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This week, Cal tackles the latest update on the gray wolf debate, pigs with blue meat, a zoo that feeds pets to animals, and a province-wide hiking ban.

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There’s something alluring, almost sacred, about the idea of finding a buck’s bed, especially if it’s still warm or matted with white hair. It’s kind of like the scene in No Country for Old Men when Sheriff Bell finds the still-sweating glass of milk that Chigurh, the ruthless mercenary, drank from just minutes before. It’s an indicator that you’re on the trail, even if you’re a few steps behind. As tantalizing as a fresh buck bed is, do you really need to find it to kill a specific buck (or any)?

If you’re not familiar with the term, backtracking a buck is a way of retracing a buck’s sign (rubs, tracks, etc.) to its presumed bed/bedding area. This might present a relatively painless process in areas with limited cover. In that instance, you can probably assume, with some confidence, where a buck spends a lot of his time. However, in cover-rich areas, like the big woods or even in steep hill country, you might want to forget about specific beds.

Bedding areas tend to be more general than we think. In fact, research shows that in areas where cover isn’t a limiting factor, bucks rarely bed in the exact spot twice. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t continue bedding in the same general area. So what does that mean for hunting?

For starters, you can quit hyper-fixating on locating a specific buck bed. That should come as a relief. Instead, focus on other, more tangible sign like tracks, trails, creek crossings, or even land features like edges that lead away from general bedding. These are also excellent places to drop a trail camera if you want visual confirmation that a buck is using a specific bedding area.

If you snag multiple pictures of a buck or see that he frequents a particular area, then you can confidently assume that he’s staying there (for a certain time, anyway). From that general area, you can then start to formulate how that buck navigates the landscape, and how you can ambush him.

For some reason, deer tracks don’t get the love they deserve. I get it. Chest-high rubs are cool, but big, fresh tracks should get you just as excited. Like other deer sign, where you find a track is key. You might spot a huge track on the edge of a field, but the odds of a buck using that in daylight hours decrease as the season goes on. Besides, you probably didn’t need a track to tell you that bucks frequent food plots or cut corn fields at night.

Instead, look for trails or crossings within the sweet spot of a general bedding area. Usually, that distance tends to be within 100 to 200 yards from bedding. The closer to bedding you find a good track (whatever that means to you), the more likely you are to see that deer during shooting hours.

In some ways, tracks can be more reliable indicators than rubs or scrapes, especially if you’re trying to figure out a buck’s specific travel route. The direction of the track, with other context clues, can tell you how a buck travels.

This isn’t always the case with rubs or scrapes. If you’ve ever watched a buck make a rub or scrape, then you know it’s not always a linear process. Sure, a line of rubs can certainly tip you off. However, bucks tend to approach scrapes from the downwind side and that doesn’t always align with their travel route. Though not always the case, tracks tend to give more accurate clues as to a buck’s travel.

When it comes to buck movement, it can be tempting to think in linear terms. The bedding is point A, food source is point B. Rather than a straight line though, the path between those points meanders a lot more than you might think, especially in places like the big woods or flat country. Instead of trying to find a specific bed or food source (which is unlikely in the big woods), you sort of have to bet on staging areas or travel routes if you want a legit shot.

Instead of worrying about specific beds or bedding sites, focus on finding the specific trail(s) that bucks prefer. This is where finding good tracks will be more useful than finding a rub here and there. Get away from the pretty, open woods and look for trails that wind through good screening cover. If you can’t see more than thirty or so yards, you’re probably in the right place.

Several years ago, I killed a buck on a creek crossing, where I noticed a nice set of tracks going up and down both sides of the banks. There wasn’t a rub within at least 100 yards of where I killed that buck, but there was plenty of cover along the creek where he was more than happy to travel. It also helped that I set up within 100 yards or so of the general bedding area.

You don’t need to know exactly where a buck lays his head to kill him. The next time you try to backtrack a buck, just remember it’s not as far back as you think.

Feature image via Matt Hansen Photography.

