Well, I have some time, so here is the story early!
I flew out on the 3rd, and arrived in Terrace B.C., got off the airplane and went to get my tags. My friend got a permit to accompany me earlier in the summer and had arranged a couple locations to possibly hunt. You can not hunt for 48 hours after buying your tags in BC so we kept ourselves busy salmon fishing and visiting. We hiked up our first mountain (thatI had been up in the past)and hunted for two days, goat were scarce and grizzly sign was not. Earlier in the summer a grizzly was seen chasing goats on this mountain. We did find several goats but they were more than safe from hunters as they were all set up to live on and not come off the steep crags in the area. We came down from the mountain and took several days to recover from the hike, the vegetation was so thick and high on our route up and down that for about 11/2 hours of the hike was pushing through the heavy vegetation and trying to climb at the same time (not fun). While taking time to recover, we were treated again to some great salmon fishing. The next mountain was one neither of us had been up before. The hike was uneventful until we poked our heads out of the treeline and found we were only 25 yards from a grizzly feeding on grass. We both responded (pepper spray). He ran the right way! (then we both responded cameras). In about another 200-300 yards of hiking past the first bear we saw yet another grizzly, this one being a real bruser but was over 300 yards away digging for pikas and napping. We sat and watchrd this grizzly for awhile and enjoyed the mountain vistas (but also discovered I forgot my bow glove down the mountain). As we hiked the platue, none of the ground looked to be goat country, we kept hiking to the next rise expecting the terrain to change, but it didn't. We stopped for a break and decided to head down, but there was one more last craggy rise to check out. On the hike over to the crag goat sign started to appear; tracks, scat, hair, diggings, etc. As we got to the crag I started down into a river gorge to see what I could see and my friend stayed on the top. As I got to a shelf I looked up to see my friend signal he spotted a goat. Back up I went to meet up with him. We prepared for the stock and started in on the location. At about 30 yards we could see there were 3 then 5 goats not one. We both attempted shots at the spooked goats but did not connect, we both shot and hit a rock (clump of shale) in front of the goat and them I over compensated over its back but both in good alignment. The goats dispersed and one started to make its way up the crag and back toward us. I picked up and moved to the top of the crag and inched over the edge. 20 yards facing away, as I stepped forward and came to full draw the goat turn broadside to look at me. The arrow went loose and struck him behind the rib cage angling forward (a little far back) before he even stepped blood was poring out, I gave the thumbs up but with a little hesitation. The goat was down in 50 yards or less luckily coming to rest on a shale bench just before no mans land.
We de-boned, caped and hiked it out. (A good liver shot). As I made it to the truck I was done, physical and mentally, emotionally.
I Shot this goat with my Chek-mate hunter recurve and bare fingers, I now sit and ponder how many people in the world have killed a Rocky Mountain Goat with a recurve?
Oh yeah, for you guys that are interested I have not laid a tape on this goat, other than to determine he has 9 inch horns.
What a week (10 days). This experience will be with me as are my previous 3 goat hunting trips.
I owe my friend TD Hunter(Allan) a lifetime of thanks and memories, and the experience would have not have been the same with anyone else.
Topic: British Columbia Mountain Goat Adventure full picture link added (Read 9701 times)
