duckhunt
Well-known member
Awsome cant wait for the pics and story.
2016 Idaho elk - pack goats chapter 2
- Thread starter Duck-Slayer
- Start date
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
I'm going to start this part of the story on Fri., as all of you know who have been following my adventure with my pack goats, that Fri. I packed out of Plan A spot, not enough elk and to many people, between the 2 horse camps, a Motorcycle camp with 4 guys in it and 2 other guys walking in every day, than me, it was alot of pressure on this particular area, I will not be returning to this area, maybe for deer again, but I did not like the quality of the deer there, see my other pack goat thread.
So I got back to my camper on Fri. about 3p.m., all my gear was wet from the last two days of rain and wind. Dried what I could out at the trailhead as I poured over the maps that showed some of the other area's in my unit. The terrible thing was I did not plan on having to leave Plan A spot. So I did not bring hardly any other maps of the 4 units I could hunt. Luckily I have done a couple years of hunting in these units back in the 01', 03',07' seasons, so I knew some spots, my buddy Rob also hooked me up with a location. Not feeling the vibes from any of my other spots or Rob's, I got on the Idaho Fish and Game website and looked up some harvest stats and 6pt bull stats, success stats, I found some good information that helped me narrow down a unit in my area too concentrate on, looked over my maps, than realized that my inReach has a map app for my phone. That was really helpful and I was able to narrow down a couple drainages to go check out.
I packed up all my damp stuff that had not fully dried out, loaded up the goats, and I was off. A somewhat quick hour drive later I was in the new country I wanted to check out. It looked good. By this time is was about an hour before dare. I quickly found a place to camp along the highway on a pull off trail that led to a trailhead, I was not sure of the condition of the Road so I parked and unloaded the goats and we walked the mile back to the trailhead, as we had about 20 mins of light I decided to walk up the trailhead a bit. No sign of elk after the rain, some deer tracks that's about it. I returned to my camper in the dark, put the goat coats on the goats. Put 2 in the trailer and tied one just outside, they don't like being close to each other while they sleep, they will horn each other constantly if I shoved all 3 in the little trailer. Its fine when we are moving though. I awoke about 1:45 a.m. to a deep howl not 100 yards from camp, it was loud, it had to be to wake me up after my head injury. I got a bit nervous for my goats, I know that wolves are not scared much of humans, especially when its dark out. I hurry and got some clothes on, turned the outside light on and yelled out the camper door. I stay up for the next 4 hours drinking coffee, eating breakfast, and looking at my map. There was a camp toward the trailhead and another guy pulled in about 5:30 and drove down the trail. I talked to another guy that was camped about 100 yards down the road that previous evening. He was just going across the road and up the mountain. So I was pretty confident in what drainage I would go up. 90% of people don't go more than a mile from the trailhead, just cause of the logistics of getting an elk out.
So I arrived at the trailhead I decided to go up and to my surprise there was a Father/Son camped and hunting there. I quickly spoke with them, very nice people, a little reluctant to share information at first but we got to talking and they opened up a little, told me the direction they were going and asked if they minded if I went way back in this drainage. They did not care. So off they went. I got the goats unloaded, geared up with saddles and panniers and my water and food(I was done carrying a pack when I got 3 goats to carry the stuff I keep in my pack). So I grabbed my Bino's and Bow and up the trail I went. I softly cow called or bugled(very little, wolf country) every 1/2 mile or so. Got about 2 1/2 miles in and heard my first bugle way off up a side drainage, was to late in the day to go after him. So I continued up the trail to do some exploring. Went another mile and cow called and got a response immediately about 400 yard above me(Awesome, Finally!). Tied the goats up along the trail, checked the wind, made a move ahead of the goats a bit and tried to call him in. Tried for about a 1/2 hour to coax the bull into range, but he did not want to budge. Than I did not hear the bull for a couple of minute's. Gave some soft cow calling, caught some movement out of my left eye. I turned and BAM!, a trail runner..... LOL... Bummer, so i'm sure the bull knew something was wrong and didn't make a peep after that. It was 10:30 a.m, had about a 2 hour walk back to the camper. So I headed back. Uneventful walk back, a couple mountain bikers but that's about it. Got back to the camper, I was out of water in the camper and the battery was about dead, need more propane for heater, it was cold, I didn't go with much, I did not intend to be at the camper more than a couple days. Made the 40 min. drive to my father in-laws house and recharged, had a real shower and some awesome stew for dinner, stayed the nigh drinking a couple cold one's and chatting.
