Late August looking back at the drainage we just climbed out of to set up camp in the Alaska Chugach mountains. Spirits were high as we spotted several goats at higher elevations on the way up.



Sunrise next morning arose to mountain weather; wind, rain, sleet and snow. Climbed a couple thousand feet to scope, but visibility was poor. Did not see a goat.

Another day dawned to some light snow cover. Climbed to where we scoped yesterday and there where goats everywhere. Nannies and kid groups and several lone billies. Spent a lot of time looking them over and decided to make a move on one, but when we arrived to where we thought he should be...nothing. Swung around the mountain side and spotted a good one. A snow squall came up and delayed our stalk.


In 1/2 hour we got him in sight again. The guide stayed put with the spotting scope on him while I continued to close on him. I was hoping to get within 300 yards. Occasionally I would look back at the guide with my binos for directions because I lost sight of the goat. A look back and the guide signaled to stop and pointed up. I look up and there are two goats just above me. I had over shot my stalk and came in just below them. In the split seconds that followed I could not tell which goat I was after and could not be sure of my target. Got a quick cell phone pic of one as they disappeared. There was not much daylight left so we headed back to camp with the plan to be back in the area at first light.



0 dark hundred we are on the climb and as we got close to destination and waited for daybreak. The sound of rocks rolling alerted us to possible game moving. Silence, then the rattle of rocks again. Two goats appeared on a slope in front of us and I ranged them at about 600 yards. I was almost certain one was the goat I stalked yesterday. No chance to close the distance because of the open terrain so we waited until they fed out of sight. The guide suggested we climb rather than follow them.

In the climb we had a close call with three nannies and two kids, but they did not see us. Whew! As we crossed a loose boulder field we spotted the goats quartering towards us. I put my daypack down on a boulder and secured a good rest. The guide said they are 225 yards and closing. A remarkable thing I learned about goats is they can take a hit. The first goat I shot a few years acted like he was never hit and I put a second one in him almost on top of the first. This goat reacted the same way. He continued walking, the guide said he saw a solid lung hit thru the spotting scope. Put one into his shoulder for good measure.

Once again the 150 gr Nosler BT teamed up with a Ruger 77 7x57 has proved to be good Goat medicine.


A comment on gear. Badland bino harness and cover was awesome. A big improvement over the homemade one I put together and used for years. Cabela's Rimrock hiking boots continue to be my favorite.

Well done, roundoak! Magnificent animal!


You appear to have discovered the fountain of youth :

Awesome job bud!

Beautiful country up. Great job. That's a hint of mine towards the top of my bucket list!! Nice goat

Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your story and the great pics.

FAN.............TASTIC ! ! !

Enjoyed the story. Super pix.

Looks like a BIG Billy.

Congrats !!


Jerry

Congrats on the great goat. Super cool with 7X57.

Stunning pics roundoak, and a well deserved goat to boot. Fantastic adventure, thanks for posting. Congrats.

Don't see too many threads on here about goats, very underrated animals. Congratulations on a really nice billy, it's cool that you used your 7x57 again. We have found like you have a goat sure can take a hit that would drop pretty much any other animal quickly.

Well done! Beautiful Mtn. goat and fantastic country, plus a very interesting story.

L.W.

Beautiful!

I agree Gerry. I'd love a shot at a goat!

Well done!

Todd

Beautiful goat!

Congrats, thanks for sharing. Great story, pics and goat. Well done.

That's awesome!

Very nicely done!

Ha!, gained some weight, trimmed my beard and the make-up artist on the film set was talented.

Gained some weight to go on a goat hunt! If you need more I might be able to contribute.

Gerry, a couple hunters at the gun club with many goats to their credit have mentioned the same to me. They further opined that a spinal hit will produce a violent reaction, though. Interesting animal, interesting habitat.

Congrats! What a hunt.

Nicely done, with a classic cartridge.

Photos show the country you hunted was tough! You earned that goat.

Guy

Congratulations and thanks for your post. It was good reading about your adventure.

Nice!!

Congrats on the goat!

Excellent write up and pics.Congrats! The perfect cartridge.

Congrats Roundoak, good looking billy. Still have my old 77R in 7x57,solid performers. MB

Good job, all around!

The Ruger 77's are battleship grade guns. With a 7x57 you almost had a 280.

Congrads! super Billy! was my dream hunt, sitting here with a messed up knee, just hopeing to deer hunt at this point!

Congrats, beautiful goat!

Nice writeup. thanks for sharing

Never hunted goats and doubt I ever will but love to read reports like yours. Congrats on what looks to me like a really nice one!

Congrats, I'm struggling with a bit of envy! Great story, beautiful country, and an awesome trophy! Congrats Again! memtb

Super nice billy there. Interesting that your guide had you moving in on a critter by yourself... not a move I'd make but to each his own.

Tanner

I can't remember doing that either when I guided for goats but then again not all hunters are created equally which I'm sure you have found out by now lol. I would bet they had a good reason to do so.

Absolutely right. Roundoak definitely looks like a more than capable hunter and hiker, there's no question about that! Billies in the Chugach are no joke, and that's a dandy.


Tanner

That is a nice one for sure. Sheep have the big horns but goats have that amazing coat and are as tough as nails. I hunted Stone sheep where there was a good population of goats and noted that when the goats wanted to bed where the sheep were the sheep moved off. My friend has a video of a grizzly trying to take down a goat and the goat more than holding his own with the bear.

Roundoak, most here don't know what it is like to hunt in goat country, I tip my hat to you on doing it successfully at least a couple of times now.