"The Big Three", I have a few questions for you!

[BuzzH]

That's a great cape on that goat...very nice!

 

[EYJONAS!]

That's a hell of a goat... and story your lucky to be alive sounds like.
Ive drawn a ewe and moose tag when I was younger. Looking back on it I sure wish I would've taken the moose tag more serious. Had a great time killed a decent bull on day 36. I about got fired over that season. Been chasing the unlimited rams a few seasons not sure what 19 will bring but with max goat points i'm more hopeful for a chance to chase them then anything. Good luck to all in the draws thanks for sharing the awesome pictures.

 

[BigHornRam]

Very nice Wyoming moose pic BAKPAKR. If I ever luckout and draw another goat tag, I will be hunting with my bow, mtnhunter1. Very nice goat!

 

[mtmiller]

I moved to Montana in 1998 and chased birds and deer around. In 2000, I thought I should try out some of these big 3. I had zero experience hunting real mountains, but saw one unit that had better odds than most. Wow, first time applying and I was successful. This shit is easy. I had never stepped foot in this area, but there was a guy on some forum (MT FWP forum IIRC) and he sent me some maps and thoughts. He was an unknown at the time and went by BigFin.

I backpacked in that summer and scouted out some areas and found a few goats, but just nannies and kids. I went back that October with a pack too full and a bird dog that was 7 or 8 months old. The area I had scouted in the summer just had too much snow for me to get where I wanted and I came back out after two days as I recall. I got back to the trailhead and was toast. I thought about giving up and going home, but manned up and went around to the other side of the unit.

The next day I put on the pack and grabbed the dog. Figured I would just day hike in and check it out. I was pleasantly surprised to find less snow and good conditions. Ten miles later I found a goat. I tied the pup to a tree and moved in. I don’t recall if I found that goat or wasn’t happy with it, but no shot. I decided to scrabble to an overlook and there I saw a bedded goat below me and he didn’t know I was there. He looked good, but what did I know. “Boom, whack”. Goat stands up from bed. “Boom, whack”. Goat falls back into his bed. I was told to keep shooting until goat is dead. I did. “Boom, whack”. Goat kicks and rolls down the mountain through a snow covered chute. I get down to the goat and he has broken off some horn, but I now have my first goat. I get the critter cut up and start hauling it back up the mountain. Two steps up, slide three steps back. Hmmm.

I decide this will never work, so I leave the meat in buried in some snow and climb back up. It has probably been 3 or 4 hours since I left my pup (Axl), and he is wrapped so tight around the tree that he can barely move. He was happy to see me, but probably pretty pissed.

I got to town and tracked down someone that could help me pack it out. Two days later we came in on horses through another trailhead and got my goat out. By the time it was back at my pickup up, I was done. Feet were blistered, legs were burned out and I felt like shit. As I pulled on to the highway with the mountain in my rearview mirror, I thought “never again”. Two weeks later I was hoping to be lucky enough to try this again.

Amazing memory for me. A naïve guy that never spent any time in the mountains, but dumb enough to go into grizzly county solo with a puppy and a goat tag.

I stopped in Lewistown at a taxidermist on the way home and he talked me into having it mounted. I was so poor I didn’t think I could afford it, but I had some time to save the money, so I left it with him. Great call looking back.

I had a POS camera at the time (remember this is 2000), but the batteries died. I did get a shot of the goat as I left it at the taxidermist. I got better with photo documentation later in life.

Anyway, to answer some of your questions. Scouted once, went solo, created a memory of a lifetime for myself. As Big Fin says, hunt while you can.

 

[kimbersig]

I've hunted sheep twice. Dall guided and DIY rocky mountain bighorn in Idaho as a resident so the odds were MUCH better. I drew the tag the year I go married so balancing a wedding, new wife, and OIL hunt was interesting. My wife was very understanding and even scouted with me a couple different times. I spent 18 days in the frank church looking for sheep. It was an epic hunt to say the least. By far the best hunt of my life. I was tested physically and mentally and came out on top with a very nice ram for that unit. 15" bases 33" horns and beautiful dark cape. I spent time in there with my wife, my best friend, and a new friend I made along the way researching my tag. The only thing I'd do different is arrange it so my best friend would have been with me in addition to my new friend when I finally found the ram and got him.

