After last year's �no tag cut� sheep hunt, Helen and I once again pointed our noses north in search of her first ram.

1000 km of pavement, 400 �clicks� of gravel (complete with one flat tire), 130 km in a 185 on floats, 10 km on foot to a base camp and we were at it again!

We picked up a horse trail about 4 km up the drainage (came in from a side valley) that made the pack in a bit easier.



We set up a camp at about 6000� and headed out in different directions each day...



� except for this day�





We searched high and wide�





[img]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/Tuffcity/Goat%20hunt%202013/Panorama1-s_zps537174d6.jpg[/img]

� but not a sheep did we find.

[img]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/Tuffcity/Goat%20hunt%202013/sillohouette-s_zpsd05e2ea1.jpg[/img]

So in the last few days of our trip we turned our attention to goats, somewhat accidentally as I was glassing a side hill and spotted a Billy as he moved out of one hollow to the next. Helen had a tag so an hour later we were creeping down the side of the mountain to where I was sure I had correctly land-marked his location. Much to Hel�s surprise I was right this time and, after initially freezing for what turned out to be a large white rock, we saw the top of a goat�s back, its hair rippling in the wind.

We made ourselves small on the side of the mountain.

The goat disappeared behind the rise.

�What�s the plan?� queried Helen

�Wait�

�What?�

�Wait� I said again. �It will probably feed its way out in a minute�. Surprisingly that�s what happened. A few minutes later the Billy strolled out from behind the small hump and without so much as a glance our way, stood and surveyed the valley below. Being right twice in one day was indeed a big accomplishment for me but I didn�t dwell on it too long.

He was 75 yards away.

I watched him through my bino�s and Hel had him lined up in the scope of her muzzleloader.

�Is he a good one?� she asked.

�Not too bad� I said. �Looks bigger than your last one�

�Should I take him?�

�Up to you�

�ShouldIshoothim!?�

�Your call�

I thought for a very brief moment she was going to let him walk, but then a roll of thunder and a cloud of smoke let me know she had sparked the powder in her Knight .50.

For once I was on the right side of her cannon and smoke didn�t obscure my view of the goat. He hunched up like he was hit hard, looked up the mountain at us, looked back down at the valley, turned and took 3 steps and fell over stone dead.

Hel had taken her second muzzleloader goat.

[img]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/Tuffcity/Goat%20hunt%202013/Hwithgoat2-s_zpsff122b76.jpg[/img]


The pack out to the lake was one of the tougher ones I�ve done.

I realized it was going to be trouble when we had all our camp divvied up and loaded, and I also had most of the de-boned goat and the whole hide, and I went to stand up with my pack on. I tried to roll forward to get up� nothing budged. I tried to roll from one side to the other to get the weight under me� nothing budged. This wasn�t going to be good.

I got Hel to come over and lift the pack and push me forward at the same time and finally I staggered to my feet.

[img]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/Tuffcity/Goat%20hunt%202013/Rloadedup-s_zps27b6e681.jpg[/img]

Once upright, the 150+ lb pack (I weighed it when I got home) didn�t feel too bad� for the first 400 yards. Then my hips started to protest this injustice. At 51 my bumper to bumper warrantee has long since expired but I figured if I might need �after-market� replacement parts this was going to tell me, so I was happy it was only my hips that were ticked off- they�d get over it. The �you�re too old for this [bleep]� side of the brain kept piping up with that statement but then the optimistic side said �hey you�re still able to do it!� 5 km in the �too old� side was starting to win the argument. We might have to bring the kids next year.

The 10 km pack out to the lake was fairly uneventful, except for a terrifying moment when I stepped off a small bank and a rock rolled out from under my back foot. I pitched over to my left and managed to plant the trek pole into the rocks of the creek bed to stop me from going over. My back leg was stretched out and partially bent (like doing a lunge) and all the pack weight was on my rear leg and pole. I looked down and the Leki pole was bent like one of my strung recurves and at the angle I was at I couldn�t stand back up. I was really hoping that pole would hold and not snap and pitch me into the creek bed.

�Ahh, Helen!� I believe there was a tone of urgency to my voice.

