The Bowsite

Goat Hunt '98

Saturday - Day 8
Weather
Overcast - 50's - 60's


Goats Seen
10+

 

 


Saturday Morning:

Today is the last day at the spike camp. Since we decided to delay our pickup until Wed. We need to resupply. We are down to very tight rations and will be out of food after lunch. I am also down to two arrows including one that was supposed to be my judo practice arrow which I changed with a broadhead back at camp. Johnnie and I discussed the time needed to get from up here (alpine spike) to the lake camp - another death march through the jungle. I am concerned about my knee on the trip down (actually concerned that I may screw it up for the trip back up) but so far I can walk out the pain within a quarter mile. So far I have not let on how bad the leg is.

I can't get myself to forfeit a morning hunt so I decided to head up to the high pass area while Johnnie breaks the spike down. He will meet me there in an hour and we agree that we need to be on the trail by noon. I gather a light load and head out to the cliffs. I pumped it to get up there quickly and made it to the pass in 45 minutes - a record. The leg is not slowing me down and the pain is getting better - my lungs are in excellent shape as I hardly get winded anymore.

I reached the pass just in time to see a lone goat feeding on an opposite hillside. Fog was moving in and out so I waited for the fog to roll in before I moved. Once I was within 100 yards I had a good visual of the goat through the fog but was concerned that there may be more in the area. I spent a few minutes looking around before I stalked the goat. Then I spotted a nanny and kid bedded directly below me at 30 yards.

goat bedded beneath me

It was a beautiful sight with them snuggled up together. I decided to wait for the stalk and check out the pass on the opposite slope instead. I noticed two goats walking towards me below. Nanny with a kid; I ran back for my pack to get my camera. While taking it out of my backpack I looked up and the goat was staring at me on the opposite hillside. What a jerk! I had not paid attention to the fog which had rolled back suddenly exposing our two hills. Ht took off for no-man's land.

Nanny with kid below me

While snapping pictures Johnnie met up with me. I mentioned that I'd seen a big fluffy goat along with this nanny and kid. We decided to head down into the cliffs and check it out. We found the nanny and kid quickly but no sign of the others. We watched the nanny from a short distance away (50 yards) - Johnnie behind me snapping pictures.

Something caught my eye beneath me at 30 yards. It was a pair of large goat horns. A big goat. I motioned to Johnnie that a goat was directly below me. He swapped his camera for binoculars and eased over a hump to spot. I stalked into position behind an evergreen bush and waited for positive identification.

Johnnie motioned that he could not tell if it was a billy or nanny. It was my call. The goat was a big one, that much I could tell and it was in excellent position to stalk. Then the goat moved toward me giving me a clear view. I readied my bow. While I focused on the big goat moving up to me Johnnie went Pssst. I looked up at him slowly and he held up two fingers - that meant there was a kid with this big goat. I put my bow down and motioned for Johnnie to get some pictures of me stalking the goats for fun. It turned out to be a whopper of a nanny with a two year old billy or adult nanny. I could have shot but decided not to.

stalking a huge nanny

After that exciting morning we were both flying. That was a close one and had Johnnie not noticed the adult kid I would have shot that nanny as it moved closer - thinking it was a billy. Johnnie guessed her to go 300 lbs and we were both confused by the horn characteristics. This could have gone either way.

We had lunch in the peaks and headed back to the spike. We donned our packs and began the long hard hike down to the lake. It was much easier going down than coming up and my knee was holding up great. Once at the lake we inventoried our food and each had a mini bath. A toast of the stream-chilled Alaskan Micro brew was had before we packed it in. Tomorrow morning would be my last death march back to Camp 2.