Dave's 521 Journey

[LopeHunter]

My knees get sore going downhill much more than uphill. My son is a doc so asked some docs he knows what might be going on. Advice was to be less active, have surgery or use knee wraps to delay things while still being active.

I got these:https://www.amazon.com/Knee-Brace-S...t=&hvlocphy=9033604&hvtargid=pla-569465859788

Great reduction in tenderness for me.

At some point, will need surgery though bought myself some time with the wraps.

 

[Dsnow9]

Kt tape!

 

[elkfishing]

So my second hunt is in the books. I got the privileged of going in with andrew11 who was a great partner. We did nearly 50 miles and over 10,000 vertical feet. The short version is that we had an epic time together, but no goat yet. We did see 10 and I will be heading back in this week again. Details are found below.

Day One:
Andrew and I went in the Box Canyon Trail Head off the Boulder River south of Big Timber Montana. It was a pleasant day but we knew some weather was likely coming in that night. My pack was heavy at 68#, but I was feeling great. We were not in a hurry as we glassed when we could on the way in. 8.7 miles latter we setup camp near the Columbine Trail intersection. None were found.





Day Two:
Awoke to the anticipated snow. Andrew snapped this shot from his tent of mine. After a brief breakfast we were back on the trail. Made our way to Fish Lake where we paused for lunch which consisted of fresh trout and ramen. I had spoken to a couple of sheep hunters who reported seeing a billy in this area the week before, but we did not find him. Had we found him, we would have had to first determine if he was in 521 or 316, but without seeing him, it didn't matter.

More walking and glassing. An eight-mile day and we set up camp by Wounded Man Lake. After such a tough summer physically I was feeling very happy with how my body was performing. Nothing negative to report for either my legs or lungs. While I wasn't feeling as young as I once was, I was thrilled with where I was at and with how I was doing.



Day Three:

A morning of glassing all that we could see around Wounded Man. Nothing was found so we broke camp to head to Cimmarian Lake.



My maps disagreed with each other as to the presence of a trail. In the end the no trail answer was closer to the truth. What should have been 3.6 miles according to the source that said we had a trail grew as we did 5 even to get there. Lots of deadfall and multiple stream crossings.



Then it happened. My foot slipped into a hole near the end of this trek and down I went with my full pack on to my hip that had suffered from the sciatica this past summer. I felt a distinct, uncomfortable pull in that hip as I landed, bending one of my trekking poles slightly. Man did that suck! Over 20 miles in and now this. I got up and while I could feel the hip some, I didn't feel too bad overall.

To our lake we went finding a place to setup camp and to settle in for the night. I wasn't sure how I would feel in the morning, but the hunt was not over. We did some more fishing and had some success supplementing the food we brought with us. We didn't keep everything we caught, but those we did were very tasty.



Day Four:

I woke up stiff in my hip from my fall. The decision was made to hang near camp and to glass all that we could see completely, and to fish.



Then it happened, Andrew saw a goat! It was far enough away that we weren't sure, but boy did it look like a goat through the spotting scope. Talk about getting excited! It appeared to be bedding down, so we pinpointed its location to keep checking on it. Multiple checks through out the day and we were making plans on how to approach it in the morning. My hip was feeling great now. Then the bubble was burst when the sun moved enough in the afternoon to see that our "goat" was really a well placed and shadowed rock. Oh well, that was fun while it lasted.

The next day was our big push up the mountain. I was confident after all my research that we were in a good area and so hip be damned, it's time to climb! Not an easy situation, but after some ibuprofen and acetaminophen and I was good. Climb and glass, climb and glass. That was our day. Oh but was it worth it. Maybe a 1000 feet below the summit and I found our first real goat. Soon we discerned that we were seeing three nannies and kids. Finally goats! We watched them for some time until they disappeared over the summit.

Back to the climb and before too long Andrew found another goat. We were now only 450-480 yards from this next group which were two more nannies and a kid, depending on the particular animal. Not a shot option even if they were billies at this distance plus a 25-degree angle up and swirling winds. Moreover, we were there for a billy.

Shortly there after a billy was found. And what a beauty! Not the oldest or biggest, but a gorgeous haired out coat. The closest we were to him at this point was 463 yards and similar extenuating conditions. No ethical shot option until we could close the distance.


Decisions, decisions. Go straight up towards him, or go more around the mountain and risk spooking the other goats we had seen and possible spook him too. Up it will be and therefore through a big boulder field. Slowly we progressed up until we were in the area we needed to be. Where the heck did he go?





Andrew and I split up to glass the various drainages that were options for where they may have gone. Nothing.

