Mountain Goat Question

[Aron Snyder]

Who can tell me the most fool proof way to tell the difference between male and female mountain goat?....especially at long distance

 

[shanevg]

The most fool proof way is that a nanny always squats to pee while a billy stretches out his hind legs.

As far as horn configuration I tend to look for the quarter circle of a billy vs. the straighter horn with a hook on a nanny. Obviously you can't always tell that from a far distance and that's not always a tell-tale sign as I have seen some nannies with some pretty curved horns.

 

[Matt Cashell]

The glands by the horns are a good clue.

 

[bowhnter7]

Here's a test for you A-.

 

[Foldem]

Watch it pee... seriously.

 

[Robert Hanneman]

If you stick to watching it pee you will never walk up on a nanny thinking you just killed a billy.

 

[shanevg]

Here's a test for you A-.

Obviously that's a tough angle to judge a goat from and if you were hunting you'd never want to make a decision based just on that. But with that said, from what I can tell, it is a young billy. Looks like there is enough mass at the bases to classify it as a billy and he looks like he has a relatively large body. Personally I would want to see the head turned and a side profile of the horns to get judge it better.

 

[shanevg]

If you stick to watching it pee you will never walk up on a nanny thinking you just killed a billy.

With a lot of goat hunts you are the only hunter looking at the animals so it doesn't hurt at all to be patient and now for sure.

At the same time, if you are hoping to shoot a B&C billy you aren't going to need to wait for it to pee to know if it is a billy. You will already know!

 

[shanevg]

Here's another tough one for you. What do you guys think?

 

[Robert Hanneman]

With a lot of goat hunts you are the only hunter looking at the animals so it doesn't hurt at all to be patient and now for sure.

At the same time, if you are hoping to shoot a B&C billy you aren't going to need to wait for it to pee to know if it is a billy. You will already know!

You are right about the B&C billy or any animal for that matter that is a giant. You just know whenever you are looking at some animal that is exceptional. When someone is unsure of the sex or happens to be on a nanny hunt you may want to be careful.

 

[Rick Seymour]

I would think Nanny as the Horns look thin BUT the Horns also look close together at the base indicating Billie. This means I need to wait

 

[shanevg]

I would think Nanny as the Horns look thin BUT the Horns also look close together at the base indicating Billie. This means I need to wait

I've studied a lot of different pictures of that goat and I think I've finally concluded that it is a young billy (probably 3 years old) with bad genetics. He definitely has more mass than a nanny should and he has that quarter circle curve so common in a billy. He is at least 3 years old which is actually pretty old for a goat. A lot of B&C billies are between 4 and 7 years old so if he was big he should be getting plenty big by now. He still hangs out with all the nannies too. I saw him again this February and he was still hanging with the same herd.

 

[justin davis]

Billies just have a look to them. Esp. the mature ones with those big old horse heads

 

[bearguide]

if you watch them pee you are sure

 

[RosinBag]

I have heard if you talk to them and they don't listen.......Nannie.

 

[Aron Snyder]

RosinBag wins!

 

[BMB]

I have heard if you talk to them and they don't listen.......Nannie.

oh so true......

 

[CtP]

Watching a goat pee will def give it away. A good hunting buddy
of mine always watched and waited, to see if the goat had a satchel.
There is no mistaking that, and if you give it time he'll show them to you.

The Alaska fish and game has a great Mtn goat identification tutorial available
To the public.

 

[Jardo]

Here's a test for you A-.

Billy


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Brendan]

Watch the pee and you will be sure

This thread is 8 years old....