Hunting/judging mt goat books

[nwhunter]

I don't have this book yet, but I've heard it's a good primer goats.

http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Color-Winter-Mountain-Observed/dp/0803264216

The book doesn't go into it from what I've heard, but scoring is pretty straightforward. 1) Length, 2) Base diameter significantly larger than the eye, 3) mass that carries well into 2/3rds of the horn.  Like others have said, a big one will definitely stand out if you are able to compare it to other goats nearby.  If its face looks "cute" it is probably a younger billy.  The horns will look out of proportion, making them seem bigger than they actually are, whereas a long roman-nosed horse face with a big wide nostrils and mouth (and general body size) is more indicative of a mature billy.

If score really matters to you, length is important, but girth is critical.  I suspect there were a preponderance of women on the mountain goat scoring committee to determine which attributes were most desirable.   

As an aside, I personally factor in hair length and consider a long-haired chapped-out goat to be highly desirable, at least as much a perhaps more so than just the size of the horns.  They make awesome looking life-size mounts.  To each their own, but I'm not a fan of the freshly shorn summertime look.

Out of curiosity, which outfitter did you book your hunt with and what time of year are you going?

Good luck!

Regards,

Allen
   

I am going first of October with Wildcoast Outfitters. Met him in Portland this spring. Great guy thats getting started after taking over an outfit he guided for. On a side note Allen I think I sat at your table last year at SCI in Seatac I was with Mike C.

[nwhunter]

Thats a beautiful mount time2hunt. I picked the Oct date because I wanted a long haired goat. After being obsessed with elk for years and chasing bulls pushing 400 inches for years and now going after an animal with ten inch horns seems crazy but the terrain they live in and the long white hair has them at top of my bucket list for the last several years. Got to do it before the knees go out.

[Bushcraft]

I don't have this book yet, but I've heard it's a good primer goats.

http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Color-Winter-Mountain-Observed/dp/0803264216

The book doesn't go into it from what I've heard, but scoring is pretty straightforward. 1) Length, 2) Base diameter significantly larger than the eye, 3) mass that carries well into 2/3rds of the horn.  Like others have said, a big one will definitely stand out if you are able to compare it to other goats nearby.  If its face looks "cute" it is probably a younger billy.  The horns will look out of proportion, making them seem bigger than they actually are, whereas a long roman-nosed horse face with a big wide nostrils and mouth (and general body size) is more indicative of a mature billy.

If score really matters to you, length is important, but girth is critical.  I suspect there were a preponderance of women on the mountain goat scoring committee to determine which attributes were most desirable.   

As an aside, I personally factor in hair length and consider a long-haired chapped-out goat to be highly desirable, at least as much a perhaps more so than just the size of the horns.  They make awesome looking life-size mounts.  To each their own, but I'm not a fan of the freshly shorn summertime look.

Out of curiosity, which outfitter did you book your hunt with and what time of year are you going?

Good luck!

Regards,

Allen
   

I am going first of October with Wildcoast Outfitters. Met him in Portland this spring. Great guy thats getting started after taking over an outfit he guided for. On a side note Allen I think I sat at your table last year at SCI in Seatac I was with Mike C.

NWHunter,

Glad to hear you are a fellow supporter of SCI!  You are probably thinking of the other guy in the chapter that shares my name, but he spells his A-l-a-i-n.  I was the president of the Northwest Chapter at the time and up on stage working hard to get everyone in attendance to empty their pockets for The Cause. 

Good luck with your goat hunt!  Be sure and take plenty of pictures.

Allen

[USMC86]

I couldn't find anything to read that prepared me for the reality of my Alaska goat hunt.  Even with a really good spotting scope, and getting really close, it seems nearly impossible to score a billy standing by himself.  The males are easy to distinguish from the females due to size, color (they seem bigger and nastier looking) and the bases seem much heavier.  As it was, I shot a goat that my guide and I agreed was a mature billy and he turned out much better than we had hoped.  Booked Awards and missed All Time due to a chipped tip....but we honestly had no clue.

If I were to do it again, I'd go where you are going....seems like the average in BC is much bigger than most places.  I'd plan the hunt to make sure that the hide is optimal, as mine was "in-between" and not quite the long pelts that make these animals so special.  I'd get in much better shape than I am now...seemed like it was all uphill, all day.  And finally, I'd rely heavily on my guide- they look at them all the time and will have a good idea of what they are looking at.  I don't think they will be able to state with a certainty what the score will be, but they'll be able to ballpark.  You'll likely be dealing with wind and distance and animal movement, which will make estimating the size pretty tough through a spotting scope.  Good luck to you, have a blast and share some pics when you come back.

[2MANY]

Oh My.