Mountain Goat Hunting

Preparing for and executing a Mountain Goat hunt is a challenging experience that many hunters dream of taking. However, considering that relatively few hunters have first hand experience of Mountain Goat hunting, this article serves as a guide to discuss some of the highlights of Mountain Goats and planning for your hunt.

Some states have relatively good drawing odds for Mountain Goats, especially when you compare them to species like the Bighorn Sheep. In Alaska and Canada you can buy a goat tag over the counter.

Mountain Goats are white, except for eyes, horns, the end of their nose, and feet. In central Idaho the goats inhabit the mountain tops, even tips, at elevations often between 8000 and 10,000 feet.

Mountain Goats weigh from 150 to 300 pounds which puts them equal too and in some cases larger than mule deer. Mountain Goats are unique in that male (billy) and female (nanny) both have horns, a single pair curved slightly backward, and for the same age are about the same length, except that the billies’ horns are thicker. A good horn length on either sex is 9 or 10 inches.

The billies are distinguished by their more ‘muscular’ build – one would think they do a thousand pushups a day to get those shoulders. The females are still pretty chunky – they are perhaps most easily distinguished by having a kid or two and also by looking rather unkempt. Idaho allows the taking of billies and nannies without kids.

Goats eat anything from grasses and flowers to bushes and trees. Indeed while scouting them it will look like they are eating rocks, but it is probably the lichens, grasses, flowers, small bushes and perhaps water mixed in and on the rocks and cliffs.

In late summer and early fall the billies’ coats are fairly short. As fall progresses the hair length increases. If you really want good hair length on your trophy, hunt as late as possible (into November). But note: looking for goats against rock backdrop is easier than looking for them against snow backdrop, though looking for them in the snow is not impossible.

The terrain: Mountain Goat territory in my opinion is some of the prettiest and most spectacular on the planet. In central Idaho the goats spend the summer near or above timberline, at elevations in excess of 8000 ft.

Weather: Winter comes early in Mountain Goat country. In Idaho we enjoy relatively dry autumns, and often up until November, if ‘weather’ arrives, it’s only for a day or two. From November on, however, bad weather can set in for weeks at a time. For a hunt in early or mid-September, you may be able to expect warm or Indian-Summer weather, where your biggest challenge will be keeping the meat cool after your kill. If you hunt later, you must prepare for colder and wet weather, and early snow.

Wounded Mountain Goats are known to take a ‘suicide leap’ with their last breath. Such a leap may take them off a cliff and into a bad place and / or may break a horn. So wait for a good kill shot in reasonable terrain.

If you are interested in a Mountain Goat hunt, contact us and we can line you up on a good one.

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