We did not want to give up the elevation we had acquired so I pulled out an old tent fly that I carry for such an occasion and we setup for the night. We had brought bags and pads so we were going to be comfortable. Our hope was that we would find goats in the morning. Personally, I was hoping to get a shot from our tent.


Day Five:

How does that go? The best laid plans of mice and men? Well no goats in the morning. We glassed all the drainages again, but nothing. Still very grateful for the experience.

Back down a less-steep, but still steep route to our base camp. A lunch of fish and soup and we packed up to begin the walk out. Back to Lake Pinchot up out of the Flood Creek. We made it there and built a big fire which we sat around until latter then any other night reminiscing on the goats and questioning just where did they go?

The question we had for ourselves was if we would walk all the way back to the pickup the next day, or if we would take two days to do it? I thought that one was an option, but neither of us wanted to get back to the truck well after dark and then drive home. So we determined to see when we got to a predetermined location on the route out to decide if it would be one or two days.

Day Six:

Neither of us were moving too fast as we were both okay with the idea of two-day back out. We hit the trail around 10:00 and headed back towards Fish Lake. We would still glass, but only with the binos and not the spotter. None were seen and we were happy with the progress we were making. We hit our benchmark spot well before the 3:00 mark that would have had us stopping for the night so we continued on to the pickup. An average of 2.2 mph out had us there in fine time, having gone around 16.5 miles. We ditched our boots and headed for a beer and a burger at the McLeod Bar. With our bellies full, back to Billings and a hot shower and a warm cozy bed!


Plans for the next trip were already in the works. Horses the next time and another great hunting partner. More to come!

 

[EYJONAS!]

That is a FANTASTIC ADVENTURE keep at it buddy your gonna connect!

 

[elkfishing]

That is a FANTASTIC ADVENTURE keep at it buddy your gonna connect!

Thanks. I’m gonna keep giving it my all!

 

[elkfishing]

Well hunt three has come and gone. Did a one-day in-and-out dodging weather. This time it was with friend Brandon Flurry and his horses which were both good and not so good. Brandon is awesome. A very accomplished hunter and just a great guy to hang with. I have now had three great trips into the district with three great men to hunt and hang with!

There is not as much to talk about on this hunt, but it was still an amazing addition to the story that continues to build with this goat tag. Brandon and I spent the night in his camper ready to hit the trail before daybreak. Our ultimate goal was about 12.5 miles in, but we had numerous spots to glass before making it in that far. We both road and walked, maybe a 50/50 split between the two. Walking was truly a pure joy as I had both knees injected with cortisone on Wednesday. I was moving like days of old once again. Uphill, downhill, it did not matter, I was covering ground again!

Riding, on the other hand, was mostly good. The problem is the stress riding puts on the inside of your knees. So long as my horse was walking or only lightly trotting, no problem. But speed it up from there and soon a pain would develop on the inside of my left knee in particular. It is still tender today, but not too bad. I figured out riding positions that minimized this, but the real key was keeping the pace slower while riding. Still generally a plus.

The day consisted of walking, riding, and glassing. On the way in Brandon was sure that he saw two goats with his nocks near Flood Creek, but we were unable to verify with our spotters. We did about 90 minutes, so it wasn't for lack of trying. We continued on and eventually made it to our destination glassing location. We let the horses feed and began the trip out with the same strategy as we did on the way in after more glassing. It was near the same location as we had been in the morning that we were glassing for the two ghost goats when I spotted a lone billy. Quickly deploying our spotting scopes it was soon clear that this was not the goat for me. Somewhat immature and spindly-definitely lacking in the wow factor. Still, it was great to have another goat to talk about.

We continued to glass Cathedral Mountain until it was nearly dark. Back to the trail head, loaded up the horses, and away home we went.

We were originally planning on being in there for five days, but the snow continues to fall here in Billings, with maybe two feet hitting in the areas we were in. Oh well, it was still a momentous day.

I will be shifting my focus now to the opener of general big game season as I have three fellas showing up to hunt elk with me for the first week as well as taking my teen age boys. Depending on how that goes, we may get to shift to an impromptu goat hunt with them or not. Either way, this journey is by no means over. I have until November 29th and I will press on. Physically I'm doing great and mentally I am committed. I am not saying that I will not eat my tag in the end, but I am saying that it will only happen after a hard battle to avoid that.

Here's some pictures from yesterday.

 

[JLS]

I have until November 29th and I will press on. Physically I'm doing great and mentally I am committed.

Love your resolve, rooting hard for you.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Can't wait to hear of the next endeavor partner!

 

[MT_elk]

Enjoying the story! Keep at it!

 

[406dn]

Good luck, without doubt you are putting in the work. It takes a bit of good fortune to close the deal. You are due for some.

