USA: DIY Goat Hunt, Kodiak Island

[Tundra Tiger]

Greetings to one and all.

Last month I went on a DIY mountain goat hunt on Kodiak Island. A short backdrop about me, that some of you are aware of: I am 56, chronologically, but tell folks I'm going on 23 and have an 8 year old inside me I like to let out (my daughters roll their eyes when I say it). In 2012 I was a fat bastard who weighed 275# (I am 5'9" - Yikes!) and wound up on the operating table as they worked on my heart and re-opened arteries that were 99% blocked (that is the number they told me). In the ensuing years I have lost weight (195 currently), gotten in better shape, and tried to zealously make up for a lot of lost time outdoors (health coupled with a bad second marriage/divorce). I have done new things (like this goat hunt), and traveled to hunt (Africa, twice in the past 3 years!), and learned new skills (I built my own cabin on remote property here in Alaska). In short: there's no time like the present, and if I can do it ANYONE can do it.

So... the goat hunt. If you're looking for a kill shot/success photo, well, this isn't the thread for you, because I failed to harvest a goat. That said, I had a WONDERFUL time, got to hunt with a new hunting partner (he's half my age and in shape), learned a lot that I hope will lead to success on a future hunt, and learned a lot about myself in the process - it was physically the most grueling hunt I have ever done, with 4.5 mile hikes through hellish alder/willow choked terrain to get to our hunt area, sometimes packing a spike camp that tallied over 40 pounds. I am sure many of you can do a whole lot more, but it sure challenged me.

While I don't have any dead goat photos, I do have other photos. And we did see a lot of goats. We just couldn't quite get to them.

I asked myself, while laying in a tent at night, if merely surviving and having done this hunt was enough (checked a box), or would I want to do it again. Well the two answers that came to me are 1) The hunt WAS a success, because I proved to myself I could do it and 2) Yeah, I want to do it again. I want to kill a goat.

As far as I am concerned the tag line from the movie Galaxy Quest (terrific comedy!) sums up how I feel about hunting, and life in general: Never give up, never surrender!

 

[R.M.C.]

Looks like a great adventure, thanks for bringing us along! I'm with you, a forty pound pack is plenty!!

 

[Altitude sickness]

Heck of a jellyfish

 

[375Fox]

I always like how positive your reports are. You are really taking advantage of everything about living in Alaska and the outdoors. What is a legal goat for you as an Alaska resident?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I always like how positive your reports are. You are really taking advantage of everything about living in Alaska and the outdoors. What is a legal goat for you as an Alaska resident?

Thank you for the kind words sir. God has been good to me, far more so than I deserve, and I never want to take any of the blessings in my life for granted. Hunting is a huge blessing.

For this hunt, and this unit, we can shoot anything that isn't a kid or has a kid trailing it. It's a two goat area and only one can be a billy, with no size restrictions. As I said, we saw a lot of goats. And we saw goats on the evening of our fly-in that I could have gotten to. But they stayed up high after that, beyond where I was able to go. That's somewhat of an indictment of me and my climbing abilities, but I knew that going in: it was going to have to be the right situation.

My goal was to get dropped off at an alpine lake. That didn't happen. On the day we flew, all the lakes the pilot could reach (crappy weather restricted where we could go) had tents on them. As such, we wound up getting dropped off on a much lower elevation beaver pond, that necessitated a lot of hiking, climbing, and bushwacking. I don't regret any of it, but it changed how we went about things. The upside is I did acquit myself pretty well, and I learned an awful lot. There will be another hunt, with refinements based on this one. I will get a goat, someday.

 

[Doug3006]

Sounds like a fine hunt my friend! Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[gillettehunter]

Sounds like a wonderful hunt that was a learning experience. Best of luck on the next attempt.
Bruce

 

[DPHunter4570]

Heck of an adventure no matter the result! Digging that Marlin MXLR!!

 

[Bullthrower338]

Thanks for the report! Keep it up, you’ll get one. Better to have hunted them than to read about it brother

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for sharing the tale.
Tough conditions to hunt.
I'll bet those goats learn very quickly to head higher when a plane drops into the valley.

Good luck next time.

 

[shotgungibbs]

Looks like a wonderful trip! Taking game is just a bonus, if you enjoy the trip anyway.

 

[Philip Glass]

Thanks for sharing this adventure!

 

[buck wild]

Always next time !!

 

[gbflyer]

You’ve only got a couple years on me. Not fat but damn sure out of shape. I’d have a hard enough time carrying myself up there without a pack of any size.

Great photos. Spent a couple weeks in town there early one Spring working on a boat. Would have liked to have seen more of it.

 

[Green Chile]

Oooo...goats are tough! Love the photos and report. You don't see many lever guns on a goat hunt! Love it. I had drawn the coveted Kodiak non-resident goat tag this year and then had to choose between it and the cancellation leopard/elephant hunt...ugh. You know what I chose and I don't regret it but I don't know if I will ever get the goat done. Kudos on your mental success and go again!

 

[Ragman]

Not exactly the rifle I picture when I think of a goat hunt but I like your style!!! That’s a hunt I’ll never experience as some of the high footage I’ve seen makes my blood run cold…but kudos to you on that scary challenge! Caribou on the flats now, I’d love to do that.

 

[ILDRHNTR]

Thanks @Tundra Tiger for an excellent trip report. I agree with the others, you have a unique way of writing that is simply pleasant to read. That goat hunt sounded like a fantastic adventure. I look forward to reading about your next one for sure.

It is wonderful to hear how you have taken a new view on life. Congrats on bettering yourself in many ways! I recall from another article you have a daughter (I think it was a caribou she shot??). I am sure she will appreciate the extra time with you as a result of your better health. Enjoy every minute!

 

[cpr0312]

Thanks for taking us along on the adventure!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Awesome and thanks for sharing!
Kodiak is a special, and miserable place! LOL! Been there twice trying for a decent bear with no luck.
Much better place though to chase a mountain goat than Colorado IMO. Altitudes are more forgiving.
I’ll be waiting to read your next, hopefully successful, Kodiak mountain goat hunt.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Excellent adventure! I noticed the electric wires around your tents. Did you see any bears or have any encounters?