B.C. Archery Goat Hunt

[Jimbob]

I am beyond blessed to live where I do. Mountains surround me, I can spot goats from my front deck, and the hunting opportunities seem endless. As someone who moved from the East, where these things were just dreams, there is not a day goes by that I take it for granted. This also gives me a great desire to share it with others. I was planning a solo goat hunt this August but when a former student of mine, who loves the outdoors but has never been hunting, asked to tag along it was a no brainer.

A nice 5 days in the mountains with a good partner chasing goats with a bow is a little bit of bliss. Add in rain, tangles of devils club, and high creeks and you get an adventure that hits on every sense.

 

[Jimbob]

The first evening I found myself 150 yds from a great billy but there was no way to close the distance. I was almost thinking that taking the bow was a bone head move but who wants to end the hunt on day 1?

After stalking the billy I was working my way along a ridge approaching a goat that I thought was bedded. At 20 yds the goat walked from behind the ridge and we had a staredown until SHE trotted away. I'm happy that wasn't the big billy.

 

[Jimbob]

We spotted 9 other goats and went to bed feeling confident about the trip, but praying the rain would hold out. It poured and blew hard all evening and into the next morning. It has been a really wet summer so outdoor activities have been a challenge.

At 9:00 the rain died out and I found three of the billies from the previous evening. The largest, that I got 150 yds from was the furthest away but two decent looking billies were hanging out on the mountain behind camp. I watched them feed and bed and feed again as small rain showers blew through. At 1:30 they fed out of sight, higher up the mountain and I returned to camp.

 

[Jimbob]

The rain cleared out and a rainbow arched over the valley that we came through the previous day.
Late that afternoon I watched the two billies climb out of the cliffs and onto a steep grassy slope that ascended to the peak of the mountain. The perfect place to kill a goat. Two days in a row those billies headed to the peak in the late afternoon so I knew where I was headed come Wednesday.

 

[Jimbob]

The following morning, I poked my head out of the tent and peered through the low hanging clouds and spotted the two billies bedded in the cliffs behind camp. I was not thrilled about their position as they could see us in camp. We just sat tight and waited for them to head to their late morning bedding spot. From the other mountain, a group of four nannies and one kid approached our camp along a ridge headed towards the billies. I was really afraid these goats would screw things up. At 300 yds they spotted us and became someone what uneasy. After mulling around for 30 minutes the group decided to head back where they came from. Perfect.

Then at 11:00 the billies stood up and started climbing to the grassy slope. The previous two days they headed to that slope after 4:00 pm but today, when our plan was to be waiting at 4:00 pm on the slope, the billies decided to get up there at 11:00 am. The weather report said rain coming late in the afternoon and wouldn't be stopping for the next two days. We made the call to get aggressive and see if we could make it happen before the weather called game.

In this image, you can see the two billies bedded on the steep grassy cliff above the right side peak of the tent. When the got up they headed to the peak through the cliffs. Our approach would be to make a wide circle to the left of the snow then head straight at the goats up the slope.

 

[Jimbob]

The two billies bedded up high and could see us on our approach. We gave them a wide berth but I wasn't confident. We waited at the bottom of the slope and watched the billies get up and feed. When they went to the very peak of the mountain we went straight for them. The concave mountain gave us cover as we approached a band of rocks that was just below the peak. Upon arriving at the rocks I left my student there and crawled through the grass towards the last sighting of the billies.

Suddenly the white fury back of a goat came into view just over the rise, then a second. With their heads down feeding I ranged them at 48 yds. Well within range but the wind was blowing hard from the right, I wanted to get close in this wind. At 42 yds the billy knew something was up.

 

[Jimbob]

He looked in my direction and locked onto my head sticking above the rise in the grassy slope. For the next 20 minutes, this goat tried to figure out what I was. He bedded then rose, looked away then shot his head back, went out of sight behind the peak then came straight over the top to get a better view of me. I thought it was game over. When his companion also started paying attention to me my spirits dropped even more. However, I have been around enough animals to know that if they aren't running away then you haven't really scared them, don't call it yet.