The knee pain from the riding could be from several things. If my stirrups are too short, my knees will let me know it. It could be the rifle scabbard needs to be hung a bit lower, so your leg doesn't rest against it. It could be you put too much of your weight in the stirrups.

Again,, good luck.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Good luck filling your tag! Looks like you are certainly putting out the effort.

 

[elkfishing]

Good luck, without doubt you are putting in the work. It takes a bit of good fortune to close the deal. You are due for some.

The knee pain from the riding could be from several things. If my stirrups are too short, my knees will let me know it. It could be the rifle scabbard needs to be hung a bit lower, so your leg doesn't rest against it. It could be you put too much of your weight in the stirrups.

Again,, good luck.

Thanks for the riding tips. I’m not too versed myself so I really appreciate your input.

 

[6mm Remington]

Sure am enjoying your pictures and adventure. Nice job describing it to us so we can be right there with you. Keep at it as we ALL are rooting for you. Sure pretty country. I was born in Columbus and have family that lived in and still live in Absarokee. We moved away from Columbus when I was 10 but my father and I still hunted around Columbus for a few years chasing deer and antelope. We also spent time up in the Beartooths and that country sure tugs at my heart strings. It's just beautiful. When we lived in Columbus we lived a few miles south of town on the road to Absarokee close to the Stillwater river.

Keep at it and hope you stay healthy to pull this off.

 

[dgc1963]

IM really rooting for you to get your goat looking forward to more of this adventure

 

[sacountry]

Kudos on the effort and great job on the write ups plus pics.

 

[srflash]

Keep at it. It will happen when you least expect it.

 

[MTGomer]

You’ll get one.
There’s a lot of days left. Although, I think the number of days left to glass in t-shirts is zero.
It’s going to be pretty white up high for a while.

I bet the goats have beautiful hair by now.

 

[elkfishing]

Another trip to get you all up to date.

So last week began a series of three where I am teaching virtual classes on asphalt mix designs. As fate would have it, I was not teaching anything last Wednesday or Thursday so, with my fellow teachers' blessings, I headed up the Stillwater early Wednesday morning. My plan was to spend the day with minimal provisions, but sufficient to spend the night if it seemed warranted. So with a relatively light pack, in I went solo with Flood Creek as my goal. I didn't stop too many times on the way in, but only in those spots where one could glass well. Temperatures were very warm and the Chinook winds were blowing making for a comfortable walk in.

I made it to my preferred glassing location which was where Brandon and I had seen the young billy the last time in. Snow was mostly gone from southern slopes, but still deep it appeared on the north ones. I glassed for hours until I finally found what I was looking for, two adult goats. The problem was that with the wind, I could not discern their sex. When I zoomed much above 25X the scope was too unsteady to see the details I needed. Plus, they were about 3000 feet up and I didn't have the time to get up there before the sun went down.

So I decided to stay the night. I went back to Flood Creek and established a makeshift shelter out of my old tent fly. Temperatures were not getting too cold so I was sure I could stay very comfortable. I used my sitting pad and backpack as cover between me and the ground. This covered about 2/3 of me. A down vest and coat were worn along with multiple layers on my upper and lower body. A sleeping bag liner was used to primarily help keep my feet warm. The winds were nearly nonexistent so I started a fire and put a good-size cache of wood for the night. I was very comfortable when I dozed off that night listening to a book on Audible.

I awoke the first time after a couple hours of sleep at about 11:30 as the winds had increased. With the gusts, I needed to let the fire die. It was fairly low then so it was really more of a don't restock it. I was still quite comfortable. Slept came easy again and a few more hours passed. Then my feet started to get cold. If anything is going to get cold on me, it will probably be me feet. I considered removing my boots as I wondered if they were constricting them, but I fell back asleep too fast. I truly was comfortable for the most part. Up a final time at just after 6:00 so time to start the day.

The one thing that came to me immediately was a memory of a deer during the night. It was really strange as I could not and can not tell you if I dreamed it or if a doe actually passed near where I was sleeping. I'll never know. I laugh at myself every time I think about it.

I glassed again where I saw goats the previous afternoon, but I didn't find them. I moved a bit further in and glassed for awhile where the young billy had been seen. It wasn't too long when I found three new goats. With the winds being lighter Thursday I could seen that I had a kid, a nanny, and a fine billy. They were about 2000 feet above me, but then I started to do some math. It was nearly 11:00 and I was on my own. I had a couple thousand feet to climb, not a problem. I had a goat to harvest, I felt good about my chances to accomplish that. I had to skin it and get the meat ready to pack, this too was not a problem. I had to get all of that back to the trail where a good friend would arrive with another if I sent him the message to do so. But...after doing the math, I didn't think I had the time to do all of that on my own and get out and prepped to teach three lessons the next day for our class. Plus, my wife was flying out at 6:00 am Friday as well. So an excruciating decision was made to back out and head down the trail back to my waiting motorhome. It was gut-wrenching for me. If only I wasn't alone this could have easily been a different post.