Was I ever glad to see the lake. There were a couple of airline sized shots of whiskey in the �lake bag� and 40 Creek and hot chocolate never tasted that good. That and a couple of fresh trout for dinner put a happy stamp on the end of our trip.

Tim and the �Fresh Air� Cessna picked us up the following day and we had a beautiful flight back.



So strike two on the sheep but another goat for Hel and a fine adventure regardless.

RC

Tuff,
Thanks for posting the story and photos. Great looking country! You certainly paid your dues with the weather and the ultimate pack out. Any comments on equipment that worked exceptionally well or something that failed to perform?
Congrats to the wife.

Congrats on a fine hunt!

Congrats! Everything about this hunt report was sweet. I need to figure out a way to get my Mrs. out there with me more often on trips like that.

Congrats. Thanks for the write up.

Words could never describe that adventure I'm sure but you did a magnificent job. And the pictures show the total beauty of creation. Thank you.

Amazing scenery there. Thank you for sharing your story and photos, and congratulations on a successful hunt!

Great story and pics Tuff, I love reading these hunts. Thanks.

Thanks, folks!

Bigwhoop: We've pretty much weeded out the gear that doesn't work. Tried the Kifaru gunbearer this year for the first time- liking that rig!
3 indispensable pieces are the jetboil, siltarp and decent hiking poles! lol

Bushcraft: have your "people" call my "people", she'll get her sorted out. Some of my best hunts have been with my wife.

RC

Excellent story and a great Trophy for the Mrs...

Congrats

Excellent story and pics. Congrats to you and your wife.

Great pics and hunt! That is a good goat your wife shot. What pack are you using?
Cheers,
Bruce

Tuffcity;
Thanks again for sharing your photos with us, somehow I'd missed this until now.

Please pass along hearty congratulations to your wife on a fine goat, doubly cool with a muzzle loader too.

I'll send you a tip of the hat for packing that load out...... It would appear we're the same age and there is no way in this lifetime I'd have been able to get that out in one trip.

Thanks again for the wonderful photos and hunt story, all the best to you and yours in the rest of your hunts this fall and if you are ever in this part of the world give us a call.

Dwayne

Somehow I missed this too. Great story and photos! Thanks for posting. Like BC30cal, we're about the same age. About half that load would be my limit I believe! Congrats that you can "still do it". I sometimes have that same thought...and I usually pay a price for having it!

Great Pics! Good work!

Thanks Mr. Tuff, a great trip with a valuable partner.

That was a really enjoyable write-up.

Nice photos and congrats to the wifey on a really nice goat.

Cheers!

Sorry for the thread resurrection. Been moose hunting and didn't see the replies until now.

Mooseknuckler- my pack is a Tasmanian tiger- holds way more than I could pack out if it was filled to the top. A bit on the heavy side right out of the gate but bomb proof and if a guy spends the time fitting it, it really makes a difference in comfort when packing.

Snubbie- oh I paid for packing that- but in hind sight, that's a bill I'll foot any time! lol

My wife is awesome to hunt with, never complains, packs her share (she was running close to 70 lbs coming out)and the sheer look of excitement on her face when we connect is worth it!

RC

Awesome story and write up! The scenery is fantastic. Thanks for posting.

I really want to go do that one day.

Great write up and photo's of your hunt! I really enjoyed it.

Quick ?- which siltarp is in your pics. and what size??

I have many days like that here in the late season and sometimes take my Integral Designs sil tipi; but I have been thinking that a tarp would be much easier and have been thinking of adding one. I have a small sil poncho, and a small 5x8 sil tarp- but think one about the size shown in your pic would be much better.

Thanks,

Stephen

Just noticed you mentioned Forty Creek, my favorite.
Cool hunt!

llama2- it's the siltarp 2. 8X10' I don't leave without it! lol Tough piece of kit!

RC

Small point, here.

Integral Designs, even the once-superb "tactical" section is no longer a Canadian company owned/operated by Evan Jones, was sold by him a few years back. It is now owned by some comglomerate and is NOT what it was, sad to say.

