This year I was lucky enough to draw a nanny Mt. goat tag for my home state of Utah. It has been a busy year for me so between work and trying to do some deer and elk hunting the hunt was upon me before I knew it. I was able to scout a couple of weekends and the day before opener. The time on the mountain was a nice break form the 15 hour days I been working this year. Sorry I never brought along my good camera.  

The scouting was nice with all the fall colors to enjoy and the great scenery.  cenery.

   

           This camera seems just fine....lol!

This year they issued alot of tags so finding the goats was not to hard but finding a place that other hunters would not be. This year they issued more tag than any year before.  I had a tip from a friend that was a biologist on the unit where he had seen 40 nannies and kids in area not many would be.  A fellow traganger had also recommended the area but after a day of scouting I could not find any goats. I decided to hunt open morning some of the more open country where I had been s  een lots of goats in prayer scouting.

Good Stuff!

I started hiking in early to get to get a few miles back in away from the masses. Right off I had seen one nanny with a couple of billys way up on a ridge. The long ascent began to the top with a good two between us. After making in to a pass right under where the nanny was feeding I had two billys walk out over a pass maybe 40 yards away and had my partner and I pinned flat to the ground. Looking back behind my partner I notice another 12 billys 60 yards behind him. We had to let them all feed around the ridge before we could continue the stalk. I crawled up a ridge along a rim hoping to use small contours in the terrain to find the nanny. As I reach the rim I could see the tips of billys antlers just over the rim. I crawled on my belly as far up as I could before dared look up. When I rose up I was looking at the nanny 30 yards away on her bed. She was facing straight on and with high winds there was no shot to be had. They rose up and moved up the ridge. I didn't think that they were to spooked so I gave it a half hour and went along the top of the peak looking for them. After a few I found the same bunch bedded just over a small knoll. It was real open terrain but I gave it another chance. I inched my way a foot at a time for a good 100 yards until I was peeking over the small knoll. Once again I could see a billy 20 yards in front of me but I could not see any other goats. I could tell I had not been seen yet so I inched it up another few feet. Then I could see the nanny to the left of the billy. I rose and drew my bow as she rose from her bed. As I hit my anchor on of the billys stepped in front of her blocking my shot. She made a half circle and gave me a good angle but she was now out of my range. I watched them go over the rim right off into some nasty cliffs. I decided to head to a new drainage and let these ones rest a day before I would try to return.

After a long walk back to camp we regrouped and headed to a good glassing point. Right off I had seen a good herd of 20 nannies a ¼ mile away. After a closer look I notice someone else stalking the herd. Then I noticed six nannies in the bottom of the canyon feeding in some finger washes. It looked like a plausible stalk with all the finger washes to peak around. Before I could think much about it I was on my way. My partner stayed on the ridge to give me hand signals if needed and I ran down the canyon to try to catch them still in the washes. I was down in the bottom before I knew it looking to see where they had gone. I crept up to where I had last seen them but I could not see them anywhere. I looked back at my partner but could not make him out very well. I started looking over the rim of the frist wash when I could see one 50 yards down wash feeding behind a small knoll.  I back away and made my way down to the knoll. When I peeked over the knoll I could see 3 nannies feeding. I picked out the closest one and started to draw but she turned away from me and I had to let down. When I let down the bow I noticed one lift its head up just under my feet below a small cliff I was standing on. To my surprise I had not seen this one bedded only a few yards away. I saw its head dip forward so I knew it was coming off its bed. I drew as she rose from her bed. I picked a spot and the arrow was on its way hitting right where I was looking. I knew it was a good shot when I saw the arrow fly out the opposite side bright and red.

Some great action so far...keep it comin  

She took off but didn't go far and fell within sight about 60 yards away  way.

This was a dream hunt for me and I will always remember it.  It ended quickly on the first day but I will have a lifetime to look back on it. here is one more hero pic.  

Congrats on a great trophy!
As you say a hunt to last a lifetime...on the first day no less!

Wow! That is a beauty! Congrats!!      

She's puuurrrrty! thanks for taking us along Twitch...ah, one day....

very nice goat!!!  congrats!

Congratulations, a dream hunt for sure!

Thats realy cool . She's real pretty.        My knees hurt just looking at those pictures.