Utah Mtn. Goat - Season Feedback

backinthegame · Feb 8, 2013

Hello folks...

Wondering if anyone can help out with personal experience, photos, etc here...

I'm to the point where I will draw a Utah goat tag in the next year or two...I've got a pile of points. My heart is set on the Beaver unit, and I plan to bowhunt.

My question is, for anyone with personal experience, how is the hair on the goats from the early season on the Beaver? Or any other Utah unit for that matter in those first three weeks of September.

There are a few reasons, especially since I plan to try and stick a goat with an arrow, as to why I'm leaning towards the early season...but I'm a little concerned about the hair on the goats that early...don't want to end up with one that looks like a white tennis ball!

I'm sure the later the better for hair...but I'm just not sure what a September 15th goat would look like hair-wise. I do realize that it will vary depending on that year's weather.

Any experience would help, as would photos if anyone has a few. Thanks in advance, and to anyone I've already grilled on the subject thanks again!

alpinebowman · Feb 8, 2013

I will tell you right now the biologist's say the best hair for Utah goats comes from the uintas for the early season. I shot my goat on sept 19th on uintas west and I thinks he has great hair for the ealy date.
I know you are like me and will have no issue killing one with a bow. My buddy thought I was crazy heading 8+ miles in with only a bow and 5 arrows but it was archery or bust for me as well. needless to say it was a short 2 day hunt with one missed goat hours into my hunt.

alpinebowman

>>>---shots that are true pass right through--->

Zeke · Feb 8, 2013

Sweet goat Ken! You da man! Yesterday's lunch was fun~!

As far as the hair on the Beaver unit goes (don't laugh) the elevation is quite high and I'd guess that it would be pretty good even early in the season.

I have a few friends who have hunted it and their goats are great! I'll need to bump into them and find out exactly when they scored.

If I can cathc them, I'll check and get back with you on when they hunted.

Zeke

backinthegame · Feb 8, 2013

Great pics Ken, thanks for posting those up! That kind of hair doesn't scare me, I'd be happy with that hide.

Hopefully I won't have too much trouble with the bow, I figure if I can get to them I'll be able to get it done. Gotta draw the tag first though, been a long time coming!

backinthegame · Feb 8, 2013

Thanks Zeke, any info would be great!

Nebsy · Feb 8, 2013

Wife had beaver goat tag a few years back. She killed opening day in September. Goat was beautiful condition. Had full body mount done. Happy to send you pics. Just pm me. I wouldn't hesitate to take a goat at first opportunity. And from my experience (granted it's limited to the Beaver unit), if you're dead set on archery.... the Beaver is a good hunt. Goats are relaxed and accustomed to encounters with people. We were within a couple of hundred yards of a large group of goats for a couple of hours. They were bedding down. While scouting, I also encountered a group of goats that I videoed. I ended up in the middle of the herd with goats all around me within easy bow range. With a bow hunters patience you shouldn't have a difficult time.
I would suggest getting off of the main peaks though. There were good groups of goats on the more distant peaks where you'll not be as likely to have a stalk messed up by a rifle hunter.

littlebighorn · Feb 8, 2013

Zeke,
Post up a picture of your "opening day furball" from a few years back. That should help him make up his mind.

If it were me, and I was hell-bent on impaling one with a pointed stick, I would worry more about weather cooperating with my stick and string obsession. Their haunts are tough enough, without having to worry about negotiating icy cliffs.

Zeke · Feb 8, 2013

Here's my wife's opening day goat from 2013.

This is my 2009 Q-tip on the opening day also!
I'm not sure that waiting would have produced more "fur".
About half the goats had great hair and half did not.

Zeke · Feb 8, 2013

LBH is correct, as usual. The weather can get really bad...as you already know. It's a bunch more fun to bow hunt in better weather. I shoot a bow quite a bit better when I don't have 7 layers of clothes on too.

Good luck in the draw and keep us posted.

Zeke

backinthegame · Feb 8, 2013

Thanks for the info and the photos everyone, some nice goats!

There are definitely a bunch of "pros" to the early hunt for me, especially wanting to bowhunt. My needle is leaning further that direction...haha...

YELUM · Feb 8, 2013

Zeke, your field photo is incredible. Beautiful animal.

Yelum

Theres logic, and theres women. They don't go together.

backinthegame · Feb 8, 2013

Amen to that YELUM, that is one great photo!

TROPHYROCK · Feb 8, 2013

As for ease of bow hunting and genetics(mass) you can't beat the Beaver if you have enough pts.to draw it. Just look at the Utah Record book. Last year on the first hunt a billy knocking on the state archery record was harvested 400 yards from the road. I was told it was going to net over 52". They are pretty calm critters on the Beaver.

As for the cape difference. It varies from year to year and goat to goat. 1st Season first day harvests on the Beaver will not be quite there but most years they are almost there. Much like some of the photos already posted. I like them better the 1st day of the second season. They still will grow a bit more but I like that length best.

Don't worry about even hunting the second season on this Unit. Plenty of Billies 47-49".

I would not worry about the weather second season either. It's the prettiest time to be on Mt Holly with a bow in your hand.

Last year my little brother harvested a second season billy on day one. He took one out of a group of 13 billies. He is taxidermist and so we were looking close at their capes. His had the largest body, horns and cape. He was long haired, but it wasn't matted and yellow. He took it with a muzzle loader at close range and it scored just over 49" (super heavy) and had a monster body to go with it. This was after they had been hunted already.

If you would like to see some photos, shoot me a PM with your email and I will send them to you.

If I had the points there is no doubt where I would hunt them with a bow. There is also only one really bad area up there you have to worry about if you make a bad archery hit and they run down and die on a ledge where you'd have to repel down to get him out.

PleaseDear · Feb 8, 2013

Your Mrs did great Zeke!

I will have to toss this photo over to my Mrs and let her know what her knee surgery left her out of going on with you guys!!

She still is 'gimping' around....

Robb

Zeke · Feb 11, 2013

Robb,
Too bad we couldn't put the all girls team trip together. Tell your wife to heal up and go for goat!
Thanks for the shout out,
Zeke

sixthtine · Feb 11, 2013

here is the goat I took last yr here in Utah on Willard peak I killed him around the 18 of September

FOWL FREAKS

HNTNFSH · Feb 12, 2013

sixthtine sent you a pm

treedagain · Feb 12, 2013

here is my Nov goat

tradarcher · Feb 12, 2013

i hunted uintah leady peak in 2007 it was bow or bust for me also. i killed my goat on opening day. it was not the biggest goat but it had a fine cape. you can see it in the archives under a true stick and string goat. the leady peak unit can be a very easy hunt or a very tough hunt pm me if you want to know about that unit there are some huge billy there but i wanted to kill mine with my long bow so i took the first shot i had.