charvey9
WKR
First Mountain Goat Hunt Success
It was 1994 the first time I saw a Mountain Goat. My uncle, who lived in Montana at the time, got lucky in the draw and my dad and I made a road trip that summer to aid in scouting. I always admired the animals after that, but it would be another 19 years before we crossed paths in the wild while I was hunting elk in Oregon high country. That encounter in the fall of 2013 rekindled an interest to pursue, and while reevaluating my hunting priorities last year Mountain Goat jumped to the top of the list.
I booked this hunt with Nanika Lake Outfitters roughly 15 months ago after several weeks of research and talking to outfitters and friends in an attempt to find the perfect hunt. Of course, price was a factor, but I was really in search of a pure backpack hunt. Although I have nothing against float planes, jet boats or ATV's, pursuing a goat on foot with nothing but the pack on my back was a large part of the romantic vision of hunting these creatures.
The hunt I chose ended up being very unique opportunity on Nadina Mountain in North Central BC. According to the guide, mine would be just one of two tags issued on the Mountain this season. We hiked in and set up camp on an opposite ridge that was part of their winter range, with an ideal glassing spot just minutes from the tent.
Nadina Mountain:
Of course, the goats were congregated in the roughest, ugliest, steepest part of the mountain:
Camp after a few days:
Hunting on a single mountain simplified things a bit, but also included a whole new set of challenges. I was gung-ho about charging up after the first Billy we identified on day one, but luckily the guide was there to reign me in. An aggressive move could have spooked everything off the mountain and left nothing to hunt for the remainder of the week.
I had high hopes of going after one with a bow, and although it was possible on this mountain the limited cover and open terrain leading to the bedding/watering area required ideal conditions. After careful glassing and observation, we planned and attempted bow stalks to bedded Billys the first four days of the hunt. All were foiled by nannies and kids popping up seemingly out of no where between us and the target, risking to bump everything off the mountain if we continued. Retreat was required. One afternoon we spent several hours uncomfortably pinned down on a rock slide while we had a staring contest with a nannie a few hundred yards off.
On the mountain with my bow:
Epic Views:
That white spot is a nanny giving us the eye one afternoon:
It was 1994 the first time I saw a Mountain Goat. My uncle, who lived in Montana at the time, got lucky in the draw and my dad and I made a road trip that summer to aid in scouting. I always admired the animals after that, but it would be another 19 years before we crossed paths in the wild while I was hunting elk in Oregon high country. That encounter in the fall of 2013 rekindled an interest to pursue, and while reevaluating my hunting priorities last year Mountain Goat jumped to the top of the list.
I booked this hunt with Nanika Lake Outfitters roughly 15 months ago after several weeks of research and talking to outfitters and friends in an attempt to find the perfect hunt. Of course, price was a factor, but I was really in search of a pure backpack hunt. Although I have nothing against float planes, jet boats or ATV's, pursuing a goat on foot with nothing but the pack on my back was a large part of the romantic vision of hunting these creatures.
The hunt I chose ended up being very unique opportunity on Nadina Mountain in North Central BC. According to the guide, mine would be just one of two tags issued on the Mountain this season. We hiked in and set up camp on an opposite ridge that was part of their winter range, with an ideal glassing spot just minutes from the tent.
Nadina Mountain:
Of course, the goats were congregated in the roughest, ugliest, steepest part of the mountain:
Camp after a few days:
Hunting on a single mountain simplified things a bit, but also included a whole new set of challenges. I was gung-ho about charging up after the first Billy we identified on day one, but luckily the guide was there to reign me in. An aggressive move could have spooked everything off the mountain and left nothing to hunt for the remainder of the week.
I had high hopes of going after one with a bow, and although it was possible on this mountain the limited cover and open terrain leading to the bedding/watering area required ideal conditions. After careful glassing and observation, we planned and attempted bow stalks to bedded Billys the first four days of the hunt. All were foiled by nannies and kids popping up seemingly out of no where between us and the target, risking to bump everything off the mountain if we continued. Retreat was required. One afternoon we spent several hours uncomfortably pinned down on a rock slide while we had a staring contest with a nannie a few hundred yards off.
On the mountain with my bow:
Epic Views:
That white spot is a nanny giving us the eye one afternoon:
Last edited:
