Well, I can't say I have the bonus points invested as some others, but I finally drew a goat tag. I drew for the 150 area which is nestled right in the middle of the BOB. Already scouring maps and planning my scouting missions.
Everyone is asking me what I am going to use. Even my father told me to bring the 0-6 just in case. But I'll eat tag before I shoot one with anything other than my longbow.
I guess as other have, I'll run a report of my missions to the wilderness. The hunt of a lifetime is here. I hope it all comes together. Excitement and anxiety are at an all time high!!!
:thumbsup:
Good hunting!
Darcy :campfire:
Will wait patiently for the hunt story!!!!
Good luck to you. :thumbsup: :clapper:
jealous here. cant wait to see pics
:shaka:
Congrats on a great tag! Love your attitude on the weapon choice. All or nothing- no regrets! You will make the best of it and have a great hunt regardless of the outcome. I for one will be following your story to the end!
Good for you! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congratulation,
As I will in all likelyhood never hunt goats, I am very much looking forward to reading about your quest. I would like to hear it all - gear, daily trials, and pics , pics, pics please.
Thanks,
Gary
2X what Whip said. "All or nothing-no regrets". Total commitment. This is a hunt that is tops on my list. Can't wait to hear how it's going.
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/mountain-goat_635_600x450_zpsf116641b.jpg)
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u31/snag23/31325861CRW_3469_zpsc3bb8bba.jpg)
Couple of pics for you Dean.
Sounds like I might be heading in next week. It's still kind of early regarding snow in the mountains, but this is one part of the BOB I haven't been in yet. If anything I can start to find good camp spots. I also have some good buddies who work back there on wilderness trail crew and packing.
Trying to figure out weather or not I want to drag my wall tent back there. I'm lucky enough to have a good work schedule. I climb cell towers and was already planning on having Sept Oct off. I also rock climb A LOT so I feel good and prepared for running some ridges!
Here is a few pics. One of the 2-piece Whip I'll be using, astring of goats I saw in another range, and training.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC00551.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC00551.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC00531.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC00531.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/12-3-2012/DSCN2403.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/12-3-2012/DSCN2403.jpg.html)
Congrats!
congrates on the tag ... hope it all comes together for ya, just like in ur dreams!!!
looking forward to the story.
Congratulations on that tag!
:thumbsup: :clapper:
Now that is what I call quality training. Good luck to you man.
Good luck on your hunt. I look forward to the recap and photos.
good luck and hunt :thumbsup: safe
Congratulations and good luck!
Your post made me check the status of my drawing for a Bighorn Sheep permit in NW Montana.
Shucks...unsuccessful. Oh well, it was worth the price of applying just to dream a little since I applied in April.
Congratulations!!!!! I got the 313 tag last year in the Crazies! Hunt of a lifetime! They are such an amazing animal and my favorite animal to hunt.
Very cool, can't wait to watch this unfold! Good luck!
my dream hunt....so I'll live it thru you for now. Hunt safe! :archer:
Congrats and good luck!!!
Can't get the hunt off my mind. We got some weather here in the beginning of the week and my pals in the wilderness tell me the snow fell pretty deep (15+") and to wait a little before scouting.
I have been getting info from a few others who knew those who have had tags in the district. What do you know? The goat are on top of the mountains. So excited!
I decided it would be good to get familiar with shooting an all white animal and been able to judge its distance based on its size, though I want it spittn' distance away. Regardless I put this target together today and am really liking it. 1/4" Ply with some white styro-foam behind it. Its a little louder than I'm used to for town, but that's ok. I feels so nice to see those arrows sinking in to a white backdrop.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/20140621_134737.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/20140621_134737.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/20140621_134627.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/20140621_134627.jpg.html)
I used so old shafts to tack it in place on the bales.
Dean,
Congratulations on the goat tag, and thanks for making the time to let us follow along;I'm looking forward to following it. If you have any friends, or know somebody with an airplane you can save a lot scouting time by paying for a couple of hours of fuel. By the end of July and throuh August it is easy to spot the lone Billy's from the air. Take a gps and mark way points wherever you see one and then map them out using a mapping program such as Google Earth.
The bottom four to six inches of the chest is all hair, pick a spot about half way down from the top of the back. Practice shooting at steep and awkward angles, most likely you will not have a level shot.
