Mountain goats in the alpine

Thanks to my friend James Wideman for sending this in- I worked with James for a few months guiding in BC, Canada. Many of us have dreamed of going on a mountain hunt in North America, so here's a taste of this demanding but rewarding style of hunting!
Mountain goats (Oreamnos Americanus ) are sure footed climbers that live in the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range of North America. They mostly stay in the alpine or subalpine, sometimes exceeding 13,000 feet. Goats feed primarily on grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens, twigs, and leaves on low growing shrubs and conifers of their high-altitude habitat.
      Both male and female goats have beards, short tails, and long black horns. They have a woolly white double coat to protect them from their harsh environment. A fine dense wool undercoat and an outer layer of long hollow hair protects them from very cold (–46°C) conditions, and extremely high winds found at these high altitudes. Goats also have cloven hooves that spread apart, the inner pads provide traction and dewclaws on the tips to prevent slipping.
Hunting these animals is challenging even for the fittest of hunters. In British Columbia, Canada, populations exceed 50,000. Though many places have limited entry draws to help with conservation, availability of these tags is considerably good.
This was true for Zach and I on our 2019 goat hunt as we both received tags we applied for. We spent the summer months preparing our gear for our August hunt.  The day before our hunt we prepared and packed our food and gear. Keeping your pack as light as possible is important for a mountain hunt, and it was approximately an eight-kilometre hike in steep terrain. We packed dehydrated foods for each morning and evening of our ten-day hunt and high energy foods such as chocolate bars, nuts, and salty snacks for throughout the day. Packing electrolytes is also important for these high-altitude hunts. With our lightweight tents, sleeping bags/pads, binoculars, spotting scope, and the rest of our gear, packs came to about 30 kg each (including our guns). We were ready for the adventure to begin!
We had about a four-hour drive and a forty-five-minute quad ride to the subalpine to start our eight-kilometre hike.  With our packs loaded we began our hike into goat country. The beauty of the landscape is breathtaking. If you have never hiked in the alpine of the mountains, I would highly recommend it. It’s a sight that will leave anyone in awe. In our hike we crossed a rockslide to reach our destination. Safety is no joke in a mountain hunt, and although we packed a satellite phone, help would have been hours away if something were to happen.
As night approached, we came to a flat spot surrounded by small shrubs with a stream. It was nestled in the mountainside with 180 degrees of rock cliff behind and 180 degrees of valley and far mountainside in front. A perfect spot to rest up for another days hunting. As the sun set, we spotted goats on the far hillside; we were in goat country! With our temporary tarpaulin setup, we fell asleep with the peaceful mountain atmosphere surrounding us.
   With a cup of coffee and some oatmeal to wake us up the next morning, we packed up camp and set out to the mountain top to our first glassing spot. As we neared the top, we came across a group of about 12 goats!  A couple of Billie’s were in the group we watched them for a while, but according to British Columbia law you cannot shoot a goat in a group of nannies and kids. Nevertheless, it was a treat to watch these amazing creatures. We hiked to a high point with a 320-degree view around us and set up for a day of glassing. With miles of country to glass, a good pair of binoculars is essential. Although goats are white and relatively easy to spot the strain on your eyes is far less with good equipment.
I watched the herd of goats travel swiftly up the steep slopes with a mixture of amusement and slight envy. As evening came, we hiked down to the valley bottom to set up our main camp. A couple of trees surrounding us and stream nearby it was a perfect spot. With our tents set up and a campfire going Zach and I discussed the following day’s hunt. There were three valleys to pick from in front of us we decided to take the one to our left, to explore the following days.
 The next morning with only three days of food, we began our hike up the valley. As we stopped to glass the hillside, we caught a glimpse of a wolverine as it slipped through the brush about 300 meters away. We were not the only ones hunting this morning! Moving on we decided to hike over the mountain in front of us to see what the other side had to offer. Just as we started off, a spot of white caught my eyes on the cliffside to my left. There were two goats! I got Zach’s attention quickly, then we slid behind the rocky hillside and carefully set up our spotting scopes to take a closer look. After carefully examining the two goats we realized they were two Billie’s. A stroke of luck this early on! The goats were about 500-600 meters up the mountain side. The stalk was on! We decided on trying for a doubleheader. Zach taking the one that had longer horns.  I would take the one that looked older and had a bigger body. The opportunity was perfect! The goats were high above us this giving them a sense of security and we began our stalk. The sun was warm as we crawled closer to the goats. With their amazing eyesight they were bound to see us, but they stayed bedded together. Suddenly my goat stood up and walked across the cliff. Busted. At least I thought. But after moving about 100 meters to the left he found a shady cliff above a patch of snow and lay back down. The stalk was back on! At about 400 meters Zach felt comfortable and confident shooting from there. He stayed and I decided to try for a closer shot. Our plan was that if the goats decided to leave, he would shoot. I crawled on. I moved out of Zach’s line of fire. Then I crawled closer. After crawling to about 200 meters I came up a slight rise where I could get a perfect shot. With the goats laying down, Zach and I waited in the warm sun for the perfect shot. Making a bad shot on these mature goats was not an option.
   After what seemed like hours he finally got up. I was ready! I shot. The goat’s head dropped hard. Clearly a good hit! I heard a shot from Zach’s gun. I shot again. As any hunter knows, it’s not always a quick death, but we try our best. After another shot the goat dropped to the snow below. I heard two more shots from Zach, as I turned to look his goat had fallen too! It was a blur. A rush of emotions hit me. We had just harvested two mature goats! I have so much respect for those creatures. I had a mix of emotions. Happy to have harvested this animal, but sad to have taken its life. However, the nourishment it provided us made it worthwhile. Adrenaline pumping made an easy task of getting the goats off the cliff. I had just harvested my first BC big game animal! As we got our goats together for photos, we talked about the crazy experience we just had. We were truly blessed! After lots of pictures the work began. In the warm August heat, we had to skin and debone these animals quickly. Nothing would go to waste. Hours later, they were skinned, deboned, and in our packs. With a setting sun we had a 30-minute hike to our camp. Two days into our ten day hunt we were successful! Back at camp we unpacked to let the meat cool for the night. We needed it as cold as possible for the next day's hike out. With a campfire going and goat tenderloin roasting we spent the evening talking about our amazing experience.
    I slept well that night, knowing we had a hard day ahead packing out two goats. With the rising sun we packed up camp, filled our packs to the brim and set out. Although the pack out was brutal, we were happy to have to have experienced this opportunity. Staying hydrated is important. A lesson we almost learned the hard way as Zach was getting lightheaded about halfway out. We spend time resting in the shade and rehydrating before moving on. After about 12 long hours we made it to the quad. We packed our gear on the quad bike and rode down the mountain to the truck. The hunt was over. We were beaten up, and tired, but happy with our success. Driving home the next day, we talked about the hunt and how we could not wait to do it again. Zach’s goat was 254mm long with 153mm bases, while mine was 207mm long with 147mm bases. As any mountain hunter knows, being in the alpine is the best feeling. Something you need to do again and again and again.
Written by James Wideman, hunting with Zach Logan

---