Got up early the next morning and made the drive to the Trailhead, made it just after it go light out.
So I got back to my camper on Fri. about 3p.m., all my gear was wet from the last two days of rain and wind. Dried what I could out at the trailhead as I poured over the maps that showed some of the other area's in my unit. The terrible thing was I did not plan on having to leave Plan A spot. So I did not bring hardly any other maps of the 4 units I could hunt. Luckily I have done a couple years of hunting in these units back in the 01', 03',07' seasons, so I knew some spots, my buddy Rob also hooked me up with a location. Not feeling the vibes from any of my other spots or Rob's, I got on the Idaho Fish and Game website and looked up some harvest stats and 6pt bull stats, success stats, I found some good information that helped me narrow down a unit in my area too concentrate on, looked over my maps, than realized that my inReach has a map app for my phone. That was really helpful and I was able to narrow down a couple drainages to go check out.
I packed up all my damp stuff that had not fully dried out, loaded up the goats, and I was off. A somewhat quick hour drive later I was in the new country I wanted to check out. It looked good. By this time is was about an hour before dare. I quickly found a place to camp along the highway on a pull off trail that led to a trailhead, I was not sure of the condition of the Road so I parked and unloaded the goats and we walked the mile back to the trailhead, as we had about 20 mins of light I decided to walk up the trailhead a bit. No sign of elk after the rain, some deer tracks that's about it. I returned to my camper in the dark, put the goat coats on the goats. Put 2 in the trailer and tied one just outside, they don't like being close to each other while they sleep, they will horn each other constantly if I shoved all 3 in the little trailer. Its fine when we are moving though. I awoke about 1:45 a.m. to a deep howl not 100 yards from camp, it was loud, it had to be to wake me up after my head injury. I got a bit nervous for my goats, I know that wolves are not scared much of humans, especially when its dark out. I hurry and got some clothes on, turned the outside light on and yelled out the camper door. I stay up for the next 4 hours drinking coffee, eating breakfast, and looking at my map. There was a camp toward the trailhead and another guy pulled in about 5:30 and drove down the trail. I talked to another guy that was camped about 100 yards down the road that previous evening. He was just going across the road and up the mountain. So I was pretty confident in what drainage I would go up. 90% of people don't go more than a mile from the trailhead, just cause of the logistics of getting an elk out.
So I arrived at the trailhead I decided to go up and to my surprise there was a Father/Son camped and hunting there. I quickly spoke with them, very nice people, a little reluctant to share information at first but we got to talking and they opened up a little, told me the direction they were going and asked if they minded if I went way back in this drainage. They did not care. So off they went. I got the goats unloaded, geared up with saddles and panniers and my water and food(I was done carrying a pack when I got 3 goats to carry the stuff I keep in my pack). So I grabbed my Bino's and Bow and up the trail I went. I softly cow called or bugled(very little, wolf country) every 1/2 mile or so. Got about 2 1/2 miles in and heard my first bugle way off up a side drainage, was to late in the day to go after him. So I continued up the trail to do some exploring. Went another mile and cow called and got a response immediately about 400 yard above me(Awesome, Finally!). Tied the goats up along the trail, checked the wind, made a move ahead of the goats a bit and tried to call him in. Tried for about a 1/2 hour to coax the bull into range, but he did not want to budge. Than I did not hear the bull for a couple of minute's. Gave some soft cow calling, caught some movement out of my left eye. I turned and BAM!, a trail runner..... LOL... Bummer, so i'm sure the bull knew something was wrong and didn't make a peep after that. It was 10:30 a.m, had about a 2 hour walk back to the camper. So I headed back. Uneventful walk back, a couple mountain bikers but that's about it. Got back to the camper, I was out of water in the camper and the battery was about dead, need more propane for heater, it was cold, I didn't go with much, I did not intend to be at the camper more than a couple days. Made the 40 min. drive to my father in-laws house and recharged, had a real shower and some awesome stew for dinner, stayed the nigh drinking a couple cold one's and chatting.
