Montana Mountain goat Hunting Trip **SUCCESS** page 2

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

After a quick morning hunt we packed up all our gear and had to drop over 1000 feet and then climb up over 1200 feet to get into our predetermined basin.  We were fogged in and rained on all day during our journey.  Luckily just as we found a place to camp the rain stopped.  Unfortunately that is because it turned to snow!  We set up camp and when our fingers were froze we got a fire going to warm up! No easy task. The next morning we were up early and ready to go. We headed up the hill to a little lake to get water.  Unfortunately the fog set in and we returned to camp to wait it out.  That lasted til after noon.  We finally got to hunt and explore our new basin. Seeing goats wasn’t that tough but many were in inaccessible places where a goat would be lost even if you could shoot one.

[glenbo]

Quite the season for you so far. Looking forward to more and thanks for sharing.

[durp]

Awsome year so far  ...

[GCook]

Yowsers!  That's just fault crazy they do that.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Day 3 and 4 were much the same , exploring all of the country we could within a couple miles of camp. I did follow one Billy up into the cliffs and had him cross above me at 100 yards. The weather broke and we were getting beautiful days and nights. Day 5 was beautiful and we headed up to the lake to fill up. I was glassing the cliffs and spotted a goat across from camp on a ridge we had not yet seen a goat on.  We quickly set up the spotter as the sun was soon to blind us to the east.  In the quick look we got we were confident it was a Billy. With a quick discussion on flagging me in and where my partner would be., we quickly split up and the stalk was on….

[Steve Clandinin]

My days of crawling through that beautiful country are long gone ,but through people like yourself and your willing to share makes old fellas like myself so grateful of your generosity ,we live thru our past adventures and continue through your kindness ,thanks ever so much for sharing and wish you the best of times.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

The goat was maybe a half mile off but i would have to drop through a little canyon and climb at least 1000 vertical feet to get around the backside of the group of rocks he was on. It seemed to take a long time and it seemed like the goat was bedded in the perfect spot to see the whole world.  Finally I was on the backside of the ridge and out of sight. I still had a half mile to get to where he was. It was a beautiful morning and I could see goats in far off basins and on ridges.  Amazing land…. As I started my final ascent to get up behind him I took several minutes for a granola bar and a bottle of water. Finally I climbed up through the rocks to where I thought I needed to be. I looked across the valley and my partner flagged me left. I went left and he flagged me right.  Soon he flagged me straight down   The wind was cranking so being quiet was easy.  I peaked over the rocks and saw the goat bedded at 40. I snapped a picture then dropped to my right and started descending.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

This was the first time all week we saw a goat in a stalkable spot and I didn’t want to mess it up. I got to about 20 yards and ran out of terrain I could navigate. I was  really hoping to get to ten yards.  I peaked over and the goat was standing looking downhill away from me.  It was a decent shot but the wind was so hard.  My clothes were flapping. I waited for the wind to slow and for whatever reason he turned right and walked right below me. Dropping down a few feet lower. I leaned over the cliff and came to full draw.  The goat looked straight up at me. I let it fly and saw the arrow smack the goat high in the shoulder. The goat blasted off the cliffs and I immediately saw a red spot growing low on the other side of his chest. This is where the real rodeo began!

[J. Cook]

What a great story so far!!!

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

So the goat bailed off the cliffs into the valley below camp. More mule deer country than goat country. He ran for 400 yards and disappeared in a patch of trees only to run out of that one into another patch. I knew I likely only had a single lung hit due to the angle and how far the goat went. For the next 3 hours my hunting partner and I went side to side on our respective hills and tried to find the goat. It stood out like a sore thumb while running but now was gone. Finally I decided to go take a peak. About then I saw my buddy flagging me again. The wind was still cranking so I slowly worked down the slope. Soon I saw the goat much further than I would have guessed.  Still standing.. I crept up to 25 yards, as close as cover allowed. Here is where buck fever set in. I waited until the goat looked downhill and took a steep quartering shot.  My arrow went high and the goat went straight through the goats head.  He blasted out of there and I was sick to my stomach! My only hope was my partner could see where he went….

[rastaman]

Trying to work but keep coming back to your story!  Beautiful pics and country!

[pdk25]

Great hunt and season so far.  Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

The goat was out of sight in 30 yards from me but I knew my partner should be able to keep tabs on him for at least a half mile.  I walked and glassed and walked and glassed and finally had to head back to camp to find my partner and my dog who was with him.  I got back and they were in camp and had watched the goat run a long ways down the valley. Never gaining elevation. I was whooped. We are a good meal and went to bed with a plan to stay on our ridge in the morning and follow it as far as we could glassing every new angle and spot.  The next morning was bright and cold and we worked our way down hearing elk  and seeing goats.  Spirits were high and we were hopeful. After seeing a couple goats on the way down we finally spotted him!  Bedded across the canyon in some old fire burned criss cross timber.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

I watched him for a couple hours and made a plan. I have never been so nervous to make a stalk. I knew I had to succeed. It took me a couple hours to loop around and come in from above.  I stopped and swapped strings to one with goat wool silencers from the goat I found dead on my scouting trip. I shot a few Judo tips and took some deep breaths. I got above where the goat was a drank a water and ate half a sandwich.  I slowly began working down through the timber with my budding flagging me straight down. Nothing looked the same!  I had no idea how far down the goat was when I saw him flick a ear like 20 yards away!! The wind was swirly and I quickly dumped my pack, nocked a arrow and kept creeping forward. There could be no 3 rd mistake. At ten yards the goat sensed something and stood up. It turned to leave and I drove a treeshark through its front shoulder .  He ran twenty yards and looked back. I hit him again with a Safari head. 15 more yards he was down!!! RELIEF!!

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Final stalk.  Kind of

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Finally

[Wudstix]

Nice goat (antelope)
 

[TIM B]

Great story and pics are awesome. 
Congrats and thanks for the share
Tim B

[Roy from Pa]

Awesome, congrats Chris..

[cacciatore]

Congrats for your hard earned goat and an impressive fall