Well, I guess the tag is for mountain goat from the pics tippit posted. What is the BOB?
Sounds like you drew a good tag in a good area so........
GOOD LUCK!
Bisch
The BOB is the Bob Marshal Wilderness Complex. It comprise three wilderness areas; Scapegoat Wilderness, Great Bear, and the BOB. All three comprise 1.5 million square acres. Lots of untrammeled land. It does have ranger stations in the wilderness to help facilitate the clearing of trails and such. At the stations the employees are allowed to use certain tools you normally couldn't. In the wilderness, you can't use and machines. No chainsaws, no four wheelers!!, no bicycles, etc. Foot and horse/mule, or raft are the modes of travel. I have lots of friends back there. Strong men clearing trail with crosscuts and axes. The pictures look ancient sometimes.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/jmb-e0b677e4-6f33-439c-945b-5dfdfe499764.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/jmb-e0b677e4-6f33-439c-945b-5dfdfe499764.jpg.html)
Sam the Man doing what he does best.
Walt, thanks for the advice, but I think I am going to do this all by the ground. Like I said, I have a lot of buddies back there and I might be able to get a mule train wrangled up pretty easily. I'm planning to walk in there soon with some buddies, one of which might hook it up with some gear for product testing.
Guys, thanks for your responses. The trad thing has totally enveloped me, and through this site I have learned a ton. I'm glad I have an opportunity to contribute something. This is a huge undertaking. I need all the help I can get. This thread might go stale in a while; I may be hitting the road for some work soon. When I start getting some good beta on the area, with pics or course, I might start up a new thread. MT Mtn Goat!!!!!!
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/9-20-2013/DSC00779.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/9-20-2013/DSC00779.jpg.html)
Caught these guys crossing drainages last year in the eastern BOB.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC00222.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC00222.jpg.html)
Surfing goat country in the Swan. Western border of the BOB.
Cool deal!
Best of luck to you!
Bisch
Hey guys. Just got back from a 68+ mile through hike of the Bob. I have been in parts of the Bob, but never so deep. The country is magnificent. I am so glad I drew this tag where I did. It will be difficult, but the hunt I have always dreamed of.
I have been worried about giving out the info of where I will be as any good spot is worth keeping, but if I ever met any of you back there with a trad bow we would both be happy to see each other. All of this country is awesome for elk. The only negative is it is open to rifle Sept 15.
A good friend Brian and I started at the Silvertip trailhead on the south side of Hungry Horse resevior. We hiked about 9 miles until we hit a camp that will be occupied by a friend of a friend. K**** (female) will be starting up her grandfathers outfitting camp again. He has not been able to upkeep the camp the past few years. She is now taking responsibility for the camp and what are the chances that it would be in the same drainage I need to be in! I have played phone tag with her, but she left a message saying she would be happy to pack myself and friends in. I'm thinking two mules would be enough. My 10x13 Snow Trekker wall tent and stove only weighs 56 lbs. I think so misc extras and food would be covered if they can carry 250ish lbs.
Tested out my new Stone Glacier Sky 5400 pack on this trip as well and it was a pleasure. Can't wait to stuff it with some game.
Brian and I made it to the bench on the NE side of Silvertip mtn at about 7500 feet. We camped there for the night. This evening and tomorrow we would be in the heart of the country I will be hunting so I wanted to glass hard. Unfortunately we only saw one goat. I am not dismayed though. Hearing reports of friends out of Big Prairie, they had been seeing groups sometimes into the 30s. We were on the east side looking west which was much snowier than the west sides of the mountains. I mentioned this hunch to Brian and it was confirmed when Sam told us of countless goats he saw. I asked him what side and he responded "west". He actually had some mules escape and talked of their ability to stay on trail even in, what he said, six feet of snow. Still some snow up there.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01748.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01748.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01750.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01750.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01755.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01755.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01763.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01763.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01769.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01769.jpg.html)
From there we made it around the bench where we saw the one nanny. We bushwacked a few miles down to Juliet creek and made are way down the White River. Gorgeous! Beautiful, untrammeled country. There were tons on wolf and bear prints as well making the pucker factor high. Brian got ahead of me because I was still bothering to take my shoes of at crossing. I made it to a nice camp N of the brushy park and a wolf started barking at me. I told him I thought it was a dog, but we both chuckled at that notion as we hadn't seen a human print for miles and no one was up there. Very spooky. We made a camp at Needle falls and had the most beautiful stumping/shooting practice ever.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01772.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01772.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01797.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01797.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC01838.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC01838.jpg.html)
After that, the rest was just a pleasure cruse. We stayed for a few days at Big Prairie, made some awesome benches with cross cuts, draw knifes, and planes to even up for the nice hot meals we received. We exited via Gordon creek and I saw some nice bulls below Wolverine peek at about 8:30 pm. Made 22 miles and probably over 3000' gain that day. Hell of a trip.
