NOVEMBER 10
So I geared up for a light hike to check and area I haven't really been in, but have been keeping my eye on. A couple members on here both basically said "go here". One was even kind enough to pin point on a map the exact spot I should look.
So spotting scope, rifle, knife, couple granola bars and a bottle of Gatorade, I was off. I wandered around the base of the mountain a little bit at first. Seen some sign way down low. I took a look at a canyon to the east of me that ran north south. There was timber on the east side of it and the west side. I guess the goats hang out in the timber there. But just to the west of that is some alders and then a big granite face. The granite has some small run off creeks going through it. It also has a huge gorge running east west along the bottom of it. If one was to fall in this gorge, James Franco wouldn't have a movie to star in. Maybe Michelle Joyner would have a part or that raccoon from Ace Ventura.
Anyways... I head up the alders just west of the canyon. The fog was rolling in and out. I was starting to get closer to the snow line and I happened to look to the far west side of the granite slope. I caught something that just didn't look right. I busted out the spotting scope. There was a goat looking over at me. I tried to make out if it was a billy or a nanny, but was too far away to say for sure. But it was do or die weekend for me, so I figured I at least had to get closer. As the fog rolled in again, I packed everything up and made my approach.
I used the fog and creeks for cover while going across the granite. When the fog lifted I got low in a little creek hollow. pulled out my spotting scope to take a look. The goat was in the same spot looking at me head on still. Still too far to say for sure if it was a billy or nanny... but it started to look promising. The fog rolled in again and once again I packed up and started working the creeks. I used the creeks to hopefully cover my sound.
About 15 minutes later the fog lifted again. Again I hunkered down. Peeked over the top and the goat was still there looking at me. Spotting scope up and now I was a little more sure that I could make the shot. Looking at the goat head one, I was sure it was a billy, but not 100%. On top of that I didn't really have a good angle on it. So I waited for the fog to roll in again.
It didn't take long until I had my cover and I was off up the hill again. I was starting to get excited, thinking that this may actually happen. But I stopped myself and started telling myself it was a nanny and not to get excited. The fog lifted all of a sudden. I dropped behind some cover. I looked around but I couldn't see a goat. Then I caught some movement behind some alders. I put the camera on the tripod and grabbed Vanessa (browning x-bolt 325wsm). I had the tripod in my teeth and Vanessa across my back. I need my hands and feet to get up a little higher than the goat. The goat started to move out from behind the alders. I set up the tripod and put the camera on video mode. Then I found a flatter rock I could sort of lean against, as I didn't have my pack or anything for a good rest.
The goat was just now clearing the alders and I was lined up. As it came out it was broadside and I was sure it was a billy.
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