Unit 39 Mtn Goat

[AIROHUNTER]

So I have been blessed to be chosen to hunt Mtn Goat in Idaho's unit 39 this year. I have never been on a goat hunt and would really appreciate anyone's input on the what it's like to hunt this majestic creature. I have never hunted above 9000 ft so some of alpine challenges will be new to me as well. Any advice from past tag holders or backcountry fanatics would be greatly appreciated. As of right now i'm looking to hunt the backside of Atlanta.
At the top of my list of questions are..

What kind of coat in Sept Vs Oct.?
Do they travel much or content like Sheep
Any good tips for field judging?
The season is over 2 months long, should I scout or just hunt?
What important question am I not asking?

also- I might want to fly the area and could use some help locating that service. I might want to have some one pack me into an area and need to have some leads. I'm really a DIY guy but I want to fully utilize every option I can afford on this hunt.

counting down the days...

Cheers



My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

 

[NVBighorn]

Ummm how old are you and what kind of shape are you in? That will be more important than most of your other questions.

I have only been on one goat hunt. It was my son's tag just over the "hill" from where you will be. It was truly a hunt of a lifetime as far as I was concerned. I was not in good enough shape and it made it less enjoyable. But still I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

 

[AIROHUNTER]

Great point- I am 35 and mentally and physically in great shape, I can and will do what's needed. This tag means a great deal to me, when i consider all the efforts i put into shooting "Deer" , I will not settle for less than giving everything of myself towards this hunt of a lifetime.


My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

 

[BPKHunter]

LAST EDITED ON May-25-12 AT 11:09AM (MST)[p]>So I have been blessed to
>be chosen to hunt Mtn
>Goat in Idaho's unit 39
>this year. I have never
>been on a goat hunt
>and would really appreciate anyone's
>input on the what it's
>like to hunt this majestic
>creature. I have never hunted
>above 9000 ft so some
>of alpine challenges will be
>new to me as well.
>Any advice from past tag
>holders or backcountry fanatics would
>be greatly appreciated. As of
>right now i'm looking to
>hunt the backside of Atlanta.
>
>At the top of my list
>of questions are..
>
>What kind of coat in Sept
>Vs Oct.?
>Do they travel much or content
>like Sheep
>Any good tips for field judging?
>
>The season is over 2 months
>long, should I scout or
>just hunt?
>What important question am I not
>asking?
>
>also- I might want to fly
>the area and could use
>some help locating that service.
>I might want to have
>some one pack me into
>an area and need to
>have some leads. I'm really
>a DIY guy but I
>want to fully utilize every
>option I can afford on
>this hunt.
>
>counting down the days...
>
>Cheers
>
>
>
>My favorite hunts are because they
>were with friends and family
>not just because "I got
>one".


First let me say congrats. I was not lucky on my goat app in 36A-4, so can I live vicariously through you with stories and pics?

You seem to have a great attitude and this should to you well.

I am honestly more of a deer/elk hunter, but what research I have done tells me that the good part of Goat hunting is that they don't roam much and don't migrate as much either, but that depends upon what they do for winter food where they live. I believe the biologist for Idaho can tell you quite a bit, but actually have maps with kill locations possibly also.

Do some searches here on MM but also on HuntTalk.com, as if I remember right the guy that started that site and maybe a few others there had that tag and had some long posts. Maybe you can touch base with them. I would have put in for 39 myself but a good friends kid was in and I didn't want to compete and screw with his odds. So nice job taking a tag from a kid,(kidding of course..)

Good luck but stay in touch about how it goes.

(PS do some google searches on backpacking sites for your area as I found quite a few references in the area I had put in for)

 

[carterj16]

- of course you should scout because scouting for goats last year with a friend was a great time.
- If you have never hunted over 9k you better get up there in July and get use to it.
- From what I know they dont travel a ton?
-Billys horns have more of a curve on the top, nannies are more straight up but can be just as long.
- I would wait until at least sept. 20 and a few hard freezes before shooting, let that hair grow in.
- tough as hell so prepare to shoot them a few times.
- they say big billies horns at the base look like there are touching, look for big bases without a lot of hair between them.

 

[Rizzy]

LAST EDITED ON May-28-12 AT 09:06PM (MST)[p]I haven't hunted goat yet, but I did come across a pair of small goats last season while scouting in unit 35 of all places. I got to watch the goats for a couple hours and got a few pics.

These goats where at the bottom of the canyon and only about a mile up the creek from the road (easy hike).

I came back the next week and scouted the next canyon over and had this goat walk right below me.

When comparing goats you can also compare the horn length to the face length. If the horns are as long or longer than the face it's a big one.

As far as backpack hunting around timberline, in general have good boots, raingear, and a tripod mounted spotting scope to start.

If I come across a good goat when scouting this season, I'll PM you.

 

[THRILL]

Congrats
Goat country is steeeeeep
You'll want trekkin poles

I found a lot of info on line from hikers just posting about their hikes
Also hiking and backpacking books
I didn't get much help from f and g

Let your eyes do your hiking.
They stick out like crazy and you don't need big money optics. Unless you already have them
The hard part is getting a good vantage point and then figuring out how to get to him
It can be crazy steep and you can get yourself cliiffed out easy
I had a spotter and he kept saying just go sideways to his drainage and shoot him. But it's totally different up in the steep stuff and it took me 4 hours to sneak up to his level and get through an opening for a shot

Check other states f an g web sites for great goat info, I think Alaska, Montana, wyoming.
It's a long hunt and you don't want to be up in the rocks in the snow
At their elevation, it freezes in the summer and they will more than likely have good hair early and if he dosnt you can always come back later
Bad weather can push them down a little and bunch them up but they wont stray far from nasty rocky cliffs

My first time up I tried to rush a stalk and never saw them once up in the cliffs
I honestly asked myself should I be up here in this stuff. Thus the warning to go before the snow

A month later, I came back to the exact same spot and spotted 4 different groups from one vantage

Email me your number if you have any more q,s

I would also talk to any outfitters or even summer trail riders to find good goat areas

 

[Cozmo8]

GZnokes had the tag several years ago I went with him on a scouting trip. If you cannot contact him through this site contact me and I will get you in touch with him.

 

[gznokes]

You're in for an incredible and rigorous back country hunt! It might have been the best hunt I've ever done. I sent you a PM with my contact so we can chat.