Planning on going back soon and spending all of my time in goat country. We had been talking for to long of going into Big Prairie so that why we got sucked that way.
You are living the dream! Congrats for your weapon of choice and your comitment. You deserve that tag. :clapper:
Wow what a hunt! Thanks for taking the time to post the story and pictures! Very cool... good luck to you, be safe :campfire:
Great hunt coming up! Don't forget pics.
Awesome!!!
Wow.... A hunt of a lifetime in, from what I know of MT.... In some OUTstanding
....."I'll eat tag before I shoot one with anything other than my longbow"
That in itself is gold!
Best of luck mate!
Great looking country!
Kinda gets me back in the mood to pull stakes and relocate...
Best of luck and looking forward to reading along!
Awesome is the only word to describe it.
Really looking forward to the story, one of my dream hunts.
Hard workers seem to be the luckiest, and I dont think thats a coincidence. Good luck anyways from Bozeman!!!
Best of luck to you and thank you for bringing us along. The Bob is a beautiful landscape and you are definitely living the dream. Looking forward to your updates!
Best of Luck! Thanks for bring us along. :bigsmyl:
I haven't spent any of my Montana time in the Bob, but that's just cause there is so much of Montana to explore. That there is some beautiful country. Congratulations on the tag, and thanks for sharing the story with us!
congrats! good luck to you on the hunt!
Congrats. I'm excited just reading along and seeing the pics. You'll have a lot of jealous men (and women) following you on this one. Good luck.
I lived in Kallispel for a couple of years and where your at is as remote as it gets!!!!!
Is that the "China Wall" in one of your pics?
So cool to fallow along with you on your dream hunt and look forward to more updates :clapper: :pray:
That is not the "Chinese Wall". The wall in the picture is just the east side of Silvertip Mtn (only 3 miles long, haha). I've been told by my buds who work back there that this country is the wilderness withing the wilderness. IT IS the most remote you can get in the lower 48. So awesome. Here is a video describing the area (not mine). The top of the Chinese Wall is my eastern boundary. If you stop at about 1:00 you can see Turtlehead mountain (slight turtle head like knob on the right), and Pagoda. I think Pagoada will be my furthest southern reach. I will try to stick around Silvertip and Lone Butte though a fellow back in Big Prairie told me he saw 30 some goats at larch hill pass on my side of the wall. It will be another option.
Goat country (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mkuE-IOxKI)
Congrats, and the best of luck. Even the scouting should be a blast.
Wow, I am soooo jealous!!! The pics remind me of home! I grew up in Wyoming and roamed the big horns thru my childhood! Brings back a ton of memories of hunting and camping trips! Been trying to draw for archery elk for years. Awesome stuff! Keep it coming!
Awesome that you finally drew a goat tag. Like some folks already said, I think your choice of weapon is a good choice...doing it the hard way is also my way of hunting. Good Luck...I'll patiently wait to hear about how your hunt goes.
Awesome that you finally drew a goat tag. Like some folks already said, I think your choice of weapon is a good choice...doing it the hard way is also my way of hunting. Good Luck...I'll patiently wait to hear about how your hunt goes.
As a guy who will most likely never get to see or hunt those mountains, I would like to echo the appreciation of you sharing this awesome experience. I hope to see future posts on this thread!
I'm back. I kind have been regretting posting seeing everyone's success with the trad bows. Unfortunately I had to put mine down with the rifle. I did stick it first though. Here's the story.
