Goats in the Snow
Contributors to this thread:Mountain Goat
From: QuietHunter
02-Oct-17
I have a G5 tag, and since good fur is more important to me, I have planned to go hunting in October. Now that it is October, it looks to be snowing, and so far has not slowed up much. I have been on a number of goat hunts, but none when the ground was covered. Does anyone have tips for hunting goat in the snow, and does anyone have experience with G5 and if the goats move much lower when snow hits?
From: sticksender
02-Oct-17
Great tag, good luck. They look yellow against the snow. Access of course becomes the problem with heavy snow. No experience in that unit, but lots of guys here do have.
From: MTNRCHR
02-Oct-17
I guide in AK. Crampons are a must in snow.
From: Chief
02-Oct-17
As Sticksender mentioned, they are yellowish or a little dirty compared to snow. Instead of looking for goats, look for their tracks in the snow. Follow them both ways until you see what made them.
From: wifishkiller
02-Oct-17
I hunted G5 a few years back, you can get snowed out pretty easy. I was planning on taking one in October also, and ended up burning my tag
From: Franzen
02-Oct-17
I'm sure crampons are a great tool, but would they help much in soft fresh snow? More than one Bowsiter has been snowed out on this hunt, as I'm sure others outside of Bowsite have been. With this information being available, I'm not sure why people risk waiting, but I guess maybe if you've had several past opportunities it isn't as big a deal?
Good luck and be careful. I'd say hope for some warmer weather.
From: huntinelk
02-Oct-17
From: HUNT MAN
02-Oct-17
Snowshoes and trekking poles are a must . Crampons also once the snow Is packed. I had Good luck glassing tracks and following them to the source.
From: hardcore247
02-Oct-17
Are you going up in Chicago basin or have other plans? I hunted it in October, but was fortunate enough to avoid most of the snow. See if you can find Don V's thread. I think he hunted it when there was some snow.
From: QuietHunter
02-Oct-17
Thanks for all the input. I am either going up Chicago basin, or packing in from the north down Vallecito.
From: jims
02-Oct-17
I would bring an InReach and plenty of winter gear in case you get snowed in....rather than snowed out!
From: squirrel
02-Oct-17
You probably should not attempt this. By waiting you rolled the dice, they came up snake eyes, accept it and live to fight another day. Do not try the northern plan.
From: Ermine
02-Oct-17
That's some rugged country down there. Super steap mtns. Waiting might be a gamble. I hope you can get in there ok
From: hardcore247
04-Oct-17
Not sure where you plan on going coming from the north down Vallecito, but as mentioned I would do some serious reconsidering. I hunted some of that country north of the basin and would not want to be in there with much snow on the ground. I went in there late September and got served some humble pie. Also make sure to check the train schedule. On my return trip in October I think I took one of the last trains for the year.
From: Orion
04-Oct-17
The train quits running in the next week or two so getting in and out of the needles gets tough. Also not sure what you are talking about coming from the north down to Vallecito, good luck with that and finding goats in there
From: QuietHunter
04-Oct-17
Thanks for all the advice. I am keeping an eye on the weather with the hope of creating options around it. Looks like the trains run until October 28th, so that part should be good. Orion - There is a long trail down Vallecito creek from the north which sets you up for an east approach to the area. For me, this would likely involve horses to get me into the area.
From: Orion
04-Oct-17
I know the trail I was rather implying that you will have your work cut out going in there looking for a goat, as there are only a few rogue goats in there and they are few and far between
From: GrantK
04-Oct-17
I had this tag around ten years ago now, did quite a bit of hunting in mid Oct. snow and the rut got the goats all in huge groups in pretty accessible terrain in Chicago basin and some of the rougher basins around it, it was not hard to locate goats as the tracks from 35 to 40 of them were pretty obvious... on another note, I drove past the unit yesterday, it has melted to the point that if you get after it soon snow won't be an issue on south facing slopes anyway.
