Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 08:30:13 AM

Title: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 08:30:13 AM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030652.jpg&hash=d136c077922ec10ee8d29faeb15afe556d09b154) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030652.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 7mmfan on April 27, 2016, 08:39:23 AM: uhhhh huhhhh.....
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 09:37:45 AM: As if drawing a Mt Goat tag isn't cool enough, it was the only tag in an area that hadn't been open before. I knew nothing about the area, but that would change over the next few months. I started researching the area using maps, hiking guide books, goggle earth, hiking web sites, the Forest service, Fish and Game and the most helpful was other hunters here on huntwa. Thanks you to all that offered help. The first day of scouting was spent driving to all of the trail heads, eventually I would hike in for 2 to 3 day trips on most of the established trails. I also tried to access some areas by heading up in random places looking to get into a basin or cliff face. The two trails I didn't try were the Boulder River trail because it is mostly is in the lowlands and the Three Fingers trail because I didn't want to have a lot of contact with hikers. Three Fingers trail is the most popular trail in the area, and from what I'm told probably the easiest way to hike into an area that holds goats. That being said its a 9 mile bike ride from the road block to the trail head and then 5 or 6 mile hike in.

This is going to be a very long story with lots of pics. I will post more over the next few days. Hope you all enjoy

Kevin
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: grundy53 on April 27, 2016, 09:43:09 AM: Tagging along

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: luvmystang67 on April 27, 2016, 09:46:12 AM: I am very envious of your position as previous tag holder. Tagging along to see what this was like.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on April 27, 2016, 09:56:44 AM: Quote from: grundy53 on April 27, 2016, 09:43:09 AM
Tagging along

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

:yeah:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 10:10:50 AM: This was from the first scouting trip. We went in on Squire Creek trail and then up towards Squire Creek pass. Saw a few goats in the basin, but didn't get any really good pics of them.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030511.jpg&hash=81b5387c55c5f1a30eb8738d3c20830a4f5590e6) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030511.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 10:17:00 AM: Almost seemed wrong to run this water through a purifier. Another pic from the Squire creek scouting trip.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030489.jpg&hash=0e5c10187fa94c593985742f937bf8a77b88086b) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030489.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 10:24:26 AM: From Squire Creek trail looking up at Mt Bullion. There are few lakes on the other side of the ridge, never saw any billies up there just nannies and kids. Takes all day to get there and its all off trail.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030504.jpg&hash=d868bc17d24e77d6f0e9823f158742d5d4ebb323) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030504.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Ridgerunner on April 27, 2016, 10:46:11 AM: Cant wait for the full report.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Gringo31 on April 27, 2016, 10:56:04 AM: :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 11:23:15 AM: Second scouting trip. Up the Eight Mile Creek trail.
The guy in this pic is actually having a pretty good time. Next to having good gear, having good friends that don't get grumpy when the rain, thunder and lightning hit is essential for a good trip. We just barely got our hammocks hung before the rain came. We did manage to get down a few hundred feet from the top, but the lightning was a bit scary that high up. It had taken all day to hike in and hiking out a fairly rough trail in the dark was not a good option. For one of the driest summers ever in Washington it sure rained a lot in the Boulder River Wilderness. I think it rain on over 50% of my trips. Good news is I now own a really nice set of Sitka rain gear. Worth every penny! The scouting trip was mostly a bust as far as seeing goats. Too socked in to do any glassing. I didn't sleep much this night, I kept waiting for the wind to take my tarp and getting soaked instantly. Makes you really realize how fast a guy can get in trouble in the mountains if your not prepared. We made it through ok, but more gear upgrades were prompted from this trip.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030534.jpg&hash=ec2a8b328ed017aed8324473dfaa2be9acf57723) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030534.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on April 27, 2016, 11:31:53 AM: Man keep it coming! This was my first choice this year and last.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: chester on April 27, 2016, 11:33:54 AM: Good story so far 👍

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RB on April 27, 2016, 12:11:04 PM: Quote from: 180-GRAIN on April 27, 2016, 11:31:53 AM
Man keep it coming! This was my first choice this year and last.
:yeah:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Timberstalker on April 27, 2016, 12:11:55 PM: Awesome. Anxious to see this unravel. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: shanevg on April 27, 2016, 03:40:07 PM: So glad you're sharing this story! Keep it coming!!! :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: whacker1 on April 27, 2016, 04:13:54 PM: keep it coming. I am following along.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Duckhunter14 on April 27, 2016, 04:23:44 PM: Quote from: shanevg on April 27, 2016, 03:40:07 PM
So glad you're sharing this story! Keep it coming!!! :IBCOOL:

Me too!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on April 27, 2016, 05:15:55 PM: Man what a tease :chuckle:. Its been like 6 hours since the last post :bash:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: WAcoueshunter on April 27, 2016, 05:26:11 PM: This looks awesome. Great timing, just what we needed right about now! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Kit Carson on April 27, 2016, 08:20:58 PM: Nice! Tagging along :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 09:08:08 PM: Found a few more pics from the Eight Mile Creek trip, no goats but I did find a goat track.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030536_1.jpg&hash=946aa60e40f7697b113711780d061e62d66d6a52) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030536_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 09:23:41 PM: Another pic of camp. Hennessy hammocks are pretty comfy as long as you can find suitable trees to hang from. It was difficult to find good trees up in the alpine that didn't have a ton of under brush around them. Unfortunately the Hennessy had to go when I started cutting weight from the pack. My final sleep system and tarp was around 6 lbs. ENO hammock, Jacks R Better top and bottom quilt, Whoopie slings and the Hennessy Hex rain fly. My original sleep system was over 12 lbs. (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030533.jpg&hash=8b1d6341a13b57ad68ebcf7b13db90d55a8946b4) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030533.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 09:38:47 PM: Another pic from Eight Mile Creek trail, I went up there twice and both time it was fogged in, its crazy how much the weather changes in a few thousand feet of elevation. If I was able to do this hunt again I would spend a few days up there. Saw lots of tracks and if the weather would clear up there are several places the looked good on Goggle Earth to do some glassing.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2F0a7f9ec24b45c9efa66bc431ed66d992.jpg&hash=ea650f2c0e4364a193a6a1a8a5356018f8bed26e) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/0a7f9ec24b45c9efa66bc431ed66d992.jpg.html)
Note the pack cover, it was raining in August last year in the Boulder River Wilderness area.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on April 27, 2016, 09:58:42 PM: Keep em coming!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 27, 2016, 10:13:51 PM: I'm not normally a big worrier, but after finding out I drew the tag I started having random thoughts of what could go wrong to ruin this hunt. I had fears like breaking a leg or the woods being closed to fire danger or finding out there was a problem with the drawing and they were going to redraw. And then one day I got an email from the biologist that manages the Boulder River Wilderness area. Of course I didn't see it until late Friday night and had to wait until Monday morning to be able to call her. Fortunately her news was not too horrible. The legal description does not match the map in the game regs(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2F5e14f0e725c9334526de6d002732bd88.jpg&hash=2a483f8ec12d189348057cc50988eee0cb2e8abf) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/5e14f0e725c9334526de6d002732bd88.jpg.html). The Map is correct, the legal description that includes Jumbo Mt is not in the open area. That was a long weekend.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on April 28, 2016, 06:39:21 AM: Not trying to thread jack this awesome post but while I was looking at the map just now I starting thinking that if there is a big enough herd to have a hunt in an area this small, Why not put out a tag in the glacier peak wilderness as well. There are many more goats there. At least that's what I have experienced in my time in both areas. Anyhow just a random rant keep on with the great posts!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: jackelope on April 28, 2016, 08:07:04 AM: Quote from: 180-GRAIN on April 28, 2016, 06:39:21 AM
Not trying to thread jack this awesome post but while I was looking at the map just now I starting thinking that if there is a big enough herd to have a hunt in an area this small, Why not put out a tag in the glacier peak wilderness as well. There are many more goats there. At least that's what I have experienced in my time in both areas. Anyhow just a random rant keep on with the great posts!
Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance is working with WDFW on stuff just like this.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: yakimarcher on April 28, 2016, 09:04:26 AM: what an awesome adventure
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Kit Carson on April 28, 2016, 02:41:46 PM: Quote from: yakimarcher on April 28, 2016, 09:04:26 AM
what an awesome adventure

