Montana Mountain Goat

[Sytes]

Nice! The story begins! What is known - you guys are hard core goats yourselves! Looking forward to the meat 'n potatoes of this adventure! Getting ahead of myself though you let the cat out of the bag... grats on the billy, Randy! I would imagine there is a pic of ya on y'er fours wearing a furry decoy billy hat?

 

[Randy11]

Morning of day two found us sitting on the ridge cross canyon from the big billy shortly after first light. The big billy had moved further up the basin and was now bedded in a small rocky opening on a steep timbered face. A slightly tougher spot to get to, but still very approachable. It was just a waiting game now until the camera's showed up to make a stalk and hopefully begin the big billy's pilgrimage to his permanent home in the Bitterroot. In the excitement of relocating and watching the big billy, Gerald decided to donate his scrap heap mountain house from the night before back to the mountain, then promptly retreated back to his tent to sleep off the effects of the elevation and dehydration.

I didn't get any pictures of the big billy that first night or the next morning, hopefully Gerald has some. I did get some pictures of a smaller billy that was often well within shooting distance of camp. This billy affectionately earned the name of "Pig Pen", due to his propensity to wallow oin the open dust patches akin to what a bison does. Often times he was almost completely brown, and oftentimes Gerald had to talk me out of shooting him from camp.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Randy! I would imagine there is a pic of ya on y'er fours wearing a furry decoy billy hat?

"Beardar" Hodges no longer exists. "Goatdar" Hodges is the new superhero in town. Compromising photos are being downloaded to my computer as we speak. It might take a while... there's a bunch of them.

Okay, Sytes, the pics are on the computer. Randy "Goatdar" Hodges wearing his game face. It's go time.

 

[Randy11]

That sinking feeling of realization that black load cell on the new Mystery Ranch "Gypsy Homestead" pack that contained my once worn Sitka jacket, one Kenetrek gaiter and a Berber microfleece shirt along with some really ripe wool socks is now festooned on one of the blowdowns from the pack out.....

or last chance grasping at broken straws perhaps misplaced in Randy11's truck. Whimper?????.... speak to me Randy11.:W:

Dang buddy, no luck on my end. Hopefully one of the other guys accidentally grabbed it. If not, that's one less thing we need to pack when you draw next year.

 

[kansasdad]

Please Randy and Gerald, tell us a story...........English accent optional......

 

[Gerald Martin]

Dang buddy, no luck on my end. Hopefully one of the other guys accidentally grabbed it. If not, that's one less thing we need to pack when you draw next year.

I was afraid of that... guess those $.99 bungy cords are not the best way to attach a load cell. If any Hunttalker finds the pack, get in touch with me and I'll send you the other gaiter... one gaiter doesn't cut it.

Big Billy pic from day 1 after we got to camp.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I mostly shot video but here's a few pics from the first day. Some of the flat, easy terrain that Randy11 led us over and a shot looking back from where we had come from.

 

[Randy11]

I also crawled back in to the tent for a quick snooze, but was shortly awoken by the helicopter when "Hollywood" Newberg and Loren showed up.

I think Fin thought we were all suffering from altitude sickness when we tried to convince him we had one young billy within shooting distance of camp, and another, much larger billy further up basin that was ready to be stalked.

No sooner then they had unloaded their camp gear and we were getting loaded up to make our move on the big billy.

At this point my camera got buried in the bottom of my pack and I left it to the talent to chronicle the rest. hopefully they add in pictures as I go.

The billy was bedded on the south facing slope of the canyon upstream from our camp in the same small opening in the thick timber face. in order to get a goot shot at him, we had to move up the draw below him, get further upstream, and shoot off a rock back down the canyon into his clearing. We had an awesome rock to set up on, and the view I had of the billy is what you see above in Fin's picture through the scope.

I settled in and dry fired on him multiple times. At this point it was just a waiting game for him to stand and give us the shot opportunity. The billy was oblivious to us, and while we were setting there waiting we had a band of nannies and kids move in behind us providing some entertainment.

About 2.5 hours in to the waiting game it hit me. It was a typhoon of top ramen, Gerald's wife's homemade granola bars, powerade and mountain house and it came with the fury of a thousand vikings. The look on Fin's face when he saw the look on my face is one I'll never forget. This was the dump of a lifetime, and it was here, and it was real.

