Sheep Hunt

When you first arrive in real Goat Country, chances are you might be overwhelmed by the earth you encounter. Huge cliffs tower into the sky and white peaks contrast against deep blue while dark green timbers rise infinitely upon the slopes and waterfalls tumble down glistening rocks. You may find that this big world leaves you feeling small, insignificant.

Lean into your awe, safe in the knowledge that you can climb these slopes and cliffs, just as women and men have for centuries before you. Let yourself get lost in the sights and sounds of this untamed wilderness. Regardless of the outcome of your hunt, you’ll return with the incredible feat of having felt yourself, however briefly, completely at one with nature – the very foundation of any adventure.

Defining Characteristics

Rut Season: Late November—Mid December

One of the most challenging aspects of mountain goat hunting is distinguishing female from male mountain goats. Because of dwindling populations and declining reproduction cycles, female mountain goats are to be avoided at all costs to ensure the endurance of the species.

The mature billies are noticeably larger than the females and they are often courting, marking and soiling themselves, as well as engaging rivals. Rutting billies approach nannies by rapidly crawling on their bellies to the females and vocalizing little kids, generally acting very excited. In the early rut, nannies greet such advances with lowered horns and short charges.

Before the Hunt

A spotting scope can help you make the distinction between female and male mountain goats, but it cannot help unless you have a clear image of the difference between a billy and a nanny already in your mind. This vital knowledge must be brought with you into the field. A great way to familiarize yourself with the distinctive features of a male mountain goat is to get out several mounted goat heads and study their horn curvature from a distance. Can you still pick out the relevant characteristics at 200 yards? 300 yards?

Good equipment is paramount when it comes to maneuvering the notoriously difficult terrain of Goat Country. It costs 13 times as much energy to move your body one foot upward than one foot horizontal, so solid, well-made shoes with a sole that ‘bites’ into the mountain and provides secure, safe footing are an excellent start. The right shoes will be efficient on a variety of surfaces, as weather conditions will vary significantly throughout the day. Conditions you can expect to encounter include dead, decaying, and slippery alpine vegetation, killed off by early frosts; icy or sun-crusted snow; and crumbling rock.

SHOT PLACEMENT

Broadside – heart

Front – heart

In modern times, the mountain goat has developed a reputation of being difficult prey, but this was not always the case. The great hunters of our past found the iron-sighted 30-30s, 303 Enfields, 30-06 Springfields and M1917 rifles with soft-point ammunition of their day performed quite adequately. The reports of difficulty that have circulated in recent times are likely rooted in a lack of understanding of the appropriate hardware best suited for the job.

Here, it’s useful to remember that the mountain goat is a tall, but flat animal, possessing a vertically deep but horizontally narrow chest. In contrast to the barrel-chested-ness of the bear, there is little distance from rib to opposite rib on the mountain goat. Additionally, these goats have relatively thin bones, eliminating the need for deeply penetrating, bone-drilling bullets. In the compact space between the ribs, a bullet must open up quickly in order to impact the lungs and heart.

During the Hunt

In the field, slow and steady wins the race. Take your time stalking your target, being sure that what you’re looking at is truly an adult male. Differences can be subtle, especially early in the season. If you determine, at closer range, that the goat you are stalking is a female, or a young billy with short, thin horns, or that collecting the goat would be at all be dangerous, then comes your test of character. Can you now turn and silently slink away, leaving the mountain goat where it was, without spooking it?

Once you’re sure that you’ve got your scope on a male, it’s best to take your time, swing out generously, and come into a solid position for an accurate shot. That’s why your footing needs to be secure, your clothing and equipment silent and your mind disciplined, waiting out the goat for the perfect and most humane shot. If you miss your target slightly, injuring the animal as it fleas, it’s best to let it go. Following a wounded goat can be dangerous, as one invariably ends up below the goat where hazards like falling rocks or a sudden charge are likely.

SEASONS BY PROVINCE

Prov.SpeciesDatesCostGuide Ref.
B.C. Bighorn Mountain Aug. 15–Oct. 25 $60.00 pg. 27–87
Thinhorn Mountain Aug. 15–Oct. 15 $60.00 pg. 27–87
AB Bighorn Mountain Aug. 25–Nov. 30 $59.95 pg. 45–54
SK N/A N/A N/A N/A
MB N/A N/A N/A N/A
ON N/A N/A N/A N/A
QC N/A N/A N/A N/A
Prov.SpeciesDatesCostGuide Ref.
NB N/A N/A N/A N/A
NFLD N/A N/A N/A N/A
NS N/A N/A N/A N/A
NWT Dall's July 15–Oct. 31 $22.00 pg. 31
YK Dall's Aug. 1–Oct. 31 $10.00 pg. 65–74
NVT N/A N/A N/A N/A

The information presented above is meant as a quick reference and does not represent all areas of residence, species and other regulatory requirements. Dates are subject to change based on management zone, animal class and hunter specifications. Please refer to the dates posted on each province’s/territory’s website, available by clicking on the province/territory name and referring to the 'Guide ref.' page numbers column.

After the Hunt

Contrary to the claims of a popular myth classifying mountain goat meat as inedible or of questionable culinary value, the meat that mountain goats yield is actually utterly delectable, provided the animal is hunted at the right time in the season. This common misconception stems from the stark contrast of the meat from mountain goats hunted early in the season, and the meat of those hunted late in the season. This magic threshold occurs in mid-October: wonderfully delicious before, and impossibly foul thereafter.

The meat of rutting mountain goat males (taken after mid-October), although clean and appetizing in appearance after proper butchering, emits a smell nauseating beyond belief after being placed in a pan, Dutch oven, or stockpot. In contrast, the meat of mountain goats taken up until mid-October, when hung for a few days or frozen soon after butchering, produces a deliciously tender feast.

The content on this page has been adapted from a chapter in Dr. Valerius Geist’s
Living on the Edge: The Mountain Goat’s World.

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