:yeah:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: stew pidasso on April 28, 2016, 07:15:10 PM: I needed this. Please continue
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 3nails on April 28, 2016, 08:13:45 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: yakimarcher on April 28, 2016, 09:15:16 PM: Quote from: stew pidasso on April 28, 2016, 07:15:10 PM
I needed this. Please continue

Ya this is curing my not hunting blues
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Falcon on April 28, 2016, 10:02:30 PM: Keep it coming👊💥👊
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: GoldenOscar on April 28, 2016, 10:43:23 PM: Following :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on April 29, 2016, 11:11:54 AM: Anyone else checked about 20 times today hoping for a new picture?
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Ridgerunner on April 29, 2016, 11:12:32 AM: With you.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 11:42:18 AM: Sorry about leaving you guys hanging, worked yesterday, 24 hour shift.
This is the route up to Bullon Lake.(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FBullon%2520Lake%2520Route.jpg&hash=f4b45ac100999fd29e9a28d70c53a1fe43950b7e) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Bullon%20Lake%20Route.jpg.html)
Tough long hike dodging rolling rocks. No billies, just nannies and kids.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 11:52:53 AM: A pic from the route up to the lakes. There were several boulder fields like this along the route.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030485.jpg&hash=73e88defa6556bd43e34e8cbd4e028931317881a) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030485.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 07:18:45 PM: Early on in my research a basin on the NE side of the hunt unit caught my attention. Its called Buckeye basin. The maps didn't show any trails going into it and it had that undisturbed look about it. I asked around and got very little information about it, until I stopped into the Ranger District in Darrington. I talked to a couple of the gals in there about the basin and access to it. They told me there used to be an old trail that went up into it but unfortunately the old trail head is on heavily posted private property. Not to be denied I headed up one day after work to try a day hike in. Looking back on it I should have made it an overnighter trip and got an earlier start. I left the truck around 10:30. Using the Garmin with land owner maps, I skirted around the private property and got down to Squire Creek. I worked up and down the creek trying to find a dry way to cross. It wasn't happening, so off come the pants and boots and I waded across. Squire Creek is glacier fed with the glacier only a few miles up stream. I wasn't looking forward to the trip back across. I never did find any remains of the old trail, but the terrain wasn't horrible, just a little steep. Another motivation to try this route was that I read on one of the hiking forums about there being another route up to the lakes this way. Not having finished this route I couldn't advise on which one is better. Hopefully another huntwa member will draw this tag and be able to add more pics and info about it. I hiked until around 4 and then headed back not wanting to spend the night with just my day pack. I was able to get back before dark, no goats seen on this day. This place goes on my list of places to go back to just because I want to see what's up there and it doesn't get a lot of people that see it.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Falcon on April 29, 2016, 07:25:13 PM: Great post. Some rugged looking country there.

Keep it coming👊💥👊
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 07:27:10 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FBuckeye%2520Basin.jpg&hash=6b1f9c2ad0ea86a567adf9b4915bf57d7bf76617) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Buckeye%20Basin.jpg.html)
The route I took up into Buckeye basin. This would be a nice overnight trip. It doesn't look that far on Google Earth, but it is deceiving. Pretty steep in places and there are some ravine's that you have to work around. I ended up on the wrong side of one and I cost me an hour or so.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on April 29, 2016, 07:37:44 PM: That's quite away from the lakes. :dunno:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 08:33:55 PM: The creek near where I crossed. The picture doesn't do it justice for how awesome it is there.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030574.jpg&hash=ff8467c13eb5e956b68901583936613fd874f62d) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030574.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: cbond3318 on April 29, 2016, 08:46:57 PM: Dang man! I skipped over this twenty times assuming it was questions about the upcoming draw!

