WOW!! Congrats. Thats awesome. Great picture to!!

Nice job, congrats and good luck on your next.

You have no idea how much I envy you[>:]....a bowhunt
for mountain goats is definitely my dream hunt[:-]. What
a beautiful animal. Great pic, great story...congrats to you
on your trophy. Well done.

Thanks for sharing your adventure...we don't get the chance
to read about to many successful bowhunts for mountain
goats!

TB

Awesome story .. you are a better writer than you give yourself credit for.

Beautiful picture as well, congrats.

I agree with the others....great story and even better shot!! Sounds like you are pretty skilled with your bow and knowing your prey. Thanks again for taking the time to post all of that.

great story with an even better picture. Thanks for sharing Kodiak, congratulations.

Sweet story great looking goat.

WOW! Thanks to everyone for all the kind words and generous accolades. All I was trying to do was share a hunting story. The response is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of you.

Fishon01, I have been trying to get one of these Kodiak brownies with my bow for the last 4 years. Came real close 2 falls ago. By myself bowhunting deer 1st week in Nov. It had been snowing off and on all day. As I was working my way along a ridge, I noticed fresh bear tracks in the snow headed towards a valley named "bear valley". I took off following the tracks. I knew they were headed to a steep drop down into the valley where there is a little creek that normally has the last dying silver salmon of the year in it. My plan was to get to the drop off as fast as I could and sit down and glass the valley, hoping to see the bear. Once spotted, I would watch him until he bedded down, then go back to my truck, (about 1 mile away) and call my buddy and have him come back me up. Well, like all good plans, that's all they are,....plans. As I was hustling along as fast as one can through the Kodiak brush country, thinking there is NO WAY I am going to catch up to this bear before the steep drop off, low and behold I damn near ran him over about 50 yards away from the drop off. Not really ran over but close. I came up on him at about 20 yards away walking away from me at a quartering angle. I guess the tracks were way fresher than I thought. That and the bear was taking his sweet time moving along in no big hurry. As he went over a little knob I hustled up to the knob with my heart behind my eyes and my stomach in my throat. I peeked over and he was about 15 yards away still quartering away. I knocked an arrow, and slowly stood up. The wind was in my face and the bear was quartering away. Perfect! So I thought. As I came to full draw, the bear must have caught movement, or sensed something, I don't know. What I do know is that bear spun and stood on his hind legs looking straight at me from about 20 yards. (turned out to be 23 steps, stepped it off later) There I am at full draw staring slightly downhill at a 9 footish brown bear. Even with him being slightly downhill of me, I was looking him straight in the eyes. I thought to myself of the line in the movie Top Gun where "Goose and Maverick" are flying straight at there instructor and Goose says " I can't believe we're doing this" Well before I knew it, the bear dropped to all fours and spun and ran straight away from me and about mach 5. Now as he ran, there was a stand of really thick alders about 40 yards away and about 40 yards wide with nice big open grass patches to either side of the alders. That bear didn't turn angle the least bit right or left where the running would be easier. He hit those alders head on. With all the snowing off and on that day, the snow had covered all the alder branches, and when he hit the alders it was like a big snow bomb had erupted. It was so cool to see, or at least I realised how cool it was an hour later when my nerves calmed down. About a minute after he had took off and I could see him still moving away and up the valley just like a tank, I was suddenly taken over by a sick feeling. Don't know if it was an adrenaline crash or just plain scared out of my wits and happy to be alive, but I started to vomit right there on the spot. The whole experience was awesome. Wouldn't trade it for anything. The reason I didn't shoot is because I have a rule when I run into these brownies. If the bear knows I am there, I am not shooting. He'll do one of 2 things I figure when the arrow hits him. That is go OW!, that hurt and it didn't hurt until whatever that his standing there showed up (me) and he'll charge. The other option his run. Therefore, I do not shoot if the bear knows I am there. That being said, I never go bear hunting alone. The rule is for situations or oppurtunities that may arise while deer hunting such as this experience. Definitely will not head out on a brown bear hunt alone with my bow. Especially after this experience. Oh, and by the way, a bear was shot (rifle) in the same valley 3 days later that went 8'10".

Houdini, My buddy ended up getting his goat the following weekend. That there is his story. Got a really nice billy also. Wasn't with him because of the flu. Sorry I missed that hunt.

Once again, thanks to everyone for their kind words. Take care and straight shootin. Wil

Dang,
I'm jealous! Good job. Always wondered how anyone could get close enough with a bow. Several writers failed getting one with a rifle.

You Da Man!

Redneck reply: Looky there. He shot a albino deer and a spike buck at that!

Nice goat! Welcome aboard. Is that a snow camo Dale Jarrett hat?