Got an OIL permit long before I'm due.....

[jackelope]

I think this will be the last pictures post. THese ivideo things you can do with an iphone are pretty cool.
This is mostly in order from the start of this adventure in June on drawing day to my last sunset in the Goat Rocks. Enjoy and thank you all for coming along for the ride.

Not a valid vimeo URL

[Timberstalker]

Awesome documentary, Josh.

[tlbradford]

One of the all time great HuntWa threads.  Congratulations Josh.  He is a beauty.

[Rainier10]

After following this thread and then getting to be part of the hunt I can say without a doubt that video chronicles the whole thing marvelously.  The highs of getting drawn, the excitement of the scouting, the lows of the fog and snow taking you out of the game to the sun coming up and a successful end to one of the most amazing hunts I have ever been on.  Truly a Once In a Lifetime event and that video brings it all together.

So glad that it worked out for you and really appreciate you being so open and sharing it with us all.

[Jpmiller]

Now that you've had a few days anything you'd do different looking back on it? Other than being able to control the weather seems like a dream way for it all to play out.

[jackelope]

Now that you've had a few days anything you'd do different looking back on it? Other than being able to control the weather seems like a dream way for it all to play out.

I don't know what I could have done differently. I would have scouted more. Specifically I would have scouted the Rimrock GMU so I had a backup plan for bad weather. Bad weather happened and I didn't have a clue what to do.

I learned a lot about goat hunting, gear, backpacking, navigation, you name it.
If I was going to share 2 things from all of this....
1--I can't remember for sure why I chose the Goat Rocks but I think it was because there are 5 tags issued there and it seems like simple logic that that might make for better odds of drawing. I really wanted to shoot a goat with longer hair, which obviously means you have to wait till later in the season to do it. This is not something I thought about when I was applying. I don't think it's as important with the other OIL's as it is with goats, but access is a major concern. My good friend Drew told me about 150 times that the real trophy with a goat is the hair....wait for the hair...wait for the hair...so I did. If you want to shoot a goat with hair, you need to apply for and/or draw a unit that you can access. No messing around. All the goats in the Goat Rocks are at least a few miles from the road so make sure you can hike and either have the gear to spend the night out there or be prepared to buy it all. I can't really see day hiking from the car as a viable option. A lot of the access, trailheads, etc are up a road that is not well maintained and not at all maintained when it snows. And it's not at sea level. So be aware of that.

The other thing I would stress is nanny/billy identification. If you're not a "goat guy"(I'm not), be prepared to scour over hundreds of pictures practicing ID'ing them. From a conservation standpoint, I would have eaten my tag before I killed a nanny. I understand accidents happen, and I was prepared for that myself, but I still sat 99.7 yards from a goat I was pretty much positive was a billy for 45 minutes before I shot him. I had to convince myself I was right. (I second guess myself a lot...) Bushcraft posted this video on here a month or so ago. It's the best video I've seen for this purpose.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,218833.msg2911419.html#msg2911419
The state also sends you a bunch of material on ID also. The state of Alaska requires you take an ID test. WA sends you some of their info. Don't take it lightly. One thing I learned was that it's pretty easy to ID a billy when it's a billy. When it's a big nanny, things get more difficult. If you happen to be on FAcebook, the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance puts up a guess the sex billy/nanny pic. These were extremely helpful too. Also join the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance. It's an org that is working hard with goat conservation. They do projects here in Washington too, with the end goal being more opportunity for us to draw tags in the future. Well....for you guys to draw tags in the future. I guess I'm done with that game.

[Gringo31]

Very cool video and write up!  Thanks for taking us along with you....

The lows make the highs higher and I'm glad you overcame the adversity that came your way.  To push through....it is often the difference maker. 

Two things I'll throw out there.

1.  In the video, (don't get me wrong it's fantastic!) But I'd change the music a little so it's not on repeat.
2.  Why when I see pics of you do I think you resemble Bearpaw?  You got that same look in your eye   

[jackelope]

Very cool video and write up!  Thanks for taking us along with you....

The lows make the highs higher and I'm glad you overcame the adversity that came your way.  To push through....it is often the difference maker. 

Two things I'll throw out there.

1.  In the video, (don't get me wrong it's fantastic!) But I'd change the music a little so it's not on repeat.
2.  Why when I see pics of you do I think you resemble Bearpaw?  You got that same look in your eye   

1-I just used the music the iMovie app provided. They give you like 10 choices. I can try to change it later. Don't know if that's an option.
2-First time anyone's ever said that about @bearpaw  and I. Maybe he's my long lost uncle or something.

[Gringo31]

 

[rainshadow1]

Way to go Josh!

[bearpaw]

Very cool video and write up!  Thanks for taking us along with you....

The lows make the highs higher and I'm glad you overcame the adversity that came your way.  To push through....it is often the difference maker. 

Two things I'll throw out there.

1.  In the video, (don't get me wrong it's fantastic!) But I'd change the music a little so it's not on repeat.
2.  Why when I see pics of you do I think you resemble Bearpaw?  You got that same look in your eye   

1-I just used the music the iMovie app provided. They give you like 10 choices. I can try to change it later. Don't know if that's an option.
2-First time anyone's ever said that about @bearpaw  and I. Maybe he's my long lost uncle or something.

hmm, couldn't have been the milkman 
jackelope and I were born on opposite sides of the country...

[bearpaw]

you really had an awesome hunt, and you shared it with a friend, congrats 

[KFhunter]

Awesome hunt, great write up, thanks for sharing

[BrownGoinDown]

Josh,

Thanks for taking us along for the ride. It adds an element to document your journey on here and so many people pulling for you, but the pressure of an OIL has to wear on a guy when you face the conditions you did. Happy it worked out in the end for you.

Sorry if you've already touched on it, but I'm curious on your shot. What gun, what bullet placement. These animals are tough, and that pic of you standing below your goat, you can see that a quiver from that thing would have sent it down a rocky roller coaster.

Thanks,

Cody

[Rainier10]

I will let Josh answer this as well and he has all the details on the gun and the bullet.

I can tell you watching the shot was amazing.  He was rock solid and absolutely drilled the goat.  I really should have videotaped that and am disappointed that I didn't.

He hit that goat right in the boiler and it barely budged.  It tensed up, it's left leg moved a little forward and it's head rolled to the left as it stretched out.  My guess is it took all of 8 or 9 seconds. I was waiting for a death kick or something and then the tumble down the cliff butt nothing.  That bullet basically turned that goat to stone right there in its bed.  He couldn't have laid down and presented a better shot if you staged it yourself.

I have never seen anything like it in real life and only a couple of times on TV shows.  It was amazing. 

Josh was cool as a the other side of the pillow for the shot and a total wreck after.  You could feel the emotion in the air.