The good news is that I still have time, but it is going to be harder to use the days I have left. The current mix design class continues and I have another next week. That dang J-O-B is getting in my way. I do have this weekend and time around Thanksgiving, so I'm trying to make those both happen. This still isn't over!

 

[JLS]

Work sucks. Good luck!

 

[elkfishing]

Time for a wrap-up of this incredible hunt. This will be the first of three posts to describe the final events of the hunt. Sure, you can scroll down to get the answer of how it turned out once they are all up, but that's like opening your Christmas presents now. Not a big fan of that either.

So, after doing the solo hunt and experiencing the dejection of having to leave without going up after a goat as I ran out of time, I was adamant about not going in solo again. Well, I could go in solo, but I would only if another was set to join me. Thus, I put out invitations again to a number of prospects from my circle of friends and I extended it to one other that is well known on here and that I had been made aware of via a few others. The timing of this event was not going to be ideal once again as, while it was the weekend (Nov. 14-15) I was in the middle of a two-week asphalt mix design class. So, I would need to give myself enough time to prepare for Monday's lessons which could cut my Sunday down. Not really a huge factor as I've taught this material so many times over the past 20+ years, but I couldn't ignore it either.

The responses began to filter in and much to my surprise there are other hunts going on (who knew). So after getting negatives from all of my friends, Issac from Bozeman let me know that he was eager to go. What a remarkable thing. Here is someone that I don't even know (except secondhand via HuntTalk) who is very knowledgeable with my district (one of the main people that influenced MT FWP in establishing the district in the first place) and a very experienced hunter. Moreover, I have someone who is willing to join me on a potentially life threatening hunt, and we had yet to even meet. There are not many activities that can say these kinds of things outside of hunting. Oh, and did I mention, he is nearly half my age at 28.

After a number of back and fourths establishing our plans, I was heading in early Saturday morning. Issac would arrive after me and we would meet near Flood Creek where I had repeatedly seen goats, or sooner if his young legs caught me before that.

I hit the trail just after 5:30 so that I would be in a good place to start glassing when the sun came up. I made good time when I was walking and stopped a number of times to glass and to grant a cow moose right-of-way. She wound up turning away from me and we sorta traveled together for about a half mile. She left the trail and after a few more pictures, I kept going.

I made it to Flood and cached some of my items before I headed further to some good glassing points. Almost immediately I heard whistling behind me and I was privileged to meet Issac. I had a young, strapping hunting partner for the weekend. Time to find some goats.

We spent hours glassing and Issac kept seeing goats before I did. This was a bit frustrating for me, not that I wasn't happy we were seeing goats, as it may have been a reflection of his younger eyes and their inherent advantage over my 54 year old pair. In the end none of the goats really seemed to hit the buttons I was looking for. Still great seeing goats!

Another plus was that for the first time, a goat was spotted north of Flood on Cathedral. It had been a big surprise that none had been seen before this as it is ideal habitat for them. It appeared to me to possibly be the young billy I had spotted with Brandon previously south of Flood. He hadn't grow appreciably, and after some personal debating, I once more passed on going after him. That was an increasingly hard decision as the season was shrinking and the snows were showing up as the picture demonstrates.



So with daylight fading, we returned to the same spot I had improvised a shelter a week and a half ago. We dug into the snow and pitched our tents. An early bedtime was in store as our days were shrinking maybe faster then my goat season. I can freely admit that I was growing concerned about the prospects of more snow causing me difficulty getting in and just two remaining weeks to hunt. Absolutely praying for a blessing.

I awoke the next day and found that Issac was up and had went to one of the various glassing locations already. Again, what a great guy to have along. I broke down my tent and got some food into me and we both headed to glass further for the billy north of Flood. It was seeming that he may just be what I would need to pursue and I was okay with that on a cold wintery Sunday. However, the goat had other plans as he did show himself (only time this trip where I saw the goat first), but not in a good spot. At about 10:00 we headed out to make our way back to the Woodbine trail head and to our respective homes. A fast walk out (at least for me) of almost 3 mph and we parted ways. I tried to convince Issac to let me at least get him some lunch, but he had commitments to keep. I certainly think he made the right choice and I hope that we can enjoy time afield again in the future and maybe then I can get him that meal.

I was now had about a 100 miles logged, most with a pack that was typically heavy. My knees were doing great, but I was admittedly seeing a season that was waning and I now had snow to contend with.