I'm hooked into it now man, just what the doctor ordered!! :drool:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on April 29, 2016, 08:48:34 PM: This is the ravine I ended up on the wrong side of, once again picture doesn't do it justice.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030567.jpg&hash=e33c03160f8904c69b777e97c40ea155e046ba9d) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030567.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Kit Carson on April 30, 2016, 12:38:35 AM: Get em!! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 09:24:10 AM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030647.jpg&hash=92ae10c2768e2065961b17ede3ffe31371c53acc) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030647.jpg.html)
My next few scouting trips would be up the Neiderprum trail and ultimately would be where I would focus on hunting.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 10:42:38 AM: My goals for this hunt was to have a fun, safe hunt and obviously, hopefully get a nice goat. Being that this unit hadn't been open before and I had the only tag, dreams of a record book goat was something I hoped for, but I wasn't going wait to last day for. The biologist I talked to said there was around 125 goats in the area and I know I probably saw less than half of them in all my scouting trips. Most of them from more than a mile away. Judging goats is somewhat difficult, a quote I read is that a lot the time hunters don't know how big the goat really is until they walk up to it after they have shot it. That being said, I was able to spot a very large bodied billie with his rear flanks rubbed and dirty. I think he his a very nice billie. I wont keep you guys in suspense, I did not get this goat. After spotting this billie and several smaller ones from the Neiderprum trail I decided that this is where I would start my hunt from. Another goal of mine was to let the goats hair up a bit, but I didn't want to wait to long and have to contend with bad weather. My first trip up carrying my rifle was in late September. We set up camp on one of the few semi flat areas we had found, and also it had a really nice water supply. Water had been a constant concern with my scouting trips.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FGoat%2520Camp.jpg&hash=d12cfa30b616ee8646e097dbbe7d9c9c5bfb3128) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Goat%20Camp.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: stew pidasso on May 01, 2016, 11:28:05 AM: You put in work. Good job.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 11:39:45 AM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2Fgoat%2520camp3.jpg&hash=e6f855998a1f5ade9204193556a799d0e6e883ea) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/goat%20camp3.jpg.html)
A pic from goat camp.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 12:34:25 PM: From my camp I could usually see a dozen goats at any given time. There was a group of nannies and kids that were inside 500yds and 3 or 4 billies that were 1000 or 1500 yds out. I could also see several lone goats on the cliffs to the east over a mile away.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030693.jpg&hash=6ed37a248f7abf30979be2849c012700c871d235) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030693.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 01:04:58 PM: During the first few days of the hunt this goat showed up and bedded down about 600yds out. He looked pretty decent, the biggest billie that I had seen so far other than the big bodied billie that I hadn't been able to get a better look at yet. We worked inside 400yds and could see he was a good sized billie. I had him in my scope for quite awhile but couldn't pull the trigger. The thought of the big bodied billie and that this was a once in a life time hunt kept me from shooting this goat. I know they say don't pass on an animal the first day that you would shoot on the last day but I'm going to bet most would agree that doesn't apply in this case.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030587_1.jpg&hash=ef1bcdba9327110411a34463cb999e2a8eef51e8) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030587_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 01:15:02 PM: A little better pic of this goat. Still tough to judge from this distance.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030615.jpg&hash=2f21b9bd69edf7390e85b182481f681ad6bc2693) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030615.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: X-Force on May 01, 2016, 01:18:15 PM: Loving the story and all the photos!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 01, 2016, 01:42:44 PM: Wish I had a better pic of this goat, it will have to do.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030620.jpg&hash=122a75f07eecbfd455fe7e6622db1e4c1607269b) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030620.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Kit Carson on May 01, 2016, 10:51:58 PM: Nice!! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 02, 2016, 02:21:04 PM: The Big Bodied Billy aka The Waterfall Goat.
I spotted this goat on the first scouting trip up the Neiderprum trail, he stayed at the base of the waterfall the majority of the time. We decided to not try and go after him on the first trip up packing my rifle due to time constraints and having to be back to work in a few days.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030592_1.jpg&hash=65f4ed9f57b81c471c6e7a54c4acb1b949a2d3cd) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030592_1.jpg.html)

He is the small white spec, bottom left corner of the grass by the waterfall
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 02, 2016, 02:24:14 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030640.jpg&hash=ea81f58661cd06dfaef8154fbf942670d5a44877) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030640.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 02, 2016, 02:31:38 PM: I wish I would have been better prepared for taking long range photo's. I have a decent camera with a telephoto lens, but it didn't make the cut when I was trying to get weight off my pack. The pack with every thing including rifle and water for the trip in was right at 65lbs.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030594.jpg&hash=d1fcc03efebdbf0ef4e91ff46544a9b263bc9f14) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030594.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 02, 2016, 02:40:37 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030595.jpg&hash=96c835277cf612dfaadd39b50493632eaf395d9c) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030595.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on May 04, 2016, 01:32:35 PM: Were due for an update
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: luvmystang67 on May 04, 2016, 01:36:15 PM: Quote from: 180-GRAIN on May 04, 2016, 01:32:35 PM
Were due for an update

I second that... this is like that girl that talks big and then on the way home you find out you're sleeping alone that night.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: HUNT-HARD on May 04, 2016, 01:45:24 PM: :yeah:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 02:56:11 PM: Quote from: luvmystang67 on May 04, 2016, 01:36:15 PM
Quote from: 180-GRAIN on May 04, 2016, 01:32:35 PM
Were due for an update

I second that... this is like that girl that talks big and then on the way home you find out you're sleeping alone that night.

That's pretty funny! I have been trying to organize all the photos for this story, just had a buddy email some pics he had taken. This one is from the hike up Neiderprum in late Sept.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2Fgoinup.png&hash=be62f8293b5ea195fd0353eeb623aae8ef41873e) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/goinup.png.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 03:40:45 PM: Google Earth view of camp. The trail in is around 3.5 miles, starting at 800ft. There is wash out in the road in that adds another 1.25 miles to the hike. As soon as you hit the trail its starts climbing, I set up camp around 4200ft. It took me 6.5 hours to make the hike in.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FGoat%2520Camp.jpg&hash=d12cfa30b616ee8646e097dbbe7d9c9c5bfb3128) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Goat%20Camp.jpg.html)

Expand photo to see where I camped.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 03:54:36 PM: The first part of the trail is pretty nice, fern covered switch backs for about 3/4 of a mile. Then it gets nasty, steep, lots of brush and climbing up roots
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FP1030649.jpg&hash=4599af1da210eb6b56695d5245dc151d263f1c59) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/P1030649.jpg.html)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FP1030650.jpg&hash=a3e78c90d3b5e558605628517e4d225a2e8ce997) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/P1030650.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 11:09:26 PM: Last day of September I headed back up the Neiderprum trail. I was planning on staying up to 10 days. I was going to be solo for the first week, and then my buddy Ty was going to come up for a few days. This would be the longest solo camping I had ever done, and the terrain was concerning. A guy could brake a leg really easy, especially if I allowed myself to be tempted in to going where I shouldn't chasing after a mt goat. I decided to buy a Delorme inReach satellite communicator. I figure with all the money I had spent buying gear for this trip a few hundred dollars more it was good insurance. I did end up having decent cell service on this side of the mountain most of the time though. When I got up to camp I found my great water source that use to be several feet deep and 20 feet across was almost dried up, this was going to be a problem as the last water I had seen was half way back down and the snow in the goggle earth pics was not here this year. I filled all my water containers, which would last me maybe two days. The water hole was dry the next morning.
Picture from the first trip
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FGoat%2520camp%2520water%2520supply_1.jpg&hash=3ded28fa39a6b78bab652b6611eb421ff0a7119f) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Goat%20camp%20water%20supply_1.jpg.html)

