MY MTN GOAT

[blindluck]

I got this goat when I was 12 years old in the pratt river unit east of north bend. It was pouring rain in the low 40's and we were soaked to the bone. It got dark and we had to stay the night on the mountain with nothing but a garbage bag that my dad put over me to try to hold some heat in while we got poured on, worst night of our lives, barley made it out of that one.

[Fowlweather25]

Thats awesome!

[bearpaw]

sweet 

[bowhunterforever]

Awesome

[ICEMAN]

Nice!

Hey, tell us more about your hunt and your scary night on the mountain with just the trash bag!

[blindluck]

Nice!

Hey, tell us more about your hunt and your scary night on the mountain with just the trash bag!

ICEMAN thanks for asking, My dad and I scouted some goats a couple weekends before, so we know where we needed to be that saturday morning, we drove up the mountain and started glassing goats on the next mountain to the east with a deep ravine between the two with two little lakes at the bottom. Raining and a bit foggy it looked about 3/4 mail across to the cliffs where the 5 or 6 goats were. figuring we could get over there shoot the goat and make it back by dark we started our decent to the bottom of the draw probably 1500 ft elevation drop. we had my 243 rifle two back packs a knife and a couple garbage bags for the meat. We made our way through bear brush and devils clubs to the bottom and to the waters edge, with no trails and a tangle of brush already totally drenched, we walked waste deep in the lake around to the other side then started our climb up the mountain to the goats. We finally got in a timber line and snuck within 70 yards of the goats. my dad handed me the gun and I rested the rifle on a tree root and shot she fell off a 30 foot cliff into the brush. dad snapped some pictures, boned it out and caped it for a mount by now its 5pm and we are freezing cold, we started down the mountain through the lake and up the rocks through brush and scaling some steep slippery cliffs and slides. as it started getting dark my dad said we not going to make it back to the truck we need to find a place to stay the night. No flash light no nothing we climbed under a down tree and laid on the ground. dad cut a hole in the bottom of the garbage bag for my head to go thru. we laid there shaking and hypothermic till daylight. When we stood up the next morning our legs were so numb we couldn't walk finally we made it to the top and fired up the truck. That is the only time I ever asked my dad if we were going to die. Here is a pic 28 years later.

[DaleVR]

Wow, that had to be a little scary. Good story.

[boneaddict]

Now that is a day/night in the woods you'll never forget.   Thanks for posting up the photos and the story.   I love hearing about times like that.   Good for your Dad for getting you out there like that.   

[Watimberghost]

Crazy story. Mother nature has a way of dictating things. Pretty cool to have that mount for a tangible memory. Thanks for sharing

[Boss .300 winmag]

Great ending to what could have been a tragic storey.  Nice goat and mount. What year was that?

Hopefully the lesson learned from this storey is that when you do outdoor stuff a little fore thought can keep people out a situation like this, you and your dad were really lucky not to have died.

[SkookumHntr]

Crazy story! That's exactly why I always have 2flaslighs and a glostick in my pack! Been there b4..

[willapawapiti]

What a father/son memory!  Thanks for sharing.

[blindluck]

Great ending to what could have been a tragic storey.  Nice goat and mount. What year was that?

Hopefully the lesson learned from this storey is that when you do outdoor stuff a little fore thought can keep people out a situation like this, you and your dad were really lucky not to have died.

the year was 1986, we got home Sunday then Monday morning we laid the goat on the hood of the car in our driveway I jumped on the school bus as we drove by I showed everyone my goat.

[buddy01]

Nice goat story

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[jackmaster]

Thats an awesome story, today's Hunter seem to be a little more prepared for nights in the woods and the reason that is, is because of stories like that, and an awesome story to boot

[Hoythunter]

That'll be a story past on in your family for generations.  Thx for sharing.

[MLBowhunting]

Nice goat. 

[starbailey]

Awesome!

[cedarriver]

 Great story, I'm sure I heard it before. Jumped on the bus and went to school, that's funny. Thanks for sharing.

[blindluck]

Thanks for all the comments, It was defiantly an awesome experienceone in a nightmarish way that will never be forgotten with my dad. Thanks to dads like him, most of us wouldnt be the hunters and outdoorsman that we are if it weren't for them.

[jackmaster]

Thanks for all the comments, It was defiantly an awesome experienceone in a nightmarish way that will never be forgotten with my dad. Thanks to dads like him, most of us wouldnt be the hunters and outdoorsman that we are if it weren't for them.

