Firebird
AH legend
Since there isn't much to write about from the hunting side on the African continent I thought I would dredge up one of my favorite hunts from the states-give you all something to read about over tomorrows breakfast cereal.
Its been over a decade ago when I drew a once in a lifetime mountain goat tag. In my home state of Utah you can apply for and draw one tag in your lifetime of several of the higher class species. I spent over ten years applying for mtn goat before I drew my tag. Most of my hunting is done with a bow and I planned to try that method first in the Uinta mountains. My father in law is a hardcore hunter and horse/mule guy and insisted we do the hunt "the right way." Which meant pack in on the four leggeds and tent camp. I've done this same method in the same place for ptarmigan, being a die hard bird guy and would be grateful for the pack animals as well as my brother who insisted on joining us. My wife was SUPER pregnant with my first daughter and was NOT HAPPY about the whole darn thing. She did not understand the entire once in a lifetime concept and already resented her dad for spending most of her life gone on his hunting adventures. The neutral ground was that this would be a rifle hunt and less than five days. I had seen goats there when we were hunting white tail (ptarmigan) and was sure I could get one with a rifle and the bow seemed maybe a bit of a stretch.
So one week into September we loaded gear and weighed packs and loaded mules and one hate filled paint horse aptly named "rodeo" into pa in laws trailer and away we went. Landed on the Wyoming side and rode away from the sunrise. I somehow got stuck on rodeo and he somehow lurched away from me the very first time I tried to swing into the saddle. This was the first time my father in law heard me say the "F" word and also the first time when I grabbed that damn horse face to face with both hands on the bridle and threatened to put a bullet in his head. . .
Its been over a decade ago when I drew a once in a lifetime mountain goat tag. In my home state of Utah you can apply for and draw one tag in your lifetime of several of the higher class species. I spent over ten years applying for mtn goat before I drew my tag. Most of my hunting is done with a bow and I planned to try that method first in the Uinta mountains. My father in law is a hardcore hunter and horse/mule guy and insisted we do the hunt "the right way." Which meant pack in on the four leggeds and tent camp. I've done this same method in the same place for ptarmigan, being a die hard bird guy and would be grateful for the pack animals as well as my brother who insisted on joining us. My wife was SUPER pregnant with my first daughter and was NOT HAPPY about the whole darn thing. She did not understand the entire once in a lifetime concept and already resented her dad for spending most of her life gone on his hunting adventures. The neutral ground was that this would be a rifle hunt and less than five days. I had seen goats there when we were hunting white tail (ptarmigan) and was sure I could get one with a rifle and the bow seemed maybe a bit of a stretch.
So one week into September we loaded gear and weighed packs and loaded mules and one hate filled paint horse aptly named "rodeo" into pa in laws trailer and away we went. Landed on the Wyoming side and rode away from the sunrise. I somehow got stuck on rodeo and he somehow lurched away from me the very first time I tried to swing into the saddle. This was the first time my father in law heard me say the "F" word and also the first time when I grabbed that damn horse face to face with both hands on the bridle and threatened to put a bullet in his head. . .