A Perfect Hunt ...

We left town late, which put us on the road late, which put us on the trail late.  The sun was setting on the eve of opening day as we climbed up to the first pass (on Climbers Trail) and started glassing.  Terry spotted a bear low in the Mirror Lake drainage, but otherwise, nothing. Coming down the rest of Climbers Trail as it finished getting dark was a bit scary as we skirted above chutes, ravines, and slides.  We camped at `the pond' next to Sheep Lake. 

I was up about 5 am as it first started to get light. I loaded up the magazine in my 260 and chambered a round at about 5:40 am - opening hour, Opening Morning.  The action of my gun awoke Terry.  I climbed up to a vantage point above the bottom of Climbers Trail to look around.  Two nannies and a kid goat were coming off She Devil Peak onto The Slide.

     
  After a while I joined Terry and Dan at the pond; we packed up and headed onto the shelves above Sheep Lake.

We hunted the shelves for billies while we gained elevation for the Slide.  The night before I tried to raise [Christian] `bro' Kelly Kitchens on the FRS but didn't get anything - I figured too much rock in the way as he was probably a drainage or two to the west.  But this morning while we were on the shelves he broke through.  They were at Sheep Lake right below us.  I got on a rock and we could see each other, probably 800 yd between us.  He offered us coffee and sausage if we'd come down.  It sounded so good - but we declined - we had emotional momentum for the Slide, and the hunt.

My shadow is on the left; the shadow of Mt. Baal crosses the bottom ...

The Slide ... here
     
Kelly marveled that we would take on the Slide with full packs. I figured my pack was 50 lb, plus I had my compound (bow) strapped to the back, and was carrying my 260 (rifle).  Dan made it to the top first, then Terry, and I brought up the rear. 

Kelly had a zoom on his video camera and had us collect at the top for a pic.

    I asked over the radio if there was a merit badge Taylor (Kelly's son) could earn for bringing us up coffee and sausage - and Taylor replied that there was indeed such a badge ... but he didn't come up.  (He had either already earned it - or didn't want to earn it this way.)  Then we left the summit headed south and west.
     
  We hunted down the (other) side across the top of Cannon Creek and into the Hanson Creek Drainage.

High Camp Lake was dry - so that meant we'd go down to Hanson Lakes to establish camp.  It was a GRIND going down with the heavy pack.  We spotted 3 more goats (nanny with kid and other nanny) above the lakes.  I took a much needed swim when I hit the upper lake.  It felt great.  Also, I had taken a stumble and hurt my shin and it swelled.  The cold lake water brought the swelling down.

Left: one of goats is visible at shelf left of center.
     
After a break I decided to check out the gap to the south and look for billies.  From the top I could see a loner goat on the far side of the next valley, and about the same elevation as the three above the lake.  I was alone on top - so I didn't want to go around on the other side into dicey territory.  I came back down from the gap above camp and hunted around the upper lake drainage where there was a lot of sign. Terry went out on a point to the east of the lower lake and looked ... nothing.   While I refreshed and hunted, Terry and Dan got into some serious fishing.  They were `happy campers' as the day progressed and the fish started taking (Dan's) flies and (Terry's) spinners.  We had a nice fish fry for dinner.
     
  Before sunrise the next morning I was looking for goats in a beautiful basin to the north of the upper lake, and Terry was back out on the point.  We couldn't find the billies. 

Back at camp I toyed with taking the off-year nanny, but they were high in the rocks above the lower lake and hard to get to. 

Terry and I decided we'd go high looking for billies and if nothing, come around on top of the nannies and kid.  Dan would keep us posted of their whereabouts in process.
     
  Terry and I had a great hunt/climb to the upper south end of the drainage, talking about God, the crest of the wave of (the move of) God, Wild at Heart, parenting, church, and other aspects of life ... and the incredible beauty of the country we were in.

Before we realized it we were near the top and ready to look over the other side.

Here's Terry glassing the high basins in the drainage south of base camp.

Still no billies ... (in the same area we saw at least 6 only two weeks earlier).
     
During the process, Dan informed us that the goats above the lower lake had come down, and were heading west.  We told him to keep us posted, and, if possible, keep them from going too far west and into the timber.   The goats were coming lower and lower, whilst we climbed higher and higher.

 
     
  `They are about half way down.'

`They are down to the slide'.

`They are at the bottom of the slide ...'