From: delkslayr
04-Oct-17
We hunted that unit 4 years ago. It snowed quite a bit the week before we got in there. We were lucky enough to have the sun come out and melt the south facing slopes in Chicago Basin enough to be able to hike and stalk my dads billy. They were difficult to spot but not impossible. On another note, we did have a nannie and kid visit our tent while we were out hunting during the day.
From: Franzen
05-Oct-17
Some good news with the melting snow, and maybe luck is on your side. It looks like you should have clear conditions for the near term, so hopefully you are out chasing them!
From: Ski & Skin
10-Oct-17
Im running out of time 3 days left, but i'm going out tomorrow G16. Using skis skins and a sled!
From: Sandbrew
10-Oct-17
Ski & Skin- Hot tip - There is one less goat in G16 after today. I did not harvest one but I ran in to the spotter of another hunter and he said his son in law had it killed a goat with a longbow on the north side of Boreas Mountain just off the top of the Boreas Pass Road. He said there was a group of at least 6 there this afternoon. No skis needed in that end of the unit. Snow fall was light and it was burning off fast today in the sun. While I was out hunting we saw more than 70 goats today mostly nannies and kids but not in G16. Good luck! Sandbrew
From: Ski & Skin
12-Oct-17
Finally went up wednesday, Boreas pass. Glassed for 4 hours, nada. Met the same guy talked to him for a while, I was just about to leave when i decided I needed to go walk my puppy i got the first day of archery. Glassed the same place and boom 24 goats, they were just lower. Went up tried 5 times with my bow the last was 40 yards broadside at full draw and no shot two goats behind him. My set up I've had pass thru's with bulls, when they did move it was a texas heart shot. They moved to 130 ish and it was getting late, so I switched to the boom stick!
From: Ski & Skin
15-Oct-17
10/11 He was the nicest Looking Billy in the group. There was one older much bigger bases, however I never had a shot on him.
From: Ski & Skin
15-Oct-17
Oh ya there was no snow??? It defiantly made the pack out harder, I brought out everything on my back. Bone in meat everything, hardest pack out ever!!! All downhill and i puked 400 yds from the truck, just didn't want to stop because that would have made it longer and harder.
A friend came up to help me pack out, let my puppy out of my truck. He got up there a little late and just stayed at the truck. Well he helped me out two weeks before with my elk, last week he said his pack he used smelled bad. Like real bad worse than ever before, he's packed out animals before and his pack never smelled that bad.
I finally hiked down to the truck loaded up with Mt. Goat and he told me he found out why his pack smelled sooooooo Bad!!!! Two weeks of rotting ELk TONGUE!!!
So when he helped with the elk he said he wanted to keep the elk tongue to make tacos like his grandma did.
I laughed so hard all the pain went away and every time I think about it I just crack up Laughing!!!!
Hope everyone's hunts were memorable!!
From: g5smoke21
15-Oct-17
Congrats on the goat Paul! I can relate. Packed my goat out 5 miles and 2500 ft elevation down to the truck this year. Man it is hard. And i packed just the cape and head. Couldnt imagine packing the entire thing alone!
From: t-roy
15-Oct-17
Congrats Paul!
From: WV Mountaineer
15-Oct-17
Awesome and congratulations! God Bless men
From: squirrel
16-Oct-17
There are times when a wise man does not spit at the needles and beg for a lesson, I hope he gives a follow up report, tick tock... There is something about coming out with your bright eyes dimmer and your bushy tail froze to a nub that seems to make people reluctant to tell! I don't know why, those are the best stories!
From: QuietHunter
23-Oct-17
Thanks to all for the input. Between work, weather, minor injury and a bevy of other excuses, I did not make it up until Saturday. I took the train, like others have. I hiked the hike, and it was just as difficult. Once I got up into the basin, the snow was gone on most of the slopes. I immediately found goats, and kept finding goats. After a failed attempt at a stalk, I ended up getting above them, and working my way down. I had told myself I was not going to be picky, and would take the first mature goat that presented a shot. After climbing down couloir and cliff I managed to find myself 57 yards above this goat. One arrow, and it ran 30 yards before collapsing and rolling. After capeing, boning out, and packing it all out in one heavy trip, I am back in civilization and satisfied.
