I guess I just figured I’d never get lucky drawing a Big 3 tag without a lifetime of points. When I logged into MyFWP to check my status I stared blankly at the screen seeing a 2016 Goat License under the Successful category. Travis was home and I quickly told him that I drew a goat tag. He didn’t believe me, but one quick look at my computer brought him to life. It didn’t seem real and for the next few days it still hadn’t set home that I’d be chasing mountain goats in some of the most rugged country around. This year I would be able to say I was going mountain goat hunting!
Montana’s high country. Beautiful yet rugged!
Once I started looking over Google Earth and planning my first scouting trip it started to set in. I quickly realized I needed to get in better shape, learn more about mountain goats, and start making some phone calls. Over the next few weeks I spent many hours dissecting my unit online and with maps. A trip to the Forest Service office gave me the right maps that outlined open roads in the area and before I knew it I was packed up and headed for the mountains.
Rocking and rolling our way up to the trailhead.
As soon as we climbed up out of the valley I realized this would be an epic hunt. Huge basins, rocky ridges, huge cliffs and wild, vast country spread all around. My legs burned as we climbed to 10,000′ crossing over our first big pass. It was setting in and soon we had located the first group of goats. A set of nannies with kids and one billy scrambled through a steep face with huge boulders and loose rock and dirt. I was quickly reminded they feel at home in some of the gnarliest country around.
Climb, climb and then climb some more.
At this point I’ve spent four days scouting my unit. Not a lot by any means but enough to start learning the lay of the country and how to navigate to each zone that holds goats. With only a handful of days in this unit I’ve definitely learned a few things.
Google Earth Is A Liar!
I knew this but always seem to forget this when I go somewhere new. That ridgeline you though you could hike across, Nope! That little knob will be a ten minute hike, try 45 minutes. If you’ve used Google Earth you know the drill. Everything looks smaller and easier than it actually is.
Frosted scree makes for an interesting morning hike to the glassing knob.
Grizzlies Abound
Only a few hours into our first day on the mountain and we turned up six grizzlies in the same basin. A sow and three cubs roamed the head end of a grassy meadow and about a 1000 yards away two juvenile bears fed on grass and wild flowers on a long, flat bench. Living in Missoula the last 6-7 years meant we only really dealt with black bears. Grizzlies are on a different level and made things interesting when we decided where to camp just across the ridge. It’s time we de-list these bears and start managing them like we should be.
Juvenile grizzly bears roaming the vast backcountry.
Glassing Is King
Again we know this but up here it’s very, very apparent. Perched in the right spot in the country affords you the opportunity to glass a MASSIVE amount of country. A good pair of binoculars, a spotting scope and a good tripod are must haves. Finding a spot with little or no wind is key and being able to mount your binos to your tripod makes picking up small details and movements much easier.
Searching and more searching on a brisk July morning.
A few miles out a goat appears between passing clouds.
Mtn. Goat Scouting Isn’t Easy
When I first drew the tag I figured it would be real easy to locate most of the goats in my unit. Get up high and glass the rocky open country and look for white. We’ll it turns out they are elusive animals most of the time. Sure sometimes they stick out like a sore thumb but during the summer when it’s hot they often bed in some shaded nook and finding them can be impossible. They like to dip in and out of timber and if you’re not vigilant on the glass you might miss them when they hit the open areas. I also found that they seem to move a lot. Multiple groups have moved thousands of yards in a short period of time and a few groups moved to different basins entirely without being bumped. Put a dirty goat on a hillside of huge tan and grey boulders and they can blend in with the best of them.
This billy was in a low elevation zone I wouldn’t expect to see a goat. Staying alert and having two sets of eyes paid off here.
Getting some photo & video for later review.
Moving In This Country Takes TIME!
With camp on your back travel is slow but add in big, rocky country and it can take some time to move from area-to-area. With so much country to glass you often find yourself stopping to take a peak into new folds of the mountain and those first trips are a bit rough after a long offseason. Back here you can’t travel in a straight line. Sometimes working into a specific basin means you have to loop around multiple miles just to find a route that isn’t cliffed out. When you do find a route, the vertical is enough to wear you down quick. 2,500’+ climbs are the norm when switching basins without a ridge connecting them. As it should be, life just happens slower back here.
Loaded up and putting the test to a new pack, the Kifaru Markhor. So far so good!
Navigating a no-fall zone. Makes for slow going.
So far I’ve seen about 75% of my unit and found a couple billies that I’d be stoked to put my tag on come September. Right now the plan is to make one more trip back into my unit and then pack the bow in for the opener. It’s going to come quick and I can’t wait to be out there with the chance to get close and try to seal the deal!
–Zack Boughton
