Caribou Gear

Montana Mountain Goat

Four days without a shower is overrated. Goat hunting is not. Sure glad we didn't know Big Fin was done packing meat until we were off the mountain.

It is a character flaw I have. And my feet and legs are now protesting. Hope I can walk, come morning.
 
That was a fun stroll through the deadfall...

Deadfall? Over a few spilled toothpicks and the mighty call - wambulance... :p
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You made me prop from my seat to type that! Sheesh!

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We're right there with ya guys - in spirit. :)
 
Glad to see my goat hunt brethren all made it home safely. Make sure your significant others know how much I appreciate being able to borrow you for the last week.

Patience will be needed on the pictures and story fellas, I've got a long day of drying out gear and licking my wounds. Also pretty sure my camera cord is somewhere in Missoula.
 
Unfortunately, production guidelines on all the outdoor networks say you cannot shoot bedded animals on TV. This photo through the Leupold VX-3 is all we got for this encounter. Sorry we had to leave this one sleeping on the mountain that night.

Imagine the look on a hunter's face when you tell him he can't shoot, due to some quirk like that. :mad:

The bleeper button would be necessary for the audio recorded when most hunters respond to our demand that he hold off, but Randy just smiled and said something to the affect, "That's all right, I'd rather do a little more shopping around this basin. Think I'll go relieve myself."

Oh well, he was probably only a 9"+ billy and he was a long ways off (284 yards). And, who would want to pack him out in the dark, during a lightning storm? :p

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Here's a teaser photo for you.

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The camera guy, Loren, is also a sales rep for Big Sky Brewing in Missoula. Only seems fitting that on a goat hunt that you would drink their Scape Goat Pale Ale. Even though I can't drink, I felt compelled to carry some up the mountain, just in case a celebration was in order.
 
That beer was the perfect elixir to wash down freshly fire roasted goat tenderloin.

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Randy- It looks like a congrats are in order. However, the Moosie-esque teases and withholding of story and pics is way beneath you... ;) :D
 
Before I get too far in to the story telling, I just want to start off by saying how thankful I am to have four friends like this to sacrifice so much and work so hard to help me realize my dream of killing a billy. There's just no possible way I would have been able to do this by myself. They were there every step of the way and were nothing but support the entire time. Thanks guys.

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Waiting not-so-patiently for the story and pics.....

In lieu of more bitching, I guess you guys get a hearty, "Nice work, Boys!"

Congrats, Randy, look forward to hearing the details.
 
Day one began with an early morning rendezvous with Gerald. We pointed the truck East and the adventure officially crossed the line from internet fantasy to reality.

Along the way we picked up a handsome young lad from the midwest who was mumbling something along the lines of "spooning...for... goat meat..." We all loaded up and made one last stop for real food, before driving the .6 miles to the trailhead.

No excuses left, time to pack this up the hill-

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On the trail-

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Gerald was trying out the new Mystery Ranch prototype called the "Gypsy Homestead".

There's no trail in to the basin we'd be camping in, which was a big part of the allure of why I wanted in there. It's a bit of a downfall mess getting in there, but luckily it's only .6 miles so we were able to make it up just in time to glass before dark set in.

Within five minutes of being in the basin we spotted what we knew would be our number one target. He was bedded maybe 450 yards from camp, and from Gerald's excitement I could tell that it was a goat we needed to dedicate the rest of the hunt to.

That night Gerald experimented with a new type of freeze dried meal that resembled what you'd find in the scrap pile of a Whole Foods bakery.

We went to bed with big dreams of shooting the giant billy above camp when Randy and Loren arrived late morning the next day.
 
:(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:
 
MTNTOUGH - Use promo code RANDY for 30 days free

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