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 potential to cruise by essentially the most treacherous backcountry terrain at a shocking 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 persistent illness that impacts the central nervous system. MS principally 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 steadiness and coordination, which has led him to depend on a pair of strolling sticks. A extremely 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 mistaken as a result of I couldn’t run anymore,” 54-year-old Christensen says. “I cherished operating, however I might journey each from time to time as a result of my proper leg simply wouldn’t work proper.”

The analysis was devastating for a lifelong outdoorsman like Christensen.

“That analysis was powerful as a result of I used to be very, very energetic. I couldn’t discover anyone who may sustain with me,” he says. “It’s laborious now. Strolling has gotten actually laborious. And each time I’m going wherever, I’ve to make use of the strolling sticks. I’ve about worn them out. Some days simply actually harm, and it’s laborious 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 checklist was a Utah mountain goat. For many years he had dreamed of chasing goats in his unit, which comprises Mount Nebo, the very best peak within the Wasatch vary at virtually 12,000 ft.  

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 desire factors to his identify from 20 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 person else in my household drew something [in 2023]. It was like any individual stated, ‘Okay, right here’s your final hoorah, and everyone’s going to be there to assist.’”

Getting Dialed In

Searching goats in Utah’s Nebo unit isn’t simple. Mountain goats dwell 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 severe capturing expertise, saint-level endurance, and top-notch health. 

Christensen has six grown kids: 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 might show much more difficult for Christensen. Stalking over steep, rocky terrain was unimaginable, so he knew he must stretch the bounds of his efficient capturing vary. 

To try this, he had a rifle customized constructed for longer photographs. 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 Lower 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 right down to decrease elevations seeking 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 wherever.”

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

“We actually thought we have been going to go for a bit side-by-side journey. We thought we might go to the place the highway 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 shortly 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 an excellent goat,” she stated. “Get your gun prepared.”

Christensen hurried over as greatest he may to have a look. Positive 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 stand up and provides him a shot alternative, another hunters in ATVs rounded the mountain and began driving their method. At that time, the goat stood up, however as an alternative of turning broadside, he rotated and laid again down in the identical spot. Solely now, he was dealing with away from Christensen. 

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

Understanding that together with his restricted mobility he may not get one other alternative at a mountain goat from such a steady 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 their optics. 

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

As if to verify the miracle, an annular eclipse handed proper over them virtually 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 recuperate him, however that mountain is de facto fairly gnarly,” Christensen says. “I used to be going sluggish as a result of I had to make use of my strolling sticks.”

Jacori stayed together with her dad to make sure he didn’t take a tumble whereas the remainder of the household cast forward to get to his goat. Nearly 5 hours after he fired his two photographs, Christensen managed to hike virtually shut sufficient to place fingers on his goat. Nearly.

“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 changed into an emergency rescue. That was actually laborious. I couldn’t get any footage 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 mountaineering out of there at the hours of darkness could be far tougher and harmful for him.

“I used to be in all probability 300 yards from the path after 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 fingers 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 carry him over and set him down in entrance of me, nonetheless tied onto the pack,” Christensen says. “I acquired 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 everyone was hungry, so Christensen rolled his goat again up, and the entire group headed off the mountain with everyone smiling. Once they acquired dwelling, his spouse gave him an excellent scolding for mountaineering to this point throughout the mountain, after which fed everybody heat taco soup. They ate, laughed, and talked concerning the hunt till virtually midnight.  

“It was an excellent time. No one acquired harm. All of us made it out and in. I simply didn’t get to place my fingers on him proper the place he fell,” Christensen says. “It was a fairly cool feeling to know that I had waited all these years to attempt to get one and when it lastly occurred virtually everyone acquired to be there. He’s not a record-book goat, however he’s an excellent one. Means 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 word and that he acquired 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 choosing 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 fabricated from the billy’s cranium and duplicate horns made for every of his kids.