Across most of North America the mountain goat hunting is an exclusive trip and difficult-to-draw tag. This means that for most people their first mountain goat tag is also their last. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in British Columbia where I get to hunt goats every year. Below are some tips to make sure that when you do get that elusive goat tag you are able to make the most of it.
Terrain
Unlike most ungulate species, mountain goat hunting is rarely about targeting food sources. The mountain goat has one of the most flexible and diverse diets of any of the North American game. They can subsist off lichen, pine needles, and traditional graze. This means that instead of focusing on feed, focus on terrain to locate goats.
Mountain goats like broken cliff terrain with ledges for bedding on the cliff face. They will feed in these draws as well. Oftentimes steep avalanche chutes where creeks run in the summers will create this type of terrain. When e-scouting, focus in on these draws and find north facing cliffs. Mountain goats have evolved to survive frigid conditions in the most unforgiving places on the continent and will try to stay out of the heat during most of the hunting season. This north facing avalanche chute contained 4 goats, all just below treeline.
Finding Mature Billies
Once you have identified good goat habitat, the next step is determining from a distance if the goats you’re looking at are likely to contain a trophy billy. Apart from November when the goats are rutting, if you see a large group of goats together it will typically be a band of nannies, kids, and sub-mature males. The mature billies will usually be off on their own or in a group of two with another mature male. Mature males do not cohabitate with kids through most of the year. For example, the band below is exceedingly unlikely to hold a trophy billy.
Another behavioural cue to key in on is that mature billies prefer more rugged, safer terrain than the nannies and kids. Likewise, kids and nannies show a preference for better quality feed. If you see a lone goat on a rugged cliff face, it’s likely that it is a mature billy. For example, the photo on the right is a mature billy, and the photo on the left is a nanny. From the distance these two photos were taken it is impossible to tell conclusively which is which, but the terrain they are in provide valuable information.
Because of the broken nature of goat country, just because you cannot see goats does not mean they are not there. Looking for well used trails across harsh terrain can give away the presence of goats that are bedded in a small crevasse or on a ledge out of sight. We glassed this drainage for several hours before finding this billy. However, we could see a network of game trails throughout the cliffs, one of which is visible in the right hand side of this photo. This strategy is particularly useful when glassing snow covered terrain as oftentimes the tracks are easier to spot than the goats themselves.
Judging Goats
Finally, mountain goats are one of the toughest animals to judge on the hoof for trophy quality. Judging goats is as much an art as a science and it’s important not to rely on one single attribute to make a determination of sex. This is not a comprehensive list, but below are some of the factors I take into account when judging goats.
Colour
Billies will roll in their beds and urine. This gives their coats a more yellow hue than nannies and kids. This is by no means definitive but is easy to see at long distances which can help deciding if it is worth getting a closer look.
Ear to Horn Ratio
Notably, the difference between a small billy vs a record-book billy is only a couple inches in horn length. The ear provides a comparison as most trophy billies will be loners with no other nearby goats to compare it with. I like to look for a goat where the ear stops below the part of the goat horn where the horn turns to the shiny black ebony tone. The 9-year-old goat below measured just over ten inches and the ear was clearly below the transition to the glossy portion of the horn.
Body Shape
Next, billies and nannies have subtly different body shapes. A billy will appear stockier, with a hump at the front shoulders reminiscent of a grizzly bear. Nannies will have more slender shoulder structure. This is much easier to judge in the summer months before the goats have their long winter coats which obscure body shape.
Mass
More than anything else, judging the horn’s mass is the best indicator of sex and trophy quality. Through the glass it should be difficult to see the space between a mature billy’s horns. On a mature goat the base of the horn should appear significantly bigger than the eye of the billy. Additionally, mature billies will have gradually curving horns that hold mass the whole way up while nannies have thinner, more upright horns that hook at the top. Below is an example of a 4 year old billy with exceptional bases.
Planning a Stalk
Finally, having successfully located and judged a mature billy, it is time to make a stalk and execute a shot. Stalking goats is a bit different than deer as they have excellent eyesight and live in wide open terrain. However, unlike most ungulates, goats are very forgiving of noise. Rocks, snow, and debris are constantly falling in the mountains so if you accidentally dislodge a rock, hold still for a few minutes and the goat will likely chalk it up as business as usual.
Another decision to make when deciding your approach is whether to approach from above or below. There are positives and negatives to both tactics. Goats are far less startled when approached from below. However, they are also much more cognizant of what is below them. Approaching from above on the other hand is more physically challenging, but mountain goats rarely look up. On the other hand, if they do spot you above them, they are almost guaranteed to spook.
Rifles and Cartridges
Also, there is much debate about the best rifles, cartridges, and bullets for mountain goat hunting. My preference is a bolt action rifle that is light enough to get up the mountain in a traditional deer cartridge. Cartridges capable of pushing modern high BC bullets will provide an advantage as shots on mountain goats are often longer, at steep angles, and in strong mountain winds. I have mountain goat hunted with the 7mm-08 Remington, 280 Ackley Improved, and 6.5 Creedmoor. I have also seen the 6.5 PRC used with excellent results.
For bullets, softer bullets are better, such as the Nosler AB or ABLR, Hornady’s ELD-X or SST, or Sierra’s TGK. This is because while goats are slab sided and getting adequate penetration is not difficult, it is important to put them down quickly. Once wounded a goat will flee for the cliffs, even if he is dead on his feet. This is why I prefer shoulder shooting goats with rapidly expanding bullets to ensure they die quickly and without going far.
Closing Thoughts
Mountain goat hunting is one of the most challenging hunts in North America. Chasing these kings of the mountain takes hunters into breathtaking and rugged wilderness. Unlike ungulates, mountain goats are extremely sensitive to hunter harvest so it is imperative that hunters take care to select a billy and avoid harvesting nannies. Mountain goats reproduce extremely slowly and nannies will not have their first kid until they are 3 years old. As conservationists hunter’s owe it to their quarry to preserve the resource through responsible hunting. Besides, a mature billy’s horns are an iconic trophy for any mountain hunter.