Crazy Mountains Mountain Goat

[Timberbeast7]

Got back from the fires in Arizona and found out I drew a goat tag in the Crazy Mtns. here in Montana. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated, especially when the snow typically starts to fly. I've shot p-dogs and coyotes all around the Crazys but never been in them so any insight on trails or areas to look would also be very helpful. I'm not hiring a guide and my job doesn't allow for summertime scouting trips but when I go over to hunt I plan on staying until I kill a goat.

 

[youngbuck]

Gongrats on the goat tag. It is at the top of my bucketlist. Thanks for the help on the fires in AZ. (sorry to get off topic) I'm assuming you were probably on the Wallow fire or Horseshoe 2. If you spent any time on the ground or inside the fire lines on the Wallow, care to share how badly it burned? Did you spend any time on the 25rd or around Reno look out?

 

[Timberbeast7]

Spent 14 days on the Wallow Fire. We were between Big Lake and Reservation Lake off hwy 273. From what I saw (very small area relative to how big the fire is) some areas were nuked but the vegetation varied enough in most areas that it burned pretty dirty (patchy, some areas burned and some didn't). We saw TONS of elk. Did you draw a tag in the area? I don't think I spent any time around either of the areas you mentioned.

 

[youngbuck]

Thank you for the 2 weeks you helped out.

I dont have an elk tag. But we (family and freinds) have taken probably a dozen bulls in that country. I have spent the last 20 years or so growing up hunting in there. I've spent most of my time on the SE side of the Black, pretty close to where the fire started in Bear wallow. I actually got my turkey probably 2 miles or so NW of the starting point in May. The area around Big Lake holds a ton of elk in the summer. I drove through that are about 2 months ago for my turkey hunt and saw a ton of elk too. It was hard to drive by big lake in the summer and not see a few dozen elk. I have heard that the area around Big Lake burned pretty hot. I've also heard other reports from further east that it isn't as sever as the Big Lake area. Ive been folowing pretty closely what AZGFD will do for the tagholders in unit 1 and 27 (they are split by the black, and the fire started in 27). Right now it looks like it will depend on what the forest service does with access.

 

[MTDOGGER]

Well congrats on drawing the tag. One of my buddys relatives have a place on the east side of the crazys and they have had alot of experience with the goat hunting in that area. The one thing theyve told me is to make sure you dont go to late in the year or when the snow starts because you wont be able to get in where the goats are. Theyve said that's the only problem with alot of hunters wanting to wait till they get really haired up and then when the snow flies they eat their tag. just something theyve told me and they've had alot of experience in that area so take it for what its worth, i personally have a curse and cant seem to draw that tag, but just keep trying. good luck