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GOAT STORYDated: August 1, 2004
Hello Everyone,
Marcia and I have just returned from the mountains. We flew out on Saturday with my old friend Earl. He dropped us off in a small lake in Misty Fiords.
Earl and I had spotted a goat not too far from this lake a few days before on the 1st scouting flight of the year. After setting up a quick basecamp, we went to scout the trail and found the 1st quarter mile to be a brush choked draw. I spent an hour hacking a trail while Marcia returned to camp to collect firewood. My hopes were high for good weather as we turned in beneath a sky full of stars.
Early on Sunday morning I woke to clear skies and headed up the mountain after a quick breakfast. Thanks to my trail cutting, I was able to reach the alpine in an hour and immediately spotted the goat, bedded just below the peak. Two more hours of climbing put me at his elevation working sidehill on final stalk. Just as I approached the final rise that would allow me to see him a breath of wind hit my back. I immediately dropped my pack and hurried up over the rise to look. He was gone.
I spotted some tracks and droppings in a nearby snowfield and went to inspect. They were fresh and the goat appeared to be moving out. I raced in his track to the other side of the mountain and looked down the hill to where he might have gone. Then I spotted him far below headed to lower country. A quick shot with the rangefinder put him at 298 yards but moving steadily away. Soon he'd be out of sight. I dropped to the ground, took a quick rest and held for his hump. I thought I heard the bullet connect, but the only sign was that he started running faster. I shot again and thought I could see his right leg go out, but still on his feet and about to disappear. I managed to get off two more shots and then he was gone. Worried that he would continue down into the deep canyon, I ran down the mountain to catch him. When I got to the spot he had disappeared, I almost amazed to see him lying there taking his last breath. A final shot to the neck finished him.
This was the biggest goat I had ever taken on a 'solo' hunt. I struggled to get all the meat and cape back up to the top of the mountain and decided, it would better to make two trips down. I was back in camp by 5:30 with the 1st load and happy to see that Marcia had kept the fire going for me. It started raining that night and I dreaded the trip back up in the morning. It actually wasn't too bad since I was going up with an empty pack. I managed a quick 3 hour round trip and had all the meat in camp. However, we were socked in with steady rain and low clouds. Earl finally managed to get us out today and we feel fortunate to be home warm and dry.
The old billy had horns over 11" long and should score well up in the Boone & Crockett Record Book. I've got a couple of days of R&R around the house and then off to sheep country. I hope all of your hunting seasons start off as well as mine did.
Ed
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