Mountain Goat Identification
Introduction
Test your skills at telling male (billy) and female (nanny) mountain goats apart by taking the online Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Mountain Goat Identification Quiz. This quiz will help you avoid the accidental harvest of a female. Harvesting females can greatly reduce the overall mountain goat population, which can negatively affect hunters by causing early hunt closures and future hunting restrictions. A little time spent practicing mountain goat sex identification can go a long ways toward ensuring hunting opportunities in future years.
If you are planning to hunt goats in Units 1, 4, 5, 6C, or 6D you are required to pass the online mountain goat quiz prior to hunting.
When mountain goat hunting... getting close and being patient are key!
Mountain Goat Characteristics | ||
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Consider all of these criteria as a checklist when identifying a goat. Go through each of them to see which ones apply to the animal you are observing. Often this will enable you to differentiate the sex of the animal reliably. Note: These characteristics are representative of adult male and female goats. |
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Characteristics | Males | Females |
Body Size and Shape |
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Horns |
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Group Size and Composition |
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Sexual Organs and Urination |
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