`I'm looking at the nanny ... about 100 yards away.'

`They are right above the camp'.

`They are trying to get into the camp.'

`THEY ARE IN THE CAMP.'

By this time we had come completely around from the south and were at the gap on top ... and WAY above them ... if we were going to take them on - we needed to get down.  We had to quietly get down the slot from the gap to the slide, out of their view. 

Above: bottom of slide from shooting position.  Goats were on knoll this side of timber.  All three are out of sight behind big tree right of center.  (Pic taken after shot.)    
  We were able to get about halfway down by hugging the rocks on the right side of the slot.  The goats were about 300 yards below us - I told Terry that I could take the single nanny if I could get a good rest.  I slipped another few feet into a shooting position.  We knocked a few rocks loose in the process, but froze.  The nanny with kid looked up - but no big deal - they roll rocks all day long.  The goats were weaving their way somewhat our direction up from camp through a series of knolls and a few trees.

One can watch big game all day long - but surprisingly, the opportunity for a shot - if it happens at all - may only be for a moment.  The goats really wanted around Dan; they were acting a bit restless now - and moving up around onto the slope with some deliberation. 

The loner climbed up through some rocks into view, about 250 yards below, stopped for a brief instant, and I took the shot.  Terry said I hit a bit back (of the kill zone) - but I had that feeling it was still a kill shot.

 
     
The goat quickly turned around and ran our direction up a hill between us, and the nanny and kid followed.  All were behind a knob, out of view.  I got ready in case the hit animal would come out - but I didn't think it would.  And it didn't.   We radioed Dan in closer - he could see the goat run up the blind side of the knob, fall, roll down, move around a bit - but now was still.  We started down. 
     
  Dan warned us that the nanny and kid were right under the tree right below us as we approached.  Terry handed me the camera - I handed it back - and said `go for it'.  (I had taken a lot of pictures of goats - this was his chance.  Plus, I didn't want to be holding a camera if I needed to use my rifle.)

Here's the nanny (in the shade standing up from behind the rock) - priceless ...

 ... and kid .. here

Then they ran off ...
     
  My goat was dead and down in the rocks ...

Terry and I skinned and quartered it as fast as we could - it was August, and warm - setting the quarters out on the rocks in the shade to cool ... the shade of the tree above us, and then the towering mountains as the afternoon progressed, plus a breeze, gave us a perfect field cooler.

Dan had returned to fishing.  At first I was surprised he didn't come up to see us work with the animal - then we realized just how serious Dan is about fishing - at first opp he was back at it.
     
I salted the hide at camp and then cleaned up.  Terry disappeared in the direction of the lower lake.  After a while I decided to go down with camera to catch some of their action.  Here's Terry with a nice string of fish ... and really nice smile.  
     
As I approached he caught another nice cutthroat ...  
     
I continued to work the hide and fuss around ... Dan and Terry came back to camp and we had another nice fish fry.  We ate as much as we could of the food we packed in (and stashed the rest) - as we would need all the room and as little weight as possible for the carry out.   I marveled how the sun `set' at about 4:30 due to the size of the mountains around us.
     
  The next morning we boned out the goat - except for one front quarter. (Idaho regs require front quarter naturally attached to head and horns.)  We split the goat up 3 ways and added it to our packs - we wanted to make it out in one trip.  I carried the head, hide, and front quarter.  They split the remainder.  I figured I had a 70 or 80 lb pack ...theirs were lighter - but they also hadn't brought in as much hunting and `other stuff'.  Dan's rig was 7 miles away.

Here are Dan and Terry as we're coming out. 

(In a way this is my favorite pic ... I talked them into this adventure to serve as pack animals - but look how happy they are!)

When we stopped for breaks along the way, and I would try and don my pack - I kept thinking it was stuck on something - but, no, it was just the weight.  We prayed we'd get out okay - with no back injuries, etc. ... and God answered our prayers ... we did (we did get out, - and we got out okay). 

Don't take this wrong - but it wasn't all that bad.
     
Dan is a distance biker - and this is where it showed up ... He broke ahead of Terry and I ... and from Cannon Creek on stayed ahead.  He carried his pack clear up past the work station (where he could have dropped it), to the trailhead, to the rig at the campground, and brought the rig on down to the work station just about as we arrived.     
     
I let out a shout ... It was a PERFECT hunt.   Endnotes ... here