Glorified goats?

Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
3,995
Location
Alaska
Excellent photos Adam, you and the wonder boy have had some great times in the mtns. I think goats are my favorite mountain specie only because there isn't a whole lot of pressure with picking one out to shoot. Sheep hunting is more of a mission and it differs from goat hunting in many ways. I'll do both annually as long as I can though!
 

BRWNBR

WKR
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
740
Those are some great pics! I concur with nick, Sheep and goat hunting are very different. Goats are great fun, lots of legal animals takes a lot of the pressure off. I’ve been blessed to hunt goats in several mountian areas here in Alaska and they have all been very different. From the wrangells to pws, western chugach and Kodiak. The terrain is all different. But the feeling of stepping above the brush line is amazing in all of them! Goat country is an amazing place. As beautiful as anyplace on a nice weather day and as inhospitable as any place when the weather hits the fan, the extremes are special.
Appreciate all the pictures guys!
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NMO

FNG
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
41
Location
British Columbia
I’ll echo what has been said already by goat hunters with much more experience than me. Such as Gregg (Troutbum). Goats to me, are the ultimate challenge. Especially solo. They live in environments that are typically steeper and much more wet then the other white critters folks go bonkers over.

-Don’t get me wrong, I love me some deep curling horns and yeller eye balls.

Being in the alpine is really what it’s all about for me. And the chase that goats offer is absolutely what fuels me. Here in AK, I do firmly believe they are the ultimate mountain specimen. When you’re able to spend some time with them and watch how carelessly they jaunt up and down sheer cliffs, at least for me, it puts them higher on the pedestal they already so elegantly perch themselves upon.

I’m certain there are places you speak of that offer no real “chase.” Which in that case I totally agree with the sporting and ethical stance you appeal to.

Half the battle here is simply catching a billy in country where 1. You have an opportunity to get at him. And 2. You will have the opportunity to retrieve him once that ethical shot is made.

A few years ago, I sat on a billy for a few days waiting for him to move into recoverable country...long story short, he never moved and weather pushed me out of there. Then BLAM immediate emergency closure due to the quota being met before I could ever get back in there. Frustrating, but that’s why we play the game!

From my corner of the world goat hunting is a true testament of a man’s grit and sack. There’s nothing better! Maybe I’ll get to try an “easy” one someday!

Here’s a photo dump from a few of my years.



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Great photos, tried to message you about something but your inbox is currently full.
 

npm352

WKR
Joined
Apr 18, 2018
Messages
450
That was in 2014. Was a few days before I started goat hunting in the neighboring unit. The hunter fell on the pack out. In my goat unit in 2014, a guy broke his leg and another ended up in ER.

On my AK hunt in 2009, every few hours the rescue jet chopper would scream overhead. I came back bruised and bloodied. At one point was hanging by one gloved hand 60' above boulders larger than my SUV. On the pack out, ended up on glacier then got boxed in as light faded so leapt over a crevasse by landing on the point of ice that was left when the crevasse cleaved a second time. Was tired physically and mentally so upon getting back to the Lower 48 I placed the leaping over a wide crevasse that was deep as the single stupidest thing I had done. Still is a decade later.

CO taking a breather as pushed up higher to the goats.
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AK on left, CO on right
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Cool mounts!

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TXCO

WKR
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
854
Everybody makes good points from hunting pressure to tag access to terrain. Bottom line, goats live on top of the world and get into the most gnarly country in the continent. There is nothing like watching a goat walk along a cliff that looks like it is rated class 5 rock climbing route.

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CTobias

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 19, 2018
Messages
180
Location
Alaska
I drew a really great goat tag this year. I don't want to wait too long to go in after it though, as you never quite know what the weather is going to do.
 

Jimss

WKR
Joined
Mar 6, 2015
Messages
2,074
Great posts guys! I've been fortunate to have been on many mtn goat and sheep hunts in both Alaska and Colorado. Goats live in spectacular high, alpine country. If anyone wants a challenge try backpacking Alaska coast goats where you have to bushwack through devil club jungle several miles to get to the treeline haunt of goats. To add to the challenge factor is weather. Many hours and days are spent waiting for clouds to lift. Everything is slippery and wet...with torrential downpours plus wind. The later in the season...the worse the weather often gets!

As mentioned earlier there have been a number of deaths over the years by goat hunters. There was the Maroon Bells death a few years ago and a couple many years ago in the Needles. A few years ago when I hunted Alaska goats there was a guy in the same unit that died while I was in Alaska from exposure...and he had lots of backcountry experience. I elected to "wait the storm out" and go a week later due to the weather...thank goodness I did!

I've spent days upon days in the Colo alpine country watching and filming goats. Not only is the country breath-taking but the wildflowers and other alpine critters (ptarmigan, pika, bighorn sheep, muledeer, elk....etc add to the pleasure of the trip. I've actually had as much fun filming and scouting trips as the actual hunts. If you ever are lucky enough to draw one of these tags do yourself a favor and take full advantage of your tag by taking several scouting trips! You'll learn a lot about mtn goats and see some remarkable sites!

With that said, if you want to compare apples to oranges...it would be a pretty close toss up to me if I had to choose between hunting sheep or mtn goats in the same country. If I had the choice between Alaska coastal mtn goats and alpine dall sheep....there is no doubt I'd pick dall sheep.....that coast Alaska stuff is brutal!
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Messages
779
Location
North Carolina
I am thankful I was able to go after this goat while still physically able. The years have caught up with me now I won't be back in this goat country. I have the goat and the memory and cherish both. If goats don't mean much to you, hunt something else or stay on the couch.

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