I was lucky to draw a mountain goat in Kodiak Island, Alaska my first year putting in. That hunt was truly my first backpacking hunt. I learned over packing is not a good thing when you're scaling mountains and that I should have trained more for this hunt. However, my guide at the time was 65 years old and his rule while climbing was, “No running”. I chuckle every time now about that while I begin up a mountain. My intention was to bowhunt which quickly turned into a rifle hunt when my backpack with my bow attached got knocked off the side of the mountain when we were less than 65 yards away from a Billy Goat. What a complete nightmare but I was able to calm down enough to make a beautiful shot on my goat which also ended up tumbling down the mountain. My bow was definitely broken but the horns on the goat weren’t so at least I had that going for me.
Truly an incredible experience I will never forget. I was proud of how hard I pushed myself on that hunt and was ready for more! That was the start of my extreme mountain hunts as well as the road to my Capra world slam. The challenge was exhilarating, and I learned I could push myself further than I could ever imagine. I didn’t know I had it in me but once I realized I was physically and mentally capable, no hunt was out of reach now.
If you are interested in hunting a mountain goat for yourself, we can help you every step of the way. Contact us at UGABookings@gmail.com to request more information!
Fun Fact: It was my first backpacking hunt, and I was afraid of not showering. My hair gets extremely greasy, and I wanted to still look good for the camera while filming for the television show so I decided to wear a wig. My cameraman made fun of me for it and named my wig Peggy. It worked but I don't recognize myself in this photo. On my next hunt for 9 days out in the bush I figured out how to make my guide help me wash my hair by heating up some water and pouring it over my head. He got confused about the conditioner part but that was when I officially retired my hunting Wig.