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 in Unit 1D in Haines/Skagway, Unit 6C in Cordova, or Unit 6D in Valdez, you are required to pass the online mountain goat quiz before you obtain a permit. Your score will be e-mailed to the area biologist after you read through the materials and pass the quiz.
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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