Got up early the next morning and made the drive to the Trailhead, made it just after it go light out.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Got to trailhead and the Father/Son duo was about 200 yards up the hill bugle every so often at at bull about a mile up the drainage. I quickly got the goats and my gear and headed out, the duo was off the trail about a 100 yards up hill, so I snuck my way past them and left them to try and coax that bull down to them. I was headed up to where I encountered the bull from the previous morning, its a 2hr 15 min walk up to there. I got to where I thought the bull would be and gave out some soft cow calls. Immediately a response, it was a growling half bugle. I knew this was a different bull!, I scouted ahead the day before and knew of a gradual slope with alot less dead fall that I could try and get the bull to come down. Tied the goats up along the trail and I was off. I walked about 200 yards toward the bull right to where in goes from gradual to steep. Found a perfect spot, I wrote the scripted and hoped the bull would follow it. I put a big blow down mess to my back and down wind, a handful of tree's to my front with 2 shooting lanes 1 at 20 yards and 1 at 30, I knew if he came down he would want to peak around those trees to see all the commotion, it took some back and forth calling with cow calls and soft bugle's, but was not making any headway, until....... the decision was made to challenge him, the next time he bugles I cut him off with my bugle, did that along with some cow talk and he was on his way. I caught my first glimpse of him coming down the steep mountain side at about 80 yards, I did not make another peep after I saw him, I made him come look for the intruder and cows he had. Well luckily he read the script I wrote, came right down and took 1 step out around the tree's at 20 yards! I was already at full draw, settled my pin, released, and heard the distinct WHACK! quickly made a couple cow calls, I tried to get my phone out and record but he fell 10 yards from where I shot him! That dirtNap broadhead made quick work of that bull exactly at 10 am. I did get a short video of his head falling to the ground, but I was not quick enough on the draw with my phone to get the whole sequence. I will show you the rest with pictures after this.......... skip ahead to after all the work was done, my lovely hot wife and kids decided to drive up from Caldwell to the trailhead to come help and they also picked up her dad and step mom on the way. It took me 3 1/2 hours to bone and weigh and load packs by myself. By this time I figured my wife and crew would be at the trailhead, I assumed I would meed them half way which ended up being 2 miles. Met up with them, my wife and father in-law took the goats and meat back to the trailhead, Her step mom and I made our way back to the kill site, my wife brought her pack for me, I needed to get the head and my mother in law got the last 30lb bag of meat. She carried that bag 4 miles out over her shoulder, she was a champ! I packed the head out and that was that. It was a great adventure, probably the best elk hunt I have every been on or a part of. Almost all DIY on public land with Pack goats. It don't get much better, ended up with 230 lbs of boned out meat. Here are the glory shots an pictures from the adventure!
Matt
Matt
7mm08mo
Well-known member
Congrats sounds like a grand adventure. Also sounds like the goats worked out great for you. Are you ever worried when you tie them up and move ahead about a wolf or bear or cougar finding them?
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
Congrats man! It looks like Jr is almost big enough to join in the fun.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
A little, they will freak out and make there BAAAAAA noise, I don't get that far ahead of them, 60 yards maybe..... there added noise is a distraction too the bull sometimes, my goats like too rub on tree's with there horns,
Matt
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Yep, there both getting there, Alexis passed her hunter Safety this last May, she is excited to hunt this next spring, taking her too a friends ranch in Cali for pigs and turkeys the last week in March.
Matt
JoseCuervo
New member
Great job!!!
Congrats, always fun to see a plan come together.
Congrats, always fun to see a plan come together.
junior88
Well-known member
very cool, congratulations
idnative1948
Well-known member
Nice job Matt and great write up! Happy to see your family enjoys to get out.
Rcates
New member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2016
- Messages
- 18
Congrats! Awesome hunt
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Look at them steaks!Matt
Little Big Man MT Chris
Well-known member
i really enjoyed this thread , thanks for the posts and pics, congrats on a nice bull
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Thanks everyone, I've really enjoyed doing the live hunts the last couple of years when I have cell service, I hope to bring you many more in seasons to come, thanks for following along!
Matt
Matt
Southern Elk
Well-known member
Congrats! I have a question about using goats. I see that you're in Idaho. Do you hunt an area with grizzlies? Seems like they would make an easy meal for a bear in some of the spots that I've hunted in MT. Would taking them into an area with a lot of grizzlies concern you?
