Yesterday, my good friend Eric and I went goat hunting in Polipoli piblic hunting area on Maui. Parking our truck just below 6000′ elevation, we began climbing before sunrise. By 10am, we had one unsuccessful stalk under our belts and had climbed to 8100′. We tucked into a pocket for breakfast, some glassing, and a nap. After about an hour and half rest, we continued climbing and had reached 8500′ when we spotted a small herd of goats grazing about 120 yards above us and to our left. The thermals were blowing uphill, but luckily had a bit of a left to right angle to it, which helped keep our scent from them. Slipping behind some rocks, Eric and I quickly drew up a game plan. This was his first goat hunt, and I wanted Eric to get the shot. We dropped our packs, and he began to slip up the shallow stream bed we had been climbing. I planned to stay with the packs and watch the action.

In the mean time, the herd was slowly grazing downhill. Eric signalled to me that they were about 60 yards away now. He was out of cover, so couldn’t move closer. I slipped around the pile of rocks I was hiding behind, and watched the herd move first downhill, then begin angling away. I watched 5, including a nice-sized billy meandering along. At first I ranged them at 70 yards, then 80, then 99. I had to make a move or we weren’t gonna get a shot.

In front of me, the ground was flat and open for about 30 yards, and then there was a small berm along another stream bed. If I could get to the berm, I thought I might have a shot, or be in position to move closer still. I scanned uphill for more goats that might bust me, but didn’t see any. As I quickly moved up in a crouch, I also threw a look over my right shoulder for Eric, but didn’t see him. I figured he was still behind the rock I had last seen him at.

As soon as I reached the berm and peeked over, I saw a small billy looking at me. Busted!!! I quickly ranged him at 34 yards, and came to full draw. The billy turned broadside, quartering away, and looked at me for a moment, giving me time to settle my pins. Aiming for the opposite front leg, I touched the release, and saw my arrow fly into him and heard the watermelon thunk of a hit. The arrow hit pretty far back on the front side, just in front of the hind leg, but looked like it should have exited just behind the offside front leg. Hard hit, the billy began moving off, back hunched, and almost dragging his frontside hind leg. I quickly nocked another arrow, and when he paused again, I ranged him at 50 yards. Coming to full draw, I took a moment to consciously run through my pre-shot routine, before sending the arrow on its way. The arrow looked good, but at the last second seemd to drop, before ricocheting off into the sky. The billy took two steps and disappeared over a ripple in the rocks, and I wasn’t sure if I hit him or not.

Eric came up to me, with an excited look on his face. He said he was about to draw back his bow when I took my first shot. I felt really bad, because I wanted him to have first shot, but he didn’t mind. He was looking at a 40-plus yard shot, and he said he was so excited, that he had to try to breathe and calm himself down before he could even draw. I had the better shot and he was glad I took it. He saw the whole shot and watched the arrow pass through the goat.

Eric went to get our packs, while I stayed where I was, reconstructing the shot in my head. Once he came back, we quickly found the first arrow, coved in nice red blood and hair. I didn’t see any green slime or funky smell on the arrow, so I was more confident that I didn’t get too much of the guts. Following a solid blood trail, we found him piled up in a large puddle of blood right where he was when I took my second shot. My second arrow had hit him in the throat, just above the breast bone, cleanly cutting both jugulars and the windpipe. That Rage 2-blade broadhead sure did a number on him. The first arrow had also left a big hole on both sides, and while not hitting the lungs or heart, it had taken out the liver.

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The billy was maybe a year or two old, sporting a pair of 9″ horns. After pictures, we deboned him, and loaded the meat into my pack. On the long walk out, I hoped to put Eric on another goat, but it wasn’t to be. We finally reached my truck at 7pm, after 15 hours and about 11 or 12 miles of hunting. Today, I am sore but happy, and Eric tells me we have to go again soon. He’s got the FEVER!!!!

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Ready to head home with the meat in my pack

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Sorry the pics didn’t come up…..here are the direct links:

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/MauiRhino/Billy%20Goat%2012-07-11/IMG_3904a.jpg

Eric with the FEVER

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/MauiRhino/Billy%20Goat%2012-07-11/IMG_3911a.jpg

Loaded up.

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/MauiRhino/Billy%20Goat%2012-07-11/IMG_3912a.jpg

Congrats! Great looking goat, and sounds like it was quite the hunt.

Awesome story Congratulations!!