Gettin goats!! Hill Country Bownanza!

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Congrats!!! Looks like  a real fun time.

[Littlefeather]

Morning hunt complete, I set my eyes to the hunts ahead. I'd go out with Mark Horne after I finished cleaning the goat.

   

Mark, Travis, and I headed back out to the canyon they had been in that morning. Towards the end of the ridge we could clearly hear goats below and on two sides of us. Travis dropped of one direction while I went the other. Mark would continue on the path he was on. We'd meet back up later. As the 2:00pm hour arrived the goats decided to play the silent game. They stopped all at once and wouldn't make another noise till the sun rose tomorrow. Needless to say, if they aren't making noise they are a needle in a hay stack. We returned to camp till things cooled off.

As 7:30pm rolled around I headed back out with my wife Debbie close by. We'd try and pick back up on the goats Travis and I failed to find earlier in the day. I suppose Debbie and I hiked several miles this evening but only saw goats on the opposite ridge. I deemed them unworthy of such an effort and we walked toward camp in the fading twilight. It had been a wonderful day!

[Roughcountry]

Great pics and stories        To hot for me, needs some snow on the ground.

I noticed CK is a expert packer, need to file that away for future reference  :D

[cjones]

Awsome hunt so far! Looks like a great place. Sent ya an email!

[Guru]

Most excellent my friend!! Congrats        

[Littlefeather]

Back at camp the other hunters were gathered and waiting on the pork ribs and fajitas to get finalized. One of the ranch owners was there and had never seen traditional bowmen. He was stoked the entire time and constantly there to try and please. He'd cranked up the Barby while we were out. It was a plesent suprise since I had set my sights on some lunch meat and bread when I got back. After a breif chat about goat sightings and the evening hunt we were in the sack early. Morning would bring about the last hunt and we'd head back into the "real world".

 Once again the alarm went off way too early! I got up to start the coffee and wake the sun. I was fired up about this mornings hunt since the goats seem to move from about 8:30 am till about 2:00pm. Morning hunts seem to be the ticket and I was once again ready to play. The game plan wasn't much different this morning than the last. Mark and Travis would take their respective canyons and I change locations by bailing off the canyon directly behind camp in the direction no one had gone yet. The Ranch owner had reagled me with tales of Audad living in this canyon, the steepest of all the canyons on the ranch. As I exited camp I had a short hike down a trail and across a gravel pad called "the pen area". As I crossed I could see a goat several hundred yards ahead. It looked to be the color of other goats I'd seen but its body language was very strange. Even while standing still the goat would constantly sway side to side. I picked up my optics and took a good look. I could never make out the head due to it being lowered to feed but I knew it wasn't a ram. Id swing far and wide, circling through thick brush to gain a good wind advantage. The goat was moving slow and I knew I'd catch her if the wind held. As I re entered the open area where I knew my prey to be I could no longer see her. I eased forward a little more and immediately catch movment to my right. I swing my bow instinctively into position and hit anchor. WAIT! What the hell is this critter????? I'm puzzled! I've never seen anything like this animal anywhere in Texas. I have got to have him for my mantle....... The Arrow Dynamic Carbon slammed the Sasquatch broadhead home with authority and my prey fell within 10 feet. I'd just topped my trophy list for this year. It was as great a trip as I could have ever asked for. Take a good look at the bow I'm shooting. That's "Hope" the right hand Rover Gal!

   

Now I just need to find a Taxidermist with spine proof hands. LOL!

[cjones]

CK, I hope your teaching hope some manners. I have her in Nov. for the whitetail rut! Box that thing up and send it to Curt! That boy seems to like a challenge..

Curt, If ya need someone to tag along, sign me up!!

[Horne's Archery]

The first morning found Travis and me standing at the top of a canyon, waiting for the break of day.  After a short wait I started hearing rocks move a short walk found me beside Travis overlooking a canyon wall full of goats.  A short plan split us up.  Travis was to sneak straight into the middle of the heard.  I was to go around and head them off as they moved up into the canyon.  My loop around the goats put me on a road that could be traveled a little easier as I came around a bend in the road there were 3 black buck does feeding.  After a short stalk I was about 30 yards but there was no way to get any closer.  It looked like the does were going to feed to me, then one threw her head up and they ran away.  So back to the goat hunt, I finished my wide loop to get in front of the goats as I was moving through the thick cedars I could hear a heard of goats moving up the side of the canyon.  In seconds I was in the middle of the heard there were 25 to 30 goats all around me within 15 yards.  No shots in the thick brush so the goats started to move off and I followed and came to an opening where I could see goats funneling through a big brown billie stepped up at about 25 yards.  The shoot looked good just as I released a black nannie stepped in front of me and the arrow went right over her back and disappeared with the billie.  The goats all ran off so I went to look for my arrow and there it was unscathed.  Just as I found my arrow and realized that I had missed my goat I heard a goat go to bellering.  After shooting goats I knew what had just happened someone had just shot a goat.  I went back to camp to meet up with Curtis and Travis and to regroup.

Mark

[JC]

Thanks for the continued tales guys. That's cool Curtis, never seen a porcupine in the woods around here.

[nonose]

Great story,Great animals. I have hunted west of Del Rio near the Devils river ,talk about tough hunting. Trashwood those 4 horned goats you talked about are actually sheep,They are known as Jacobs rams ,these are the sheep talked about in the bible.

[NorthShoreLB]

What,....they need workers on that ranch ?


super thread CK

[Steve H.]

Curtis,

The ranch manager at Sanderson told me that the deal was $50 a day and I had to kill every porcupine I saw.  I did find and kill one down there.

[SDTrad]

This hunt was a dream come true.  Steep hills, deep canyons and WILD goats every where you look.  We all had shots on some nice goats, but Curtis was the only one that could connect.  I walked the first canyon all the way to the end thinking that i would be able to see some more goats, but it seemed that they all had moved up top.  Met up with Mark and Curtis and headed out again to another canyon that looked good.  I jumped one goat that I never got a look at, but it was exciting just the same.  All in all this hunt was definitly a great weekend that I was not expecting.

   Travis

[Huntschool]

Curtis:

Gotta love them AD shafts and Sasquatch heads...  they "get er done"

Great hunt.  When ya get this one up and running will clients be able to hunt in the fall and early spring?

[Littlefeather]

Yes!

[Joseph]

Looks like a lot of fun!  I just have to interject something here.  I don't know about the Texas Juniper but Montana Juniper makes a very good bow.  It will need to be sinew backed but once it is it will make a wicked little recurve.  It was Ishi's first choice for making bows.  I think you Texas bowyers might be missing out.      Joseph

[Huntschool]

We'll talk.

I am going to be in the San Antonio area Aug. 15-18.  I'll PM ya and perhaps we can get together.

[Littlefeather]

I'll tie up a pig for ya. CK

[Van/TX]

Guess a possum recipe would work for porkypine.  Anyone tried it?    ....Van

[TimBow2]

good thread.........    any more pic's?????????