By Alex Tranq

September 30, 2013

So we decided to hit up our old plan of circling the lake and trying the goats on the north side. By this time it started to get colder and was raining. We set up the spotting scope, started glassing and boiled up some water and made a hot emergen-c. I wasn't really paying attention. We were soaked, cold and sleet was coming down hard. Tranquilizer was asking about what the weather would do to the goats behavior. I told him they'd just be doing their thing. So I turned around and right away spotted a goat. Then another and another. Lots of nannies paired up with kids. Then two more came off a ledge. Another nanny and kid.

But hold the phone!

I spotted another lone goat up on a bluff. Got behind the spotting scope. I was watching it the best I could through the sleet and fog. All of a sudden I got the albino kiwis in the eyes. BINGO!

I looked at Tranquilizer.

"He's a billy. But he's young, still has a short dished face. He's probably only 7 or 8 inches in the horns" I said.

His reply was "I came for the adventure. We can make a play on him. If we get him great, I just want the meat if possible. I'm over being soaked and cold, but if I go home empty handed I'm still happy".

Good enough for me. We studied the terrain and where he was to figure out a game plan. As we were making our approach the nannies and kids started to make their way up higher. The billy was now with another goat and crossed to the far side of a waterfall we were working up.

We crossed the waterfall and made a desperation play of going straight up from below them. We got behind a big rock and peeked around it, up to the goats. I tried to range them but I ended up breaking it between making a hot drink and climbing. I was looking at them trying to figure out our next move. The goats were very aware of us.

Then I hear "I can make that shot".

I looked at Tranquilizer and then back to the goats.

"What the hell" I thought. "ok move those rocks, put your pack on the big one for a rest" as I was setting up the spotting scope on another rock.

Tranquilizer was getting a little excited "I want to take the shot before they move".

"They feel safe, we have time" I told him. "line up the shot but don't touch the trigger until I tell you".

So he unstrapped Selena my weatherby vanguard 30_06 from his pack and lined up. I was watching the goats through the scope. Sleet was still coming down hard and trying to watch them was tough. Trying to see them through the sleet and my body heat kept fogging up the eyepiece on my spotter.

Finally I got the green light from the goats.

"Ok, DON'T touch the trigger yet. Not until I tell you. Turn the safety off. You're going to take the goat on the left"

I looked over at tranquilizer and he gave me the nod. "Settle in and get steady" I told him. The goat was standing face on looking right down at us. "Put the crosshairs right on his nose, when he looks at the other goat, let one fly".

All of a sudden the goat turned his head and Selena sang. A 165 grain GMX was cruising through the air.

Through the spotter I seen the goat drop his right shoulder. I heard Tranquilizer cycle the action.

"Crosshairs on the left shoulder and hit him again" I said. I didn't hear it but felt the concussion of the rifle's sweet Georgia brown.

Through the spotter I could see a solid impact on the goat. "Hold on! Just watch him" I said.

The goat staggered, then reared up and jumped off the bluff. It only went down one ledge.

"He's down!" High fives!

So now we got to get to him...

We pick our way up through the alders and brush. Then it was out onto the granite waterfall, up 5 feet then out onto the ledge. Still not 100% sure how we got out onto the ledge. But we managed. Got some pictures of the rookie hunters second ever big game animal.