Hosts Randall Williams, Spencer Neuharth, and Cory Calkins chat with Kevin Hogan of Rock Island Auction, have a listener submitted Hot Tip-Off, dive into 1997's Wild America in the MeatEater Movie Club, and share some bespoke Top 3s.

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It's been said that you can't go home again. Brent's putting that theory to the test this week as he returns to a special place, the Saline River. It's a place in Southern Arkansas his family has generations of history, and he's sharing two very similar stories, from two different decades. Can you go home again? That's a question Brent's trying to answer on this episode of MeatEater's "This Country Life" podcast.

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently announced citations in a startling case of marine wildlife poaching. According to a Facebook post, CDFW officers were on a routine patrol on the evening of August 1, when they encountered suspicious activity around 11 p.m. near Royal Palms Beach in Los Angeles.

The CDFW watched four individuals in diving gear actively catching and bringing ashore spiny lobsters for several hours, despite the season having been closed in March.

“At about 3 a.m., the suspects left the area,” wrote a CDFW spokesperson. “Wildlife officers initiated contact and the suspects attempted to flee on foot. A short search led to the suspects who were apprehended without further incident.”

By then, the four individuals had stashed a whopping number of illegally caught spiny lobsters—a popular recreational target for divers and hoopnetters in the Golden State. In total, they had 236 of them, with 210 of them being undersized. In contrast, during the legal spiny lobster season, individuals are only allowed to take seven per person with a minimum size of 3 and ¼ inches.

“Fortunately, most of the poached lobsters were still alive and were safely returned back into the ocean after a quick count and photographs for evidence,” explained CDFW. “All four individuals were cited for multiple misdemeanor violations.”

Those violations include the taking of lobster during the closed season, possessing undersized lobster, commercialization without a license, no fishing license, and no measuring device. The agency did not release the fines and other punishments the individuals received, nor did it explain why none of them were charged with felonies given the shocking number of lobsters they attempted to poach.

This isn’t the first case of extreme infractions involving marine wildlife recorded in California this year. In June, MeatEater reported on poaching busts in California involving white sturgeon and Chinook salmon—both imperiled species in the state. In one of those cases, officials apprehended 150 pounds of salmon roe—collected from at least 75 fish—that was destined for the black market.

Feature image via California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Texas wildlife officials have named the suspects at the center of a massive smuggling operation to illegally transport whitetail deer across the state–and one of the alleged smugglers is on the board of the Texas Deer Association.

These “ghost deer,” as they’ve come to be called, were allegedly transported between breeding facilities in an attempt to skirt the rules designed to limit the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.

Texas Game Wardens previously announced that 22 suspects had been charged with a total of 1,200 charges in connection to this scheme. But none of the suspects were named, which indicated that the investigation was still ongoing. Yesterday, the agency revealed that the investigation had reached a “possible conclusion” after two additional suspects turned themselves in on felony charges.

Ken Schlaudt, 64, of San Antonio, the owner of four deer breeding facilities and one release site, along with facility manager Bill Bowers, 55, of San Angelo, surrendered to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office on charges of felony tampering with a governmental record. Schlaudt is a prominent deer breeder and had until yesterday been listed as a board member of the Texas Deer Association.

He and Bowers have been accused of entering false information into the Texas Wildlife Information Management System (TWIMS) to facilitate illegal smuggling of whitetail breeding deer. They also face more than 100 misdemeanor charges related to unlawful breeder deer activities in Tom Green County.

“An operation of this size and scope did not develop overnight and the widespread violations may have continued unchecked, posing an even greater threat to Texas’ deer populations and the integrity of the deer breeding industry, if not for the hard work of Texas Game Wardens,” Col. Ron VanderRoest said in a statement.

Schlaudt at a high fence ranch. (Ken Schlaudt Facebook)

“We applaud the Texas Game Wardens and the entire Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on this investigation and hope it leads to justice for anyone convicted of putting wild deer and deer hunting at risk for their own profit,” Nick Pinizzotto, President & CEO of the National Deer Association, told MeatEater.

“Captive deer from CWD-positive facilities in Texas have already been transported to numerous other facilities and counties in Texas, some of which later tested positive for this fatal deer disease," he continued. "Widespread smuggling operations such as these must be investigated and stopped, and captive deer breeding facilities must be regulated to prevent further spread of CWD and greater harm to wild whitetails – a resource that belongs to all Texans.”

