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 way toward ensuring hunting opportunities in future years.

All goat hunters are required to pass the online Mountain Goat Identification quiz prior to hunting, proof of completion must be carried in the field.

When mountain goat hunting... getting close and being patient are key!

Mountain Goat Characteristics
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.
Characteristics	Males	Females
Body Size and Shape	Stocky body Roman bulge to nose Pronounced shoulder hump Pronounced pantaloons	Smaller body
Horns	Thicker throughout length Uniform, gradual curvature Larger bases Bases closer together Enlarged glands behind bases Base of horn is wider than the eye	Thin Sharp curve near the tip Small bases Wide distance between bases Base of horn is narrower than the eye
Group Size and Composition	Often solitary or groups of 2-3	Kids and large groups
Sexual Organs and Urination	Sometimes organs are visible Stands stretching to urinate	Squats, rump near ground to urinate

Why Harvest Males