Picture from this trip, next day it was dry.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FGoat%2520camp%2520dry_1.jpg&hash=d8b4d24b23646313b88dc63b9a822c5a1839a94a) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/Goat%20camp%20dry_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 11:28:27 PM: Water had been a problem during a lot of my scouting trips so I picked up a few of these little funnels off the Hennessy hammock web site. They screw right into a water bottle and have a little screen filter. During the storm while on the scouting trip up 8 mile creek trail the bottles would fill in about 45 seconds. It never rained this trip enough to get more than 1/4 of a bottle.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2Fgoat%2520camp%2520water%2520bottle.jpg&hash=9504f00b95b4bd8176abf378ba328c6a283d60c1) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/goat%20camp%20water%20bottle.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 11:40:42 PM: Along with my water issue I had another concern when I got to camp..... no goats. Where I could see a dozen goats at a time a week earlier, now not a single goat. I glassed the cliffs to the east and the base of the water fall until dark and never spotted a goat.
This is a view of where I camped from the west, looking east. I was camped at the base of the big trees in the middle of the pic. The large rocky area on the left side of the pic is where I could glass from and see for a mile and a half.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030695.jpg&hash=b6e9449b02362d7caa436b042dff5be0f5d75efd) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030695.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 04, 2016, 11:49:32 PM: The next morning I was on the rock ready to do some glassing at daylight, about the time the sun came up the fog rolled in. Made for some cool pictures, not so good for glassing.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030687_1.jpg&hash=0af1b9515c8137244f19530cfc6875a7799d8c5d) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030687_1.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030684.jpg&hash=fe91fb1939f5d0e1cc2973b6f9cafe3008c3ce1a) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030684.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 12:01:06 AM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030686.jpg&hash=f4948511aa756c4167e38a5d152a1823b6472a58) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030686.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 12:20:47 AM: With the fog blowing in keeping me from doing much glassing and needing to find water, I decided to go for a hike to the east and eventually go up as high as I could go with out ropes.[
URL=http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030683.jpg.html](https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030683.jpg&hash=b4fb9f29d3edce594f15c5e441082c6e02acb73f)[/URL]
My camp was in the middle of the trail the climbers use to get to White Horse mountain.
The patch of green in the upper right side of the picture is the trail up to Lone Tree Pass and ultimately to White Horse mountain.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 12:32:39 AM: The good news, I found water. About an hour and a half round trip away from camp.
Bad news, the fog really got thick.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030690_1.jpg&hash=f709e7d4131119ffcaf8799e7e6bc2a6a002bbd1) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030690_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 12:41:15 AM: I ended up going to Lone Tree Pass and spending the day up in that area. The fog never lifted all day. Visibility down to around 30 feet by the end of the day. No goats seen for a second day.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030688.jpg&hash=d66bae50ed61460f971898849fb4a71e7aeab3ea) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030688.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RadSav on May 05, 2016, 12:43:40 AM: Fun ride you've put us on. I'm enjoying it. :tup:

Early on in my high country ventures Larry D. Jones showed me something that really improved my ability to find and capture water in those high places. He carried 4 to 6' of surgical tubing. You can slide it down between rocks, dig a hole that fills with water and use the tubing as a siphon. On my last goat trip I laid it across wet moss covered rocks and used it as a wick to dribble water into a Platypus bag. Weighs maybe an ounce and easily doubles the chances of getting water in goat country.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 01:11:34 AM: Quote from: RadSav on May 05, 2016, 12:43:40 AM
Fun ride you've put us on. I'm enjoying it. :tup:

Early on in my high country ventures Larry D. Jones showed me something that really improved my ability to find and capture water in those high places. He carried 4 to 6' of surgical tubing. You can slide it down between rocks, dig a hole that fills with water and use the tubing as a siphon. On my last goat trip I laid it across wet moss covered rocks and used it as a wick to dribble water into a Platypus bag. Weighs maybe an ounce and easily doubles the chances of getting water in goat country.

I will have to try the surgical tube idea, I was able to capture a little water off some moss using the funnels but it wasn't much. I hadn't spent a lot of time in the high country prior to drawing this tag, there was a lot of trial and error with the gear I brought. As well as not being able to carry every thing I wanted to bring.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RadSav on May 05, 2016, 01:26:03 AM: Quote from: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 01:11:34 AM
I hadn't spent a lot of time in the high country prior to drawing this tag, there was a lot of trial and error with the gear I brought. As well as not being able to carry every thing I wanted to bring.

When you figure it out let me know. :chuckle: I haven't ever climbed to the top of a mountain with just the right amount of what I needed.

There used to be a lot of bear up in that country. Did you see any good boars while you were up there? This thread is really making me wish I was still in my twenties...or even thirties. I sure miss hunting that country!

Looking forward to the rest of the adventure. Thank you for taking us along!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 10:31:21 AM: Quote from: RadSav on May 05, 2016, 01:26:03 AM
Quote from: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 01:11:34 AM
I hadn't spent a lot of time in the high country prior to drawing this tag, there was a lot of trial and error with the gear I brought. As well as not being able to carry every thing I wanted to bring.

When you figure it out let me know. :chuckle: I haven't ever climbed to the top of a mountain with just the right amount of what I needed.

There used to be a lot of bear up in that country. Did you see any good boars while you were up there? This thread is really making me wish I was still in my twenties...or even thirties. I sure miss hunting that country!

Looking forward to the rest of the adventure. Thank you for taking us along!

I didn't see any bear or bear sign the whole time I was in the Boulder River Wilderness. I heard of guys seeing them over in the Three Fingers area, but I never went up that way.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: X-Force on May 05, 2016, 10:47:20 AM: Quote from: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 10:31:21 AM
Quote from: RadSav on May 05, 2016, 01:26:03 AM
Quote from: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 01:11:34 AM
I hadn't spent a lot of time in the high country prior to drawing this tag, there was a lot of trial and error with the gear I brought. As well as not being able to carry every thing I wanted to bring.

When you figure it out let me know. :chuckle: I haven't ever climbed to the top of a mountain with just the right amount of what I needed.

There used to be a lot of bear up in that country. Did you see any good boars while you were up there? This thread is really making me wish I was still in my twenties...or even thirties. I sure miss hunting that country!

Looking forward to the rest of the adventure. Thank you for taking us along!

I didn't see any bear or bear sign the whole time I was in the Boulder River Wilderness. I heard of guys seeing them over in the Three Fingers area, but I never went up that way.

