Well??? 2015 set some new records....The closest, messiest, smallest and the longest hunt to date.
Got my deer opening morning so we didn't get to goat hunting till 10 am.
Driving down to the flats to see what we could find we saw more hunters than goats.....Not good! My partner had to work the next day so we got him within 1000 yards of a couple of goats but the wind caught us twice and both shots missed clean.
Friday found me sleeping in till daylight, ate some breakfast and headed out in search of a goat. Drove to a spot not many think about, glassed it from the oilroad and headed down the twotrack to the bottom. From there I spotted two herds, one had a small buck and the other had a couple of shooters a mile away. Grabbed the pack, gun and dropped into the ravine after the herd with the shooters. peek out of the ravine hoping to see the herd before they saw me, not anywhere to be found???? But I did see a herd by the old windmill with a buck in it so I'm off for the goats a mile and a half away. Danged if I didn't guess the wrong ravine to put the sneak on them, a doe mulie spooked the whole herd of goats a mile farther from the truck. I get to the top of the next hill to find a doe and a couple of fawns feeding but where did the other members go?? As if on cue the herd flew by me(forgot to factor in the wind on my stalk) like the speed demons they are, they didn't stop till the next hill 925 yards out. The buck was broadside and I knew the dope so I sent a round at him, that **** rang finder must have ranged the dirt behind him as that's where the bullet hit=just over his back.I go over to make sure I missed and to see where they went just in time to hear a shot from the main road and see the buck do the croppy flop.
Well its 1pm and this gimpy old bastard is now 4-5 miles from his truck and no goat! I set a coarse that would take me straight back to the truck or so I thought. I get to the top of the last hill and find I'm **** near a mile too far south BUT there is a herd of goats grazing by the truck. Wishing I would have headed for the right watertank in the first place as I would be within gun range of the goats. So back into the original ravine to see if I can put the sneak onem. I get to where the goats should have been and the wind in my favor I put the bipods down and nudge my way to the top through the cactus (Have I mentioned how good of friends I am with cactus= cactus is nobody's friend!) I get to the top and once again all I can see is a doe with a pair of fawns. I'm tired, ****ed and about to fill my tag with a doe when the rest of the herd trots up to the doe. I should have opened the bolt and just went the last 500 yards back to the truck but I let my tired and ****ed off self start at the front of the herd. When the crosshairs found horns I settled them on his chest and pulled the trigger.
The results of a 168grain A max out of an 06 hitting a goat @ 50 yards aint pretty. The shot aint what it looks like! He was looking almost straight at me and you can see the bullet trail going down his side. I only lost a little backstrap and 1/2 of one tenderloin but man was this a mess to get boned out.
After making a perfect heart shot on a deer @ 325 I can not begin to explain this other than a guy should never shoot when he is tired and ****ed
I get the buck boned out and packed the meat the last 500 yards to the truck. On the windshield there is a note that read something like
It would be better all of us if you didn't drive the goats away by driving in.
Well cupcake get over it LOL