From: HUNT MAN
23-Oct-17
Congrats . Well done
From: stick n string
23-Oct-17
Way to go!
From: tkjwonta
23-Oct-17
Very impressive, nice job!
From: Adventurewriter
24-Oct-17
Nice job boys....Ski and skin congrats on not eating a rare tag to say you stuck with your bow...puking...that kind of says it is tough enough to be proud of...good job
From: Bowboy
24-Oct-17
Congrats
From: TXCO
24-Oct-17
Congrats!
From: t-roy
24-Oct-17
Congrats to you as well Derik!
From: sticksender
24-Oct-17
Congrats on your success in arrowing a Goat. How old was she?
From: Scar Finga
24-Oct-17
Congratulation man, that is awesome!!! And a beautifully Billy!
From: QuietHunter
24-Oct-17
5 Years old.
From: APauls
24-Oct-17
Cool! Congrats!!
From: Teaspoon
25-Oct-17
Serving up some crow to the Debbie Downers on here. Nicely done. Congrats on an awesome goat!
From: otcWill
25-Oct-17
Well done! One day....
From: deerhaven
25-Oct-17
Good job! Congrats!
From: SteveB
26-Oct-17
Congratulations to you both!
From: Mark Watkins
26-Oct-17
Congrats guys...well done!!!
Mark
From: Irishman
30-Oct-17
Crazy Mountains Montana, yesterday 10/29. My youngest son, pictured here, is not a bowhunter, so it is a rifle kill, but he was well within bow range in the fog when he shot it. Maybe it doesn't belong on bowsite, but it was still quite the adventure. 3,000ft climb, my game bags ended out rolling over a cliff and ending 1'000ft below. A snow storm started while we were up there, and made the trip out even more difficult than the trip in.
From: Irishman
30-Oct-17
This was one of the safer parts of the hike out. There were parts I definitely wouldn't have set the hiking poles down to take a photo.
This was one of the safer parts of the hike out. There were parts I definitely wouldn't have set the hiking poles down to take a photo.
From: TMA1010
30-Oct-17
Geez those goats live in some vertical country. I got woozy just looking at your pictures...congrats Irishman.
From: Teaspoon
31-Oct-17
Tick tock tick tock squirrel, time to give credit where credit is due...
From: Franzen
01-Nov-17
I will. Congrats for making the best out of the situation and bringing home a goat! Heck, congrats go out to several successful goat hunters here.
From: Irishman
01-Nov-17
I know that this thread was about a goat hunt in Colorado, and ours was in Montana, but I'll give you my thoughts on our experience. I would not recommend waiting as late as we did to hunt goats, we got lucky with the October weather. We did not plan on leaving it as late as we did, but things kept coming up to delay the hunting. First problem, goats don't come down for the winter, they tend to stay up high on open ridges (in our case they went higher, and further away). Second, trails in the mountains, that are a little sketchy in the summer, are a lot worse with some snow on them. The weather in the high mountains can turn ugly quickly, and make it difficult to see anything (ten minutes after we spotted the goats at 1,000 yds, you couldn't have spotted them at 50 yds). Also, doing anything, like skinning a goat, is much easier when your hands are warm, not freezing. Camping in late October versus September means much longer nights in a tent. Even though you can always get around in the snow and it's just more work, you have to be aware of the possibility of avalanches. Also, if there is a lot of snow, will you even be able to drive to the point where you wanted to start hunting? I'd recommend going earlier in the season, when it is safer, and a more enjoyable camping/hiking experience.
From: Teaspoon
02-Nov-17
Hair is better late, I killed mine on October 7th and was glad I didn't get one early in September. It's just a part of goat hunting.
From: Paul@thefort
24-Dec-17
Fun reading these stories after the fact and months later. Nicely done. my best, Paul