But Schlaudt told MeatEater via text message that "we have not had wild deer to smuggle on our ranch in nearly 10 years."

"We only run exotics on the open ranch. My belief is that they are targeting TDA board members and some of those who have actively lobbied against [the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]," he said.

Bill Bowers, Schlaudt's facility manager, also spoke out on Facebook, saying in a comment, "It will all come out like it’s supposed to … no one here is or has smuggled deer."

One of Schlaudt’s ranches, Rockin S Ranch in San Angelo, Texas, bills itself as a “prime location for hunting, sightseeing, and premium Exotics and Whitetail genetics.”

The “Whitetails” page of its website describes how the facility has been steadily expanding its whitetail herd as they strive for “big, beautiful typicals.” But the “top bloodlines” they brag about are anything but typical and include massive nontypical sires dubbed Gunslinger, Freeze Frame, High Heat, Triple Crown, and Maxbo.

In a Facebook post from 2022, Schlaudt advertised the sale of does that produced these yearling bucks.

Schlaudt was listed as a board member for Region 1 of the Texas Deer Association (TDA) (which has no affiliation with the National Deer Association), but his name has since been removed from the organization’s website. An organization spokesperson did not respond directly when asked if Schlaudt was still a member of the board.

“If someone, whether they are a TDA member or not, is alleged to have violated the law, TDA believes that proven bad actors should be held accountable,” they said via email. “Every TDA board member has a duty to follow the Code of Ethics and policies of TDA, and any violation will be addressed accordingly by TDA leadership.”

The TDA describes itself as the “unified voice of deer enthusiasts.” They say they promote “the welfare and health of our animals” and pursue “the best methods for the management of deer.”

The group is widely considered to be the advocacy arm of deer breeders in Texas.

The "ghost deer" investigation has uncovered what Texas Game Wardens call “widespread, coordinated deer breeding violations.” They say breeders have smuggled captive breeder deer and free-range whitetail deer between breeder facilities and ranches, and violated rules about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing and other licensing. Officials say they have also leveled misdemeanor and felony drug charges against some breeders relating to the possession and mishandling of prescribed sedation drugs classified as controlled substances.

In total, 24 people have been hit with approximately 1,400 charges in this case.

Cases are pending adjudication in Bandera, Bee, Brazoria, Duval, Edwards, Jim Wells, Live Oak, Montgomery, Tom Green, Travis and Webb counties.

The Wardens say this is one of the biggest deer smuggling operations in Texas history.

Feature image via Ken Schlaudt Facebook.

This week on the show I’m running Terry Drury, of Drury Outdoors, through our What Would You Do gauntlet, giving us insight into exactly how he'd handle some of the most challenging deer hunting scenarios I could throw at him.

Check out the new Wired to Hunt vintage hat!

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Join us for an inspiring episode with Kip Fulks, co-founder of Under Armour. Kip takes us on his remarkable journey from college athletics to building a global sportswear empire, and now thriving as the owner of a hunting outfit in the wilds of Alaska. He opens up about redefining success, sharing how his perspective evolved from chasing ambition to finding true fulfillment in unexpected places.

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On August 5, a federal judge in Missoula, Montana, vacated a 2024 ruling by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that refused to re-list the Northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. The decision threatens the current status of this wolf population and could eventually result in an end to hunting and trapping in three western states.

Already, a coalition of sporting groups have appealed the judge’s decision, adding another chapter in the seemingly endless story of the battle over wolves in the West.

“Safari Club International (SCI) is frustrated that the court ignored the reality of successful wolf conservation in the Western U.S. and instead ruled in favor of the plaintiffs’ arguments that are clearly biased against state wildlife management and counter to the law and the science,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “SCI will appeal this mistaken ruling as soon as possible in order to defend legal, regulated hunting as part of science driven, state wildlife management programs for wolf species.”

