Mountain Goat Anchoring

jordan hunter · Mar 7, 2021

I'm wondering what shot placement, caliber and bullet choices people have used for goats near cliffs - shots usually less than 100 yards.

I have been a packer on a couple of hunts where my partners have lost goats to cliffs. I encouraged them to take neck/spine shots because of the steep inaccessible cliffs near by. They both thought the goats would drop with rib/shoulder shots. They did not.

Do any folks have experience using bigger calibers (375 or 458) with soft bullets or use a more frangible bullet to put more energy into a goat at relatively close ranges?

Does anyone have experience with a .308-.338 cal ttsx or similar to the base of the neck?

The successful goat hunt I was on saw a got soak up two 150gr LRABs to the lungs and liver and still stand at the top of a chute for minutes before it slid to an easy...ish recovery.

littlebighorn · Mar 8, 2021

I've watched videos of goats dropping in their tracks but still kicking and tumbling off cliffs. They are extremely tough slab sided animals. I've only been on one goat hunt and he sucked up three 30 cal TTSXs before going down, so I think the only way to insure them not falling is to shoot them where they can't!
(Easier said than done.)
I've never been a fan of counting on a neck/spine shot to anchor an animal because the margin of error is so small, but I also think shot placement, with a well constructed bullet, is more critical than caliber size. That said, neck/spine shots always put animals down faster than any other bullet placement.
From what I have seen, putting down a tough old Billy where he stands is often more a matter of luck than good planning.

Best of luck if you have a goat tag!

SS! · Mar 8, 2021

It’s not so much as what gun or where to aim but more so showing patience and respect to wait to shoot. Sadly most that hold a tag are inexperienced, will only hunt them once in their life and so on and so on.

Good luck on your goat hunt!

Santana · Mar 8, 2021

Both posts above said it all. I've taken 3 goats with a .308 all one shot, chest, from about 40 to 75 yards. None were very difficult packouts but I was selective and shot them where they couldn't fall or slide far. Easier said than done, as LBH said. Good luck!

Adventurewriter · Mar 8, 2021

LBH is right I think it is mostly luck. My Billy hit him dropped right down in a great spot but popped up just as fast with a broken shoulder and made his way over the ridge where I knew it was nothing but sheer cliff I could see his back only as I tried to move forward for another shot...I had been stressed all summer after getting the tag over you original thoughts now it was all coming to a disaster. I was finally able to get a off hand shot and with a good dose of luck hit him hard and he windmilled over the ridge and out of sight. I KNEW he was going to be at the bottom of a 1500 foot cliff. Through the best bit of luck ever in hunting he crashed 100 yards and stuck right in a bathtub sized exploratory mine dug some guy 150 years ago. Nothing else on this giant mountain that would have stopped him and he stuck dead center. My buddy that took the picture had his heels over a sheer cliff.

basinbowhunter · Mar 8, 2021

One shot through the front shoulder with a .264 win mag at 427 yards and it was over for my Billy. He never got up after the first shot.

marley · Mar 8, 2021

Here is a video of my goat shot with a .300 RUM with a 200 grain accubond. This like every animal I shoot is IN the shoulder not behind. Same thing I teach my kids too. It was dead quick but the last death kick sent it rolling.

SS! · Mar 8, 2021

No need to shoot animals in the shoulder, just wasting meat. Probably not a bad thing on a mountain goat though ?

dcott100 · Mar 9, 2021

I was lucky enough to catch this Billy as he made his way down off the cliff in the background to water. 422 yards with a 7mm Rem mag and he still took 4 nosler accubonds to finally stop motoring. very tough animals, Wyoming Area 1. The same year my dad drew a Colorado unit. His took 1 shot with a 300 win under 200 yards.

30Hart · Mar 9, 2021

Slightlysober said:
No need to shoot animals in the shoulder, just wasting meat. Probably not a bad thing on a mountain goat though ?

Except I would definitely recommend shoulder shots on bear or any other dangerous game animal.

littlebull209338 · Mar 9, 2021

Been in on 3 goat hunts...every one was a broadside shot..thru both front shoulders....338 225 gr core-lok.. down and done. Being patient until animal is in a recoverable location is, in my opinion, the most critical aspect of the hunt. I have watched a bunch of sheep hunt videos this winter....makes me sick when an animal falls over a cliff. They are worth more than just the kill.

