Mountain Goat field judging

[buffybr]

Give him 2-3 months to grow some hair and you'll have a GREAT trophy.

 

[EYJONAS!]

With the little I know about goat, I'm no Dustin Roe or anything. It looks to me that the length of his face tip of nose to backside of eye looks like he has a mature 9.5 to 10 inch length measurement. I wouldn't say his bases are out of this world but he is definitely above the average goat. I'm saying 5 3/8 to maybe 5 5/8. You look at some of those BC goats and they look like freakin pronghorn with high 5s to 6+ bases. He carries somewhat of a roman nose indicating he's older than a 9" 3 year old billy. I told you I'd flick the safety, I think your right you'd be hard pressed to find a much better Billy than him. SP produces great goats but they don't get much better than him in this state.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

He's got a noticeable scar on the right side of his face. I suspect there will be better pics of this one, live or possibly with my son sitting next to it.

I am looking forward to those pics, and if Tyler does pass on him, give me a call . You guys are going to have a blast.

 

[JLS]

I told you I'd flick the safety

Me too. Without hesitation.

 

[JBS]

Shot 2 goats but never did get the field judging very close. The most I learned about judging goats came from your hunt write-up a few years ago. I can't imagine that there is a huge variation in the mass measurements on mature Billie's and that goat is mature and long. I hope to see your son ground check him but see if you can have him hold out until late September to get good hair. looking forward to following along on this. I love goat hunting and can't wait for my 7 year suspension to be over and coming back in with 4 points.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Give him 2-3 months to grow some hair and you'll have a GREAT trophy.

Totally agree. We're likely to have a short haired goat, unless things don't go as planned. The commitment required to the November hunt in the peaks is more than he will be likely able to do this year. Will still be a great time.

 

[LopeHunter]

In reply to Greenhorn.

I shot a billy in AK (on left) and a billy in CO. I am not a trophy hunter so was not glassing dozens of billies before shot what I considered representative (Knik in AK, G13 in CO) billies. The AK was bigger in mass and length than the CO. I never measured the AK goat.

CO F&G measured the G13 goat: L length 8 0/8, Right length 7 1/8. L base 5 0/8, Right base 5 0/8, Spread 5 2/8, 3 growth rings.

I think the AK goat is 1" or more longer than the CO one. The billies are 1300 miles from my main home and will not see them until early October or could measure.

I never thought I would get very excited about hunting goats or moose since the bighorn ram has been my white whale to chase. The AK goat hunt out in Knik on the glacier is my 2nd favorite hunt only behind the WY mule deer hunt on horses east of Yellowstone. After waiting a couple of decades for a ram tag, I may be expecting too much if ever do draw the tag someday. Hope not. Would love to have a new fave hunt memory that gets the #1 spot.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Can anyone say definitively whether or not the length of goat ears tend to max out at 4”? My 4 1/2 year old goat has 4” ears and is 8 1/2” in horn length. He probably only weighed 150lbs. live weight. This goat has at least a hundred pounds or more on mine. If the ears are proportional to body weight I can see 4 1/4” or 4 1/2” being a reasonable length of ear.

I don’t think there’s any way that goat is less than 9 1/2”. I still think he’s nearly 10. I don’t think his mass is as light as some people are saying. True, it’s not as massive as some goats but it’s as better than most in that area.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I will bet you a case of your favorite beer that those bases are over 5”. 5-1/4” at a minimum and I bet I’m low.
We’ll find out on Sept. 1 I’m sure.

This is a crappy bet - you don't really want to win a case of White Claw now do you..

 

[Highlands Hunter]

He looks like a dandy goat to me, with bases over 5” and length is approaching 10”.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I'd hold out for a 12" nanny.......

 

[----]

Not once have I looked at my mount and wished I had waited for better hair. Get out when you can and have a blast! No better time to be in the alpine than late summer watching fat, lazy, short-haired billies.

That's a great billy, no doubt. He might not have the mass of some of those ridiculous coastal BC and SEAK goats, but it'd be a real chore to find anything better than that in Montana.

 

[Cowkiller]

The only thing harder to field judge than a pronghorn is a mountain goat. I'm not making any guesses other than the length looks good.

Here is a closeup of the bases on my 2018 CO goat. They measured 5 5/8 and 5 4/8.

 

[madtom]

I only hunt mountain goats for the meat, and that one looks like it has a lot of meat. Should make a nice European mount.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Here is a closeup of the bases on my 2018 CO goat. They measured 5 5/8 and 5 4/8.

Nice heavy goat. When the hide was on it, there was certainly more of a gap between the horns as the glands and hair sets above the base of the horns. I have a goat in my den that I can't fit my finger between the bases, yet he had an inch of hair in the space when hide was on.

I only hunt mountain goats for the meat

How often have you done that?

I donated the meat from my mtn goat to the Raptor center and I'd be surprised if the birds could eat it. I'm hopeful my son's tastes better. I did get a few good laughs out of offering goat jerky to friends and watching them try it.

 

[madtom]

How often have you done that?

I thought “I only hunt ____ for meat.” Was a required comment in every field judging thread. Funny about the jerky. I’d be curious to try it once to see how bad it really is.

 

[Hem]

Just curious how many legit 10" goats have been harvested . I always was under the impression goats reaching that length are rare.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I thought “I’d be curious to try it once to see how bad it really is.

It’s 2 girls and 1 cup bad..

 

[Jonesy125]

Im looking at my goat on the wall right now from a different montana unit and biologist aged him at 6 years but he is only 8 1/2" long and my thumb just fits between the bases. That goat right there is a whole different caliber. Good luck to your son Greenhorn, we are headed back in there Friday and if we can turn one up anything like that once they hair up I don't think my dad would even have to think about it. I know I wouldn't.

 

[Cowkiller]

Never ate a bad tasting goat. They were all tough though. I was eating some goat meat last week from my 2018 kill. Roasted, barbequed or fried it is like chewing gum. In the crockpot it is perfectly tender.