Well, I finally did it, going goat hunting (updated with story)

[bucklucky]

I just talked to Actionshooter...............

[Craig]

   ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

[ICEMAN]

I just talked to Actionshooter...............

And.....? 

[actionshooter]

Hey guys, I'm back.
  I'll try to do a story like some of the better ones on the site.
 I left Friday morning for the drive up tp Smithers, about a 17 hour drive. I took my time and stopped a few places along the way to check out some of the sights and stayed overnight in one of the smaller towns over half way. I got into Smithers Saturday afternoon and stayed the night in a nice lodge and had dinner with the outfitter and his family. We were to get on the float plane at 7am for a ride about 100 miles north.
 Sunday mornings weather pretty much dictated the rest of the trip 
 There was drizzle with thick fog and there was no way we were going to get out in the morning. I was OK, this is a 10 day hunt and some bad weather is too be expected 
 I had breakfast with the outfitter, we visit with his family (very nice people) and I spent a large part of the morning shopping for stuff for my kids to kill time. 
 FINALLY about 2pm the outfitter gets a call from the pilot telling him we will have a window about 3:00.   
 We get to the lake, the fog has lifted and we get loaded.
 I'm pumped!! 

[actionshooter]

I have been fortunate to have flown on several small planes and always considers one of the best parts of a hunt. I really enjoy seeing the country.  It takes about an hour to get to the lake we are starting from. We get to the cabin which is supposed to be a base camp during the hunt. We are going to spike out in a meadow right below the ridge we are hunting.
 So anyway we get to the cabin and its about 4:30 and we decided we probably have enough time to get to the spike camp up the ridge. Its pretty much a straight up hike and the guide said it takes 3-7 hours depending on what kind of shape the hunters in 
 We end up getting to the top between 7:30 and 8pm and its getting dark, we aet up the tent and grab a mountain house dinner and hit the sack.

[Maligator]

And??? Is that a teaser intro? Did ya bag one? More story please!

[shoot-em-dead]

Just have to mark this topic- I'll read it later

[actionshooter]

OK heres where it starts to get interesting    (day 2)
 About 1am we get hit with some wind, I mean like blow the top of the tent down on your face while sleeping, wind!  This went on for for the next 24 hours. The wind never stopped for over 20 seconds the whole day. There was no way we were gonna hunt in the wind like this. Oh-ya, it was raining off and on also  
 I was really happy this guy has good quality equipment, mountain hardware tent. A cheaper tent would have shredded, even in the protection of the trees. Whole day shot.
 The next day (day 3) the wind had died down but the ridges were fogged in  

We just hung out around camp until about 10am and the fog finally lifted and it looked like it was going to be a pretty good day!!!  
 It takes a couple of hours to get up on the ridges where the goats hang out and there was a ton of sign but not a goat in site!
 After a while we noticed the goats where in the trees across the valley below the high ridges. Apperently the wind had forced them down.  There was no way we were going to be able to look in the trees below the ridge we were on, just wasn't possible to get there.
 We decided to head down to the cabin for the night and cross the lake the next morning and head up to a different ridge where there was a bowl that would have been proteced during the windstorm and hopefully the goats weren't disturbed.
 We packed up the spike camp and headed down.

[actionshooter]

Day 4
 We got to the cabin the previous night, had a good meal and was feeling OK. Sometime during the night a downpour let loose that reminded me of Forks in November   and we woke up to fog and rain  that seemed to take turns just to ruin my hunt  
 The positive side was we came down of the mountain and weren't in a 2 man tent during this storm. We just waited it out. I read a book I brought along just in case this happened. Rigged a shower and got cleaned up. During one of the breaks Derrick called the pilot on the SAT phone and the forecast wasn't good. We might have a clear day tomorrow and then more of the same.

[actionshooter]

Day 5
 We woke up to some of the best weather we have seen yet, there were fog pockets but it was moving and clear the direction the bad weather had been coming from. 
 Our packs were already loaded and we took the boat to the other side of the lake, headed up the mountain in a hurry! 
 It was almost like hunting the first day all over again!
 We got to the opening where we were going to set up the spike camp took a break, 3 hours non stop straight up (these guys don't believe in switchbacks!!) and I was pooped but we needed to take advantage of the weather.
 The view from this spot was incredible, a little lake with high ridges on 3 sides.
 We set up camp, ate some power bars and went up a ridge where we had seem 2 billys 2 days previous. After about 45 minutes climb we saw a lone goat in a different direction where we were going. I was sure it was a billy from the build and size but Derrick wasn't sure. It was lower than he generally sees goats, being just above the trees.
 It was 8-900 yards away and setting the spotting scope up identified him as a billy but we couldn't see the horns.
 He was heading in a direction in which he would have been safe if he got there soon. The wind was all over the place and it felt like another storm was on the way.
 We broke the cardinal rule and ignored the wind   
 

[actionshooter]

Well we went straight at the goat after loosing sight of him behind a little ridge. Going around and trying to work the wind would have been to long. He was headed in a direction we wouldn't have been able to follow him. We moved out and the terrain was pretty easy going. We got to where we saw him last and he was only a 100 yds from where we last saw him! We watched him for several minutes trying to decide what to do. He was at 200yds and he is not what I came to take home. Derrick guessed him to be about 9" maybe a little less. I set my goal at 10" but after 5 days of crappy weather and a forecast that said we would only have 1 good day and then more crappy weather,with only 3 more days to hunt I was really torn. Go smaller than I wanted or go home with nothing? After 5 days this was the only goat that was even a possibility. Derrick was starting to get on me to make up my mind. 
 

 

 

[alecvg]

Awesome story so far!  Can't wait to read the end!

[actionshooter]

I decided to take him  
 He wasn't what I was hoping for going up there but the thought of coming home with nothing was quickly becoming a reality.
 1 shot at 200 yards dropped him in his tracks and he was done..............until he started rolling.....and rolling and then some more.  
 He ended up rolling about a 100 yds and he did end up breaking maybe 1/2" off of one side  
We took the pictures, caped and boned him out and headed for spike camp.
 It was about 5pm when we got back to spike camp and decided to load up and pack down to the boat/cabin.
 I was happy as Derrick said he had only ever gone up and back in 1 day only 1 other time. Its a long day.
The billy ended up being 7 1/2 years old and fairly large bodied, good hair and looked like he was a real fighter, lots of healed scars on his face.

[alecvg]

Awsome job!  That is a great billy, and I am VERY jealous!  Congrats!   

[Michelle_Nelson]

Great looking Billy!  Congrats!