Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Question for the Mountain goat hunters

joeblitz:

I carry a 9# rifle and that feels like an oppressive burden after several hours. So yes, you might want to consider getting a rifle that weighs less.



However, on a backpack hunt you have more to think about than the weight of the rifle. When I backpack hunt for elk during Colorado's 3rd season (November, 10,000'), my pack weighs 36#. That includes the following;

Pack
Sleeping Bag & Sleeping Pad
Tent
Stove & Fuel (1 liter white gas)
Food (5 days, freeze dried & dehydrated)
Ti Tea Pot, Ti Cup, Fork & Spoon
Canteen & Water (1 liter Nalgene)
Rain Parka & Puffer Jacket (down)
Knitted Cap, Gloves, Extra Socks
Rangefinder, Binoculars
extra Ammo (10 rounds)
Game Bags, Skinning Knife, Havalon Scalpel, Bone Saw
First Aid Kit (small personal)
Compass, GPS, Maps
Fire Starter Kit
Toilet Paper
Bandana
Swiss Army Knife
Water Filter
Headlamp

You need to get the weight of all of that down to less than 40#.




KC

Thanks guys for all the comments. I have been working on cardio four to five days a week now for five months. Always at least 50 minutes and up to a hour and a half of different exercises including elliptical,stair climber, treadmill, biking, hiking, and hiking with a 50-70 pound pack. I've personally lost about 10-15 pounds in preparation for this hunt. I have all the lightweight gear I will need for this hunt and a Kifaru UL hunting frame and a Nomad bag which carries the rifle in a center pouch like a eberlestock. I am just trying to prepare myself as best as I can. Thanks.

Mental toughness is one of the greatest attributes a successful goat hunter can have. My current goat rifle that I am building is a 30-06 on a Ti action. With a Lone Wolf stock, it should come in at 4 pounds,14 ounces. A NULA is not a bad idea.

KC, if you can get that McGyver kit in a 36# pack, you da man!

Packing my 9.5 lb rifle, tripod, 15x binocs, and Rifle Claw does feel oppressive ...

Goat hunting is tougher than sheep hunting in my opinion because of the rough terrain. The more you train the better it will be for you The outfitter I worked for told me to be careful with my hunters. He told me you will get one climb from them and that's it most will be worn out and done.

In the area you will be hunting I have seen 2 of the top 4 biggest billies I have ever laid eyes on so you will have a chance at a real big one if you put in the time to train.

Make sure you have good rain gear, quick dry clothing, merino wool base layers and socks and a lightweight down coat. That will help a lot with being comfortable and warm especially if you have to spend a night under the stars. Bring a camera, the area is quite beautiful and hopefully you can take out one of our wolves too......

Talus:

I'm getting too old to carry a heavy pack. As my belly gets bigger, my pack gets smaller and I hike slower.

On a summer backpack trip without any hunting gear (just a lightweight fish rig), no cold weather gear and just a couple days of food, my pack weighs about 24# at the start. By the time I have eaten all the food and when I get near the trailhead and dump my remaining water, my pack weighs about 20#.

KC

I've never hunted goats, but I see my sheep and elk hunters crap out on the downhill portion of hikes a bunch. Maybe it's hard to find in Indiana but I would concentrate on steep ascents/descents with a good load.

^this

You're doing everything right. I'd personally mix in squats too.

One more thing. Contrary to what you may have heard, goats are not that hard to kill. Most of the stories about them soaking up one shot after another are because of bullets that are too heavy, and too heavily constructed.

A really big billy is not nearly as wide as a big whitetail, and tough bullets just zip on through. I have often wondered if a 22-250 might not be a good goat cartridge.

I do know that 130 gr cup and core 270 bullets at high velocity shoot flat and anchor 300+ lb goats in a hurry.

Ted

Ooops!

Don't need this post twice.

Yes, I have wished for a lighter rifle, and that would be true on my goat mountains if it were made of Styrofoam! I was young, broke, strong and carrying a heavy 03-A3 in 30-06 in a heavy homemade walnut stock during my goat hunting days.

If you are going to buy, get the lightest one your budget can stand. It will work on deer when you get back and if you carry it, you will appreciate light weight on any game.

Shot my only one with a 140 vld out of a 6.5. It died on its feet and rolled down hill a little. Son shot one with a 115 grain ballistic tip and it never got out of bed. If I draw another tag, will be shooting the 140 vld again with no hesitation. Advantage also if you hit shoulders, you have no exit wounds and torn up capes with the 140 vld. Love those things.

KC, even without the shooting/hunting iron, I wish I could get my kit that light. As one's need for light weight increases, the value point on high priced gear gets lower and lower. Perhaps I should say the value point is inversely proportional to net vertical Most of my gear is cheaper and heavier, and it is a limitation for sure.

I often post about how much fun a person can have with lower-priced gear like the ILBE pack. It's tough to achieve very low weight that way, though.

Here, water is a complicating factor, because 9 times out of 10 there will never be any in the field. A gallon per day is just not enough here unless it is cold outside, which is rare.

Substituting Scotch, while appealing, is a net loss. Sadly.

+1
Good advice there.
That Kimber Mtn Ascent is a sweet rifle.
I don't even have a high altitude hunt planned but that one is on my short list.

My Weatherby Mark V ULW 30-06 is 5 3/4 lbs bare
still under 7 lbs with a Leupold FX-3 6x42 in Talley lt wts
Heck my Sako Tecomate 300 WSM is 6 3/4 lbs bare
My Weatherby MK V S.S. Custom Shop Outfitter 270 WBY is 7 lbs 4 oz bare

Talus:

Yep, as the weight goes down, the price goes up. True. The cheaper your gear is, the tougher you have to be. I'm not tough at all any more.

I know about scarce water in AZ. I backpacked there lots when I was at ASU. I have some great campfire stories stemming from that era and scarce water. My wife and I use to enjoy driving our VW bug into the desert, then sit around a campfire and listen to the coyotes yodel. I have always loved that wild sound.

More recently, I have backpacked to hunt Coues deer in southern AZ. We hunted where there were some springs. Not only did we have water available but the springs are a magnate for the deer.

You're right again. A good single malt scotch is fun but a net loser of body fluids.

KC

If you found a viable spring in Coues country, you have a treasure.

On the plus side, when one is dehydrated, hungry, and tired, a little Scotch goes a long way!

Never hunted goats, but have backpacked amongst them in Alaska. I wouldn't want anything heavier my 7.5 pound go to rifle.

Regarding Arizona, we typically pack in 4-5 gallons each the weekend before. It lets us check out our springs and decide how much more we need going in for a week long hunt or if we can get the remainder with a filter. Hate wasting hunting time tracking a water supply.

No way I'd use anything 11lbs unless it was crew served and I wasn't carrying it. Euro Optic is/was closing out last years kimber adirondacks for $1350.