My guided hunt was awesome but the pressure I put on myself due to the financial side of it did take something away from the hunt at the time. Still an awesome experience but one that the normal middle class guy needs to think about before going on a guided sheep hunt and trying to figure out how to not put the pressure of success on themselves so they can enjoy everything more. Something I'll have to work on if I ever try and save up for a stone sheep.

My story about my bighorn hunt is on here somewhere if you want to read about it.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Miller,,,, #QUOTE: “Wow, first time applying and I was successful. This shit is easy”.
LOVE THAT!!!!
YES, sometimes it is! That is the reason I appreciate how Montana handles our permit drawings. The squaring of the points has skewed this a bit but every single hunter has a chance to draw that special permit that EVERYONE wants someday. Every single hunter has a chance to experience the adventure of hunting one of “The Big-3”!
Very nice hunt write up. I had a vivid picture of what you experienced during the hunt, including the “I never want to do that again”, statement! Solo with zero experience, impressive! Don’t worry about the pic. I have more than a few just like it. We all know that you have snapped some amazing photos since. Thank You for that!
PS: That is a real nice Billy with glands for days, nice job!
Mtnhunter1

Kimbersig,,,,, Thanks for your input to this thread and congrats on a FC ram! I’m guessing that you must have caught the dreaded “SHEEP FEVER”! Bighorn, Dall and now the thought of a Stone in the near future? There are a couple of Sheep Hunters that have contributed to this thread that you should reach out to. Seems that BigHornRam and Grandejuan have some experience with trying to cure their Sheep-Fever by hunting the mystical” legal” Stone Rams. Together they almost have 50 days invested in their “MARCH-FOR-THE-CURE”!
PS: Can you post up a pic or two of your rams on this thread?

 

[BigHornRam]

There is no cure for sheep fever. Once you catch it you are infected for life.

 

[mtmiller]

A few year pass and I still had the goat bug. The year I drew my first MT goat tag was the first year of the new point system in MT. Realizing I will never draw, I started saving my pennies. I saw some cool pics of goat hunting on Kodiak and thought what the heck, I will put in for a draw unit. I believe the odds were between 8 and 15% for the three units I put in for. What the hell, put in and figure it out later. Lightning strikes again, time to find some money.

Obviously I had to go outfitted and though it was spendy at the time, I shudder what it cost today.

Hunt was fun and I killed a goat the second day off the salt. Got up on goats at 350 and guide asked if I was comfortable with the shot (pretty windy). I told him I thought I could get closer. He stayed put and I moved closer. Goat noted me eventually, so I put the rifle over the pack and dropped him. I just remember pulling out my range finder and reading 99 yds. Even I can make that shot.

It was a fun draw hunt for goat, but not the same fulfillment. Guide was awesome and I was happy, but not quite the same. No choice, I will never draw another goat tag.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Awesome Billy Miller

 

[The Hedgehog]

I would like some Miller MT goat draw luck but think I may be looking at long shot odds when I can apply again next year. Here’s my 2012 MT goat. Shot him on my 33rd day looking for goats after having drawn. 9/22/2012.



Here’s a bunch of the scouting/hunting pics I took. 2012 MT mountain goat hunt

 

[LopeHunter]

The Big Three, coveted special tags for Moose, Sheep and Mtn. Goat!

I have a few questions for the lucky folks that have beaten the odds, or have drawn out on the max point pool, and actually hunted one or more of “The Big Three”!

1: What was your thought of the “Big Three” hunt? How did you treat it, was it the most important hunt of your life? Did the hunt meet all your expectations?

I grew up deer hunting in Midwest so deer and waterfowl hunting was what I knew when moved out West in late 1980s. Ended up in NW in early 1990s and got serious about getting big game tags each year. Took a few years to draw better tags.

