Any Goat hunters on here from British Columbia Canada?

[gerry35]

Send me a pm if you're interested, I could give you some ideas. I'm to the west of you quite a ways but I've been up your way too.

 

[slatty]

I've been on several goat hunts and have harvested goats.

The altitude / cliffs / work have not been too bad for me, but the challenge of making sure to harvest a billy has been more difficult than I anticipated. If you can spend time with an experienced and knowledgeable goat hunter, that would be the greatest asset to me.

I spoke with a very experienced goat hunter and guide last fall who indicated that for him the best indicator of a billy is the stained rump patch. In his experience if it's the fall and the goat has one, it's a billy (in addition to good optics on the horns, behavior, location, etc etc of course).

 

[Decker9]

I've been on several goat hunts and have harvested goats.

The altitude / cliffs / work have not been too bad for me, but the challenge of making sure to harvest a billy has been more difficult than I anticipated. If you can spend time with an experienced and knowledgeable goat hunter, that would be the greatest asset to me.

I spoke with a very experienced goat hunter and guide last fall who indicated that for him the best indicator of a billy is the stained rump patch. In his experience if it's the fall and the goat has one, it's a billy (in addition to good optics on the horns, behavior, location, etc etc of course).

The stained rump is certainly a help, but in wet weather, all goats will be stained dirty, especially on the rump. As you mentioned though, when used with all the other indicators, it is a piece to the puzzle.

Two tell tale signs, billy balls, in august and early September when a person can see them. Second is the horns. Nannys will always have a round base, where billys after 4-5 years old, will sport more of an oval base. Tough to see unless a guys closer, but has been a good tool ime.

 

[Blockcaver]

I've arrowed two decent P&Y goats and looked at a lot through the years. I always got in close bowhunting so it was easier to see horn configuration....billies have a lot bigger bases than nannies, plus usually curve the entire length of the horn, whereas nannies have comparatively delicate bases with hooked tips and straighter horns below.

Horn length is fairly similar in both. Billies usually have a larger black gland area around the base of the horn too. My goat scouting and hunting was usually mid-summer into the first three weeks of September, so not sure about later in the year on visibility of black glands.

Watch 'em pee....nannies hump up and billies don't. Obviously kids around mean nannies, although there might be a billy with the group...but probably not an older one, as least in the summer and early fall.

Good luck!

 

[BrodieBC]

Im planning for an early September excursion so thanks for all the tips. I was hoping to find someone with some experience to show me the ropes but I may just tackle it solo if need be. I have a couple hunting buddies from over the years who are thinking of joining me but none of them have experience with goats either.

 

[mod7rem]

Goats can be tricky for sure.
My brother and I shot an old billy in 2015, but he was not typical. He had a big body, big mature head, but the horns had the typical kink at the end like a nanny. We were positive a mature billy while glassing him, but once closer and zoomed in, we could clearly see the horns and second guessed. Could finally see his balls and killed him.
I could tell the biologist that inspected the horns did not believe it was a billy just from the horns, even though I assured him that he had all the proper billy parts.
I think it was the next year that it became a requirement to provide evidence of sex for the CI. Always wondered if we were part of that decision ha ha.