Well I was lucky enough to draw a 2015 once-in-life time mountain goat tag. I’m a resident and the drawing odds this year were only .59%. The area I drew is 7hrs one-way from my house. I have a couple of buddies that live about an hour away and know the area well. I called them and they gave me to areas I should concentrate on. Also this is a grizzly bear area not far from Yellowstone park boundary. My goal was to take a nice billy with my bow. I made 4 trips during the summer and only saw goats on the last 2 trips. The season opens up the 15th of August for archery. I drove up on the 14th and hunted solo and had the 15 days to hunt. On the 15th and I saw a few goats but nothing I wanted to pursue. The next couple days were the same but I couldn’t get on them or they were right next to the main road where all the tourist would stop and take pictures of them. On numerous occasions I would be hiked in 3-5 miles and when I’d come back to my truck in the afternoon and they’re be goat’s 30-40yds from my parked truck. The problem was all the tourist were stopping to take pictures, and I didn’t want a Cecil the lion scenario. I was getting close to goats but couldn’t close the deal do to the treacherous terrain. On the 8th day I went to an area far from any main road and no tourist. I was glassing and about 11:00am in the morning spotted a lone billy bedded on a rock out cropping. There was a draw to the west I could go up and get above him. After 45 minutes of hiking I finally reached the top above the goat and dropped my pack and started crawling through the rocks towards the billy at this point I could visually see him. After about 20 minutes I come around a big rock the size of a house and I see white hair. I can’t see the head, but I suspect it’s the billy and he had moved when I was climbing up to him. He’s only 8yds away. I can see his vital area no problem. I draw back and shoot and the goat stands up. It’s a nanny! I have time to put another arrow in her and she goes behind the big rock out of sight. All of a sudden a billy comes walking out and stands about 15yds broadside from me, oblivious to my presence for 30 minutes while I wait. The good thing is the nanny had no kid and her milk sack was totally dry. In hindsight I should have probably waited, but with a goat that close, and I only seeing a billy before proceeding, I was sure it was the billy. I had her aged and she was 6yrs old per the G&F biologist. It was a fun trip and lots of good memories. This is the second archery goat I’ve taken. The last one was a great billy in BC 2011.
Here's some pictures of goats and also some sheep crossing the road one day.
Here's some pictures of goats and also some sheep crossing the road one day.