Great thread.

I'm not surprised you didn't see any bear sign. Last year was so dry a lot alpine areas where I normally find them were void of bears.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 11:29:53 AM: The next morning the sky was clear, I spent the morning glassing. I spotted several single goats on the cliffs to the East about a mile away. I decided to move camp to get closer to the goats and closer to the water supply I had found. Travelling in this country off trail is a slow process. I tried to move camp about 1500yds to the East. I headed out about noon and spent the rest of day doing this. I had hoped to get to the other side of the ravine where I had gotten water. Where I was seeing the goats was to far to get to and get back to camp before dark. Travelling off trail in the dark is not something I was willing to try. I was prepared to stay out away from camp overnight if needed but bringing camp with me seemed like a much better plan. Ultimately I wasn't able to get across the ravine and up into an area where I could set up camp. I filled my water containers and headed back to my original camp site.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030663.jpg&hash=0aaa9199efc68f247251131f02aa457171d4fd5e) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030663.jpg.html)
The ravine where I got water is at the bottom of the pic under the big trees. I was hoping to get up on the hill just past it and then move up to the ridge line to look down into Snow Gulch. I kept getting cliffed out and needed to ropes to go where I needed to go.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Timberstalker on May 05, 2016, 11:31:31 AM: What an awesome documentary. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 10:24:21 PM: The nights were long and quite. Without a campfire to sit around I found I was in bed by 9 most nights. I sleep really good in my Hennessy Hammock, but had left it home to save weight for the hike in. The ENO hammock I was using is small and confining, it also doesn't allow you to lay flat like the Hennessy. I woke up a few nights with my legs trying to cramp. I think this was a combination of the long hikes, not drinking enough water and the position my hammock was forcing me to lay in. I found that putting a stuff sack full of clothes under my knees helped a bit. By morning I was more than ready to get up. The plus side to that was some really nice sunrises and I was ready to start glassing by the time the sun came up. Although I didn't find that the first and last light were any more productive to seeing goats. They seemed to be active all day long. Goat hunting is a lot more about getting to them rather than being able to spot them and finding them when they are not way up on the side of a cliff. Before my hunt I had watched several videos on You Tube of goats getting shot and falling or running and jumping off cliffs several hundred feet up. This added element would be a factor in the days to come.

During one of the nights I had a visitor. Around 2am I heard something walking around my camp, it was within 20 feet of me. It ran off when I yelled at it and I heard what sounded like hoofs on the rocks. Pretty sure it was a goat but I never found any fresh tracks in the area.

This goat hung around above my camp for a few days. Ranged it at 131 yards, too bad it wasn't a shooter
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030668.jpg&hash=4692aaef16362ce3321987db4e51daba4423f5e2) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030668.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 10:45:10 PM: I had several goats start showing up within 600 yards of camp all nannies, kids and small billy's. But still no sign of the Waterfall goat.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030635_1.jpg&hash=1927d079b5ebae8148921e35cc78e0dcac586e17) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030635_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 11:27:57 PM: On the 4th day I made another attempt at finding a route to the goats on the cliffs to the east I also had been seeing a few billies on the other side of the ravine where I had been getting water.
I dropped down several hundred feet lower than my previous attempts. The ravine got deeper the further down I went. I didn't really have high hopes of finding a route down there from what my earlier attempts had shown me, but I needed water anyways.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030704_1.jpg&hash=e48f82533247a37d017c85abcfbfeeb4368abbf6) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030704_1.jpg.html)
In the upper right part of the picture there is a goat up on the cliff.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 05, 2016, 11:47:36 PM: On the evening of the 4th day I decided to try going the West out of camp. The goat that had been hanging out above my camp would come and go using this route.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030580.jpg&hash=c7a679b769772ca12c86a2723e15f7e3e3c3a6f0) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030580.jpg.html)
Looked easy enough, but after I got up through the trees it was shear cliffs. I couldn't even start to see where the goat had disappeared to. They are an amazing animal.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on May 06, 2016, 07:20:46 AM: Zoorda what do you think about the overall herd condition up there? I know that the game department estimates 125 animals but I know they miss a bunch on there helicopter counts due to being in the brush and timber. Do you think they are even close with there estimates? How about the billy to nanny ratio? do you think this hunt could support more tags? Your awesome hunt has me full of questions :chuckle:.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 06, 2016, 09:08:48 AM: Quote from: 180-GRAIN on May 06, 2016, 07:20:46 AM
Zoorda what do you think about the overall herd condition up there? I know that the game department estimates 125 animals but I know they miss a bunch on there helicopter counts due to being in the brush and timber. Do you think they are even close with there estimates? How about the billy to nanny ratio? do you think this hunt could support more tags? Your awesome hunt has me full of questions :chuckle:.

Even though I spent a fair amount of time up there last year, I don't know that I could give an opinion as to the condition of the herd. The most goats I saw at any given time was less than 20. While hunting the Neiderprum trail I'm pretty certain I was seeing the same goats day after day. There did appear to be 6 to 8 billies in this out of these 20. That being said I didn't see any billies in the Bullon lake area. But they could have all been right around the corner. There is so many inaccessible area up there that I'm sure I wasn't seeing even a small fraction of whats up there. Last year the biologist told me that they weren't going to do a count by helicopter because of the extreme heat we were experiencing they felt the goats would be in the trees. I saw a lot of goat sign in the heavily covered areas that there is no way you could see into from a helicopter. This was part of the reason I wanted to hunt the north facing side of the mountain. I also was told that the Ranger district was pretty upset that they had open the area to goat hunting, and that the Jumbo mountain portion of the wilderness was originally open, but to appease the Ranger district the Game department closed it. That leads me to believe other factors come into play when they open an area and to decide how many goats can be taken.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Ridgerunner on May 06, 2016, 12:21:39 PM: Man I'm waiting for this thing to play out, what an adventure.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: shootem on May 06, 2016, 01:03:25 PM: Great thread
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 2MANY on May 06, 2016, 01:38:45 PM: Great write up for sure but after seeing the Google Earth picture I'm not sure why you didn't just stay in town and hike up there before daylight each morning.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 50CalJim on May 06, 2016, 01:53:51 PM: Google Earth can be deceiving. I know where Zoorda was hunting & it's some pretty rugged country & probably unrealistic just to walk in everyday.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RadSav on May 06, 2016, 02:15:37 PM: Quote from: 50CalJim on May 06, 2016, 01:53:51 PM
Google Earth can be deceiving. I know where Zoorda was hunting & it's some pretty rugged country & probably unrealistic just to walk in everyday.

I'm assuming that was a joke from 2MANY and he just forgot the chuckle emoticon.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 2MANY on May 06, 2016, 02:19:04 PM: LOL.

Sometimes the delayed chuckle is more fun. :)

Yes I get it.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RadSav on May 06, 2016, 02:26:47 PM: Quote from: 2MANY on May 06, 2016, 02:19:04 PM
Sometimes the delayed chuckle is more fun. :)

Absolutely! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Falcon on May 06, 2016, 03:44:18 PM: This guy knows how to draw out a story :tup:

Having said that, keep it coming :drool:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: mtndew on May 06, 2016, 05:04:36 PM: Quote from: Falcon on May 06, 2016, 03:44:18 PM
This guy knows how to draw out a story :tup:

Having said that, keep it coming :drool:
:yeah:
loving it!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Cat hunter on May 06, 2016, 10:35:22 PM: Enjoying the story and pics, keep it coming ! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Chase2008 on May 06, 2016, 10:44:17 PM: You are killing me with the wait
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 06, 2016, 11:30:37 PM: Quote from: 2MANY on May 06, 2016, 01:38:45 PM
Great write up for sure but after seeing the Google Earth picture I'm not sure why you didn't just stay in town and hike up there before daylight each morning.
If you go on some of the hiking web sites, guys talk about doing this hike in one day. They typically are only packing a water bottle and its a trip that starts and ends in the dark. My day pack probably would come in over 25lb with rifle, spotting scope, binoculars, and minimal other gear. I think at best it would be 4 to 5 hours in and maybe 3 or 4 out with a light pack. This might even been wishful thinking. That doesn't leave much time to hunt and if you have to go off trail and find routes around the cliffs the time to travel any distance can be incredible slow going. The next phase of my story addresses this specifically. I absolutely think hiking in and setting up a camp is the way to hunt this area, for efficiency and the full experience of the hunt. I did not see another person for an entire week, there was one set of tracks that came up the trail that I saw the entire 13 days I spent hunting during two separate trips. Most of my scouting trips I didn't see any body on the trail. The only people I would see was my friends that came with me on these trips. I really enjoyed the solitude off this experience. This was the main reason I avoided the Three Fingers trail, as it is one of the most heavily use trails in the area. And I didn't want be hunting surrounded by a bunch of hikers.

This being said I don't know if you were serious with your question or not, but I couldn't imagine attempting to hunt this area by hiking in every day. I do have to admit that I did research motel and rv parking option right after drawing the tag, but that idea was dropped after my first few scouting trips.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 12:55:45 AM: The next day I planned on resting my legs and spend the day glassing from the big rock next to my camp. That plan lasted about 5 minutes. I got the spotting scope setup, had my binoculars, rifle and was enjoying another mt house scrambled eggs breakfast when I heard a noise below me. I crawled out on the edge of the rocky cliff and less than 200 yards away was two billies feeding. They were probably a couple hundred feet lower than me. One was a pretty decent Billy, they disappeared heading down the drainage. From where I was I knew I wouldn't get a shot at them unless they came right back to where I had seen them. The weren't spooked so I waited for about half hour and then decided to go after them. I dropped down going as straight after them as I could. It was pretty easy going at first.... for about 100 feet, then it got ugly, thick and steep. I would drop down until I could go no further because it was straight down and there was no way to go around so I would have to climb back up and keep trying to find a route around. I have been hunting in this state for 35 plus years and can without a doubt say this was the most miserable two and a half hours of brush beating I had ever experienced. Two and a hours and I travelled less than 200 yards. I finally busted out into the drainage I had seen the goats go down and there he was, less than 50 yards away staring at me, a Billy goat. I don't know which one of us was more surprised. We had a short stare down, I had time to actually snapped a quick picture and then he ran off. This was the smaller of the two goats, not the goat I was going to take today.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030707_1.jpg&hash=b6c71152dbddd85274061b2ced9f156459decefb) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030707_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 01:27:45 AM: I spent the rest of day hiking down the drainage looking for the other Billy. I found an area that they had been feeding in heavily, it was really brushy, but looked like someone had been driving a tractor with a brush hog through it. I didn't see any other goat on this day.
This is a picture of the drainage looking back up towards my camp. Travelling in this drainage was actually really easy compared to the rest of the terrain.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030708_1.jpg&hash=8edb430f7fbda93b3315b4dabb9af96342fde5d0) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030708_1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 01:59:05 AM: The next day my buddy Ty was coming up so I waited in camp and got the much needed rest for my legs. He arrived around 12:30, we got his tent set up while I told him about my last several days of hunting. Around 1:30 we headed up toward White Horse Mountain. Near the end of the trail to White Horse we had a pretty good view down in to Snow Gulch and the cliffs to the East. These were the cliffs I had been seeing the several lone goats hanging out on. We could see several goats from this point, I suspect that one off them was the Water Fall Billy. He had not appeared at the base of the water fall all week. This was as far to the East I had been able to make it, but from here it was several hundred feet straight down to where the goats were. This was not going to be the route I had been looking for.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030719.jpg&hash=f5210a05b216e44e50c313bf27e2babd28444219) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030719.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030714.jpg&hash=4719609314baf5f5c8cf461cd8cc90923982fe34) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030714.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030715.jpg&hash=18c4f78c92d5ed2ab893eebd25ffda8450c04fbf) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030715.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 02:58:01 AM: From this view point we could see my camp and the drainage below it, we were a little over a mile away. We spotted two billies just to the east of the drainage below my camp. They were 1000 to 1500 feet below my camp, probably 500 yard from where I stopped my search the day before. The drainage had cliffed out and so I had cut to the west caught the trail and took it back to camp. We watched them for awhile and put together a plan to get to them. It was too late in the day to try and get to them, it was dark before we even got back to camp. The next morning we glassed they area the billies had been in the day before, we had to do little climbing to find a clear view. We spotted one of the billies but couldn't tell which one he was and he was across a deep canyon from us. We packed up and headed down, it took us about an hour and a half to get to what we guessed was the right elevation. We found a good spot to set up camp, tossed our camping gear and headed towards the goat.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030717.jpg&hash=7e7002db1620535f781f073ec1301df272841ee4) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030717.jpg.html)
The flag was up there, we stood it back up a got some cool pics with it.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 11:57:33 AM: We dropped in off the trail and made it through a bunch of devils club on a steep hillside. We worked our way for about 300yrds before we came out to an opening. From here we could see the Billy on the far side of the canyon. We couldn't see how good he was at this point. He was still over 800yrds away and the canyon looked unpassable. I wasn't real confident we were going to be able to get to him. My buddy Ty said "lets get him on the ground and then worry about getting to him." I still had doubts. We worked our way about a 100yrds closer. We came up over a slight rise where we could see down into the drainage that the goats had been in the day before. Standing up on the right side of the drainage stood another Billy. We had spotted each other simultaneously, we had a brief stare down. I pulled up my binoculars and knew right away this was the bigger of the two billies. He was a shooter. Unfortunately the hill had been so steep I had needed both hand to climb down, my gun was strapped to the back of my pack. Ty said "don't move." I ignored him, the goat was getting nervous and I knew he was going to run. I dropped my pack off and got my gun up just as the goat started taking a few steps, he was headed down into the drainage. I was able to get a good rest on a stump, Ty called out "167yrds." As I fired the goat hunched up. Then the goat disappeared. I scrambled up the drainage, I didn't want him to make it to the canyon. Every corner or rise I would come up over there was a big white goat size boulder or bleached out log and then finally there he was, he was motionless, laying in the bottom of the drainage. He hadn't gone 50yrds.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 12:07:00 PM: I can't even start to accurately describe how I felt at this point. I was physically and mentally drained. The excitement and stress of it all was overwhelming. I just stood there staring at the Billy, it was awesome. (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030726.jpg&hash=c9f9dfa01c2c96a1d986cda3f87d4b1e4bcd46db) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030726.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Duckhunter14 on May 07, 2016, 12:21:11 PM: What a ride! Thank you so much for sharing such a great hunt. Awesome write up and great photos! Congrats on making the best of your hunt in every aspect and coming home with an amazing trophy! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: bowhunterforever on May 07, 2016, 12:43:51 PM: Quote from: Duckhunter14 on May 07, 2016, 12:21:11 PM
What a ride! Thank you so much for sharing such a great hunt. Awesome write up and great photos! Congrats on making the best of your hunt in every aspect and coming home with an amazing trophy! :tup:
:yeah: :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 07, 2016, 12:55:33 PM: Great goat and awesome write up :tup: Need some more goat pics and angles :drool:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Duckhunter14 on May 07, 2016, 12:58:36 PM: Quote from: carpsniperg2 on May 07, 2016, 12:55:33 PM
Great goat and awesome write up :tup: Need some more goat pics and angles :drool:

When I clicked on the picture it took me to his album and I could scroll through all the pictures. Including more of the goat. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 01:09:27 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030738.jpg&hash=b2dffe868af8cacbcf49fb5c8852a25ca4c9e854) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030738.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 01:11:31 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030729.jpg&hash=ddbea13be731508e2e2691b195225711c9ad7a83) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030729.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 07, 2016, 01:14:03 PM: (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030730.jpg&hash=cc3e227c248435abd1875fdcab1a451817ee63c4) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030730.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 07, 2016, 01:22:14 PM: Cool didn't try clicking on it. Those are some great pics!!! Looks like a nice heavy horned goat :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Falcon on May 07, 2016, 01:39:19 PM: Congrats on an incredible accomplishment and taking the time
For a great write up. You took an OIL tag and did it justice
BIG TIME👊💥👊
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: PlateauNDN on May 07, 2016, 01:51:46 PM: Congrats and great write-up. :chuckle: :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: X-Force on May 07, 2016, 06:47:08 PM: What an adventure. You did that tag proud.

Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: GoldenOscar on May 07, 2016, 07:05:04 PM: I was glued to this post, like a good book you cant wait to get to the next page......I get to tag along on a Mt Goat hunt this year and trying to read all I can.......Great write up thanks!!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RadSav on May 07, 2016, 07:14:19 PM: I enjoyed the ride enough I'm almost sad it's over. Nice goat, great story, amazing pics. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Timberstalker on May 08, 2016, 05:47:09 AM: Congrats Zoorda. What an awesome Billy, and one helluva write up.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: fishngamereaper on May 08, 2016, 06:16:56 AM: Well done, you did the tag justice and got a lifetime of memories to go with it. Thnx for sharing. :tup:

BTW, I like your choice of Rifle.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: shootem on May 08, 2016, 06:29:26 PM: Everything really well done.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Magnum_Willys on May 08, 2016, 07:35:05 PM: Great Hunt, thanks for sharing. What an effort. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 07:37:18 PM: Quote from: fishngamereaper on May 08, 2016, 06:16:56 AM
Well done, you did the tag justice and got a lifetime of memories to go with it. Thnx for sharing. :tup:

BTW, I like your choice of Rifle.

The gun was my dads, since he passed its all I have used. So far a nice mulley, an antelope and a goat. Husqvarna 3006.

