Last-Chance Billy: While Battling MS, a Diehard Hunter Draws a Once-in-a-Lifetime Mountain Goat Tag

Justin Christensen used to run all around the Utah mountains. Again within the day, his buddies dubbed him “the Mountain Goat” for his capability to cruise by means of probably the most treacherous backcountry terrain at a surprising tempo. After a long time of chasing huge mule deer bucks within the Wasatch Vary, Christensen knew the terrain and the habits of the animals that lived there by coronary heart.

However he doesn’t get out within the mountains a lot anymore. Christensen has secondary progressive a number of sclerosis, a continual illness that impacts the central nervous system. MS mainly causes the physique to assault itself by mistake. Which means Christensen’s as soon as match and wholesome physique is slowly weakening. He has hassle with stability and coordination, which has led him to depend on a pair of strolling sticks. A very good day for Christensen is one the place he doesn’t fall. 

He was identified with MS in 2014. On the time, he was serving because the chief of police for the small city of Escalante, inhabitants 821. 

“I knew one thing was improper as a result of I couldn’t run anymore,” 54-year-old Christensen says. “I beloved operating, however I might journey each occasionally as a result of my proper leg simply wouldn’t work proper.”

The prognosis was devastating for a lifelong outdoorsman like Christensen.

“That prognosis was powerful as a result of I used to be very, very lively. I couldn’t discover anyone who may sustain with me,” he says. “It’s onerous now. Strolling has gotten actually onerous. And every time I’m going anyplace, I’ve to make use of the strolling sticks. I’ve about worn them out. Some days simply actually harm, and it’s onerous to do something.”

Christensen shot loads of huge bucks and bulls throughout his heyday as a mountain hunter. However one critter that was nonetheless on his bucket listing was a Utah mountain goat. For many years he had dreamed of chasing goats in his unit, which accommodates Mount Nebo, the best peak within the Wasatch vary at nearly 12,000 toes.  

The odds for drawing a limited-entry, once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat tag within the Nebo unit are extremely steep. There are solely 9 resident “any weapon” goat tags for the unit and there could be greater than 600 Utah candidates in 2023. However Christensen had 20 choice factors to his title from twenty years price of making use of and ready. It was lastly his flip to win the lottery.

“My days have been numbered to attract this goat tag whereas I may nonetheless do one thing,” Christensen says. “I lastly drew a restricted entry, any weapon goat tag on the Nebo unit … It’s humorous as a result of no one else in my household drew something [in 2023]. It was like any individual stated, ‘Okay, right here’s your final hoorah, and all people’s going to be there to assist.’”

Getting Dialed In

Looking goats in Utah’s Nebo unit isn’t simple. Mountain goats stay within the worst terrain on earth: locations most different animals (together with people) can’t get to. A profitable hunt in goat nation often requires critical capturing abilities, saint-level endurance, and top-notch health. 

Christensen has six grown youngsters: Jacori, 31; Jaquel, 30; Brock, 26; Brittan, 25; Brayden, 22; and Jarrett, 20. All of them hunt and all have been stoked to assist their dad fill his goat tag. 

Getting shut sufficient to a goat to make an moral shot is difficult for hunters of their bodily prime, however it will show much more difficult for Christensen. Stalking over steep, rocky terrain was unimaginable, so he knew he must stretch the boundaries of his efficient capturing vary. 

To do this, he had a rifle customized constructed for longer pictures. His rig was constructed on a Remington 700 motion, chambered in 6.5-284 Norma, and topped with a 6.5-20x50mm Vortex Viper MIL-dot scope. 

His son-in-law labored up a handload utilizing Norma brass, 93 grains of Hodgdon H4831 Brief Minimize rifle powder, and a 143-grain Hornady ELD-X bullet. All that was left to do was for Christensen to place within the vary time. After loads of time getting snug with the rifle, he additionally confirmed his dope at elevation.

“About two weeks earlier than the hunt, we drove up on the mountain so I may shoot at elevation,” Christensen says. “I shot at 1,000 yards, and it was proper on. I used to be feeling fairly good, and my son-in-law was beaming.”

A Lengthy Shot

Christensen and his household determined that he ought to wait till as late within the season as doable to time his hunt with the rut, when billies are much less cautious and sometimes transfer all the way down to decrease elevations searching for nannies. However when early snowstorms hit Utah in October, Christensen determined it was time to make his transfer. 

“We selected the weekend earlier than the rifle deer hunt and that everybody would come to the home,” Christensen says. “My daughter and her husband introduced their horses, and we had side-by-sides. We have been ready to go nearly anyplace.”

Christensen, three of his youngsters, and their spouses loaded up their UTVs and took an outdated mining street up Mount Baldy the second weekend in October to search for goats. 