A quick refresher for those just joining the story: In 2009, after almost 40 years, gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains were de-listed from the Endangered Species Act after their numbers rebounded from almost nothing in the 1970s to well past their target number of 450 in this region by the mid-2000s.

In 2011, Congress turned over management of this population of grey wolves to five states: Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, as well as Oregon and Washington in the eastern one-third of their states. (Wolves are still listed as threatened in Minnesota and remain endangered in the other 44 states following a 2022 court decision.)

Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho wasted no time in establishing wolf hunting and trapping seasons. In Montana's case, they aimed to reduce the state’s population of around 1,100 wolves to 500, a number mandated by the Montana state legislature in 2021 as a “sustainable level.” Despite hunters and trappers taking significant numbers of wolves every year–including 326 in 2020 and 297 last year–populations have remained steady around the 1,000 mark.

Those healthy populations are what led US Fish and Wildlife to reject the re-listing, writing, “We concluded that the gray wolf in the Western United States is not in danger of extinction, or likely to become in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future, throughout all of its range or in any significant portion of its range.”

But those same stable populations have led the Montana state legislature to consider even more aggressive wolf-reduction measures, including a possible unlimited quota to get to that target number of 500 wolves. A recent proposal by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks doesn’t go that far, but it would significantly expand wolf hunting and trapping, increasing the statewide wolf quota from 334 to 500, and liberalizing bag limits to allow 15 wolves to be taken with a single hunting or trapping license. That means that one person could theoretically take a total of 30 wolves per season. Although that’s likely to increase the annual wolf harvest, those changes still aren’t likely to crater this population of wolves.

However, Donald Molloy, the U.S. district judge who struck down the Fish and Wildlife determination, cited the Montana legislature’s mandates as justification for his ruling, agreeing with the plaintiffs that the state laws are “politically motivated, legislative interference with agency discretion and management authority.” He also ruled that states are not using the “best available science” required by the ESA to arrive at their estimations of wolf populations–Montana uses hunter surveys and statistical models rather than direct observation of animals in the wild.

Molloy went on to state that US Fish and Wildlife didn’t adequately consider recovery of wolves across their entire historical range in their decision. Of course, if wolves returned to their full range from before European contact, they’d likely be in your backyard right now.

His decision comes as the result of a saga that began in 2021, when a coalition of advocacy groups filed a petition with the USFWS asking them to re-list gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and strip management power from the states. Those groups sued when the USFWS denied the petition last year, and this judge’s ruling is the first step in that legal process.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte’s office responded immediately to the ruling: “Montana has a healthy, sustainable population of wolves. While we are reviewing the decision, it will not implicate our state’s management efforts or our wolf season.”

Safari Club International, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation also announced their intention to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“This ruling is the latest string of nonstop litigation by environmental groups seeking to frustrate the original intent of the ESA, which is to recover endangered species and return them to state-based management, not keep them perpetually listed and under the authority of the federal government,” Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation President and CEO Kyle Weaver said in a press release. “Whether it’s the wolf or the grizzly bear, once an animal receives ESA protections, it becomes nearly impossible to remove them, even if populations meet recovery criteria over an extended period of time. The ESA needs an adjustment to renew its focus on real species recovery.”

Judge Molloy’s ruling does not change the status of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, so this year’s hunting and trapping season should be unaffected. But if sportsmen’s groups fail in their appeal, it could jeopardize state control of the iconic species and return all wolves back to the Endangered Species List.

Wildlife management via the courts isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, but that’s what we’re likely to get for the foreseeable future.

I like weird guns. There are only so many bolt-action hunting rifles you can write about in a year, so when the GOAT-15 crossed my radar, I was intrigued.

The GOAT-15 is (as far as I can tell) the lightest semi-automatic rifle in the world. It looks and feels like a miniature AR-15, complete with the same fire controls, pistol grip, and adjustable stock. But closer inspection reveals that this is a totally new firearm. It was designed from the ground up by Mountain Billy Gun Lab (MBGL) of Charleston, Utah, as the ultimate lightweight .22 LR rifle for backcountry small game hunting, plinking at the range, or training up a young adventurer.