My brother asked me one year to put in with him for a group mountain goat application in AK and he had a good guide identified from his time in Colorado. My brother opted out of the deal the week the application was due. I figured might as well roll the dice on what had been a low odds draw the prior year. Got drawn. Of course. The guide's wife was diagnosed with cancer two months prior to the hunt so I got handed off to a different guide a month before the hunt. The new guide had a different philosophy on gear needed so that was a pain in the rear. Hunt went great with sunny weather but were two instances I cheated death. Seriously were bad situations and in the moment forged ahead recklessly at suggestion of guide. Got a decent goat, saw a glacier up close and got to ride in a Super Cub. I said to my wife, "Never again, even if I was the one getting paid."

I drew a CO bighorn ewe tag which did solo and got a ewe. Ran into an odd hunter and his buddy on that hunt. Karma paid off when they had to scale down a cliff to retrieve his ewe.

Then I drew CO goat tag a few years later. My brother joined me on that hunt as did two friends. Was when the Aspens were turning so amazing views. Got a decent goat though was the poorest shooting on my part of any hunt.

I drew ID bull moose and did it solo and took two trips to get a small bull then luckily had help packing the short distance to the truck since my right leg femur was badly bruised earlier that summer so had a cane and the doctor cautioned amputation was an option if healing did not kick in soon.

2: Answered above.

3: How much of your life did you dedicate to the hunt? Did you scout the area pre-opener? Did the hunt play-out as planned or did it last longer than expected?

I got in very good shape for the AK goat hunt but neither the guide nor myself had set foot in the hunting unit prior to Day 1 of the hunt. Never scouted the sheep, other goat, or moose hunt. Only the moose hunt took longer than expected though part of the challenge was my leg and part was the rain during the rut which turned the dirt roads into slime during my first trip hunting that unit so I came back after the roads dried out and leaves fell from the trees.

4: Were you successful in punching your tag? If so, did the critter meet all your expectations of the hunt? Would you like to have the tag again and do it all over again? If so, would the tag/area stay the same or would you like to hunt a different/better area?

Punched all four tags. I am not a trophy hunter so getting a mature animal in each case was my goal. The moose was young but the rest were older. My days heading into mountains to hunt hard are just about over, especially solo. I could fill the bighorn ewe tag again in the same unit as could drive to within about 1000 feet elevation of the ewes. I could fill the moose tag again now my leg is better since the riparian terrain habitat of the moose is near roads. Either goat hunt would not go well at this point as both were physically tough due to steepness of terrain.

 

[3855WIN]

I drew a NR Idaho California Bighorn tag along the Owhyhee River Canyon in SW Idaho. My 2 year old daughter had no idea why her dad was jumping up and down after he’d checked the draws. Time and distance made DIY impractical for me. I hired a guide. Finally found rams on day four and killed. My one and only Big Three Hunt.
I’m probably done for these type hunts, but I sure enjoy reading about the hunts of others. Some very accomplished hunters on this site.

 

[BAKPAKR]

After seeing all of these goat photos, I had to dig out some old slides. My MT goat hunt was in 1997. I wanted to get a goat with my bow but I bought a Thompson Center Contender as a back up. My brother and a friend had driven over from North Idaho to see my area before season. On the way over, they went into a bar that had a mount of a goat. Turns out the owner had gotten the goat in the same unit I had a tag for and he told them where he hunted. We were excited to have the information.

I headed out from West Virginia in late September. My brother and I packed about 8 miles into the area the guy had told my brother about. We didn’t see any goats there but I almost had a shot at a nice 6 point bull (I also had an elk tag) at 20 yards but a limb was over his vitals so I could not shoot. That probably wasn’t a bad thing because it would have taken the two of us a couple of days to get him out of there. We also saw lots of bears across the valley, some of which were big and brown.

We tried a few other spots over the next several days without seeing a goat. We did spend a morning making a great stalk on what turned out to be two small patches of snow. Note to self - take a spotting scope when hunting for goats, sheep, etc. On the way out that day, we stopped to get gas at a place that also had a bar. I glanced in the bar and saw a couple seedy looking guys bellied up there, and I thought, “I bet they hunt!” I started talking to them and one of them told me where he had run into goats when he had been bear hunting that spring on horseback. I thanked him for the info and went to tell my brother the new plan.

