Well it's November 23 and Kyle only has until the 30th to get a Goat. So in other words this set of 4 days off is all he has... 4 Days. So he worked his last night Shift and walked in the door at 10:00Am. It was a beautiful day, blue sky and sunshine, Temperature was -10°C. His Limited Entry draw for this goat was in the same MU as mine last year. So he gets home, not having slept, and says lets go and glass for goats. OK. So we get everything we need and pack Some food for The kids, load up the Jeep and head out.
We pull up to the first glassing spot and park. Kyle already had his binos up while I was busy with the Kids, right away he sees 2 goats. So I get my binos and start looking. I found the 2 he Seen but he missed one that Was bedded down. I told him there were 3 there while he was Setting up the spotting Scope. While he was identifying the 3 goats I found 2 more in a different area-nanny and Kid. We sat and Watched them for a little bit- it was a Billy with 2 nannies, they Weren't rutting yet but the Billy was trying. Kyle was battling internally Whether or not he wanted to try for this Billy. After about an hour of observing them, Kyle decided he was going to give it a go.
Nikita
We had a couple handheld radios from his dad so We could talk and I stayed in the jeep with the kids. Well the radios range was only about 300 yards -We discovered the hard way. So Kyle left the jeep at 1:10 in the afternoon. The Kids played in the back seat and had a movie playing and I watched the goats with my binos. After about an hour and a half, while I was giving my neck a break, we heard a gunshot. Pheonix got excited and asked if it was daddy. I told her I wasn't sure and listened. Another shot. Then another. I quickly grabbed my binos and while I was getting them up, another Shot. I found a goat but it was one of the nannies and I couldn't find Where the other 2 goats went. And because the radios didn't work very well, I had no idea what Was happening. About an hour and a half after the shots l decided to try the radio. The first couple tries I got nothing back, then finally I got an answer. He was on his way back to us and he had a Billy down. It was about another 3O Mins before he got to the jeep... with an empty pack.
We had a couple handheld radios from his dad so We could talk and I stayed in the jeep with the kids. Well the radios range was only about 300 yards -We discovered the hard way. So Kyle left the jeep at 1:10 in the afternoon. The Kids played in the back seat and had a movie playing and I watched the goats with my binos. After about an hour and a half, while I was giving my neck a break, we heard a gunshot. Pheonix got excited and asked if it was daddy. I told her I wasn't sure and listened. Another shot. Then another. I quickly grabbed my binos and while I was getting them up, another Shot. I found a goat but it was one of the nannies and I couldn't find Where the other 2 goats went. And because the radios didn't work very well, I had no idea what Was happening. About an hour and a half after the shots l decided to try the radio. The first couple tries I got nothing back, then finally I got an answer. He was on his way back to us and he had a Billy down. It was about another 3O Mins before he got to the jeep... with an empty pack.
Kyle
I decided to go up a different way then we did last year for Niki's goat. The goats lm going after are about another 200 yards higher then Niki's was. So I went up the rocks towards a rock chute that would let me get up on the top of the ridge. While Climbing up the chute I found some big cougar tracks that was following the same path that I was taking. The tracks were big enough that they reminded me of my big toms tracks. Once I got up to the top where I could just Walk the ridge, the cats tracks just went up and over, it opened up like a walking path. I Stopped to look for the goats and it took me a minute to realize that they were Closer then I had thought. Only about 150 yards from me. So I pulled my pack off, got Set up and waited. I could see the one nanny but the Billy Was behind a ledge that rose up and hid him from View. I didn't have to wait long, he came over to the nanny to push her around again, And When She showed no interest he went up on a small ledge above her. I took my first shot and I hit the rock beside him, second shot hit the same Spot. So it wasn't me, that means the rifle got knocked out. I compensated for the gun on the 3rd shot but too much, I hit him in the hind end. I quickly reloaded and hit where I wanted, dropping him. I managed to Climb down to him and found he Was much bigger then I had thought. While I was Skinning him out his body shifted on the snow and I lost my grip on him. He slid down and over the Cliff onto the ledge below. I was quickly losing daylight so I made the decision to come back tomorrow.
