Belated mtn goat hunt story and pics

[Wengerd Bowyer]

First of all let me say I don't post much.....basically I just don't have time.  I love coming on here and reading everyone else's hunting stories, but never find the time to post my own.  this time I decided I would make time, especially because it was such a rare hunt and I got a lot of tips and advise on where and how from some of you on this site. A big thanks to all of you who answered my pm's and posts!!!!!  
Anyway I found out this spring i drew a mtn goat tag for southern Montana. To say I was excited would be a understatement. I could hardly sleep the next night......literally!  My first thought was I really wanted to get one with my bow, so I decided to hunt the first 2 weeks with a bow then decide what I would do from there.
At first I was thinking I might be going solo because it didn't look like it would suite my brothers or cousins due to work obligations. My dad said he wouldn't go because he was sure he would slow me down to much. Finally after pressing the issue for a while he said he would go with me for the first week at least. As it worked out one of my cousins was able to go too.
Two days before the season opened I left Colorado to meet my dad and cousin in southern Montana to start hiking in the next day.

[Wengerd Bowyer]

We got to the trail head and started packing and finally left around 2 in the afternoon. Kind of a late start especially because none of us had ever been in this area before, but I felt confident we would be able to make it to our camp site before dark.
I moved from northwest Montana to southern Colorado about 5 years ago so it's been about that long since I've hunted with my dad. And he was a little slower then normal due to a foot injury a few years back and few other things but he did great.
We took are time going in enjoying the scenery and glassing for goats as we went.
 
 
As we were coming up on the last ridge from camp we spotted a group of goats which got us really exicted because they were only a 1/2 mile from where we were going to camp

[BenM]

Thanks for sharing.  Can't wait for the rest

[Wengerd Bowyer]

We set up camp in the dark, got a bite to eat and hit the sack for the morning hunt.

Here is a picture of camp the first morning
 
The next morning I was up before daylight to eat breakfast and start glassing at first light.
So before I go any farther let me just say my goal was to shot any mature goat with my recurve. I talked with the biologist and she said the population was really good and they were hoping some tag holders would take some nannys to balance the herd a little. So I decided with my bow I would shoot a dry nanny if given the opportunity even the first day. One of my motto's is "don't pass up something the first day that you would shoot the last day"
My plan for the first morning was to try and find a lone billy to stalk If I was unable to find a lone billy I would watch the group from the night before and see if they get into a place I could stalk into

[Mark Baker]

About time you told this story!    

[Wengerd Bowyer]

After glassing the area and only finding another nanny with kid I decided to focus on the group of goats from the night before.
In this group was 11 goats, 3 nannys with kids, 1 sub adult, and 4 adult goats w/o kids. Of those 4 I think 2 were young - mid aged billys....honestly it was hard for me to tell. At any rate any one of those 4 goats was what i was going for.
After watching them for awhile they fed over a little ridge and into an area that was much better for stalking. Now all I had to do was get past the other nanny with kid and I would be in a good position to close the distance on the target group.

[Wengerd Bowyer]

Ya I know Mark.....Thanks a ton for all your help!!!

[Jayrod]

[Wengerd Bowyer]

So we set off to see if we could get it done. Me with my bow and Caleb (my cousin) following close behind with a camcorder. As we snuck past the first goat and peeked over the ridge we spotted white about 80 yards down the hill in a perfect position for a stalk. I was almost speechless I couldn't believe we found goats in such a stalkable situation on the first morning, but it wasn't over yet I told myself.
There was 4 goats bedded on a small bench and the rest where scattered on down the hill. The only thing between me and the goats was a clump of small bushes. With the wind steady in my face I knew my chances were really good if they just stay bedded long enough for me to get to those bushes. I took my boots off and after 15 minutes or so of scooting down the hill I was within 30 yards or so of 2 of the goats that I was after. They were broadside but bedded so I decided to wait till they stand to take my shot. The cliffs were to close, I wanted a good clean shot so I have less chance of lossing my goat in the cliffs. After 10-15 minutes a mature goat stood up about 60 yards down the hill and started working its way up the towards the other goats and me. I watched it as it came up and it looked like a big goat but I couldn't tell for sure if it was a nanny or billy although I was thinking big nanny. At any rate it had no kids following all the way up the hill and it had a big patch of winter hair on it's side that I had marked in my head from earlier glassing that confirmed this was one of the goats I was after. It fed up to the other goats then kept feeding up the hill! All the while facing me I had no shot! I was starting to thinks it's getting to close because I was lossing cover the more it came the hill. Finally at 12 yards it turned just a little but enough to give me a shot I felt comfortable with at that range. Before I could think the arrow had found it's mark and the goat ran down the hill then stopped again at 45- 50 yards and looked back. I knew it was dead on it's feet but one thing i've learned is no matter how good the shot looked you always shoot again if given the chance, but being so excited i shot right over it's back it then ran over a little ridge and rolled down the hill on the other side.

If it hadn't been for this lone rock in this chute it would have kept rolling for a long long ways!!  Thank you Lord for that rock!!  The picture doesn't near do justice to how steep it was.
 

[Wengerd Bowyer]

Caleb and I were able to get it back up on the ridge for pictures which was great.
54#@27" recurve  250gr cutthrout broadhead on easton axis arrow total weight 540gr
 
 

[Wengerd Bowyer]

It ended up being a 9 year old nanny with 9 1/4" horns.  I'm very thankful for the opportunity to hunt these amazing animals, and the fact that my dad was able to go along on this hunt really topped it all off for this one in a lifetime hunt. I do alot of solo elk hunting but there is something special to sharing a hunt with friends.
Here is a pic of the whole crew. Me on the left, dad in the middle, and Caleb on the right.
 

[Wengerd Bowyer]

The pack back to camp
 

We moved camp about 40 yards to get out of the wind for the next night.
 

[Wengerd Bowyer]

packed up for the haul out. 100Ib
 
 

[Wengerd Bowyer]

The view back to the truck
 
Back in the woods again
 

[JakeD]

What a great story!  That's some beautiful scenery and a great animal.  Congratulations.

[ksbowman]

Great story and great hunt! Congrats on a goat, I'd love to do that but, I'll not live long enough to draw.

[BenM]

Great story congrats!

[Wengerd Bowyer]

Tagging out early does have its advantages, not only did I get to visit family up in MT and get to go home early to the wife and kids. I was able get a little elk hunting in before the season closed.  I was on a solo bivy hunt, but the elk just weren't talking so I kept going farther back in till I finally got into elk. Long story short I got a young bull over 9 miles from the truck....Thank God for good friends with backs and packs!!
 

[Joeabowhunter]

What a fantastic hunt!  Congratulations.

[Big Ed]

Well done, congrats on a fine animal !