It was fairly late in the afternoon when we got to the trailhead. I knew I couldn’t get into the high country because of time but I wanted to at least see if I could get a look at it. My brother elected to stay at the truck. The trail along the Flathead River was a minefield of grizzly tracks and poo. The single shot 30-30 Contender I was carrying (125 gr Nosler BT) didn’t make me feel overly secure. I wound up getting up the trail far enough to wade the river and start up the drainage I had been told about. The upper end looked good, and then it got dark.

It started raining and snowing that night and the forecast was more of the same so we went back to North Idaho to do some elk hunting on the stateline. A few days later, we headed back to the spot with one of our friends, hiked the trail, tiptoed around the griz sign, waded the now rain-gorged river and found a single goat clear on top. We made sure it actually moved before starting the stalk. I wound up getting a 9 3/8” billy with my pistol about three hours later.

We didn’t pack anything out that night and we waded back across the river in a different spot. It was way over my waist and I am 6’5”. My shorter friend said he wasn’t going to wade it again so we made a trip to Kalispel to find a boat. The inflatable boats were not in season but he found a queen size air matress at Walmart. When we pulled up to the trailhead a little after daylight, there were a couple of people in a car with license plates from a midwestern state fishing. They watched us blow up the air mattress and then they got to see my brother and friend float across the river and me wade across, all of us with empty packs. Just after we got back to the river with full packs right at dark, that same car pulled into the parking area. So, they got to see us cross again.

Although I got the only goat we saw, it was one of my most memorable hunts.

 

[BigHornRam]

That is redneck right there. Love it!

 

[Mica Man]

That picture on the air mattress is a classic BAKPAKR! I'm glad that your brother's taste in boats to aide in hunting has improved since that picture was taken.

 

[BAKPAKR]

That picture on the air mattress is a classic BAKPAKR! I'm glad that your brother's taste in boats to aide in hunting has improved since that picture was taken.

I have to admit that when I found that photo this morning, I couldn’t help but think about you and your son crossing the Salmon to retrieve his ram. I am sure your floatie was better

 

[mtmiller]

Second favorite hunt big 3, 2008. I was lucky enough to draw a MT goat my first year trying and the first year of the point system. Sat out my 7 years and waited for my automatic draws for moose and sheep with my max 7 points at the time. hahah. Results, successful. Must be moose, maybe cooler...sheep. What, goat? But I don't have any points? What are the odds, two Montana goat apps, two Montana goat tags.....nice.

Scouted one time during the summer and it was awesome to take my same pup with me. Axl was all grown up now and I was determined to bring him on a second MT goat hunt, now that we were both a bit more seasoned. Thought he did great on the scouting trip, the years had caught up to him and I had to help him back into the vehicle at the end of the scouting trip. Looked like a real solo hunt trip this time.

Good luck, bad luck. When I go to my hunt the main road had been closed due to a wildfire during the summer (bad news). Good news, I had decided to throw in my mountain bike to get me from the trailhead to the wilderness boundary. Because of the closed gate, I was able to ride my bike the first extra 5 or 6 miles on a closed road.

Weather was great for a mid-October goat hunt. I was able to get to where I wanted to hunt and wasn't snow out this time. I was about as high as I could go and had the spotter out looking at some goats at 3/4 mile then this guy walked out at less than 75 yards in the timber. I watched him for a couple minutes and decided the experience was all that I hoped for. Boom, done. Pretty steep once again, but a tree saved me.

One more, please, that's all I ask for....well, maybe two more. Goats are the best.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

MILLER,,,, Now I understand what Greenhorn was alluding to! I’m awestruck, jaw dropping to the floor, kind of awestruck! Two magnificent MT goats in less than ten years with how many days invested? For YOU, yes, “This shit is easy”! Nameless Range noted that the hunting gods rewarded him with his beautiful moose. The “Hunting Gods” have definitely been shining their favor on you…NICE!

BAKPAKR,,,, Nicely done with the Contender. I really love the photo, nice goat! You hunted my playground as a kid, love that country! I was always told that the folks from N. Idaho were a bit off, your boat choice kind of proves that…LOL!

