Bowhunter bags massive mountain goat in Alaska, sets new world record

[Graybeard]

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/bowhunter-mountain-goat-alaska-world-record

By Michael Hollan | Fox News



Now that’s a big goat.

A hunter from Alaska has been recognized by one of the country’s leading bowhunting and conservation organizations for harvesting a world record goat. While the animal was harvested several months ago, it was only just recently certified by the organization.

Kaleb Baird harvested a mountain goat that was officially scored at 53 4/8 inches, according to a press release from the Pope & Young Club. Baird originally bagged the goat in Alaska back in September of this year.


Baird explained to the Pope and Young Club that due to his highly unpredictable work schedule, he wasn’t able to secure a hunting partner. Instead, he said, "I headed up the mountain solo during the second week of September. It just so happened to be the best stretch of weather we had for the entire year in Southeast Alaska. I found this billy on day four and spent the first half of the day ascending to his perch. By the time I got there he’d moved, and I thought I’d lost him for the day."

Fortunately, Baird was able to locate the goat.


"One last pass through his previous hangout and I stumbled right into him and a smaller partner," he said. "He stood for a great 31-yard shot but managed to make the edge of the mountain and drop into a nasty avalanche chute for his final dash."

When Baird finally found the goat, he initially thought that one of its horns had been shattered in the fall, but he says the horn was only slightly damaged, and the other appeared to be in great condition. "I could tell his left horn was absolutely world-class," he said.


A panel of judges from Pope & Young recently officially recognized the goat's score, which reportedly surpassed the previous record by 2/8 of an inch.

[Ranger99]

I hunted with a man that had killed
a big sheep of whatever kind is in
Alaska, and he said going up and
down those mountains in that
freezing weather was harder than
when he went through basic training
I tried to go in the southern Rockies,
but my lungs couldn't take the
10,000 11,000 foot thin air

[Doublebass73]

Mountain goat hunting is probably the most athletic hunting there is out there. You need to be in serious physical shape to do that, just the cardio training alone required to do that is intense.

[BUGEYE]

Mountain goat hunting is probably the most athletic hunting there is out there. You need to be in serious physical shape to do that, just the cardio training alone required to do that is intense.

This
You have to be about as tough as the goat to hunt him.

[Ranger99]

I don't know that I could get used
to that high altitude thin air with
my low land lungs.
Some of them would go for extra
time and spend a week just lazing
around the week before hunting
to try to get used to the altitude

[Doublebass73]

I'm not used to those kinds of altitudes either, I know they would have a huge effect on me. The biggest mountain in my state is only 6288 ft, I spend a lot of time hiking and consider myself a fit hiker. I regularly hike mountains with 2500 - 3500 feet of elevation gain, I can do hikes like that in a matter of a couple hours and don't need to stop to rest at all but I can tell you if I went to where this mountain goat was shot I would be sucking wind and having a hard time breathing. I would need to train at those elevations for a while and work my way up to be able to be an effective mountain goat hunter even though I'm already in decent shape.