I was lucky enough to draw a Uinta range Mountain goat tag this year and even luckier to happen upon this beautiful billy.
Had my close friend, Brother and my Father with me when we spotted this group of 6 goats on a last ditch effort to locate some animals before we loaded up the llamas and headed back country for 5 days on a gambler hunt. There was reports of the DWR relocating 40 goats from the area i was hunting earlier in the summer so numbers appeared quite a bit lower than years previous.
We had these goats across the canyon and decided to make a play on the to at least get into a position that we could get a shot if they were bold enough to leave their cliffy beds. We got in on them as close as 80 yards and determined 2 shooters in the bunch based on horn mass, body mass and beautiful hair.
As we moved positions to get some video of them they busted us and rather hastily made their way off the cliffs and into the cirque basin below. This would have to do if i was going to get a shot so we quite literally ran up the basin shelf a hundred yards and I set up on a cliff outcropping while my friend set up the spotting scope.
The goats had already hit the basin below and were working away from us quickly. I ranged, and dialed my scope for 475. I was ready to shoot but the distance proved difficult to identify the 2 shooter billies we were able to distinctly see at 80 yards. By the time we had identified them they were 550-ish yards away. The billy i picked out stopped, and turned broadside for the first time and i rushed a shot without re-dialing my scope....miss. He stopped again and i redialed for 620 and hit him high shoulder. This separated him from the group but did not stop him like i was hoping.
He continued to move up the slides towards some nasty cliffs and i got real anxious about him getting there and me not being able to retrieve him. Anxiety and buck fever got the best of me as I threw lead at him missing him 6 times while he was moving towards the cliffs. At the base he stopped and we could tell he wasn't going up anymore but still refused to tip over. I ranged, dialed my scope and shot him again in the shoulder at 750 and he still didn't tip over. He moved down the slide and I put him down at 720.
Such an amazing animal with a serious will to survive. I cant wait till i make 15,000 and can do this again. Hunt of a lifetime!
Had my close friend, Brother and my Father with me when we spotted this group of 6 goats on a last ditch effort to locate some animals before we loaded up the llamas and headed back country for 5 days on a gambler hunt. There was reports of the DWR relocating 40 goats from the area i was hunting earlier in the summer so numbers appeared quite a bit lower than years previous.
We had these goats across the canyon and decided to make a play on the to at least get into a position that we could get a shot if they were bold enough to leave their cliffy beds. We got in on them as close as 80 yards and determined 2 shooters in the bunch based on horn mass, body mass and beautiful hair.
As we moved positions to get some video of them they busted us and rather hastily made their way off the cliffs and into the cirque basin below. This would have to do if i was going to get a shot so we quite literally ran up the basin shelf a hundred yards and I set up on a cliff outcropping while my friend set up the spotting scope.
The goats had already hit the basin below and were working away from us quickly. I ranged, and dialed my scope for 475. I was ready to shoot but the distance proved difficult to identify the 2 shooter billies we were able to distinctly see at 80 yards. By the time we had identified them they were 550-ish yards away. The billy i picked out stopped, and turned broadside for the first time and i rushed a shot without re-dialing my scope....miss. He stopped again and i redialed for 620 and hit him high shoulder. This separated him from the group but did not stop him like i was hoping.
He continued to move up the slides towards some nasty cliffs and i got real anxious about him getting there and me not being able to retrieve him. Anxiety and buck fever got the best of me as I threw lead at him missing him 6 times while he was moving towards the cliffs. At the base he stopped and we could tell he wasn't going up anymore but still refused to tip over. I ranged, dialed my scope and shot him again in the shoulder at 750 and he still didn't tip over. He moved down the slide and I put him down at 720.
Such an amazing animal with a serious will to survive. I cant wait till i make 15,000 and can do this again. Hunt of a lifetime!
