally wrong we were. The alder thickets and steepness of the terrain slowed our progress to a crawl and we spent eight hours just getting through the alders.Once we cleared them we still had another couple hours climb to where we were seeing the goats appear. We had only planned on hunting the day and returning back down to our camp that same evening. Because of this we had only brought a few essentials in our day packs some snacks, water and the clothes on our backs. There was no turning back at this point though. Even with the realization we would be spending the night on the mountain with no shelter or sleeping bags.
This is a view from the goat mountain of the valley we had followed coming in.
Soon after breaking out of the alders we spied a couple goats bedded high above us. We had to take a route that kept us hidden from them as we continued our climb up. When we reached some of the last remaining trees on the mountain we decided that would be the best place to spend the night. They were a low growing cedar that would block the wind somewhat and the dead branches could be used to make a fire . Before continuing on after the goats we must first find water though. Michael and Patrick went to look for some while I waited back by the cedars with our packs. The goats were starting to move from their bedding spots and one appeared on a ledge several hundred yards across the slope from me.
We each had a radio to keep in contact with one another and Michael soon called me to say that he and Patrick were pinned down by another goat that was in the rocks just above their position. That goat moved away out of sight and I made my way over to them. Michael and I climbed up towards where the goat had been while Patrick stayed back and glassed the area. As we were climbing up through the rocks the billy suddenly appeared again a hundred or so yards above us and had caught our movement. From his reactions I'm not sure he knew what we were though so we dropped from his view and put on some white painter's suits.
Our plan was to have Michael show himself as he walked away trying to look like a goat. In the mean time I would try to close the distance on the billy once Michael got his attention. It was a good plan and may have even worked if the billy hadn't already come looking for us instead. At sixty yards he must of known the two funny looking goats were up to no good and decided to move to higher ground.
There wasn't enough daylight left to chase after him so we went to find water and head back to where we intended to spend the night. It was dark when we reached the cedars and we gathered fire wood using our headlights. We used Patricks poncho to build a windbreak, divided up our remaining snacks and settled in for the night. I can't say it was all that comfortable but we survived and I at least got some much needed sleep.
When dawn came we could see the six billies feeding on the slope several hunred yards from us. There was no way to approach without being seen so all we could do was watch. As morning wore on they moved up into the cliffs around the North side of the mountain. We determined it was too steep and dangerous to go up after them there. Our only alternative would be to see if we could make it to a spot and set up an ambush when they came back down in the evening.
The trouble with that plan was we weren't even sure we could make it to the spot we had chosen for an ambush. Even if we could at the time the goats would be up and moving our scent would probably be blowing up hill towards them. The mountain side was bare except for a large rock that we hoped to hide behind and then we would need to have one of the billies walk by within bow range. We were out of food, low on water and would need to spend another night on the mountain in any event. Sometimes you need to know when its time to fold and this was one of them.
We gathered our gear and made our way back down the mountain. We took a different route than the one we had come up but it still took us over five hours to get back to the bottom. We were a tired, hungry and dejected hunting party by the time we made it back to camp.
Just as we had witnessed in the past the goats came out to feed on the slope that evening and were still there in the morning when we awoke. Safe from us at least and any other hunter in their right mind.
We broke camp and started our long two day journey back to civilization. We didn't get a goat on this trip but there is always next time. Besides that would have only been icing on the cake because we got to spend ten days in this country.
Topic: Back To British Columbia (Read 1293 times)