SS! · Mar 9, 2021

littlebull209338 said:
Been in on 3 goat hunts...every one was a broadside shot..thru both front shoulders....338 225 gr core-lok.. down and done. Being patient until animal is in a recoverable location is, in my opinion, the most critical aspect of the hunt. I have watched a bunch of sheep hunt videos this winter....makes me sick when an animal falls over a cliff. They are worth more than just the kill.

Nailed it.

mickeyelk · Mar 10, 2021

I had a goat hunt tag 2 years ago in Nevada. I thought a 270 will be enough of a gun to take one. I was really wrong. Should have taken my 300 win mag. At 110 yards 2 behind the leg and he still rolled down the mountain.

jims · Mar 13, 2021

I would highly recommend a 30 cal! Littlebull was right on the $ with his post above!

wymoosehunter · Apr 29, 2021

I don’t profess to be an expert, but 168 TSX out of my 300 wby simply works Great. I rarely shoulder shoot animals but on dangerous game and goats, it is the way to go.
When a goat has his head up in a normal, non-feeding position, I draw an imaginary line from the base of the tail to the base of the ear and from the back of the foreleg at a 90 degree angle with the other imaginary line and where the two intersect, that is the spot. Seems a little high when you really look at it, but on the two goats I have taken and 2 others with friends, every goat never twitched. the bullet broke both shoulders and the spine in all 4 goats. Wish I could claim original ownership of this aiming mechanism, but it was told to me by an Alaska goat guide. He told me it works on any angle, as long as the head is up and not down feeding. In my limited experience, it really puts them down.
Good luck hunting them and wait for a recoverable location before touching off the round.

twopointdn · Apr 29, 2021

Same as Marley. High shoulder with 300 RUM with a 200 grain Accubond. Down in his tracks then rolled about 15 yards a got caught in some shrub pines. I had a perfect plan and I got lucky to have it all work. Fun hunt for sure.

jims · Apr 30, 2021

I've made 4 x 1 shot kills myself and have been on 6 others mtn goat kills with others. As mentioned above the best scenario is to be patient and stalk as close as possible to make an ethical shot. The only hunters that took more than one shot were those that shot 300+ yard shots and were using less than 30 caliber weapons. I wasn't with them when they made the long shots!

It's obviously possible to kill goats at longer range but it definitely is worth waiting it out for shorter shots in locations where if the goat happens to roll he won't dive or roll off cliffs. Your goat may end up with a broken horn or bloody mess if you aren't willing to be patient. One thing to keep in mind is that if goats aren't spooked they often come out of the cliffs to browse in the evenings before heading back into the cliffs for the night.

hawkbill · Apr 30, 2021

I’ve taken two Mt Goats, the first hunt I ended up letting a very large Billy go because he would not come out of the cliffs except a night. The second hunt I dropped a very nice Billy no cliffs but there was a large sloping rock below him, before I could maneuver to finish him off he managed to crawl 5 feet to the edge of the big rock, jumped off and landed on his head and that was that. I think it is flat out crazy to think your going to neck shoot them on a cliff edge and drop them in there tracks. Patience is the name of the game and a bullet through the heart.

upmuley · May 1, 2021

All these pictures really make me wish I was going goat hunting! Someday...

Deepcolor · May 1, 2021

I was really surprised at how tough of an animal they are. I shot mine with a .284 TTS Barnes and got really lucky with recovery. Shot placement was right behind the shoulder, follow up shot was needed 30 minutes later when we approached him. Not really sure what the rest guy answer is on those things.

Broomer · May 1, 2021

Well you can be men and always kill them with an arrow! ?

In my experience with goats they soak up most bullets and arrows, they take forever to finally die, they kick and roll as they die (like most animals) but that “death kick/roll” is what gets most hunters.

I watched a big nannie take nap by a muzzleloader at 100 yards only to death roll off a 200 foot cliff to shell rock. She must have landed on her head because both horns broke completely off. We found every piece though and the taxi put her all back together.

My only goat was with that arrow I spoke of earlier, after the shot he ran up hill only to turn pretty quick and find a spot to lie down. I snuck another arrow into him and he got up and ran off out of sight towards a cliff.

I found him dead on a fairly flat grassy hill at the bottom of the cliff. He must have made it to the bottom on his feet because he looked great with no broken or beat up horns or hide.

just to clarify the shot was a bit back but he was quartering away. Both arrows were pass through and my guess is he was wobbling on the second shot but when you have a 2nd chance keep shooting.