Montana Mountain Goat- at wits end

[BuzzH]

I killed my Montana goat the first week of November, can't recall how many total days I hunted but at least 20.

 

[LuketheDog]

You do you man I just know when I drew a le elk tag here I hunted 21 days straight and put on well over 300 miles for an elk. I let a bull walk the morning I killed mine right by the truck bigger than anything I have ever killed at that time. I wouldn’t have been ok with filling that tag with that bull even though o hadn’t seen an elk in 6 days. We have all been there mentally. I guess check back in after 3 months when regret kicks in

Ok, now that's just ridiculous, you totally earned a truck bull after all that work...

 

[TOGIE]

i'd rather take the hunt talk flogging for days on end than the flogging my wife would give me if gave up early on a big three and essentially OIL tag.

 

[cgasner1]

Ok, now that's just ridiculous, you totally earned a truck bull after all that work...

Then I wouldn’t have this though and that makes me smile every day

 

[LopeHunter]

I'm tagging @LopeHunter in this. Because a couple years back he did get dropped in a neighboring unit by horseback and picked up. I think it was in October at the time. Maybe he can shed some light on who he used to get in there. I'm pretty sure it was a outfitter from Big Timber.

Keep on fighting @Marshian there's a big ol billy with your name on it in there. If I had horses Id take you in there no question.

Amazing but brutal adventure. I will PM the hunter right now with info on a couple of guys that might be able to assist with horses/mules.

 

[morley.tyler]

I don't why anyone would be pissed at someone else not shooting something.

"Not Shooting is Conservation"

 

[EYJONAS!]

Amazing but brutal adventure. I will PM the hunter right now with info on a couple of guys that might be able to assist with horses/mules.

Thanks Lyle! No excuses now.

 

[LuketheDog]

Then I wouldn’t have this though and that makes me smile every day

Fair enough, great bull

 

[The Hedgehog]

I did both of these as day hikes. The longer one as you can see was 17.4 miles and 4-5k elevation. The other was nearly 15 miles and about 2500 feet but with about a 60 pound pack since that’s when I planned to camp. So for me, mentally, I’d rather go absolute balls out for a day and know I can get some sleep and rest versus stay up there. Those days are behind me. So if I have a free weekend, I’ll try once more to do another big day hunt but if I get snowed out before then, so be it. I’ll have no regrets knowing what I already went through.

We all have our own internal limitations, and I’ve come to accept mine.

The bridge outage will not keep you from having a very good hunt, and you don't really need horses, but you'll need a tent. From the looks of one of your maps, you were in a good place, but doesn't look like you ventured off the USFS trail. You walked in about 3 hours on a trail, turned around and walked out, not able to see shit from the trail. Had you plopped a tent down instead of turning around, climbed up on the north side of bridge creek (323) and glassed south into bridge lake and the basin to the southeast of there, I'm 100% sure you'd have seen goats to hunt, probably plenty of them had you been patient. That's your starting point, not your turning around point. A friend of mine killed a 10" monster at Bridge lake a few years ago, the weekend after Thanksgiving. Look what you can see if you climb 600' up off the trail into the rocks to the icon I marked for you.

GO BACK!

 

[mtmuley]

I'd listen to Greenhorn if I were you. mtmuley

 

[BAKPAKR]

I'd listen to Greenhorn if I were you. mtmuley

I am taking notes.

 

[rogerthat]

The bridge outage will not keep you from having a very good hunt, and you don't really need horses, but you'll need a tent. From the looks of one of your maps, you were in a good place, but doesn't look like you ventured off the USFS trail. You walked in about 3 hours on a trail, turned around and walked out, not able to see shit from the trail. Had you plopped a tent down instead of turning around, climbed up on the north side of bridge creek (323) and glassed south into bridge lake and the basin to the southeast of there, I'm 100% sure you'd have seen goats to hunt, probably plenty of them had you been patient. That's your starting point, not your turning around point. A friend of mine killed a 10" monster at Bridge lake a few years ago, the weekend after Thanksgiving. Look what you can see if you climb 600' up off the trail into the rocks to the icon I marked for you.

GO BACK!

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This was my exact thought as well when I looked at the tracks.

 

[cgasner1]

If you are coming thru Billings stop and grab a tent I won’t give you my first round draft pick for obvious reasons but I got a nice light 2 person

 

[mtmuley]

I am taking notes.

That was for the OP. But you probly knew that. Golden opportunity for solid advice. mtmuley

 

[The Hedgehog]

And here I am, currently all pumped up about backpacking a heavy EGO chainsaw with an extra battery into an absolutely shitty area to cut wood for an elk hunting camp - farther in and less scenic than that goat hunt option.

 

[406bobcat]

@Marshian As others have said - I would strongly take @Greenhorn's advice, and be thankful for it. Not many guys get that kind of input on a public forum.

If you need a tent, I have one I will lend you. Just keep it away from sharp objects.

I think you can get a good billy in that area. Set up a camp near a good glassing point, and day hunt from there. Nobody, from my experience, in this forum is being harsh 'just because'. The harsh rebuke, I believe, stems from the fact that a lot of us on this forum are envious you have this tag, and want to encourage you to make the most of it.

Best of luck - keep us posted.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I see area 329 has 2.21% drawing odds, the best draw odds in MT. I might have to throw in there next year. I'm in my mid 50s and it's nice to dream about getting another permit.

 

[mtmuley]

I see area 329 has 2.21% drawing odds, the best draw odds in MT. I might have to throw in there next year. I'm in my mid 50s and it's nice to dream about getting another permit.

I apply for a unit with one permit. In my late 50's. I need to up my odds. I actually know the guy that drew it this year. mtmuley

 

[The Hedgehog]

I apply for a unit with one permit. In my late 50's. I need to up my odds. I actually know the guy that drew it this year. mtmuley

I broke dick poor, but would make it happen if it were legal for Martian to sell me his permit, for just 3 days, this weekend to hunt that Bridge Lake country. I'd pay maybe 3 grand.

 

[Dinkshooter]

And here I am, currently all pumped up about backpacking a heavy EGO chainsaw with an extra battery into an absolutely shitty area to cut wood for an elk hunting camp - farther in and less scenic than that goat hunt option.

Ha! What kind of loser would do that?