No matter where you embark on a mountain goat hunt, it will be an adventure. It will test your endurance. By its nature, mountain goat hunting takes you into places that you’d otherwise never venture. That’s precisely the appeal and that’s why we love it.

We receive many questions about the experience of a mountain goat hunt. So we would like to share a story of what that experience is like on our fly-in British Columbia hunts. Of course each hunt unfolds in completely different ways. But here’s what the experience is like for many of our hunters each September…

Mountain goat hunters arrive in Smithers, British Columbia the day before their charter flight into our remote lodge. Smithers is a popular destination for hunters, steelhead fishermen and skiers so the small airport is always abuzz with excitement and the anticipation of adventure.

After a good night’s sleep at the hotel in Smithers, it’s time for the adventure to begin! A shuttle will take you to the airfield for your charter flight. You’re about to head into the most remote part of British Columbia.

When your pilot finally circles the lodge for landing, our crew will be there along the grass airstrip to help you off the plane. Welcome to North River Outfitting headquarters in B.C.! Inside the lodge, you can relax and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. You will have a chance to organize your gear for the hunt and make sure everything is in order.

Depending on the specific situation, we may fly you out that very afternoon to your hunt location. Or you may leave the main lodge the next morning. Either way, your next step is to board a floatplane for your final charter to an even more remote destination.

Here at North River Outfitting, we do not use horses. There are no long rides to reach your hunting area. The remote location of our main lodge allows us to fly multiple trips out to hunting camps with light loads. That means we can land on lakes and set camps in places that would be inaccessible to anyone else. We hunt areas where there’s no other human impact. Period.

Additionally, this area is so large that when you fly into your hunt area, we may not have killed a mountain goat there for two or three years. We can manage harvests that conservatively and still, we’ve only explored half of this area. It’s that big. This also means that game density and trophy quality is at its best.

When you take off from our main lodge en route to your final hunt destination, you will have the opportunity to see some incredible sights along the way. It’s not uncommon to pass groups of mountain goats on adjacent mountainsides. When you finally touch down, you will be in an area where most of the wildlife has probably never seen a person. This is where the adventure begins!

On a mountain goat hunt, you will be accompanied by your guide and sometimes an assistant guide. Your guide may choose to set camp near your drop-off location. Or he may want to shoulder backpacks right away and move further up into goat country. Backpacking should be an expected part of these high-adventure hunts.

On a typical day of hunting in the remote wilderness, our guides will heat water for coffee or tea and quick breakfast of Mountain House or instant oatmeal. We will provide plenty of bars and other snacks. If you’re lucky, Maria will send some of her homemade bread, cookies or pastries along with your guide! After a quick bite to eat, you’ll be heading out after your mountain goat!

You can expect steep country and an adventurous day of hunting and glassing these spectacular peaks and basins. When you spot that mature billy, the stalk is on! Getting within range of a big billy is rarely a cakewalk. It might require serious elevation gain or side-hilling along steep ridgelines or through rocky scree slopes. This is where you’ll be glad you’re in good shape!

There’s nothing quite like sneaking up over a ridge and seeing those white shapes within range. In most cases there will be multiple goats within view. Your guide will help talk you through it, making sure you’re on the best billy. After the glassing, the approach and a challenging stalk it will finally be time to squeeze off the shot!

After some celebration and photos, our guide will get to work breaking down your goat. It’s always fun making that victorious hike back to your camp with the cape and meat on your backs. You’ll be sore that night as you finally rest at camp, but you’ll still find it hard to wipe the big smile off your face.

In the case of most combo hunts, you will be able to continue hunting for other species for the duration of your hunt. Meanwhile, your cape will be flown back to our main lodge to be salted. But in any case, when your hunt is complete, you and your guide will also be flown back to our main lodge, usually for one night before you must return to Smithers and civilization.

By the end of your trip you’ll feel like family here. We will wave goodbye from the airstrip as your charter departs. Many of our hunters return, and we hope you do to!

We hope this gives you a better idea of the mountain goat hunting experience that we offer here at North River Outfitting in British Columbia. If you’d like more information, please explore the rest of our website at NorthRiverOutfitting.com or call us at 780-675-1942. You can also contact us online.