Went for a walk with purpose.

[shankspony]

Every year around this time a big old Billy shows up on my place. Ive watched him with temptation for a couple of years now as I knew he would be up there with some of the biggest Ive shot. Trouble was I had a feeling he wasn't as big as I hoped, for some reason. Anyway a couple of weeks ago I caught sight of him at a distance. He was back.  So on Sunday afternoon when I had some free time I grabbed my bow and went looking specifically for him. About 5pm I caught up with him with a small mob and could tell straight away that he had gone backwards in the last 8 months. The most spectacular thing about him used to be an amazing cape and beard that much resembled a Markhor goat. By far the best cape id seen on a goat! Much of it was now gone however. 
I snuck in to about 18 yards and let go an arrow which went through his chest quartering away. The tough old bugger should have keeled over but he kept hanging on and I had to follow him a couple of hundred meters and put another one into his neck when he gave me the chance.
He went a bit over 31 inch spread which was indeed smaller than I hoped, but to put it in perspective is still the third biggest billy i've shot by any means out of between 5 and 8,000 goats shot. And when I checked his teeth there was not a single one left in his mouth. Roughly I aged his growth rings at 13.5 years of age. The old knife in the second pic is one of my grandfathers from the 1930's. A folder with bull horn scales and sharp as hell! Would put most modern stainless jobs to shame!

[Bisch]

5-8000 goats????? Dang, that's a bunch!

Congrats on this one!

Bisch

[shankspony]

5-8000 goats????? Dang, that's a bunch!

Congrats on this one!

Bisch

Thanks Bisch, Yes I had a farm that ran 1500 sheep, but they continually had to compete with wild goats from the surrounding forests. For some time I was having to kill around a thousand a year. It got to be horrible work and ruined me for hunting for some time and was one of the main reasons I took up bowhunting, to bring the excitement and enjoyment back.

[Cory Mattson]

Very cool lots of wildlife Good Job
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[matt steed]

Congratulations.  Great job and great story. I have always heard those goats were tough. 

[fmscan]

So refreshing to learn about experiences of other hunters in the world. Love the horns on that critter. Is a goat like that good tablefare? 5-8,000 goats killed!!! talk about too much of a good thing, glad the bow brought back some of the pleasure of hunting.

[Wudstix]

Nice Ram and super cool knife.

[GCook]

Nice kill.

[rastaman]

Beautiful animal!  Love the knife.  Way to go sir!

[Alexander Traditional]

Very cool looking goat. I like the knife too,congrats.

[BRONZ]

5000-8000! Good gravy!
Great goat! Congrats!

[Car54]

Yes, bow hunting tends to do that.....congrats on the goat. 

[shankspony]

So refreshing to learn about experiences of other hunters in the world. Love the horns on that critter. Is a goat like that good tablefare? 5-8,000 goats killed!!! talk about too much of a good thing, glad the bow brought back some of the pleasure of hunting.

Thanks all for the reply's.
Old ones like this are pretty rank and not great eating as you would imagine. The younger ones are superb! IN NZ they have been looked down on for ever, though that is starting to change and Im part way through the process of being licensed/ legally allowed to harvest them from the wild and process/ sell them for human consumption. Which is an ideal I like much more.

[ozy clint]

really nice billy!

[mangonboat]

 

[Pete McMiller]

Nice Craig, thanks for sharing.   Glad you got your passion back. 

[hessian]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing