Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: BillyG on August 17, 2009, 08:24:27 PM
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Hey everyone, We spent the day scouting the Black Buttes area of 4-4. This was by fare the hardest hike I have ever made, A real tree grabber! The scenery was awesome and the weather was great. We spotted 42 goats on this trip,two of them being mature Billy's. I have decided not to get to close to these goats so the pictures are from some distance. We are able to get a good idea how big they are with our optics. We did see one exceptional Billy on this trip but not very accessible. I talked with a 70 year old gentlemen who harvested the last Goat from this unit back in 80's. He spent some time scouting with us and shared some great information. I was really impressed that a 70 year old could make it up that trail. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this scouting trip! No luck adding photos tonight, will try again soon.
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Good to hear you were able to get in there. The trail certainly is a lot of work, but it is well worth it! Can't wait to get out with you for the archery hunt!
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Ill post a bunch of the pics I took tommorrow. Maybe some video if I can get it uploaded.
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From the sounds of it you definitely have your work cut out for you. Good luck.
:hunter:
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I figured out how to compress photos for download and plan to add them tonight.
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Sure was great country for glassing in!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2Fglassing.jpg&hash=1c999b79804cb1ae474add8c84baa4c67fe68c10)
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Sure was great country for glassing in!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2Fglassing.jpg&hash=1c999b79804cb1ae474add8c84baa4c67fe68c10)
I glassed from that very rock before!
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We counted 13 goats in this first meadow
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys233.jpg&hash=196d15696dbe5655393dbe0c8733fd13832f63e7)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys242.jpg&hash=dde3ae496d9ee50e0a37b4a837afe41cb3fc3266)
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Those are some really GREAT freaking pics! :drool:
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Heres, Kevin and Bob making there way off the Glacier.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys281.jpg&hash=09d14cba540d1c18f9ac4e6b86ff9c6819d66cde)
Me standing on the Glacier near some scary chit!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys271.jpg&hash=bb67a7ce5b4ac0aa5c16811be4038382fe8182df)
28 goats in this picture way out in the distance
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys277.jpg&hash=2fc1d5b22a4c8006cbf63e3c9a15c011d3af2e9a)
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beautiful country. Did you see anything else up there? Or on your way in or out?
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These worst part about the whole trip was after about 45minutes of heading down the trail, I relized I left my Leicas sitting on the trail back up in one of the meadows. I dropped my pack and took off up the trail 30 minutes of running back up the trail and 15 back down and we were on our way back to the truck again, I sure got a workout that day. This is pretty much it for me Kevin lets see some off your camera!
Several goats in this picture
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys259.jpg&hash=f32ad70ee752d87f59af77dd6636c39f273c8fff)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys275-1.jpg&hash=6cb78f1d5f18eaf3347a2ad01d31626a56055297)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys279.jpg&hash=2ec54e0eb69602d6430b859936d344adc81dad4f)
Looking back across at sisters
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi107.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm292%2Fpetkmj%2FBoys264.jpg&hash=f17b4634be5cff178cb109e67ad4ae419a3722cb)
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Awesome Country
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Thanks James for posting your photos! I'm working on mine right now and will download soon with any luck!
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Welcome to the Black Buttes!
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Maybe this will work?
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Veiw looking east to High Camp.
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Black Buttes, James in out cropping.
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Looking across Wallace drainage to Marmot Ridge. 26 goats near center.
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This was the nicest Billy we spotted but not very accessible.
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Awesome... can't wait to get up there again!
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Same Billy and James filming.
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I'm looking across the Middle Fork at the ridge we scouted last weekend. I did spot the same Billy in the same area.
Looking forward to next weekends scouting trip!
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At least I figured out how to compress these picture's. Sorry it took me a day to get it right.
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great pictures! im sure with the amount of work you are putting into that tag it will pay off handsomely! good luck!
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Planning the next scouting trip right now!
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Those Billies are hawgs. My wife shot a 9.5 yr. old two weeks ago. The meat bag alone boned out and trimmed extensivly was 68.2 Ibs. The back cape was heavy too but I didn't weigh it. So if your looking for an estimate of weight I think I've got you really close with that number. If you score on the big one.
I've killed and helped kill a few billies. Your onto something. When you find a big boy in a happy place like that it's very likely he'll stay there unless harrassed extensivly, weather or rut changes things.
Summer goats are great eating. You'll really enjoy it if you get the skin off quickly and pack clean boned out meat into a dry bag and shove it in one of those snow banks overnight. Just plan on staying an extra night up there after your kill.
Here is photo of my wifes Billy from SE AK. It fell down a hole and she couldn't get to it. I nearly couldn't get to it. One of the horns broke and she don't care. I get one tag a year and so does she and we just enjoy eating the buggers. I went and got a Dall sheep the next week for horns. :) And trust me.....putting that meat in a dry bag is JUST FINE! Keep it clean, get it cold, butcher right away, and it's great. Just avoid and contamination and keep it cold. We just keep the back skins to throw over our couches and chairs around the house. It costs us $100 to have em tanned here in town.
Good luck on your hunt and if you shoot a nice three year old billy you'll have the finest table fare around. Its right up there with the Dall Ram I just shot.
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opps I posted the same photo twice......my bad.
This is the one that shows how deep that hole was. I sure am glad I've practiced sport rock climbing over the years.
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That's pretty awesome Bighorse! Too bad Alaska doesn't come up with a way to let residents host some non-resident hunters from time to time. You would have a list of Hunt-Wa members about 4000 people long! ;) I may have to try to hit you up for one of those goat rugs sometime if it only costs you $100 to tan them! :)
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Awesome pictures...looks like you are going to have a blast hunting up there.
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Thanks for the info Bighorse!
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Awesome pics guys. I love that country up there.