I decided to go up a different way then we did last year for Niki's goat. The goats lm going after are about another 200 yards higher then Niki's was. So I went up the rocks towards a rock chute that would let me get up on the top of the ridge. While Climbing up the chute I found some big cougar tracks that was following the same path that I was taking. The tracks were big enough that they reminded me of my big toms tracks. Once I got up to the top where I could just Walk the ridge, the cats tracks just went up and over, it opened up like a walking path. I Stopped to look for the goats and it took me a minute to realize that they were Closer then I had thought. Only about 150 yards from me. So I pulled my pack off, got Set up and waited. I could see the one nanny but the Billy Was behind a ledge that rose up and hid him from View. I didn't have to wait long, he came over to the nanny to push her around again, And When She showed no interest he went up on a small ledge above her. I took my first shot and I hit the rock beside him, second shot hit the same Spot. So it wasn't me, that means the rifle got knocked out. I compensated for the gun on the 3rd shot but too much, I hit him in the hind end. I quickly reloaded and hit where I wanted, dropping him. I managed to Climb down to him and found he Was much bigger then I had thought. While I was Skinning him out his body shifted on the snow and I lost my grip on him. He slid down and over the Cliff onto the ledge below. I was quickly losing daylight so I made the decision to come back tomorrow.
Nikita
When Kyle got back to the jeep he explained everything to me and I was soon on the phone with my mom to see if she would watch the Kids so I Could go up with him.
When Kyle got back to the jeep he explained everything to me and I was soon on the phone with my mom to see if she would watch the Kids so I Could go up with him.
The next morning we got ready and took the kids to my moms. I Was looking forward to a good hike. We found a place to park and got geared up. It was a beautiful day, blue sky and sunshine. We decided to head up the side we went up when I was hunting my goat. Apparently his goat slid down to the ledge above where mine died. I decided I would Stay down lower because Kyle had the plan that if it was in a bad spot he would push it over the edge and I could recover it. So I found a nice ledge to sit on and enjoyed the warm sun.
Kyle
I got up to my goat after a very nerve wracking Climb-lm glad Niki was ok with Staying back because she would not have been able to get up here. I was even questioning my sanity. But I made it. I managed to get the head and hide off and in my pack, and started working on the meat, got it all loaded into my pack then turned around to head out and decided to go against one of my most important rules-go back the way you came. What made me change my mind...The suicide climb getting up to where I am now. As I was making my way back to Niki, I came face to face with a big boar grizzly. He was making his way over to the goat kill on the trail I was using to get out. The wind was blowing the wrong direction so he couldn't smell me coming and I startled him. I reached behind me quickly for the defender and yelled at him. He stood his ground, huffed at me and popped his jaw in warning. I let 2 shots go into the tree beside him and that scared him, he took off up and over the top of the Mountain. I took off as fast as I could down to Niki who had no clue what had been just above her.
I got up to my goat after a very nerve wracking Climb-lm glad Niki was ok with Staying back because she would not have been able to get up here. I was even questioning my sanity. But I made it. I managed to get the head and hide off and in my pack, and started working on the meat, got it all loaded into my pack then turned around to head out and decided to go against one of my most important rules-go back the way you came. What made me change my mind...The suicide climb getting up to where I am now. As I was making my way back to Niki, I came face to face with a big boar grizzly. He was making his way over to the goat kill on the trail I was using to get out. The wind was blowing the wrong direction so he couldn't smell me coming and I startled him. I reached behind me quickly for the defender and yelled at him. He stood his ground, huffed at me and popped his jaw in warning. I let 2 shots go into the tree beside him and that scared him, he took off up and over the top of the Mountain. I took off as fast as I could down to Niki who had no clue what had been just above her.
Nikita
While I was waiting for Kyle on my warm sunny ledge, I was keeping an eye out for any bears below me that may come up for the goat. When I was waiting I noticed some weird things happening on the ledge just above me. I had a bunch of snow kicked down on top of me and some rocks come down beside me, I thought it might have been just the sun thawing the ice. I heard a couple shots ring out above me, I started to worry. A little while later I heard Kyle yelling for me. He was yelling for me to start heading down, so I did. He caught up to me half way down the rock slide and filled me in on his encounter.
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| Kyles P&Y billy from 2012 Vs. His 2013 B&C |
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