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MT mountain goat, here's my story! #11486807 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT M mattparliament OP Campfire Regular
OP mattparliament Campfire Regular M Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT	After 12 years I drew a mountain goat tag for a unit that is in the Absoraka Beartooth Wilderness Area, a few miles north of Yellowstone Park. On Thursday September 1st me, my friend Jake, and and another friend Fred drove up to the trailhead and loaded our gear on a horse that Fred had leased for the fall. The trailhead is at an elevation of 7200 feet. We hiked from there to our camp at the head of Mill Creek, an elevation of around 9300 feet. I was thankful for the prep work all summer dong lots of hiking and backpacking over 9000 feet, it really paid off and I felt fresh and strong for the next morning's hunt. Camp wasn't even in my unit, in the morning we would hike over the saddle to where my unit started.

GB1

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486812 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT M mattparliament OP Campfire Regular
OP mattparliament Campfire Regular M Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT	Friday morning we put our packs on the horse and headed up to near the ridgeline. We tied him up and started the final climb to the top. We got as high as 10400 feet. The scenery was spectacular. We had a hard time finding a path through the cliffs but once we made it through, there was a large grassy plateau that was easy to travel on. We started seeing mountain goats.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486820 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT M mattparliament OP Campfire Regular
OP mattparliament Campfire Regular M Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT	There was also a fair amount of petrified wood laying here and there. We saw about thirty mountain goats. Most of them were on the sides of sheer cliffs. A few were in areas that were accessible and eventually I found a lone billy on the opposite side of the basin 2 miles away, stalked him and shot him at 55 yards. It rolled down the mountain a ways then came to a stop in a gully. It took a few hours to break it down, put it in our packs and hike back to the cliff crossing. We made it through the crossing just as it got dark. For some reason it seemed much harder going back than it was coming through before. He's not a new Montana record but he's not a dink either, just a nice representation of a mountain goat, I am happy! We got back to camp well after dark. The next morning we packed up and headed out. Good thing too, a big snowstorm hit that evening, glad I went early!

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486831 10/07/16
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska R rost495 Campfire Kahuna
rost495 Campfire Kahuna R Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska	Great pics, good story, thanks for sharing! Its on my bucket list. HOpe I get that far, get a tag and such before I"m to old... LOL We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486861 10/07/16
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 24,616 Idaho wageslave Campfire Ranger
wageslave Campfire Ranger Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 24,616 Idaho	All kinds of awesome there. Big congrats. Have Dog Will Travel

IC B2

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486872 10/07/16
Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,799 K Kaiser Norton Campfire Regular
Kaiser Norton Campfire Regular K Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,799	Originally Posted by mattparliament There was also a fair amount of petrified wood laying here and there. We saw about thirty mountain goats. Most of them were on the sides of sheer cliffs. A few were in areas that were accessible and eventually I found a lone billy on the opposite side of the basin 2 miles away, stalked him and shot him at 55 yards. It rolled down the mountain a ways then came to a stop in a gully. It took a few hours to break it down, put it in our packs and hike back to the cliff crossing. We made it through the crossing just as it got dark. For some reason it seemed much harder going back than it was coming through before. He's not a new Montana record but he's not a dink either, just a nice representation of a mountain goat, I am happy! We got back to camp well after dark. The next morning we packed up and headed out. Good thing too, a big snowstorm hit that evening, glad I went early! Great goat you got there, and kudos for putting in the work to get to him. GREAT photos - that is some fanastic scenery. Thanks for the the glimpse into your time there! Kaiser Norton The Kaiser- "If it ain't broke, I can fix that!"

