Last November I decided that this year was going to be a game changer for me. I have always hunted, but never had a whole lot of success or taken it that seriously. So I booked 3 weeks off work at the start of the year and started hitting the range up almost every weekend. I was lucky in the LEH draws and scored one for bull moose, grizzly, and mountain goat.
The area that we hunt is so heavily brushed that the only access you have is by road or jet boat. After a week of trying to track down a moose and 3 really close encounters with bulls I saw but never got a shot at, I finally caught a bull out in the open. As I was lining up on him he started to walk towards me, so i figured I would close the distance. At about 30 yards he turned broad side and let a big snort out. Right at that moment I thought this is a bad idea. I backed off a few steps and placed my shot right at the top of the neck and down he went. Now for the fun part... I manged to get it in the truck by myself. A ran a long cable out to bull and dragged it out to the road as it was too far. I dressed it and quartered the hind, the front was just to much to split. I could dead lift the head and hind quarters in to the truck but after that there was no way in hell the front were getting in there. There was a steep bank on one side of the road with about a 6" tree growing out of if where all this was going on so.... I wrapped the cable around the front feet then ran it around the tree on the bank and back to the truck. I pulled the front up the bank until it hit the tree, then i tied it off with a rope and unhooked my trusty cable. I then backed the truck into the ditch right under the tree. I cut the rope and the front half rolled right into the box. Two hours after the shot I had the truck loaded up and headed for home. Where there is a will there is a way, and I will always carry a long piece of cable in the truck from now on. I don't think I have ever had such a work out in my whole life. Fortune was definitely shining on me that late September morning.
With half a moose in the freezer I figured i could relax and really enjoy some deer hunting. This year they opened a whitetail doe season as well as a buck season on mule and whitetail. So I took my rattling antlers out to a semi treed meadow and hunkered down. After rattling for about a min, I seen some movement in the trees about 50 yards out but couldn't make out what it was. I kept at it for a while longer but nothing came in. I figured i had nothing to loose so I left my gear where it was and with just my rifle in hand i started still hunting where I figured the deer might be if there was one. Sure enough I spot a doe about 70 yards out, frozen still just starring at me. The grass about 3 feet tall so I to move about 15 feet to where it was a little shorter. I was shaking pretty good so I had to calm myself down and take a few deep breaths. From a kneeling position I was still too shaky, so I sat on my but and placed my elbows on my knees... much better. I lined up right on the white patch on her neck and squeezed off a perfect shot. Another nice clean kill and no meat damage. There was more fat on her than any buck I have ever killed, it kinda surprised me.
After we cut and wrapped the deer I still had a week to go before I had to go back home. I have always toyed with the idea of hunting the high mountains but never actually did it. I went up one of the valleys in my area, and was was watching for goats on the cliffs. It didnt take long to spot a nanny and kid feeding away on a small cliff face. I watched them for about a half hour when a nice billy came out not 300 yards away from them. I grabbed my big pack and rifle and up I went. I took 2 hours of hard climbing to get up there but I made it. It was wickedly steep country. I managed to sneak within 50 yards of a goat but decided it was a nanny so no shot but a couple cool pictures. I never did see the billy again.
The next day was the last day of the season so i was out looking for goats again. Late in the afternoon I spotted a good goat out on a rock face a little higher than I was the day before. It was already 2:45 and I knew I had to be back to the truck at 6. I figured on a 1 1/2 hour climb if I really pushed it... so up I went again. By 430 I was up where I needed to be and was skirting around the base of the cliff face trying to find the goat I had seen earlier. As I picked my way across a bunch of broken rock and boulders I spotted the goat I had seen earlier. He was about 50 yards away and 60 feet higher on a rock face than I was. There was a boulder the size of a car right in front of me so i through my elbows on it and steadied for a shot. I was so pumped up I forgot to put a shell int the chamber... Click...F@#!. So I finally get a round in and take aim right at the top of his front shoulders. At the shot the goat cartwheeled off the cliff and fell 40 feet onto the rocks bellow, then slid another 30 feet until in hung up in some willows. I think the shot crippled it and the fall killed it as it did not even twitch by the time it hung up. One of the horns broke off at the base but was still attached by some skin. i caped it out, then boned out all the meat as fast as I could. By the time I was done it was 5:05 and my pack was probably around 85 or 90 lbs. It was a brutal decent but i was down at the road at 6:15. I was pretty beat up but still in one piece. My poor rifle has a few new scratches after being on the rocks and stumbling down side of a mountain.This was by far the hardest i have ever worked for a hunt and the most fulfilling. Those of you who have hunted goats know just how tough it can be. The head is off to the taxidermist and the meat is all ground and in the freezer. I find it is similar to deer, just not so much flavor.
All 3 animals were taken with a remington 700 CDL in 300 win mag, Leupold VX3 4.5-14, and 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.
