T Bone
Well-known member
I'm back earlier than expected!
Here's a brief background. After sheep hunting in 27-2 in previous years I/we spotted many many mountain goats in the area. IDF&G offered no tags in this particular area and I asked them why. They asked for detailed numbers and locations of goats in the fall of 2006 and in 2007 they opened up the area to 2 tags!
I applied thinking I had slim to no chance, but to my surprise I was the recipient of a once in a lifetime Idaho mountain goat tag. My hopes were to harvest a mature billy with a good shaggy coat so I waited until later in the season. Waiting was a gamble since the area is only accessible via foot traffic over a series of high passes.
This hunt takes place in the area known as the Big Horn Crags.
DAY 1, Friday 09/28
The plan was to work a couple hours and head out for the 12 hour drive to the trail head. A week prior, I decided that making the trip again in my 1986 Ford was a bit too chancy, so I'd updated my transportation to a shiny new, comfy ride.
I made the drive safely and met my father at the trailhead late Friday night.
Nobody else in the campground. Some snow on the ground. More than expected.
DAY 2, Saturday 09/29
We have 12 miles to cover today to get to my spot where I expect to be able to spot a number of goats.
We wake to an inch of new snow and it's snowing hard. We buckle up for a long ride and hope the weather calms down. We make an early start @ 4 AM.
At mile 6 Dad is showing signs of gassing out. Snow is constant and wind is face numbing. I was worried about him coming on the trip. We havn't been hydrating like we should have because the water bladders are froze up. He wanted to come on one more adventure, and I hope the decision isn't a big mistake.
We cross paths with a mule train belonging to the outfitter in the unit. He just dropped off a sheep hunter and guides. Melton is his name, very reputable and a good guy. The wrangler looks at us like we are nutzo!
We slow the pace. At mile 8 we offload his gear into my pack and I press forward to mile 12 and get camp set on a wind whipped high ridge.
I dump my pack and head back to get get Dad. I find him plugging along well enough and I take his pack and get him to camp.
We light the stove in the Kifaru Paratipi and get warm, dried, and full of hot food. Dad will be fine.
After I get some hot food in me I go out and glass for an hour in the fading light. I come back cold and discouraged. Too much stinking white stuff! I call my wife on the satellite phone to chitchat and get a weather forecast. Weather shows partly cloudy for Sunday....
I close my eyes with a prayer that we can get some sun to melt off the snow.....
Here's a brief background. After sheep hunting in 27-2 in previous years I/we spotted many many mountain goats in the area. IDF&G offered no tags in this particular area and I asked them why. They asked for detailed numbers and locations of goats in the fall of 2006 and in 2007 they opened up the area to 2 tags!
I applied thinking I had slim to no chance, but to my surprise I was the recipient of a once in a lifetime Idaho mountain goat tag. My hopes were to harvest a mature billy with a good shaggy coat so I waited until later in the season. Waiting was a gamble since the area is only accessible via foot traffic over a series of high passes.
This hunt takes place in the area known as the Big Horn Crags.
DAY 1, Friday 09/28
The plan was to work a couple hours and head out for the 12 hour drive to the trail head. A week prior, I decided that making the trip again in my 1986 Ford was a bit too chancy, so I'd updated my transportation to a shiny new, comfy ride.
I made the drive safely and met my father at the trailhead late Friday night.
Nobody else in the campground. Some snow on the ground. More than expected.
DAY 2, Saturday 09/29
We have 12 miles to cover today to get to my spot where I expect to be able to spot a number of goats.
We wake to an inch of new snow and it's snowing hard. We buckle up for a long ride and hope the weather calms down. We make an early start @ 4 AM.
At mile 6 Dad is showing signs of gassing out. Snow is constant and wind is face numbing. I was worried about him coming on the trip. We havn't been hydrating like we should have because the water bladders are froze up. He wanted to come on one more adventure, and I hope the decision isn't a big mistake.
We cross paths with a mule train belonging to the outfitter in the unit. He just dropped off a sheep hunter and guides. Melton is his name, very reputable and a good guy. The wrangler looks at us like we are nutzo!
We slow the pace. At mile 8 we offload his gear into my pack and I press forward to mile 12 and get camp set on a wind whipped high ridge.
I dump my pack and head back to get get Dad. I find him plugging along well enough and I take his pack and get him to camp.
We light the stove in the Kifaru Paratipi and get warm, dried, and full of hot food. Dad will be fine.
After I get some hot food in me I go out and glass for an hour in the fading light. I come back cold and discouraged. Too much stinking white stuff! I call my wife on the satellite phone to chitchat and get a weather forecast. Weather shows partly cloudy for Sunday....
I close my eyes with a prayer that we can get some sun to melt off the snow.....