As I strolled back from my stinky stump, I got a sinking feeling when I saw a goatless clearing and a sobbing Fin. I had pooped away my opportunity at a giant old billy, and might as well have used my tag as the mountain money.

The lightning storm that rolled in shortly after provided good footage, scared all the goats out of the canyon, and provided an ample audio to drown out me crying in the tent all night.

 

[Big Fin]

I also crawled back in to the tent for a quick snooze, but was shortly awoken by the helicopter when "Hollywood" Newberg and Loren showed up.

What you thought were rotor blades were the sounds of my lungs trying to find the last bits of oxygen you guys had hidden somewhere in the basin. When Loren and I arrived, only Ross was awake and there to relieve us of the burdens on our backs. Thank God he had the water filter topped off. I think I drained it once I finally got my wits about me.

Note for next trip - Never tell the camera guy that you will carry his camp and his gear if he will carry the remainder of the production gear. I think Loren packed a Lazyboy recliner somewhere in that mountain of stuff. As I continued to pull items out of the new Gen@ Metcalf, Ross looked at my like "How much stuff can a guy fit in that thing?"

About 2.5 hours in to the waiting game it hit me. It was a typhoon of top ramen, Gerald's wife's homemade granola bars, powerade and mountain house and it came with the fury of a thousand vikings. The look on Fin's face when he saw the look on my face is one I'll never forget. This was the dump of a lifetime, and it was here, and it was real.

As I strolled back from my stinky stump, I got a sinking feeling when I saw a goatless clearing and a sobbing Fin. I had pooped away my opportunity at a giant old billy, and might as well have used my tag as the mountain money.

I suspect the reason your gastro-induced exit was not considered a show-stopper by me is due to the fact that my liver meds can bring on the same problem.... with all of 20 seconds notice. Trust me, I understand when you get that hot flush feeling coming from the depths of the earth, and forcing its will upon your internal organs. Not even a B&C billy can give you the stamina to hold it within.

We had a pool among the rest of us that the goat would get up and stand broadside before you finished your "business." I think Ross won with his prediction that the billy would rise just before you emerged from the small timber patch right behind us.

When you see the footage of him posing in the shot window, you will laugh.... or maybe cry. Hey, when nature calls, nature calls.

But, it sure made for some good build up for the episode.

 

[Rat Fink]

This was the dump of a lifetime, and it was here, and it was real.

Epic story. I especially love the quote. Nothing like some grumbles and butt chunder to ruin a good stalk.

 

[Gerald Martin]

When Loren and I arrived, only Ross was awake and there to relieve us of the burdens on our backs

I must say that was not the way I would have written the script of how I wanted to meet a world famous hunting show host in the back country. I heard you guys walk into camp and dragged myself out of the sack, wiping the drool from my chin with my left hand and the sleep from my eyes with my right as I shoved my feet back into my boots. I've never had a problem with altitude before this hunt and I don't know whether it was dehydration, altitude, pinched nerves or what but I woke up with a splitting headache and churning gut on Tue. morning that would not quit. I thought I could tough it out and headed up the hill to glass with Randy Hodges and Ross. After about two hours of glassing, I tried to sip some more lemonade to get something in my stomach. I may as well have tossed a grenade in there and everything I had eaten that morning and some of the night before was left as fertilizer at the base of a tree. After apologizing to Ross and Randy, I crawled back to the tent and hit the fetal position. Thankfully, a two hour nap rejuvinated me and I was fit for the evening hunt.

 

[wingman1]

What a crappy way to let a billy live to see another day! Sounds like you guys too much fun on this one.

 

[Big Fin]

What a crappy way to let a billy live to see another day! Sounds like you guys too much fun on this one.

Agreed. I told him, "In seven years of production, we've never had such a shitty outcome to such and epic opportunity."

 

[Summitthunting]

 

[Gerald Martin]

A progression of pictures from the afternoon when Big Fin and Loren showed up.

 

[Randy11]

As usual on Wednesday morning, the sun got up in time for Rossrise. Off he went to the glassing spot by camp to see what the day's target would be.

As I lay in my tent, I decided this will be the day we put Pig Pen out of his misery. We'd kill him, throw him in the creek for a couple hours, then be on our merry way. When I made it up to Ross and crew at the glassing spot, getting ready to share my plans with them, I was informed the big billy was back.

During the course of the night he had picked up a friend, also a very nice billy, and they were bedded in the same clearing as the night before. The newcomer was in big billy's spot from the night before, and the big guy was maybe ten yards further up in to the opening.

