How to Hunt Mountain Goat?

[HuskyMusky]

mostly interested in hearing from those who have done it? guided/unguided? lower 48, vs Alaska/Canada?

I was looking a few units in MT....and thought well they have to be at the tops of the mountains/ranges right? ie., they're not scattered throughout the entire unit like elk/mule deer would be....? are they ever in the trees?
so I feel as if they would be kind of concentrated up high, but even with limited tags, perhaps all the hunters are up high too? not sure crowding is a big issue on a goat hunt in MT etc...? it would be a bigger unit with I think 30 tags ish given out.

also how difficult spotting a billy vs a nanny?
also I wonder about being able to differentiate a 7" from a 9" etc..?

also would you expect to not find grizzlies up high in Sept/Oct? ie. where to camp?

Thanks!

 

[Colorado T]

I don't have much to offer on Montana goats but I have been fortunate to be on 6 mountain goat hunts here in Colorado. All of them were above timberline between 12,000' and 13,000'. I do know of a couple units here where I have seen them in the trees, however the majority are going to be above timberline. Find a high point and glass as many rocky cliffs as you can see. It has been very successful for us to find one during our scouting trips and continually locate him until the season. We have only had on occasion where another hunter was hunting the same goat.

 

[AKaviator]

I don't know anything about hunting them in the lower 48. In Alaska, you'll be required to have a guide unless you're a resident or fit one of the exceptions.
Goats are pretty easy to find but pretty hard to get close enough to kill them.

If you are thinking about coming up to Alaska, give me a shout. I know some good guides that you might be interested in.

 

[kidoggy]

there are not many tags given out . so there really shouldn't be a lot of hunters.

I just looked up one particular area in idaho where I know there to be goats and their is only 2 tags alotted.

these particular goats tend to range in the 9000 or so vacinity.

I have never hunted them but they seem fairly easy to find once you know where they live. I would expect the hard part is having the stamina to traverse their lands.

griz will be wherever they want to be in sept and oct same as any other month. if you hunt in griz country ,is best to expect there presence

 

[Maxhunter]

I killed one in BC guided which is required. The other was WY as a resident unguided. Both were taken with a bow. The one in BC was shot at 23yds. My WY goat was shot at 8yds.

Their not really hard to hunt it's just the terrain can be treacherous and physically demanding.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Like others have said here.
They aren’t hard to hunt more of a terrain hunt to find a route to get to them.
We killed a great goat in Nv a few years back and I was able to find one right away with glassing high into the cliffs and rock caves. We had a camp for 5 days on our backs but dumped off all that gear to go light and fast. Looking back on the pack out we should have stayed at least one night and not kill ourselves getting out before dark. There was a lot of snow on the ground so we had to post hole most of the hunt and that sucked! Never knowing if our boots were going to stop just under the snow on a rock out if we would step down up to our hip.
it was a very rewarding hunt and a hell of an adventure!

 

[jimss]

One of the toughest parts in the lower 48 western states is drawing a tag. You may not draw in your lifetime?

 

[kidoggy]