Hi guys here is a little write up about goat hunting yesterday.
In New Zealand feral goats are a real pest they strip the forests, ring bark trees, and breed incredibly well.
Most farmers have some running around and are happy for someone to come along and take a few out, as they compete with livestock for food.
I went out with a friend who I have nicknamed Mother Hubbard after our last trip where he seemed to bring everything including the kitchen sink!
This is on a small bit of overgrown farmland behind a local cemetary out in a semi rural area, sometimes there are a lot of goats there and sometimes none. Fences pose very little barrier to these guys.
We were about to head back after a fruitless wander looking for prey when we spotted a little mob of goats. Heading for cover we quickly moved to a closer position only to find the goats were mostly sheep with only one young goat hanging around. The sheep caught sight of us moving into position and scarpered but the goat hung around.
My friend drew and took a shot at around 20m but missed over the top (shooting downhill can be tricky!) as the goat made for cover I gave a whistle and she stopped just long enough for me to also send a shaft whistling over her back, and she beat a hasty retreat into the gorse.
We could hear her bleating so I tried replying and sure enough I was able to lure her back out into the open. MH took another shot and connected this time but unfortunately a bit far back. She started to go down and I released an arrow once again over her back and startled she staggered into the gorse again.
With the steep country she couldn't climb very high so came back down and settled in a tunnel in the gorse where MH was able to finish her off. Despite not being the most effective kill ever it was his first large animal with this bow, so he is pretty happy.
She was quite young so we took the back wheels and backsteaks and she should make a good curry!
The bow is an old PSE Fireflight at 70lbs and a really short 26 inch draw.
If you dont have gorse in the US be happy, very happy. It is a plant that originated in Scotland and grows quite controlably there. It is a spikey, thorny, quick growing plant, with thick twisted woody branches, that can grow in very poor soil.
For some reason it was introduced into NZ and took off like wild fire. It grows anywhere and forms thick low forests that can be impossible to get through. Goats love it and are one of the few creatures that can eat it, but they tend to make tunnels through the stuff and prefer to eat more palatable plants unless they have no choice. It makes a perfect hideout for them.
