Judging good billies from great billiies

[Buster]

I need help guys. I need all the advice I can get on judging goats. Not gonna lie, I've been negligent on glassing them much cause the bighorns are in the lime light. I want to be able to look at a goat and know that I'm looking at a good billy, especially when it's a loner. I know enough to tell nannies from billies, and little guys from big, but not big from BIG big.

 

[muleman]

After ten years I finally drew a billy tag this year. The area boundary literally starts on the street I live on. So I have been lucky to watch goats a lot. First scouting trip for the year will be next week.

I still struggle with telling good from big and big from BIG! Especially if the goat is alone, which they often are. So I too would like any tips or techniques to telling size.

Right now the ear length, diameter vs, eye are what I use to field judge.

 

[Buster]

Talking to the old goat killers in the valley, judging body and face are just as much of a tell tale as horn itself. "Look for the jughead" is what they keep saying. It also kind of keeps a guy focused on a mature animal instead of just genetics.

 

[muleman]

I really struggle judging the body when the animal is alone. I have been told to look for the roman nose. Wonder if thats the same as the jughead?

 

[Buster]

Ya same thing, same as a 5 1/2 + year old mulie or a 9 1/2+ year old ram, they tend to get a real strong nose thats pronounced. As for horns, was hoping for certain tricks would be a tell tail. I know with rams that the 4th is pronounced, and the inside shape/size of the curl tells a lot. Looking for secrets like that for goats.

 

[Buster]

Muleman, if my first choice goat draw is successful, the mtn that shadows my backyard is my zone. If my 1 to 1 odds second choice happens, its only half an hour away. Sounds like both of us see pretty lucky to live in the heart of it.

 

[todd kelly]

The only way your going to be able to tell a good billy from a great billy is by looking at a ton of goats. You can tell a lot by the look of the face (length width) Ear length compared to horn. ect.


I find goats are very similar to bears. You know a big one when you see one. If you have to think about it at all then you know its probably not big.

There are some good pics on this thread, and lots of great pics by Kurt on this facebook link he posted with some good comments on the side regarding billy size.


http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?249-Let-s-see-your-mountain-goat-pics!/page5


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3581983787234.2139410.1202394403&type=1&l=79fed8c72f

 

[Buster]

Todd, thanks for the tip. The old goat killers in the valley also stressed to simply loo at a lot of goats. Even with the swarovski cranked up, it seems like you've gotta be within 500 yards to really see the subtle differences. Guess I'm gonna be spending a lot of the summer wearing out my boots.

 

[todd kelly]

Todd, thanks for the tip. The old goat killers in the valley also stressed to simply loo at a lot of goats. Even with the swarovski cranked up, it seems like you've gotta be within 500 yards to really see the subtle differences. Guess I'm gonna be spending a lot of the summer wearing out my boots.

Live goats are good, but I have found looking at pictures just as helpful. Looking at Boone and Crockett pictures is a great resource. You know your looking at a great goat if it makes it in the books. Study the pictures and then look at others online ect and you will start to see the little differences.


Lone goats can be tricky because their face / horn size can be proportionate to each other making a 4 year old billy look like a 8-9 year old goat. That's why you also need to compare the goat to its surroundings as well.

 

[Buster]

Is aging a goat by his horns even a possibility? Obviously you'd have to be pretty close

 

[muleman]

Live goats are good, but I have found looking at pictures just as helpful.

Is this a good goat?

Wait for it...

 

[muleman]

^^^WORLD'S RECORDS ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT

SCORE: 57 4/8
LOCATION: Stikine River, BC
HUNTER: Troy M. Sheldon
OWNER: Troy M. Sheldon
DATE: 2011
*
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of horn: Right 11 3/8 - Left 11 3/8
Circumference of base: Right 6 4/8 - Left 6 5/8
Circumference at 3rd quarter: Right 2 2/8 - Left 2 2/8
Greatest Spread: 7 1/8
Tip to tip spread: 6 6/8

 

[Buster]

That monster rivals a 4 year old ram, lol. We can all dream

 

[Buster]

Gotta go thru the pics now for sure, wife and I both got goat draws, different zones, but both very close to home. Literally can spot hers from the backyard while drinking a beer... I mean protein shake.

 

[muleman]

Congrats on the tags!

 

[Greenhorn]

Look at as many as you can, as close as you can, and hunt for the one with the largest body and head of all you can find. I've noticed that during summer the billies are often in bachelor groups or pairs and its great for comparing and evaluating. Use great glass and get close and you can count the age rings during the summer.

 

[Buster]

Thanks for the info, the swaro's are working overtime already. Got 3 billies spotted in the one area, or looks good, but 700 yds was as close as I could get, will try to not forget the digiadapter next time so I can post some pics

 

[Buster]

Correction, one looks good

 

[muleman]

I've been looking at several different judging sites and liked the info from the Alaska Fish and Game. While not specific to judging trophy status there's a lot of good info.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=goathunting.billyid

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/hunting/goathunting/pdfs/goat_info.pdf

 

[Bighorse]

Just like sheep a 9-12 yr old goat is premium. The body stature is the tell-tale indicator of that. Unlike sheep the Mass characteristics of the horn are not as evident. For example, you can't mistake 10 inches of 14" bases on an old mature Dall Sheep. You can easily mistake the base difference between 6" and 5 1/2" on a big goat. It's not EASY! I honestly think it's a matter of finding a mature animal, shooting it. Then hoping there's that extra inch in the base and two inches in the length. I won't be waiting for it. When I find an old thick bodied Billy I'm gonna shoot it. If it's got 11" horns and 6" bases then cool. If not then I'm still a bad ass and I'm doing things 99 percent of hunters only dream of. When your old, no body cares. They will look at your goat trophies and just know you were a crazy bastard.