 

[Jimbob]

After this cat and mouse game, the goats had enough and slipped into the cliffs to my right. I had barely moved a muscle in the last 25 minutes but I knew this was the time to act.

I jumped to my feet and covered 30 yds in a couple of seconds then crept to the edge as I approached the cliffs where the billies entered. They surprised me by checking their back trail from a different angle, at 30 yds away and down in the cliffs the billy sized me up. Still unsure of what I was he slowly walked out of view then appeared broadside below me. The range finder read 38 yds, I drew back leaned forward, and leveled my bow. I settled my 35 yd pin and started to execute my shot. I remember the click of my hinge release then the smack of my arrow blowing right through the goat. I was calm cool and collective until this point.

The goat just stood there acting as if not hit at all. I rushed for another arrow, the goat turned around and was now facing the other way. I nocked my arrow drew the bow and shot the worst arrow of my life, I missed the goat by 5 feet hitting a rock and launching my arrow into the valley a 1000 ft below. The goat calmly walked away.

 

[Jimbob]

I slipped along the ridge peaking down into the cliffs until I spotted the goat again, he was bedded. I ranged him at 44 yds, set my sight for 42 and got prepared to shoot again. At this point the second goat emerged from a fold in the cliffs and stamped his feet at me. I collected myself and waited for a second arrow, the goat was fatally hit but I wanted another arrow in him, goats are tuff.

After a minute or two, the goat rose to his feet and I calming put another arrow through him. he jumped down into a chute lied down and died. He rolled and slid to a stop on a steep slope with a 500 foot drop 40 yds beyond him.

 

[Jimbob]

We scoped out the situation and figured we had to go back down and approach from below. We made it up to the goat just as the rain started to sprinkle down. Not much time for pictures or high fives, we wanted to break down this goat and get back to camp ASAP. At 5:30 we made it into the tent as the fog rolled in and the skies opened up.

We lied in our sleeping bags eating as much of our food as we could and recounted the days events. The following morning there was a small break in the weather and we packed up and started heading out. The hike it out was great, pouring rain and busting through devils club was never so much fun.

As I said, I am blessed to live where I do.

 

[6mm Remington]

Congratulations and thank you for taking us along on your journey. It was like I was along for the ride. Great story and what a memory.

David

 

[norsepeak]

Awesome write up, contrats!! I took a nice billy many years ago out of Smithers with Jim Lancaster...Awesome area you live in.

 

[Decker9]

Amazing stuff! That sounded like an action packed hunt! Thank you for sharing, you’re on a roll this year! Good on you for starting a new generation of outdoorsman, huge congrats to both of you!!

 

[AK Troutbum]

Right on man, thanks for the write up and pics, and congratulations! I’ll be chasing the “White Mountain Gorilla” later this month, and now you’ve got me thinking really seriously about doing it with a bow.


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[6mm Remington]

Right on man, thanks for the write up and pics, and congratulations! I’ll be chasing the “White Mountain Gorilla” later this month, and now you’ve got me thinking really seriously about doing it with a bow.


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You're killing me here Troutbum. I wish you the best success on your trip. Curious, are you going to pack a Buck Skinner with you?? That thing probably wouldn't cut anything anyway! Good luck on your hunt. We expect to see pictures and stories.

 

[Jimbob]

Amazing stuff! That sounded like an action packed hunt! Thank you for sharing, you’re on a roll this year! Good on you for starting a new generation of outdoorsman, huge congrats to both of you!!

Thanks Ed, it was a good August. I went back out for stone sheep and was 130 yds from a legal ram with my bow, so it was almost a REALLY good August.

 

[Jimbob]

Right on man, thanks for the write-up and pics, and congratulations! I’ll be chasing the “White Mountain Gorilla” later this month, and now you’ve got me thinking really seriously about doing it with a bow.


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I don't want to say it was easy but it was doable. If you have the right terrain that the goats are using then you can stalk into bow range.

 

[RCL]

Great write up.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[hikenhunt]

beautiful country and awesome goat! thanks for sharing!

 

[Mtncowboy]

Super Cool! Thanks for sharing.