:yeah:you definatly summed that up just right

[Falcon]

Blindluck,

Awesome story.

That was a great unit.  I drew in 84. There was 10 tags back then.
Shot mine in a rock canyon just west of the Russian Butte.

Rugged country indeed!!!

[blindluck]

Blindluck,

Awesome story.

That was a great unit.  I drew in 84. There was 10 tags back then.
Shot mine in a rock canyon just west of the Russian Butte.

Rugged country indeed!!!

I shot mine on the cliffs above granite lakes, what was crazy was when we were taking care of my goat and looked back across from where we started there was a lone billy just a few hundred yards from the truck. OMG

[Falcon]

BL:

What year did you draw that tag?

The road up there was pretty knarly. I had a 80 VW rabbit diesal.  Somehow I got it to purr all the way to the top.
Out of all the animals I have taken over the years, taking this goat solo will always be my greatest feat.

[carpsniperg2]

Very cool!

[blindluck]

BL:

What year did you draw that tag?

The road up there was pretty knarly. I had a 80 VW rabbit diesal.  Somehow I got it to purr all the way to the top.
Out of all the animals I have taken over the years, taking this goat solo will always be my greatest feat.

Falcon Nice billy, I drew in 1986 first time putting in, Are we talking about the same area and road? If you are on I-90 going east passing the main north bend exit and you look up straight in front of you you will see a switch back road that goes to the top of the mountain, that is where we were parked.

[Falcon]

Yes, same road.

I remember looking down at the lakes many times during scouting.
The rock wall, AKA the Russian Butte in background looked knarly.

I guess its time to tell the story!

I scouted the unit in the summer. Talked with the bio Rocky Spencer about the unit. May he rest in peace....
He was very helpful and told me the Granite lake area was good.
I hunted the opener with a friend. Jumped a herd of goats in the timber. They got away with ease.
Hunted day 2 but saw nothing.
Day 3 saw me hunting alone. Around 1 hour before dark I spotted a lone billy bedded up against a rock wall chewing his cud.
He was looking pretty sleepy.  I was at least 1200 yards away. This was the days before range finders
Anyway, after looking at him thru the spotter I knew he was a billy.
I traversed the rock garden and got what I thought was pretty close. When I peeked over a rock to see how close I was, it was really close. I am talking maybe 50 yards. I carefully slipped my gun up, and shot him in the shouldar with my 7mm mag loaded with a 175
nosler. He jumped out of his bed, and ran into the timber to my left before I could even chamber a bullet. I walked up to his bed and there was not a spot of blood. I thought to myself there was no way I missed him at 50 yards.
Anyway, it was getting dark and I was by myself. I walked around the corner and 5 minutes later I heard some ruckus above me.
Here comes Mr, Billy barelling down the mtn on a suicide mission. I put 2 more rounds in him, and he lay kicking outside down in a snag
over looking the cliff. I kinda felt sorry for him but quickly put a round thru his heart to end his agony.
It was almost dark, so I field dressed him, and placed a stick between hi cavity to get good air flow.
I came in the next day with my brother Eric and packed him out.

With the 2 goats I have killed I have learned a couple of things.

1. They are pound for pound the toughest animal in Nortth America to put down.
2. When you draw your tag, be careful hunting them because they can go places you can only dream

Best of luck to those who draw tags this year.
They are a awesome animal to hunt, and a great addition to anyones trophy room.

[blindluck]

wow, that's really cool, crazy thing is, that's a normal Mt Goat hunt. Definitely not for everyone.

[starbailey]

Great story Falcon. Thanks for sharing the story. 

[shanevg]

Definitely appreciate the story!  Can't wait to get my goat tag!   This is my year!!! 

I don't know that area too well.  Are there still goats in the area? 

[Falcon]

Definitely appreciate the story!  Can't wait to get my goat tag!   This is my year!!! 

I don't know that area too well.  Are there still goats in the area?

Shane,

Its been over 20 years since I have been up in the Granite lakes. That road has been closed for quite some time. My brother drew the tag I believe in 1988. He ended up killing a nice goat deep into the Denny Creek drainage.
I hope you draw your tag. I believe you have spent more time in goat country then most, and have been a hunt or 2.
Nothing more exciting then a good old fashioned Mtn goat hunt !!!!!

[blindluck]

back in the late 90's I rode around the gate on my dirt bike,a couple miles in there had been a large rock land slide that wiped out the road, I picked my way through then rode to the top where I had glassed my goat a dozen years before. I'm sure there are some big ol trophy's up there. It was great to kick back and reminisce.