We had 14 days to have a camp dropped up Silvertip Creek. The idea was I was going to go in a day early to scout the area for camp and make sure no one else took it. When I left there was 2" of snow on my hood and entering the mountains was cold. Plus the mountain I was going to hunt was VERY white and looked trecherous. I made it about 14 miles? in to where the camp was supposed to be. I heard they had cleared trail to this flat and there was water. Well, the water wasn't there. Hiking the extra 2 miles steeply uphill had me wore out and I settled in for the night. I heard it was record lows and 22 where my buddies came from. Felt like the teens to me and my frozen boots were a chore to put on the next morning.
So I searched around for the better part of the morning looking for the spring (that I later found out was another 4 miles further on the other side of this pass) and went down to the creek. I first met Sam at around 3:30pm. He said the packers were not far behind. I explained the situation and we decided the clear clean creek was the place to be so we settled in. The packers were soon there and Mike and Brian came down from where I was, making a big ridge run. They also said they found no water, but had a big billy on video. Morale was high.
Mike was my wing man and we established a camp at a pass of sorts a 7500ft. Goats were everywhere. Lots of nannies with kids and billies here and there. Luckily the weren't very high, they were just occupying steep terrain.
After lots of days getting close (75 yards and under) to many goats I was staring to get the feel for them. I actually missed a goat twice on day 2 at a range too far. Luckily I was so nerved I missed the side of the barn. 35 minutes later after a long staring contest that was filmed I got another shot at one of the two and it went right over his back. I was embarrassed, ashamed, let down and not feeling good. I felt awesome all year practicing and I fell apart. So day 6 rolls around. I had been on the wall literally for hours each day. The goats would bed, then come out and feed one direction or the other and I was trying to get myself at a good ambush spot. Some of these spots required climbing 20 or so feet up to ledges. In the morning I spotted a billy very close to camp. I put the sneak on and within hours I was climbing another 20 feet or more to a ledge the billy occupied. When I stepped around the corner he was under 20 yards a way, but I thought he was already standing and was partially obscured. The ledges and wall there are cryptic. Well, he jumped up quickly, turned his back to me, and I waved goodbye. I was the best stalk I have ever had and still no Billy. I went back to the high camp and found Mike. He expected I would be there since in was raining all morning at the clouds were in camp. I was going to give it a rest for the evening, but with goats in view I was soon in the cliffs again.
Getting to the slope requires climbing. Some is just steep talus and scree. Others is hands on with the bow and quiver draped over the neck. You would need to enter the slope at specific spots so you could run a drainage to the base of the wall without being detected. From there you could wait for the goats to dip in out out of the terrain for you to move. Unfortunately they are SO Slow. No to mention their eyes are sharp. I got to within 125 yards of the same Billy from the morning. I was staying out of site. Suddenly I noticed him alert, but not at me. I looked where he was and he was keen on Mike walking below probably 500 yards away. The goat started coming toward me at a good rate of speed for them. I didn't expect it to go down where I was so I picked the biggest rock I could which felt like half of a canoe hull. I got as low as I could face in the gravel trying to stay low. It was silent for a moment then he moved again and it was clear he was going to be right in front of me. He stopped on a ledge 20ft up probably 15 yards away. He was somewhat broadside with his right leg kind of guarding the sweet spot. It looked doable and this was my chance. I drew back, picked a spot, and loosed. I saw the arrow go about halfway in. He then ran to my right with the arrow looking like it was in a perfect spot. Mike yells "Did you stick him". "Yeah", "He's bleeding in the right spot". I immediately start bombing downhill. I want to see this goat. Mike and I both loose each other in the rocks with the sitka on. We yell briefly. Sounded like he was spotting the goat. I ran a mile uphill to the pass to get on the shoulder of the mountain to cut him off if he went that far. We watched till nightfall and he stood like a statue. Mike showed me pictures of blood. It all looked good. I told him I thought I should get a rifle. I wasn't looking to wound a goat back there. He assured me of a good hit. I dreamed of a goat laying in the rocks the next morning.
I was up before the sun as usual. As soon as it was light enough to see he was there. On the cliff, 100ft up looking miserable and not moving much. It looked like he was having trouble bedding. What a long day. Maybe the longest of my life. I felt terrible. I was watching my "Once in a Lifetime" become a disaster. I felt shame. This wasn't what I intended. I watched him disappear into a nook. At dusk he came back out and stood like a statue not giving up. Mike headed for the rifle at the camp at the creek.