My experience with the rifle has been good, but I’ll be curious to see if this concept takes off. After their initial launch at SHOT Show in 2024, MBGL has introduced short-barreled and pistol versions of the same platform, and they’ve also teased an AK-47 variant. That product expansion indicates strong sales, but I’m not sure hunters and gun owners are really clamoring for a three-pound AR-15.

Only time will tell, but I can say one thing for sure: it’s a fascinating concept, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.

Mountain Billy Gun Labs is only a few years old, but getting to this point has been a long and tumultuous road for founder Eric Schmid.

“Our family business was making bolts for Cricket [rifles] when I had the idea, and that was about 5 years ago,” Eric told me via email.

Eric’s original concept was to market a miniature AR-15 to parents who wanted to introduce their kids to the platform. Dubbed the “JR-15,” this rifle launched at SHOT Show in 2020, and I remember walking past their booth. It was located in the basement of the conference center, but the crowds around the booth rivaled those of the larger companies on the main showroom floor.

That attention, as you might imagine, was both positive and negative.

“Thirty or so senators wrote letters to the Federal Trade Commission to have us investigated before we had sold even one rifle,” Eric said. “Posters made from our website made their way to the House floor in good ol' Nancy Pelosi’s and Chuck Schumer’s hands.”

Rather than go bankrupt at the hands of regulators and government lawyers, Eric and his team decided to re-tool. They positioned their new rifle, the GOAT-15, as a lightweight backpacking rifle, though it retained the same miniature dimensions as the JR-15.

Gun companies are always cautious about marketing firearms “for kids.” That’s understandable for all kinds of reasons, both legal and political. But hunters can appreciate the benefits of developing a kid’s marksmanship skills as early as possible. Unless you want to wait until your favorite hunting buddy is nearly grown to join you in the woods, it helps to have a firearm that fits their stature. My son struggles to shoot most rifles off-hand or even leaning against a tree. That’s a problem in the squirrel woods since those fuzzy-tailed critters don’t tend to stay still long enough to build a stable shooting position. The GOAT-15’s ultra-light weight solves this problem, and it’s quickly become my kid’s favorite rifle.

Mountain Billy Gun Labs might not be able to market the GOAT-15 as a youth rifle, but I don’t have any problem saying that its miniature components will help jump start your mini-me's small game aspirations.

Those components will look and feel familiar to anyone who’s had experience with an AR-15–they’re just about 20% smaller. The pistol grip is in the same location and has the same angle, and its size is perfect for smaller hands. But even my medium-sized mitts didn’t have much trouble maintaining control of the firearm, and I was able to fit three fingers around the grip.

The stock can be adjusted to seven different positions, though adult users will need to use it at its most extended. Even then, the shrunken length of pull makes shooting the rifle feel a little cramped. It’s doable, but not the most comfortable.

The trigger is heavy, but that's what you want on a gun you hand to a youngster. My trigger gauge clocked it at 7.5 pounds, which is heavier than pretty much any other modern hunting rifle. That helps ensure your kid has to really want to pull the trigger before the gun goes bang. Just don’t let them get used to the GOAT-15 and then switch to a lighter trigger—at least not without a few dry fires first. That’s a recipe for an unintentional discharge if I’ve ever heard one.

Another instructor-friendly feature of the GOAT-15 is the knob on the opposite side of the safety selector. This knob can be pulled out and rotated to lock the selector on “safe.” This requires about 15 pounds of force, so it can’t be undone unintentionally or by little fingers, and it offers an added layer of safety when traveling with the rifle or handling it at the range.

Along similar lines, the gun also comes with a one-round magazine (as well as a 10-round magazine). This allows an instructor to train the fundamentals of gun safety without having to worry about another round being loaded into the chamber. It’s also useful in a hunting scenario when the excitement of a shot might induce forgetfulness about whether or not another round has been loaded.

The rest of the rifle’s features are self-explanatory. The full-length picatinny rails allows users to mount optics and accessories, the 1/2x28 threaded barrel accepts most .22 LR muzzle devices and suppressors, and the handguard has M-LOK slots for bipods and other shooting aids. The rifle does look a little silly with a full-sized scope, but it’s great with a red dot, iron sights, or smaller, LPVO/fixed-power scope.

