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The Highlight of Fall 99 was the Big
Goat Hunt
Tim's Hunting Newsletter:
After 13 years of applying
for a Montana Mountain Goat permit I finally drew out. I was shocked to
see the permit come in the mail, since just last year I drew out for a
very coveted and hard to get Moose permit. Drawing out for two out of the
three biggies (Bighorn Sheep being the third) within two years is almost
unheard of. As for the moose hunt in '98, I put in a lot of time hunting
for a bull, but it just never came together. A few days before the season
ended, in three feet of snow, I shot a nice big cow (13 year old). I shared
some great times with some super good friends hunting moose in the '98
season, but it's always been Goats that I have personally wanted to hunt.
Click on pictures with frames for a full frame
view..
The 11,000 foot ridge was a hard climb, but for views
like this--Wow!.
As the Goat season drew closer
I started my prep work, I did a few things to assure I was physically ready,
one of them was helping a buddy pack a bull elk out of the mountains during
the September archery season (see photo bottom), another one was scouting
for goats in the district I drew out. It's then that I realized there's
a reason why hunting guides say "excellent physical condition essential"
on the bottom of their goat hunting brochures. Goat country is brutal.
..
The goat hunt was incredible.
Goats fascinate me and the country they live in is awe inspiring. First
week out we were into goats almost everyday on Cedar Mtn (saw 34 total),
but they were truly inaccessible, every stalk took us to the summit and
up cliffs that took us well out of our comfort zone, but the goats always
got the best of us.
Second hunt took me to Sphinx
Mtn. Day two I spotted a lone goat in the morning, put on a stalk that
took me almost to the summit, inched around a ledge of a cliff, shot him
at 40yards, he turned and ran within eight feet of me, hit him again, he
went over a small cliff and got up--tough critter, hit him again and he
was down for good. It was steep, very steep at 10,200 feet. Got him back
to the high camp two hours after dark. 9 1/4 inch, 6 1/2 year old billy.
I couldn't be happier with the hunt and how it turned out. It was truly
a hunt of a lifetime, I'm sad it's over. I will cherish the mount; the
hair is very filled out and long; it was literally twice the size of a
nanny goat that was at the taxidermist when I dropped the Billy off.
....
Lunch and then on for the stalk, and Success. Then
the hard part.
..
Future Goat Hunter Inspected the Trophy
Montana's special permit system
will not allow me to apply for a goat license for seven years and with
the poor odds of drawing out, It's likely I won't hunt goats again for
20-30years. But, if asked, I will definitely accompany any goat hunter
on their hunt. For years I've hunted deer, elk, antelope, bear, and last
year--moose, but it's goat hunting that I think is the quintessence of
big game hunting.
The table fare is marginal
(but the memories will forever be delicious), I boned out the critter right
on the mountain and packed out 60 pounds of meat (actually my buddy packed
the meat and I packed the 60 pound cape and head, took us two days to get
back to the trail head with it all).The steaks are tough
and a bit strong in flavor, most of the meat was made into sausage and
jerky.
Let me know if you are interested
in goat hunting, Tim
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