“We truthfully thought we have been going to go for a bit side-by-side experience. We thought we’d go to the place the street ends in a bit saddle, sit up there, and never see something,” Christensen says. “Then we have been going to return again down off the mountain, load the horses up and spend the evening on Dry Mountain. That was our plan.”

These plans modified rapidly when Christensen’s daughter Jacori stepped out of the UTV and stated, “Hey, Dad. I feel there’s a goat over there.”

After discussing whether or not the white object was truly a goat or only a goat-shaped rock, Jaquel pulled out her recognizing scope to settle the controversy. 

“No, that’s a goat. That’s a very good goat,” she stated. “Get your gun prepared.”

Christensen hurried over as greatest he may to have a look. Certain sufficient, the white blob was not a goat-shaped rock, however a pleasant billy mendacity down and dealing with the group. Christensen ranged him at 923 yards. 

“We didn’t assume we may get me any nearer,” Christensen says, “So we’re mendacity there on this saddle simply watching this goat, ready for him to maneuver so I can shoot. I felt actual snug capturing at that distance.” 

Whereas he was ready for the billy to rise up and provides him a shot alternative, another hunters in ATVs rounded the mountain and began driving their means. At that time, the goat stood up, however as a substitute of turning broadside, he rotated and laid again down in the identical spot. Solely now, he was dealing with away from Christensen. 

“We type of obtained nervous hoping that these hunters wouldn’t see him and attempt to shoot first,” Christensen says. 

Realizing that together with his restricted mobility he won’t get one other alternative at a mountain goat from such a secure place, Christensen determined he needed to shoot.

He steadied his crosshairs on the goat and broke a clear shot as his household noticed for him by means of their optics. 

“I ended up hitting him a bit decrease than I wished within the hind quarter,” Christensen says. “He was type of hobbling away, so I shot him once more. That point I hit him on the alternative aspect. That’s when he turned and tumbled down the hill into some pine bushes and out of sight.”

As if to substantiate the miracle, an annular eclipse handed proper over them nearly instantly after the shot, wrapping the mountain in an unearthly glow.

The Restoration

Now they needed to get to the billy and pack him off the mountain.

“We took off to get well him, however that mountain is admittedly fairly gnarly,” Christensen says. “I used to be going gradual as a result of I had to make use of my strolling sticks.”

Jacori stayed along with her dad to make sure he didn’t take a tumble whereas the remainder of the household solid forward to get to his goat. Virtually 5 hours after he fired his two pictures, Christensen managed to hike nearly shut sufficient to place palms on his goat. Virtually.

“I couldn’t get the final 100 yards to the goat. All people else was over there, however I couldn’t get to it,” Christensen says. “He’d fallen down a rocky chute that I simply didn’t dare attempt to cross. If I had fallen, that goat restoration would have was an emergency rescue. That was actually onerous. I couldn’t get any photos of me proper there with the goat the place he laid.”

At that time, sundown was urgent down on them, and Christensen determined to go again to the place that they had parked that morning. He knew that mountain climbing out of there at midnight could be far tougher and harmful for him.

“I used to be most likely 300 yards from the path once they handed me packing out my goat. Everybody was hustling as a result of it was getting darkish,” Christensen says. “I hadn’t even seen him but. I solely noticed the white hair as they packed him previous me.”

Christensen didn’t get the chance to put palms on his once-in-a-lifetime goat till he made it again to the parked side-by-side he’d rode in on that morning.

“They convey him over and set him down in entrance of me, nonetheless tied onto the pack,” Christensen says. “I obtained to unwrap him like a Christmas current and see him for the primary time. All I may say was, ‘Wow.’ I had no phrases.”

It was darkish and chilly, and all people was hungry, so Christensen rolled his goat again up, and the entire group headed off the mountain with all people smiling. After they obtained dwelling, his spouse gave him a very good scolding for mountain climbing to this point throughout the mountain, after which fed everybody heat taco soup. They ate, laughed, and talked concerning the hunt till nearly midnight.  

“It was a very good time. No one obtained harm. All of us made it out and in. I simply didn’t get to place my palms on him proper the place he fell,” Christensen says. “It was a reasonably cool feeling to know that I had waited all these years to try to get one and when it lastly occurred nearly all people obtained to be there. He’s not a record-book goat, however he’s a very good one. Method higher than I ever anticipated to get.”

Christensen isn’t looking this yr, not solely as a result of he didn’t draw any tags however as a result of his physique simply doesn’t work prefer it used to. He feels blessed to have ended final yr on such a excessive observe and that he obtained to share the expertise together with his household.

Learn Subsequent: Making the Shot on a Once-in-a-Lifetime Mountain Goat Hunt

He’s additionally trying ahead to selecting up his goat from the taxidermist. 

“I’m getting a life-sized mount,” Christensen says. “He has super-long, attractive white hair. I can’t wait to get him again.”

Along with his mount, Christensen is having casts product of the billy’s cranium and reproduction horns made for every of his youngsters.