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486879 10/07/16
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 18,917 NM S SLM Campfire Ranger
SLM Campfire Ranger S Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 18,917 NM	Great pics. Congrats.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486890 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 11,304 Los Angeles, California RickBin Campfire Outfitter
RickBin Campfire Outfitter Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 11,304 Los Angeles, California	Awesome! Big congrats. I'm curious about your camera gear. What did you use? "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486921 10/07/16
Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 11,273 High Country Colorado Tanner Campfire Outfitter
Tanner Campfire Outfitter Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 11,273 High Country Colorado	Nicely did. Goats are awesome critters. Tanner

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486922 10/07/16
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 1,678 NW Montana M MTGunner Campfire Regular
MTGunner Campfire Regular M Joined: May 2008 Posts: 1,678 NW Montana	A mountain goat hunt is a true adventure and all are trophies regardless of inches. I have experienced this adventure and think it may be one of the hardest hunts in North America. Congratulations on your goat. Full mount or shoulder mount? MTG Vena dura, ocyus occide, excusas non offer!

IC B3

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486925 10/07/16
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 24,638 Midwest SKane Campfire Ranger
SKane Campfire Ranger Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 24,638 Midwest	Well done, Matt! Looks like it was worth the wait. Thanks for sharing. WWP53D

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11486938 10/07/16
Joined: May 2003 Posts: 23,024 SW Montana V VarmintGuy Campfire Ranger
VarmintGuy Campfire Ranger V Joined: May 2003 Posts: 23,024 SW Montana	Mattparliament: Congratulations on the great trophy! Good for you. And what beautiful country! I have been on 14 Mt. Goat Hunts with friends and 3 more with my own tags. In all 17 of those Hunts (3 in Alaska, 4 in Montana and 7 in Washington state!) I have never come across country (or weather!) as beautiful as your great photos depict! Nor have I had the pleasure of being aided by horses! Thanks for sharing with us. Many happy returns of the day. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487095 10/07/16
Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 3,904 Foley, Alabama D davidlea Campfire Tracker
davidlea Campfire Tracker D Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 3,904 Foley, Alabama	Spectacular, every bit of it! Nice billy, thanks for posting and congrats on your success! Golden............

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487150 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT M mattparliament OP Campfire Regular
OP mattparliament Campfire Regular M Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT	If you can believe it, all of those photos were taken with an Iphone 5! Using the HDR setting on the great photos, then a tweak with a program called easyhdr which is free. Weight was at a premium so sacrificed a bigger camera but still have some great shots! I'm doing a shoulder pedestal mount. Thanks everybody!

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487363 10/07/16
Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 6,308 Ohio D deerhunter5555 Campfire Tracker
deerhunter5555 Campfire Tracker D Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 6,308 Ohio	What an adventure! The pics are timeless and also priceless. Buy once, cry once.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487507 10/07/16
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,595 Florida G Ghostman Campfire Regular
Ghostman Campfire Regular G Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,595 Florida	WOW, fantastic pictures and story. Congratulations! Last edited by Ghostman; 10/07/16.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487544 10/07/16
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,612 B.C. gerry35 Campfire Tracker
gerry35 Campfire Tracker Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,612 B.C.	Congratulations, it's always nice to see a successful goat hunt on this site. What was the age of your billy? Gerry.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487561 10/07/16
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT M mattparliament OP Campfire Regular
OP mattparliament Campfire Regular M Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,113 West Central MT	He was 2-1/2, 8.5" heavy horns. When the opportunity to shoot him happened it really happened quick, didn't have a chance to judge him but didn't care, he was alone, and a billy in a "possibe" place to recover him unlike some of the other spots. Along with that, it was my only weekend with the kind of help I had that weekend, the backup trips were duo backpack trips, no horse etc....

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487579 10/07/16
Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 27,692 Western NC hillbillybear Campfire Ranger
hillbillybear Campfire Ranger Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 27,692 Western NC	Congratulations. That is some spectacular country. Member: Clan of the Turdlike People. Courage is Fear that has said its Prayers �If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.� Ronald Reagan.

Re: MT mountain goat, here's my story! mattparliament #11487608 10/07/16
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska R rost495 Campfire Kahuna
rost495 Campfire Kahuna R Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska	NO need to explain what you shot and why you shot it. To me the splendor is in the hunt. If its a huge and old trophy thats fine. If its meat, tahts fine too. Regardless good job! We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....

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