Weight (unloaded): 2 lbs 14 oz

Weight (with loaded 10 round mag): 3 lbs 2 oz

Barrel length: 16" CMV Steel

Barrel Specs: 1:16 Right Hand Twist Threaded 1/2-28

Size: 27.75” – 30.75” (Fully Extended)

Cartridge: .22 Cal

Safety: Patented Tamper Resistant

Action: Blow Back, Single Shot, Semi-Automatic

Lower: Polymer

Upper: Polymer

Rail: Standard Picatinny Rail With M-Lok

Buttstock: 7 Position Adjustable

Magazine: Ships with 1 Rd and 10 Rd

Sight: Not Included (Red Dot Recommended)

MSRP: $469.99

The .22 LR is a famously dirty cartridge, so it’s important that any semi-auto rimfire be easy to disassemble and clean. The GOAT-15 isn’t as easy to take apart as an AR-15, but it’s not difficult, and definitely easier than a 10/22. Two Chicago screws replace the takedown pins and can be unscrewed using a flathead on one side and an Allen wrench on the other.

Once the upper receiver has been removed from the lower, the charging handle and bolt assembly can be removed from the rear of the upper. You’ll notice that there isn’t actually a buffer or buffer spring in the “buffer tube.” The bolt assembly functions entirely within the upper receiver, much like a 10/22. That allows MBGL to easily convert a rifle into a pistol with a folding stock: all they have to do is cut off the tube and replace it with a picatinny rail.

After you disassemble the upper and lower, you can clean the barrel like normal. You can also remove the firing pin form the bolt assembly, though the bolt carrier doesn't easily break down any further. I found that a good spray with some cleaning solvent and a new light coat of oil keeps it functioning smoothly.

Part of why the GOAT-15 is so light is due to its polymer upper and lower. This isn’t ideal for maximum durability, as any AR-15 aficionado will tell you. The good news is that you probably aren’t taking the GOAT-15 to Fallujah or using it as a crowbar in your next home renovation project. Under normal use conditions, which include taking the rifle into the backcountry, I wouldn’t worry about the polymer receivers failing. Polymer AR-15 lowers usually fail at the buffer tube attachment point due to recoil from the bolt into the buffer assembly. The .22 LR doesn’t produce enough recoil for that to be a concern, and the force on the rear of the receiver is mitigated by the spring system. As for the upper, the torque required to secure the .22 LR barrel is minimal enough that MBGL isn’t concerned about attaching it to the polymer receiver.

And, for what this is worth, MGBL reps tell me they sent a GOAT-15 to an Iowa gun range that put 80,000 rounds through their rifle and it’s still going strong.

Of course, while the proprietary parts used to build the GOAT-15 save an incredible amount of weight, the rifle is also incompatible with standard AR-15 parts (including magazines). If you were hoping to install a lighter aftermarket trigger or a more comfortable stock, you’re SOL: this is one AR-type rifle that can’t be easily modified. You can purchase a full-sized gun or use a conversion kit to turn your centerfire into a rimfire, but both of these options maintain a standard AR’s weight.

I did not have high hopes that this rifle would be a tack driver. Semi-auto .22’s can be incredibly accurate, but I wasn’t expecting much from a new rifle from a new company.

With a .22 LR, I’m always happy with a one-inch group at 50 yards. A squirrel’s head is usually over an inch wide, so I figure that’s a pretty good benchmark. I was surprised to find that the GOAT-15 averaged a one-inch group at 50 yards with three different kinds of ammunition, one of which is designed specifically for small game. The SK Match earned the top spot with this half-inch group.

You’ll notice that the GOAT-15 did have some trouble with the last two loads in the chart above. The CCI Clean grouped well enough, but not as well as the others. And those 36-grain pills from Federal sprayed all over the page, so I gave up trying to shoot groups after 10 or 15 shots. That one “group” measured about six inches.

I’m not sure why I saw so much variance between .22 cartridges, but I can tell you it’s pretty common. Rimfire accuracy is just as much about the ammunition as the rifle, so most rifles will run into ammo it just can’t group. I don’t see that as a knock on the GOAT-15, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find ammo it shoots well.

