![]() The majority of the billies harvested will be 2-4 years of age. On Colorado mountain goat hunts there are several units that don’t have a billy over 4-5 years in the whole unit. On BC goat hunts size is easier to use as a billy indicator because a segment of the billies have been given the chance to grow to 6+ years of age. In the end, really big billies just look big! Groups of goats that are 2-6 in number, no kids and with little variation in size (or 1-2 goats of 10-15% larger body mass) are typically bachelor groups. Solo goats can be trickier, but if you have been glassing the same terrain you can use vegetation as a good yard stick. In the odd case that mature billies are with a nursery group, the big billies will be obvious. Mature billies of 4+ years will typically be 30%+ larger than their nanny counterparts. Several of the BC goat guides I’ve worked with over the years consider it their number one factor. Sex ID via Body Sizeīody size is a useful metric when it comes to sex identification of mountain goats. Male goats, on the other hand, will get deep into rocky terrain with no relief in the topography for thousands of yards. ![]() Like Barbary sheep, females will use rugged, rocky terrain for cover to hide their young while they feed in the vicinity. The other trick I use is to inspect how far the goat is from a more mellow bench or easier grade grass-filled chute. ![]() Open chutes with green grass are also a favorite of theirs. Nursery groups can be in extremely nasty country, but they still find small flats and mild benches to feed on. Remember that “less rugged” is a relative term. The vast majority of nannies will be in nursery groups in less rugged terrain. The above sketch is a fantastic representation of this. You can learn a lot about a goat from where he/she is standing. When I am judging the sex of goats I focus on these criteria: 1) habitat the goat is in 2) body size 3) horn bases 4) horn curvature. This high harvest rate of nannies is partly due to misidentification by hunters and partly due to nannies being in more accessible terrain with their young. Unfortunately, most states and provinces maintain a harvest rate of at least 50% nannies. Goat populations are also sensitive to harvest, so it makes sense for the conservation-minded hunter to focus on billies. Although the majority of folks who have never hunted goats can’t tell the difference between a mounted nanny versus a big billy, those that have hunted them understand the challenge and effort that goes into harvesting one of the male mountain monarchs. Most goat hunters are looking to harvest a mature billy. I disagree with some specifics, but part of identifying mountain goat sex correctly is personal preference. It is a well done piece with great information. Many of the images below are from this document. The Alaska Game and Fish Department has a great piece on identifying a billy vs nanny. The best books on mountain goat behavior, with a good section on identifying billy vs nannies is A Beast the Color of Winter: The Mountain Goat Observed. This article is one of many from our Goat Prep Series Resources:
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