Thanks to all for the comments, it was a lot of fun reliving the hunt and trying to organize all the pictures. I plan on posting a few more pics and sharing a bit about the pack out.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: shanevg on May 08, 2016, 07:40:20 PM: Congrats on a great goat! Looks like a fun hunt! What was his length and bases?
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: HUNTaHOLIC5 on May 08, 2016, 07:43:17 PM: Congrats! Great hunt and write up! Thanks for sharing. :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 08:55:44 PM: After the celebration the work started, it was around noon. It took quite awhile to skin out the goat I'm doing a full body mount. Along with taking the head and horns to be examined by a biologist they ask for you to get them a blood sample from the heart. Easier said then done, by the time we got the skin off and quarter out, the heart had drained. While we were skinning and quartering we discussed how to get the meat and hide out. Option one was to pack it all out in one trip, get it on ice and come back up to camp that night. I don't think my hunting partner realized how spent I was at this point. I voted no on option one. Option two was to pack it all out, get a room in town and come back up the next day for are camping gear. We attempted this, it was slow going. I had the head, hide with hoofs attached, my gun, binos and misc other gear. my pack was under 60lbs. Ty's pack with all the meat, his spotting scope and tripod and misc gear was much heavier. I had concerns about him getting hurt on the way down. We didn't get to find out how well this plan would work, he got all call from home and needed to get back for a family emergency. We left the quarters in game bags on some logs in the drainage bottom, covered them with some chunks of bark to keep the birds off them and headed back up to the trail. Ty grabbed his camping gear and we headed down, getting to the truck at 930 that night. (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030732.jpg&hash=07da962f32a059a0d0a363f7a1c160d498a1e4d2) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030732.jpg.html)
Ty with the Billy
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 08:57:32 PM: Quote from: shanevg on May 08, 2016, 07:40:20 PM
Congrats on a great goat! Looks like a fun hunt! What was his length and bases?
9 3/4, 9.5 and 5.5 on the bases
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 09:01:49 PM: Ty packing out the meat.
Thanks for the help buddy, I have some goat jerky for you.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2Ftypackinggoat.jpg&hash=8274c700377f276aeef19bdad1dfd3b72d3bba89) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/typackinggoat.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: actionshooter on May 08, 2016, 09:20:42 PM: Awesome hunt!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 09:23:02 PM: I got home at midnight, head, hide and the misc meat in the freezer. First shower in a week, can't describe how great that feels, I'm sure there are some reading this that have had similar experiences. 1 1/2 hours sleep and back on the road, trying to beat the morning traffic jam that I had been experiencing all summer on my scouting trips, 405 sucks. I had three buddies meet me in Sumner at 3am and we headed North. We hit the trail at 630am, it was dumping rain and my new Sitka rain gear was miles away with the rest of my camping gear up on the mountain. When we got up two the point on the trail where Ty and I had first gone after the goat roughly 24 hours earlier two guys went up and found my camping gear was stashed. Me and one of my buddies started in with machetes making a trail towards the goat quarters.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2FP1030739.jpg&hash=50d24fb65e91b22d5dd7428d5f3b4bd6d1828c12) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/P1030739.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 08, 2016, 09:29:53 PM: Loading up the quarters, and I finally have my rain jacket.
Thanks to my buddies that helped out on this day, that was a wet pack out.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi499.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Frr360%2Fzoorda%2FMT%2520Goat%2Fimage.jpeg&hash=edd12c4663c599ae28ac21704d6e1deeaa0dde66) (http://s499.photobucket.com/user/zoorda/media/MT%20Goat/image.jpeg.html)
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: SuperDave on May 08, 2016, 09:57:53 PM: What a great story and a great ending on a very nice, well deserved trophy!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: 180-GRAIN on May 09, 2016, 09:19:44 AM: Stud goat, congrats! Im super jealous, always wanted to hunt a goat in my back yard like that. My dad shot one years ago above Darrington and tells the story every time we hike into that country. I think he likes rubbing it in a bit lol. Did you get a final score on that bad boy? Has to be up there in the Washington book.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RUGER No.1 on May 09, 2016, 11:10:32 AM: Hey Zoorda, been following along here like everyone else, envious that you got this done!
Wish we were around to help when the time was needed. Elk hunting the week you killed this thing.
Glad it worked out and that you killed it on that side, some real steep ground over there,
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: trophyhunt on May 09, 2016, 12:42:31 PM: Great story, great pics, epic hunt! Thank you for posting! Congrats!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: LOTG on May 09, 2016, 12:55:45 PM: Awesome story zoorda! Congrats on an awesome goat as well. Awesome!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: SWHUNTER on May 09, 2016, 03:04:31 PM: Thanks for the story. I really enjoyed the pics!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 10, 2016, 06:10:10 PM: Quote from: 180-GRAIN on May 09, 2016, 09:19:44 AM
Stud goat, congrats! Im super jealous, always wanted to hunt a goat in my back yard like that. My dad shot one years ago above Darrington and tells the story every time we hike into that country. I think he likes rubbing it in a bit lol. Did you get a final score on that bad boy? Has to be up there in the Washington book.
I haven't had him scored yet, I will post the numbers if I ever get around to it. I'm 100% pleased with the size of this Billy. I'm really happy I held out and didn't shoot the first Billy I had in my scope. All though this might be the same Billy I had in my scope on that first trip. Even more than the size of the Billy, spending more time on the mountain and enjoying the once in a life time hunt is a must. That would be one big lesson I would pass on to anyone given this chance. Also as much as I enjoyed the time I spent alone up there, having someone with you to share the moment is a big plus. The only thing looking back at it I would change is to spend the rest of October making more trips up, I had the time off. Trying to time out the logistics of getting friends with time off and having friends around to help was challenging, everyone I know that would be willing and able to help is hunting most of October. I could have waited until November but I didn't want to have the weather get nasty, as was for most of the hunt the weather was pretty nice. I will also always wonder about the other goats up Snow Gulch that I never got close enough to for a decent look, especially the Big Bodied Billy. On our pack out that last day there is a spot on the trail where you can see the base of the waterfall. There was a lone goat hanging out there when we were coming down. We didn't take the time to glass it but, I'm certain that was the Billy I had been seeing. He might not be any bigger than the goat I took, but it makes a guy curious about what he is. I never did try to access that area from the bottom and going straight up Snow Gulch, maybe this years hunter will get up there and post some pics. I think any way you access that area is going to be extremely difficult and potentially dangerous. I heard very large avalanches or rock slides from the gulch several times in my time up there.

Thanks again to you and the other guys on this site that sent me messages offering help and information. OIL tags seemed to be the only time we get to share every thing we know without ruining our honey holes. I hope this year's hunter is a member here so they can take some of what I learned and have the hunt of a life time.

Make sure you take lots of pics and share the story.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: steen on May 10, 2016, 08:24:41 PM: That was awesome!!! Everything! Pictures, story, and goat! Hope I am able to do it someday. Congratulations!
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: wsucowboy on May 14, 2016, 04:53:55 PM: That was a great read. Congrats on a wonderful hunt

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Kit Carson on May 15, 2016, 08:27:07 PM: Thanks for sharing man! That was a great read. Awesome journey!! :tup:
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: RB on May 15, 2016, 10:58:40 PM: I may have skipped over this answer but what other game did you see up there? I read that you did not see any Bears, but what about Deer?
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: redi on May 16, 2016, 12:34:07 AM: Great story and awesome goat. Congrats. Way to stick with it.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: Blacktail135 on May 18, 2016, 11:16:55 PM: That was a good read! Thanks for sharing and congratulations, well done.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: zoorda on May 19, 2016, 08:09:27 PM: Quote from: RB on May 15, 2016, 10:58:40 PM
I may have skipped over this answer but what other game did you see up there? I read that you did not see any Bears, but what about Deer?

I didn't see any bear or bear sign, I also didn't see any deer and very little deer sign. I was carrying tags for both, but really was focused on a goat, it would have to of been a really nice bear or deer to interrupt the goat hunt.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: shootin_straight on May 21, 2016, 07:16:16 AM: Awesome story, Thank you! I'm close to this area, and put in for the tag for the first time this year, after buying my points for the past 10ish years. Hoping to explore the area either way this summer, hoping for my OIL tag draw someday. I can't wait to share the story with my 14yo son.
Title: Re: Boulder River Mt Goat
Post by: csaaphill on May 21, 2016, 10:22:23 PM: Awesome!