Guys, looking for any advice on hunting goats here. Made a scouting trip the past couple days. Saw 4 Nannies and 4 kids, no billies. Very crowded highways with tourists and motorcycles. Looks like there are a lot of ATV trails and some trailheads for hiking in. Just looking for some good pointers where the majority of the goats hang in mid to late September. Some info I have received says to concentrate on the Clarks's Fork Canyon area over Dead Indian. Again, any help is appreciated!
WY Mtn Goat Area 1
- Thread starter HayHay98
- Start date
Never been in that country. Look at Google Earth. Sheep/goat country is fairly easy to spot. Not a big fan of areas with lots of people. I would look for the trail heads that get you in 3-5 miles, and that get you into country that gives you a commanding view of the drainages. If there are a lot of bowls in the upper basins, look for ones that have knife rideges to break up the terrain. Gives the goats something to hide in, makes them feel comfortable. Don't just look for them on barren hill sides. Check areas with some timber, and the knife ridges.
Best adviceis get a comfortable butt pad, and sit down and glass. When you think you have done enough, do it all over again, and again. Good optics are a must, or at least the best you have access to. The Billies will still kinda be off on there own, or just out side the groups of the nannies, and kids.
When I get a chance I will down load some goat pics that I took on my NV deer hunt for some inspiration. Good luck and let me know how the hunt works out for ya.
Knowledge of the area is the best tool you can have. Put some Mole Skin on and wear some leather off the boots. For most that is a once in a lifetime tag.
Best adviceis get a comfortable butt pad, and sit down and glass. When you think you have done enough, do it all over again, and again. Good optics are a must, or at least the best you have access to. The Billies will still kinda be off on there own, or just out side the groups of the nannies, and kids.
When I get a chance I will down load some goat pics that I took on my NV deer hunt for some inspiration. Good luck and let me know how the hunt works out for ya.
Knowledge of the area is the best tool you can have. Put some Mole Skin on and wear some leather off the boots. For most that is a once in a lifetime tag.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
Hay Hay. I know for sheep, hunters have to file a kill report with Fish and Game in Wyoming, including when and where they got their ram. I would expect the same thing has to be done for goats. You should be able to get copies from the Fish and Game office near where your unit is. Guys are not always 100% truthful on those, but if you plot on a map where say the last 20 to 30 goats were taken, you should have a pretty decent idea of where to hunt.
I spotted mine from a Beartooth Hwy. pullout on a busy Labor day weekend in '06. The day before I went for a 6 mile horseback ride north of Beartooth Lake and there were people everywhere I glassed. A friend of mine got one in the Clarks Fork canyon near Sunlight a few years prior. I thought I would try it up high because the weather was warm. Get out on some vantage points and glass patiently, I'll bet you find some in either spot.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Thanks for all the information and help here guys. Spent some time in the area again this past weekend and spotted 2 really nice billies. Both were in absolute "Do NOT Shoot" areas on very sheer cliffs. Still great to see them though and gives me a few good starting points. Going to hit again this weekend in a few other spots to see if I can find a couple others in a little better position. I'm going to try to wait another 3-4 weeks if I can help it to see if they don't hair up a bit better. Again, thanks to all of you for your help. Hopefully I can post some pictures of my successful hunt in a few weeks.
I was successful. Harvested a 4 year old Billy on 9/15. 8.5" x 5.25". It was an incredible hunt and did see a lot of Mtn Goats. Took this Billy in a great spot and the pack out wasn't bad at all. More to follow soon. I still have a Bighorn Sheep to find. Thanks to everyone who helped me out and gave me great info and encouragement. Anyone out there with a goat tag for Area 1 please PM me if you need some info, saw a lot of goats and several Billies, one much larger, just in a horrible spot at the time. Thanks again all!!