For me, this was the real test for the GOAT-15. Even the most expensive semi-auto .22’s can struggle to reliably cycle, mostly because the .22 Long Rifle is insanely dirty. Those all-lead bullets leave shavings in the action, bullet lube gets left in the barrel/action and collects dirt, the powder doesn’t always burn completely, and the primer leaves residue. All of that crap collects even more quickly while using a suppressor, which pushes it back towards the action.

This means that all semi-auto .22’s need to be cleaned periodically to function. The question is, how long will they run before they start to jam?

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the GOAT-15 handled the various kinds of ammunition I threw at it. I’ve been plinking in the back yard for the last few months, and I’ve only cleaned it once, even though I’ve used a suppressor most of the time.

I was also happy to see how well it cycled standard-velocity, subsonic ammunition. Slow .22 sometimes doesn’t have enough juice to push a semi-auto bolt carrier back far enough to strip the next cartridge. But I found that the GOAT-15 ran just fine with the SK Match and CCI Small Game loads, both of which hovered around 1,000 fps. Eric tells me that in their experience, the gun usually cycles well with anything above 900 fps.

I’m not the only one who’s had a good experience with the GOAT-15’s reliability. Matt Miller, the Director of Content Partnerships here at MeatEater, also got a chance to take a different sample of this rifle for a spin. He told me that after making sure the action is well-lubed, the GOAT-15 has run perfectly with four different kinds of subsonic ammunition. He hasn’t conducted formal accuracy testing with a magnified optic, but he says he can hit a Coke can consistently at 50-100 yards, which is all you can ask of a double-deuce.

My only reliability issue came from the 40-grain CCI Clean ammo. Federal released these a few years ago. The bullets are covered in a kind of polymer, which supposedly makes the bullets feed more consistently and leaves behind less residue. During my accuracy testing, I fired the first three groups without any trouble, but then a cartridge got stuck halfway up the feed ramp. I cleared the jam, but after that, a cartridge would fail to chamber about every five or six rounds.

The problem resolved when I switched to a different cartridge, so I’m confident the problem was caused by the bullet and not the rifle. Those cartridges are a few years old, so I wonder if the polymer coating degrades and ends up causing more issues than it solves.

Much like accuracy, you’ll probably run into one or two cartridges the rifle just doesn’t like (for whatever reason). This is normal for a semi-auto rimfire, and it’s not a knock on its overall reliability.

The GOAT-15 functions exactly as advertised: it’s insanely light, compact, accurate, and reliable. But the question remains: does it meet an actual need?

For your average small game hunter, I think the answer is no. There are more ergonomic rifles for adults, and I don’t know many squirrel hunters who complain about the weight of their rimfire after a morning in the woods.

That being said, there are definitely categories of hunters and sport shooters who will love this gun.

The original concept was to make an AR-15 for youth and other small-statured people. For that, it’s perfect. There is almost zero learning curve with a red dot, and its short length-of-pull means kids can get into the eye box of a magnified optic without craning their necks. All the furniture and controls are designed for smaller people, and the weight allows for easy carrying and shouldering. My son took this rifle on what turned out to be an unsuccessful squirrel hunt, and despite not remembering to bring a sling, he never complained about carrying his rifle on our five mile walk through the swamps of East Texas.

In some scenarios, adults will find the GOAT-15 useful as well. If you’re going on a backcountry small game hunt or you’re backpack camping and want a long gun without adding too much weight, the GOAT-15 is a great option. Even big game hunters might consider toting along a GOAT-15 Atom pistol with a folding stock for some impromptu small game hunting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting in a deer stand wishing I had a .22 to take care of chattering squirrels. The Atom pistol would fit in a backpack, and a suppressed, subsonic .22 is insanely quiet. If I'm not optimistic about deer movement during one of my sits, those squirrels might be headed for the frying pan this Fall.

Bottom line? The GOAT-15 might not be for everyone, but if you ever need an ultra-lightweight semi-auto rimfire, this rifle could be exactly what you're looking for.