The gear and I have and have had a LOT of original ID gear for some 20+ years, is also NOT nearly the same in quality and is now made in, surprise, surprise, CHINA......

So, I will no longer buy this brand and I suggest for an alternative tarp of this type,SO useful in mountain camping for any purpose, buying from the Oregon company, "Warbonnet".

Google, them and see what you think, I MUCH prefer to deal with these small and independent companies for the gear I need.

Agreed. I only have now a couple pieces of Integral Design pieces - a 5x8 Sil 1 tarp and a tipi/ 'mid tarp ( George tarp) and both are Canadian made originals. Knowing how things have gone, I both wished I had bought more, and wish that I would have hung on to a few items that I let go.

No surprise that the original quality is not there. ID was a well thought out and produced well designed products by folks who knew what they were doing. That is apparently no longer the case.

Warbonnet's hammock gear is highly regarded but IMO, Outdoor Equipment Supply makes the finest tarps in existence. The guy who founded the company was a hammocker and an engineering student and he's done actual destructive testing on his tarps. The Hennessy hammock is great but it always came with a junky little tarp so the cottage guys started making replacement tarps for them. OES tarps will take a blow, and the grosgain his people sew on the edges of the tarps are a big part of their tarps strength.

I have a three year old ID Sil Tarp 2 just like in the pictures. It has worked great on stone sheep and alpine backpack deer hunts the past three seasons. Don't know where it was made but it sure withstands the winds and pitches quick with a hiking pole. Great to cook under when the rain and winds are up. Wouldn't go sheep hunting without it. With 9 tent stakes I made from a couple of broken carbon arrow shafts I cut up (and added 2" aluminum roofing nails cut in two and epoxied in top and bottom), plus about 30' of very light weight cord, the whole Siltarp II kit weights in at 16 ounces.

Wow that is AMAZING! What an adventure! I love it!

Good stuff! I bought my first, of several I have owned/used, light nylon tarp about 1968, it was the then "cutting edge" "ripstop nylon", coated with "poly" and while this is an actually rather poor and heavy material for the purpose, it was light years better than the light cotton canvas tarps which were all we had when I began backpack camping and then hunting in early 1964.

A good quality, light tarp is among THE single MOST useful and versatile item of bush gear one can have and I have several, in different sizes for different uses. My favourites are my original ID Silwing, PERFECT at 12 oz. for a single, careful user and this makes a great "awning" over the front of my lightest tent, an original ID MKI-Lite, as well as a functional shelter over one of my ID bivies at the least possible weight.

For "all around" use, I prefer the 10x12 ID Siltarp III and feel that the 4 oz. of weight over the STII is worth packing, but, each to his own. I can rig a VERY comfortable one person camp with this and my Hilleberg Soulo and this is workable in typical BC situations, steep, very brushy and hard to find "footprint" space to erect a tent, etc, on a reasonably level spot.

I won't go out without one of my Siltarps and may actually buy one more for rigging a light "base camp" when I can get out for longer trips as seems possible within the coming year.

TAK, I just Googled the company you posted about and from what I see, they do not make any gear, but, simply sell much the same sort of "military" gear that many other such firms also offer.

The one tarp they DO offer is made by the British firm, "Snugpak" and their gear, based on my experience with it here in BC is of average quality, NOT, equal to the original ID we are discussing. This comes from some years of owning and using it, not, from any particular bias.

The tarp in question is the same size as my preferred ID STIII and weighs 2.5 lbs, where the ID tarp weighs, in the same configuration, 1.3 lbs. The OES/Snugpak tarp, while it MAY be a bit stronger than the ID and I actually doubt that it is, given the number and position of seams and the materials used, is TOO HEAVY for use in these kinds of hunts.

I have spent my entire life, other than about one year, living and working/recreating in "sheep country" and I was born here. I have found that cutting EVERY gram of weight from your gear WILL/DOES make a BIG difference in IF you can travel in these mountains and packing a 2.5 lb. tarp is NOT going to assist you in any aspect of mountain hunting.

So, I will buy from a specialty firm, such as "War Bonnet" as their tarps ARE within the weight limits that are appropriate for hunts of this type. YMMV, NO offence intended.