This is the best year I have ever had and cant wait for next year to roll around.
To any of the young guys just starting out, if I can do it so can you. Just get out there and go for it.
The area that we hunt is so heavily brushed that the only access you have is by road or jet boat. After a week of trying to track down a moose and 3 really close encounters with bulls I saw but never got a shot at, I finally caught a bull out in the open. As I was lining up on him he started to walk towards me, so i figured I would close the distance. At about 30 yards he turned broad side and let a big snort out. Right at that moment I thought this is a bad idea. I backed off a few steps and placed my shot right at the top of the neck and down he went. Now for the fun part... I manged to get it in the truck by myself. A ran a long cable out to bull and dragged it out to the road as it was too far. I dressed it and quartered the hind, the front was just to much to split. I could dead lift the head and hind quarters in to the truck but after that there was no way in hell the front were getting in there. There was a steep bank on one side of the road with about a 6" tree growing out of if where all this was going on so.... I wrapped the cable around the front feet then ran it around the tree on the bank and back to the truck. I pulled the front up the bank until it hit the tree, then i tied it off with a rope and unhooked my trusty cable. I then backed the truck into the ditch right under the tree. I cut the rope and the front half rolled right into the box. Two hours after the shot I had the truck loaded up and headed for home. Where there is a will there is a way, and I will always carry a long piece of cable in the truck from now on. I don't think I have ever had such a work out in my whole life. Fortune was definitely shining on me that late September morning.
With half a moose in the freezer I figured i could relax and really enjoy some deer hunting. This year they opened a whitetail doe season as well as a buck season on mule and whitetail. So I took my rattling antlers out to a semi treed meadow and hunkered down. After rattling for about a min, I seen some movement in the trees about 50 yards out but couldn't make out what it was. I kept at it for a while longer but nothing came in. I figured i had nothing to loose so I left my gear where it was and with just my rifle in hand i started still hunting where I figured the deer might be if there was one. Sure enough I spot a doe about 70 yards out, frozen still just starring at me. The grass about 3 feet tall so I to move about 15 feet to where it was a little shorter. I was shaking pretty good so I had to calm myself down and take a few deep breaths. From a kneeling position I was still too shaky, so I sat on my but and placed my elbows on my knees... much better. I lined up right on the white patch on her neck and squeezed off a perfect shot. Another nice clean kill and no meat damage. There was more fat on her than any buck I have ever killed, it kinda surprised me.
After we cut and wrapped the deer I still had a week to go before I had to go back home. I have always toyed with the idea of hunting the high mountains but never actually did it. I went up one of the valleys in my area, and was was watching for goats on the cliffs. It didnt take long to spot a nanny and kid feeding away on a small cliff face. I watched them for about a half hour when a nice billy came out not 300 yards away from them. I grabbed my big pack and rifle and up I went. I took 2 hours of hard climbing to get up there but I made it. It was wickedly steep country. I managed to sneak within 50 yards of a goat but decided it was a nanny so no shot but a couple cool pictures. I never did see the billy again.
The next day was the last day of the season so i was out looking for goats again. Late in the afternoon I spotted a good goat out on a rock face a little higher than I was the day before. It was already 2:45 and I knew I had to be back to the truck at 6. I figured on a 1 1/2 hour climb if I really pushed it... so up I went again. By 430 I was up where I needed to be and was skirting around the base of the cliff face trying to find the goat I had seen earlier. As I picked my way across a bunch of broken rock and boulders I spotted the goat I had seen earlier. He was about 50 yards away and 60 feet higher on a rock face than I was. There was a boulder the size of a car right in front of me so i through my elbows on it and steadied for a shot. I was so pumped up I forgot to put a shell int the chamber... Click...F@#!. So I finally get a round in and take aim right at the top of his front shoulders. At the shot the goat cartwheeled off the cliff and fell 40 feet onto the rocks bellow, then slid another 30 feet until in hung up in some willows. I think the shot crippled it and the fall killed it as it did not even twitch by the time it hung up. One of the horns broke off at the base but was still attached by some skin. i caped it out, then boned out all the meat as fast as I could. By the time I was done it was 5:05 and my pack was probably around 85 or 90 lbs. It was a brutal decent but i was down at the road at 6:15. I was pretty beat up but still in one piece. My poor rifle has a few new scratches after being on the rocks and stumbling down side of a mountain.This was by far the hardest i have ever worked for a hunt and the most fulfilling. Those of you who have hunted goats know just how tough it can be. The head is off to the taxidermist and the meat is all ground and in the freezer. I find it is similar to deer, just not so much flavor.
All 3 animals were taken with a remington 700 CDL in 300 win mag, Leupold VX3 4.5-14, and 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.
This is the best year I have ever had and cant wait for next year to roll around.
To any of the young guys just starting out, if I can do it so can you. Just get out there and go for it.