I know this is a trad site so I'll spare the details. I got him the next morning. THANK GOD. I'll maybe never have the chance again, but I learned a lot. The emotional and physical strain still weigh on me. I wish it could have been clean. I tried my best. Thanks for all the words of encouragement. Here are some pics.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/10672408_10152609431770845_8277809983178840626_n.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/10672408_10152609431770845_8277809983178840626_n.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/10620789_10152609433555845_5237882857894936987_n.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/10620789_10152609433555845_5237882857894936987_n.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/6668_10152609435360845_5871442439101266991_n.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/6668_10152609435360845_5871442439101266991_n.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/DeanTowarnicki/DSC02218.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/DeanTowarnicki/media/DSC02218.jpg.html)
From what I've read goats are notoriously tough. Congrats on getting him and good job finishing what you started!
What did you end up hitting with your shot. The picture of him on the ledge looks like good placement. Maybe not enough penetration and just one lung low or liver? Hard to tell from the picture. Just curious and not being judgmental. If you hunt long enough with the bow you will have the occasional 'rodeo'. Rick.
Congrats on an incredible hunt!
Thanks for sharing with us.
Congrats
I nocked a few ribs and like you said Rick, probably just liver. It was kind of a mess when I got to skinning and quartering and was happy just to have my hands on him. The buck I shot was a complete pass through? I'll never know.
:thumbsup:
You hung in and did what you had to do. No shame in that! Congrats on an accomplishment that many of us dream of. You did the ethical thing, the right thing. :campfire:
Sometimes life just won't go in a straight line for us... and hunting can sometimes be a tough and messy business. I commend you on the spirit and the resolution you showed in finishing the job. It is clear from your story that you care a lot about the ethics involved in your hunting. Thanks for sharing and good work.
QuoteOriginally posted by wapiti792:
You hung in and did what you had to do. No shame in that! Congrats on an accomplishment that many of us dream of. You did the ethical thing, the right thing. :campfire:
I couldn't say it any better. If we bowhunt long enough stuff is going to happen. You were responsible for that goat and accepted it to finish what you started. Congratulations!!
There is no reason to feel ashamed at all. That's a difficult hunt to do and you did everything right, in my opinion. Congratulations on a fine kill and an excellent hunting opportunity. Hunting ethics always trump the Trad police in my opinion. It looked like a good hit, but I know next to nothing about goats, only from what I have read. Was it the situation where the belly hair is long and created the deception of the vitals being lower than they are? Either way, congrats again and feel no shame!
QuoteOriginally posted by Whip:
QuoteOriginally posted by wapiti792:
You hung in and did what you had to do. No shame in that! Congrats on an accomplishment that many of us dream of. You did the ethical thing, the right thing. :campfire:
I couldn't say it any better. If we bowhunt long enough stuff is going to happen. You were responsible for that goat and accepted it to finish what you started. Congratulations!! [/b]
Couldn't agree more... Congrats man!!
Congrats on a fine hunt, first of all. Secondly, thanks for taking us along. It looks and sounds like a hunt of a lifetime. THANKS AGAIN!!!
Thanks for taking us along! Was hooked on this from page 1. Proud of you and for you!
Please tell a bit more about the deer you got!!
Thanks for taking us along. A mountain goat has been a life long dream of mine, that will probably never happen. I myself would have done the same.
Congratulations on taking a fine mountain goat. As others have said, you did the right thing finishing what was started. Oftentimes things don't turn out as we hope, but we do the best we can with the cards handed to us.
Thanks for taking us along!
Matt
ps- nice work on the buck!!! Would love to hear more on that as well!
Thanks for sharing! Absolutely no shame in what you did. You did the right thing for the animal. Completely ethical in my book. Congrats and thanks again for sharing!
No shame in doing the right thing. Congrats and thanks for taking us along.
homebru
Congrats on your Goat. I probably wouldn't have done any different. It would have bothered me to no end to see the goat hit and not dying.
Congrats on your mulie also!
Congrats on a fine goat and deer!