Greenhorn,,, That goat didn’t miss many meals, he’s a horse! 30+ days invested, impressive, but you should have just invited Miller along! I absolutely loved your scout/hunt pics, thanks for sharing. Nice hunting outfit by the way!

LopeHunter,,, Thanks for sharing the photos. I really enjoyed your post and your thoughts on the Big-3. Totally agree that age is a factor when considering a goat hunt. Goat country is truly the crown jewel of all our PUBLIC LANDS, but it sure is getting harder to navigate as the years go” bye”, Sad….

 

[EYJONAS!]

Miller you dog..... I'm just hopeful for one but I'd gladly take a couple goats in my career. I am still yet to meet anyone as lucky as my uncle he's drawn 2 goats 2 rams and 2 moose. Successful on all 6 hunts, he needs to pass a little of that luck down the line.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Thank you all for sharing your (BIG-3+) posts, I’ve enjoyed them and hopefully more will be posted.

I’ll add a few more, MT. Bighorn:
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have experienced eight sheep hunts. Some were my hunts, the others, I was asked to be the companion/helper/packer. But this hunt was very special and may never be topped!
In the early 90’s I was showing photos to my Dad and Stepmom. The photos were from an Oregon California Bighorn hunt that I had just returned from. Looking over the photos, my Step-Mom looks up and says, “I would like to go on a sheep hunt and shoot a ram! Will you help me with my sheep hunt?” Knowing that she had not applied for a sheep tag ever, I told her that I would love to help. The next spring, I was astounded to find my Step-Mom pouring over the MSG regs and filling out her permit application. She had penciled in a sheep unit that was closest to the ranch and asked for my opinion. The Regs show (5 Legal Ram) permits proposed, I smiled and said, “Looks Good!”
Phone rings one late summer evening, “I drew my sheep tag, when are we going hunting?” I was speechless! Well, looks like there is another Montana mountain range that I will be getting acquainted with, AWESOME!
The area biologist stated that there were plenty of sheep in the unit but that the mature ram counts came out lower than expected. With the lower count, he had cut two of the tags, so only three sheep tags were available in the drawing. The biologist also stated that the area does not produce the massive horn growth that could be found in other parts of Montana.
We scouted two weekends in late august and did not find a legal ram. I had critters to chase with my bow so we returned to sheep hunting in October. By mid-Nov. we had four weekends in looking for a legal ram. Both of the other tag holders had tagged out with a barely legal 6yo and a non-legal 4yo. Never did hear what happened to the hunter that shot the 4yo non-legal ram?? Finally, on the second to the last weekend we found two legal rams with a group of about twenty sheep. The bigger of the two legal rams spun to chase a ewe just as my Stepmom pulled the trigger. I saw hair fly off the ass end of the ram and all the sheep disappeared into a deep timbered canyon. The patchy snow confirmed the hit as we followed the mass of sheep tracks. The ram side hilled through the timber that held snow and was easy to follow. The snow gave out once the sheep reached open terrain and we ran out of daylight. My Stepmom was really upset, I never had a hunting buddy cry before! The following two days we hiked and looked from sun-up to sunset with zero luck in finding the ram. We returned on Saturday of the last weekend and spotted a group of sheep that had a legal ram. This ram was definitely the biggest ram we had seen yet. He was almost full curl, a cool looking grey marbled colored head and a big white spot on his forehead, plus, he had a huge body. We made the stalk, got really close for an easy rifle shot and the sheep hunter decided NOT to pull the trigger! So we just sat and watched the sheep show! As I was digging my camera out of my pack, I noticed another ram descending the slope above us. “That is my ram! That is my ram! I can see blood on his ass! That is my ram!!” my Stepmom was almost yelling with excitement. Somethings in life are just meant to be as I saw the ram fold at the shot. This beautiful ram was my Stepmom’s ram from the time that she was viewing my Oregon ram hunt photos a year ago. Yes, she was extremely happy with the hunt and her ram.

For those that want to know, the first bullet entered just right of the tail and travelled approx. 6 inches under the skin before exiting the hind quarter. The caked blood on the ram’s ass can be seen in the photo. I don’t believe that the ram was even limping from the wound. The second shot was perfect!