First goat hunt

[Gnatboy911]

Hey guys, I drew a goat tag for my home state here in Colorado. It will be my first goat hunt. I have a decent amount of backpacking experience, and have done 2 solo backpack rifle hunts in years past, one of them I was successful in killing my first bull. Those definitely have helped me refine my systems.

My biggest question right now (I'm sure there will be more) is how essential is a spotting scope for mountain goat hunting? I have a decent set of Nikon 10x42 binos. If I got a tripod set up for my binos do you think I would be ok?

I'd love a spotting scope, but money is the biggest issue right now. We have two little ones and the wife is staying home with them so things are pretty tight. I had to buy new boots since my crappy Rocky boots blew out at the end of last year. I just bought a pair of Schnees beartooths. I'm also planning to upgrade my tent situation to a Seek Outside Cimarron. I currently have a one man bivy style and its super small and tight. I'd like some more room.

I know that you get what you pay for with optics so I don't want to waste money on a cheap one, and I certainly don't want to put an expensive one on a credit card if its not essential.

Thank you for any tips and info you might have for me.

 

[robie]

I would just rent. You can rent a quality Swarovski spotting scope for the week and will be just fine.

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[Yellowknife]

I've found a spotting scope critical in sorting nannies from billies on my few Alaskan goat hunts. If that is something that CO requires you to worry about, then yeah... it's fairly important.

I sure wouldn't advise putting anything for a one time hunt on a credit card though. Particularly if you have young ones, that seems like a bad idea on the long term. Borrow a spotter or borrow a tent?

 

[Gnatboy911]

I would just rent. You can rent a quality Swarovski spotting scope for the week and will be just fine.

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I didn't think about renting one, I wasn't aware I could. I'll do some google searches and see if I can find anything in my area. Thanks

 

[Gnatboy911]

I've found a spotting scope critical in sorting nannies from billies on my few Alaskan goat hunts. If that is something that CO requires you to worry about, then yeah... it's fairly important.

I sure wouldn't advise putting anything for a one time hunt on a credit card though. Particularly if you have young ones, that seems like a bad idea on the long term. Borrow a spotter or borrow a tent?

My tag is an either sex tag, but I'd still like to get a billy if possibly. From what I've read is that is better for overall heard dynamics to maintain population growth.

I'm still searching around for a spotter to borrow, but have come up short so far. The tent I'm still pretty set on, as it will get used for a lot of hunting and backpacking down the road. But, the spotter....I've been hunting all my life and never had one so I'm not sure for my usual big game needs it hasn't been a necessity. I think a couple hunts with a borrowed one would help me decide how essential it is. Thanks for your info.

 

[eamyrick]

I didn't think about renting one, I wasn't aware I could. I'll do some google searches and see if I can find anything in my area. Thanks

Look at open country optics. They mail it to you in a hard case.

 

[daddie63]

So does optics 4 rent. Heard good things about them.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Check Craigslist in various locations across the country. I paid less than $.50 cents on the dollar for a one year old Swarovski ATS 20-60 x 80 spotting scope with tripod, original box + receipts. Original Purchaser’s wife in Oregon lost her job & he had to sell quickly.

 

[dreamingWest]

I had Swaro SLC 10x42s on my BC goat hunt. My buddy and the guide were typically behind their Swaro spotters. After day one I thought I might be near useless for spotting and certainly for judging (sexing?). I would use the best binos you can possibly afford on a tripod and bring a spotter. Like others have mentioned, for a one time deal I think renting an alpha would be the way to go.

I came home from BC and immediately went shopping for a Swaro ATX.
(Side note, to much surprise from everyone, it was me and my SLCs that spotted the group of billies mine came from. Three billies bedded down in patchwork snow. You gotta love good glass!)

 

[cardbender1]

Maybe you could borrow one from friend for a scouting trip, then you could decide for yourself if necessary. ( I think they are for goat hunting)
Rent, borrow, or buy , you will have better idea after 1 day.

 

[Gnatboy911]

All great info and ideas. Thanks guys. I'm looking at tripods also...I'll do some more searching on that one and not derail this thread.

 

[Camocowboy40]

What unit in Colorado will you be hunting?

 

[Gnatboy911]

What unit in Colorado will you be hunting?

I drew a tag for G12. Its near Aspen and Basalt. Thankfully I only live about an hour from there so I'm hoping for a lot of scouting trips.

 

[Flatgo]

my advise is get as close as you possibly can to determine sex. it is a lot harder than most people think unless you hunt goats frequently. the one i shot had horns that curved like a billy and got up and peed like a billy but it was not. looking back it must of been stretching but at 800 yards through a spotter it looked like it was peeing like a billy and made me go over there to shoot it. to really determine if it a billy get close, and a spotter will help.

 

[Gnatboy911]

my advise is get as close as you possibly can to determine sex. it is a lot harder than most people think unless you hunt goats frequently. the one i shot had horns that curved like a billy and got up and peed like a billy but it was not. looking back it must of been stretching but at 800 yards through a spotter it looked like it was peeing like a billy and made me go over there to shoot it. to really determine if it a billy get close, and a spotter will help.

Thanks for the advice! I've been doing lots of research and watching videos on it. I actually wrote a paper in college regarding sexual dimorphism and behavioral differences in mountain goats.....but that was in 2006 so, its been a while!

 

[Camocowboy40]

I drew a tag for G12. Its near Aspen and Basalt. Thankfully I only live about an hour from there so I'm hoping for a lot of scouting trips.

Nice, I was just over the hill from that unit when I drew my goat tag last year in the north part of 13.

 

[Gnatboy911]

Nice, I was just over the hill from that unit when I drew my goat tag last year in the north part of 13.

awesome, did you fill your tag? how was the hunt?

 

[Camocowboy40]

I did. I harvested a great Billy. The hunt was quicker than I expected as the goat decided to move over the mountain from his prior location and was hanging out in the area we were going to set camp. Actually got him the day we hiked in before we unloaded anything out of our packs. It was still some rugged country getting into where we found the goat though. Definitely one of the most demanding hikes/hunts I've been on.

awesome, did you fill your tag? how was the hunt?

 

[npm352]

Finding goats is easy...Helen Keller could find them with the world's worst binoculars....judging is not so easy. I used a crappy pair of tascos for mine in G13 in 2006. I was poor grad student and even though I was living in CO when I killed, I was a nonres when I drew....so tag fee made more equipment tough proposition.

A spotter would certainly help sex them and save some leg miles getting closer with just binos.

Best of luck! Neat animal, awesome terrain.

 

[AK Troutbum]

My tag is an either sex tag, but I'd still like to get a billy if possibly. From what I've read is that is better for overall heard dynamics to maintain population growth.

I'm still searching around for a spotter to borrow, but have come up short so far. The tent I'm still pretty set on, as it will get used for a lot of hunting and backpacking down the road. But, the spotter....I've been hunting all my life and never had one so I'm not sure for my usual big game needs it hasn't been a necessity. I think a couple hunts with a borrowed one would help me decide how essential it is. Thanks for your info.

I agree with what’s already been said regarding borrowing/renting a good spotter if you can. On a side note, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game has a test on their website that goes over determining sex. If you got a few minutes, you should check it out.


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