Elkmagnet
Well-known member
Loving this one!
Nanny Problems - Oh Yeah, I’ve Got Them (a goat hunt)
- Thread starter Dsnow9
- Start date
Then I made a genius move! Hey Finn, since these are all billies let’s go back to the other side of the unit and try to find that group of nannies again tomorrow since we have another day to scout. Finn agreed and we scarfed down some food half way through the two hour drive.
It was at this time I sent some photos of what we had been seeing to a few people. We jumped in the truck and went out of service again, and threw the boxes and coolers out again and back to sleep in the bed of the truck. We woke up to a white out, we slept in because you couldn’t see a hundred yards. As it cleared up we went out scouting a little bit.
It was at this time I sent some photos of what we had been seeing to a few people. We jumped in the truck and went out of service again, and threw the boxes and coolers out again and back to sleep in the bed of the truck. We woke up to a white out, we slept in because you couldn’t see a hundred yards. As it cleared up we went out scouting a little bit.
It was at this time that @LuketheDog sent the text to my Zoleo that would change the course of this hunt. I was sitting in the truck out of the snow and thinking I found a nanny in the photos from the day before, one out of 7. @LuketheDog said something along the lines of “the one on the right?” And that’s when it clicked, he was looking at a different goat then me. I started analyzing every goat I had take pictures of and videos of the last three days. Lots of nannies, and very few billies. The group of seven had the two billies up on the cliff and at minimum 4 large nannies with a possible young billy in the group. I looked at Finn and said, my gut says we have to go back. It would be amazing to kill a goat where I scouted with the family. Like 10x better than anywhere else in the unit. We packed everything up and bailed out across the creek to do another 2 hour drive back to the other side of the unit.
The weather broke as we were losing up the gear and got a couple pics from the cliffs the goats were on Friday morning.
The weather broke as we were losing up the gear and got a couple pics from the cliffs the goats were on Friday morning.
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We were just over an hour into the drive when we ran into a tanker truck that slid off the road.
That 2 hour drive turned into a five hour drive with a lunch break in the middle as we had to go around the other way. When we finally made it to the beginning of the basin it was gorgeous and way less snow on that side of the divide.
That 2 hour drive turned into a five hour drive with a lunch break in the middle as we had to go around the other way. When we finally made it to the beginning of the basin it was gorgeous and way less snow on that side of the divide.
LuketheDog
Well-known member
Well, gee, if you put it that way...I was going to buy you a beer, but maybe you owe ME one
We pulled into the camp site at about 4:30, got unpacked and the bags laid out because they were full of condensation from the night before. By the time we started hiking up the trail it was just after five. Less than an hour of good glassing light left. It didn’t matter though. We made it a 1/4 mile up the trail and spotted the goats right where we had left them the night before. And there were more goats this time. 9 nannies, 2 kids, and one large billy made an appearance right before dark. Fortunately I had somehow turned the rear facing camera on in my phone scope and got my reaction as I was taking pictures.
We were ecstatic to say the least, this was a hug moment, not a high five moment.
We were ecstatic to say the least, this was a hug moment, not a high five moment.
After sun down we made it down to camp quickly, had dinner and packed the bags for the next morning. Monday morning was coming up fast and I wanted to be within shooting range by first light. I didn’t sleep much and we were on the trail around 5. With motivation and excitement under our feet we made it to the spot we wanted to be with about 45 minutes to spare. It was cold and very windy. I started to second guess taking a 250-300 yard shot from below. Finn pointed out that we couldn’t see very much from where we were sitting. He said he was going to hike down to the lake and glass from further away and direct me in with hand signals.
Originally I was going to stay put but something told me I had to get above them. I hiked about a mile up and around to drop in on top of where we assumed they would be. I couldn’t see Finn because he was hunkered down in the bushes hiding from the goats he was glassing, working out of the cliffs. I sent him a text on the Zoleo to ask him where he was so I could glass for hand signals. He stood up and walked out into a snow patch.
Game on! He then surprised me and basically pointed straight down and slightly left of where I was. I didn’t question it but started working down the hill.
This was the last photo I took before things got real serious.
I started realizing there was very little terrain left between me and where the mountain flattened out. 300 yards to the bottom.
Originally I was going to stay put but something told me I had to get above them. I hiked about a mile up and around to drop in on top of where we assumed they would be. I couldn’t see Finn because he was hunkered down in the bushes hiding from the goats he was glassing, working out of the cliffs. I sent him a text on the Zoleo to ask him where he was so I could glass for hand signals. He stood up and walked out into a snow patch.
Game on! He then surprised me and basically pointed straight down and slightly left of where I was. I didn’t question it but started working down the hill.
This was the last photo I took before things got real serious.
I started realizing there was very little terrain left between me and where the mountain flattened out. 300 yards to the bottom.
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I was pinned, two nannies and one kid 80 yards away. One of the nannies had the matted hair patch and the dark circles around the horns. I also knew she didn’t have a yearling. She was one of the two I had just below me on the hillside. She was also one of, if not the biggest nanny in the group. I was laying flat trying to determine how to lay prone and take the shot. I was going to have to sit up and shoot off my knee to clear the rocks between us. I sat up slowly and rested my rifle on my knee.
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seeth07
Well-known member
BigHornRam
Well-known member
The story telling is fine. The hats gotta go though.
EYJONAS!
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2017
- Messages
- 6,726
I've never wanted to go hunt nannies in Colorado in my entire life until this very moment.
Wild story, kids pizza vs. Adult pizza that's hilarious.
Keep it coming amigo...
Wild story, kids pizza vs. Adult pizza that's hilarious.
Keep it coming amigo...
Forgot to add a photo of the sunrise..
First shot was quartering to, went through one lung and ended up buried under the hide mid rib cage. She turned broadside, looked straight out and started to load up for an escape into some very big, steep, cliffs. I racked another one and put it high lungs just below the spine. I have done this a couple times now and the shock wave usually drops them instantly as they crumble. The impact hit her hard at 80 yards. She collapsed instantly! I was ecstatic and beyond pumped! Then I watched as her legs slowly lifted in the air and then disappeared and then one more time, slightly faster the legs came up again. After that I could no longer see or hear her. Finn said you could here the thump every time her body would hit. 200 yards later she came to rest in a small flat depression.
I knew all to well after a tumble like that she may have broke a horn so I followed her path exactly. Finn made it to her first and informed me she had lost her left horn.
As he took the picture of me coming down the hill, I saw the missing horn basically at his feet.
First shot was quartering to, went through one lung and ended up buried under the hide mid rib cage. She turned broadside, looked straight out and started to load up for an escape into some very big, steep, cliffs. I racked another one and put it high lungs just below the spine. I have done this a couple times now and the shock wave usually drops them instantly as they crumble. The impact hit her hard at 80 yards. She collapsed instantly! I was ecstatic and beyond pumped! Then I watched as her legs slowly lifted in the air and then disappeared and then one more time, slightly faster the legs came up again. After that I could no longer see or hear her. Finn said you could here the thump every time her body would hit. 200 yards later she came to rest in a small flat depression.
I knew all to well after a tumble like that she may have broke a horn so I followed her path exactly. Finn made it to her first and informed me she had lost her left horn.
As he took the picture of me coming down the hill, I saw the missing horn basically at his feet.