We knew exactly where we needed to be and exactly how to get there. I made sure my digestive system was entirely clean before we left camp, and we were packed and off back up the draw to the shooting rock from the night before.

We were optimistic that the billy might be in a more open spot this time, but when we arrived at the shooting spot we were bummed to see he was again bedded behind a tree, and we were again in for a waiting game.

I don't know how much a normal goat stays bedded during the day, but this guy was a complete sloth. It was approaching 10:00 am and he had stood, re-positioned, and re-bedded within ten seconds twice only since we first saw him that morning. Lots of down time sitting on that rock setting up cameras and listening to Loren describe to Gerald what a "fluffer" is.

We had the CDS dialed in, the rest built perfectly, and it felt like ages waiting for him to finally make his move. What was better about his position today compared to the night before was that we had a shooting lane both right and left depending on where he walked, where as the night before we only had one right.

As we were waiting, the newcomer, who was probably a 9" billy, would often stand up and stretch in the open broadside. Fin bit his tongue, but I had to wonder if we were gambling away our bird in the hand wishing for the two in the tree.

Finally, again after a 2.5 hour wait, big billy stood and acted like he was ready to get out of the morning sun and in to the shade.

When he finally made his move, he made it fast, and I had maybe 2-3 seconds where he walked through the opening to make the shot. It was a strange feeling going from so much downtime to an instant hurried shot like that. Luckily it was so quick I didn't have time to think, only pull the trigger.

At the shot a cloud of white hair puffed in to the air, and the billy slowly made his way to the edge of the clearing behind a large dead tree. We could see him start to sway, and within 10-20 seconds, he was rolling down the hill into the trees below the clearing.

It was overwhelming walking up to the goat in the trees. Such an amazing animal, and he was obviously the monarch of this basin. An incredible billy. Way bigger than anything I had hoped for.

The few pictures I got of the billy on the mountain don't do it justice compared to Randy and Gerald's, so I'll let them do the honors of posting those.

Stopping to take it all in on the way from the shooting rock to the Billy-

 

[Gerald Martin]

A few more pictures from glassing the morning of day two. These were taken before Big Fin and Loren showed up. The nannies and kids in the last pic really put on a show, running around in the cliffs.

 

[brownbear932008]

I would have never thought I'd like a little goat foreplay...but this is fun

Totally agree the foreplay is one of the best parts!

 

[devon deer]

Nothing like a bit of added pressure then Randy11, obviously Gerald felt the pressure a bit too much!
Can't wait to see the outcome, of your success not Gerald's!
Cheers
Richard

 

[Big Fin]

The few pictures I got of the billy on the mountain don't do it justice compared to Randy and Gerald's, so I'll let them do the honors of posting those.

Hard to put into words how much fun it was to see Randy persevere and have the success he had. And to see some great guys join him for what is always a memory of a lifetime.

Thanks for letting us be a part of it, Randy. And for letting the cameras impose upon your special hunt. I can assure you this will be one of our finest episodes, ever.

Too bad pics/video cannot do justice to the landscape or its inhabitants. These will have to suffice.

A happy hunter who busted his butt to make this come true. I had doubted his selection of such a crazy camp location. It was tough sledding to get all the production and camp gear in there. But, as shown by the results, a great decision on his part.


A happy crew, smiling just prior to the laborious tasks about to commence.


The tools of the trade - A Howa Alpine Mountain rifle, the first one off the factory line; 7mm-.08. Topped with a Leupold VX-3 CDS. One 300 yard shot with a 140 grain bullet and the story was quickly over. When you see the footage and realize the small window Randy had, both in terms of space and time, you will see one hell of a shot under very challenging conditions.


I hope Gerald has some photos that give some perspective of the body size of this beast. When you see him bedded next to the other billy, a very good billy, you will see just how much bigger he is.

For a late September goat, he was furred out remarkably well. His face has a few scars from the slide down the slope. Not sure what his horns measure, but we had a pool going prior to the shot. Like you can measure 1/8" difference at 300 yards. I was going with 9 6/8", until Ross took that as his first guess. Randy's taxi can give a true number.

Whatever he measures, I can assure you that this hunt measures toward the top of my memorable mountain experiences. Thanks Randy, Gerald, Ross, and Loren. It is hunts like these, as hard as they are to capture, that are the essence of why we do this TV show.