No Goat again-Only Hurricaine!

[skydiver_99654]

So much for the 4th time out. Guess you can't score on every draw permit that you get. That is what I've been led to believe. Barry and Steve gave me some great looking area for a last ditch effort at a goat. I was skunked once again. Didn't see anything, but I did have a lot of hope for this last hunt. I know I have one more weekend until the tag expires, but I think I may be done for the year.
Started out ok. Little wet. Nothing more than that. Took the wrong turn on the trail and had to bushwhack up to a really beautiful ridge. It was an easy couple mile hike after that. Got in a good 5 hours hunting/glassing after the camp was set up. I did manage to bring a partner with me on this endeavour. Saw nothing that first day. That night we turned in. We each had a little tent. About 9:00 that evening (Sat), the winds came a howling ! The winds were every bit of 80-100 knot gusts! It was so ridiculous that neither of us could sleep the whole night. Rex's tent completely blew apart! Shortly after his fly took off....the horizontal rain/sleet started pounding us. It was so out of this world that I heard Rex in his tent (what was left of it), saying over and over...."There's no place like home....There's no place like home....". I tried to sleep but I was laughing hysterically with the thought that Rex was clicking his heels together trying to get out of that place! My tent was flexing every which way but somehow it managed to stay together. It was a Kelty ridge. I think the only thing that saved it was it was tied off to a spruce tree. Other than that it was taking a beating. Somehow, we managed to make it through the night in one piece. The winds were still howling when we decided to make a run for the truck. Sleet was pounding us. The whole area was socked in. This was not the time to be chasing a goat. We through everything in our packs and got the heck outta dodge. Took 4 hours to make the 5 mile trip. Lost the trail and had to do more bushwhacking. Back at the truck, I could literally wring the water out of my raingear. It was that bad. I was already chilled and just wanted to get the hell out of that wind. My spring bear hunt in Kodiak didn't even resemble this kind of storm that beat us down. It was a real de-motivator. I may drag my ass up there one more time this weekend, but it'll be hard.
Thanks go out to Alaska Steve and Barry for your help. Better luck next time.
Johnny
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/20061128.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/20061125.jpg
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http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/20061121.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/20061117.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/20061116.jpg
http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/?action=view&current=20061131.flv
http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/skydiver_99654/Goat1/?action=view&current=20061132.flv

 

[Kay9Cop]

My hunting partner and I are going through the same thing right now. We're doing a fly out from Cordova. We spent the last two weeks in the field and spent about a week of it not hunting due to heavy rain and wind. When we did hunt we didn't see any goats. We're waiting for the weather to abate again before we, hopefully, fly out later today to spend the last four days of our hunt trying to score on some goats.

 

[FALCON]

Wow!!!!!!!!

Wow!!!!!!!!

Dude,

I watched the video. That was crazy. I had the same thing happens many moons ago on a summit climb on Mt. Rainier. The main pole broke, and down came the tent in huge wind. No fun indeed, but it makes for a good story!

Get back up there and kill something!

 

[Kusko]

What draw area is that??

This is just a ploy to get everyone on here to not apply for this area in hopes that your buddies will draw next year. Now, show us the picture of your goat!

Keep us updated next week.

 

[skydiver_99654]

Dg335

Dg335

is the hunt unit. Good luck. Try your luck and apply next year.....You can have that unit. I know I was fortunate to get a permit this year... but ****! where in the hell are the goats?!?!? I may go back out one more time this weekend...but after 11 total days and only 2 goats waaaayyyyy up high on an impossible cliff, there isn't much out there. Lots of bears. Maybe I should concentrate on a blackie this weekend, then I will see the goats? Can I apply for goat again next year? or do I have a waiting period like Kodiack bear? I'll definitely do a little better research next time I apply.
Johnny

 

[homerdave]

next year...

next year...

you can apply for any hunt you did not win in the previous year.
of course it sounds like you would likely apply elsewhere anyhow. <grin>

 

[375JDJ]

Bummer! You definitely put in the effort.........Just think how sweet it will be once you kill and recover your goat! Great job.

 

[sh]

skydiver

skydiver

did you see any bears up high this trip? lots of sign along the tracks still?

 

[skydiver_99654]

Bears..

Bears..

No bears this trip. I hunted Turnagain Pass this trip. Easy in and easy out. No bears, but GREAT country for bears. Lots of scat. LOTS of berries down low. Chewed on moose scapula. Very fresh scat, but no bears. I think they were hiding out from the wind. The high valleys are free from brush and if a Blackie were to wander out into the valley, you'd be able to see him for miles. I'd almost contemplate heading back out that way this weekend just for a Blackie. Maybe if I concentrate on a bear, then I'll see a goat?
Good luck if you plan on heading that way.
Johnny

 

[fnd1734]

My brother and I had the exact same thing happen to us on my sheep hunt in the Chugach Mts. The wind shredded my tent and we got really wet... I never thought I could get physically beat up by the weather like I did on that hunt last month.