Sheep scouting- goat???
Contributors to this thread:Wild Sheep
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
Yesterday I decided to climb a peak in my sheep unit. I was part scouting part/mostly a reason to put on pack and climb a tough trail. I did not see any sheep. However when I got to the peak and look up this is what I saw.
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
At very top of mountain I went to climb. Four miles and 2500’ vertical feet from truck. Literally standing on the very spot I planned on reach and turn around to head back. Walked with in 10 yards of him. He did not want to give up high ground.
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
From: nvgoat
08-Jul-19
Very cool. Goats are fun to see and watch. Amazing fur coat.
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
From: dakotaduner
08-Jul-19
Always fun to see them. Cool selfie with a goat
From: Brotsky
08-Jul-19
Awesome pics John! Ran into some of these puff balls in Idaho last year. Awesome to see them!
From: SBH
08-Jul-19
Very cool!
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
Someone tell me is that a female? That is my guess however not sure. CO offers some nanny only tags. I have thought of applying for one of those but I am not convinced I could tell for sure.
From: midwest
08-Jul-19
So cool.
From: Les Van Pelt
08-Jul-19
That's a billy for sure, and a nice one! Cool photos
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
How can you tell?
From: Ziek
08-Jul-19
And here I was thinking nanny.
From: sticksender
08-Jul-19
Appears to be a mid-age Billy. Nice pics!
From: Ziek
08-Jul-19
A better side shot would help, but horns look like a nanny, coat this late looks like nanny (billies shed old winter coat sooner), and the presence of the kid (if that shot was taken at the same time and area) would indicate nanny, and the fact that it just stood there, is more like a nanny.
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
I disagree that this unit S32 is full of sheep. First one I have seen in two years of spending a decent amount of time in unit. I will say he was in two units. The Continental divide is unit boundary. Peak is on the divide he was on both side of it at times. Two years ago a lot of sheep were on the mountain have not found any this year.
From: JohnMC
08-Jul-19
There where no kids only this single goat. Best side pic I have.
From: Ambush
08-Jul-19
Absolutely a billy. It would depend on what’s normal for the area if it’s big or not.
Looking at pics on my phone, I’d say not old because his “forehead” is still a bit dished as opposed to the Roman nose of an older goat. Very cool encounter, especially since you weren’t expecting it.
EDIT to add: Looking at pics on a bigger screen he is older than I thought at first and I'd guess about 8 1/2".
From: Rock
08-Jul-19
Look at the size of the horn bases compared to the width of the eye. Horn base is bigger so I am sure it is a Billy. Not many Goats to be seen in that unit until you get up along the continental divide
From: altitude sick
08-Jul-19
Cool encounter. With an amazing species.
From: TrapperKayak
08-Jul-19
I'd agree with that - horn bases being that of a billy.
From: Ziek
08-Jul-19
A couple of Colorado P&Y goats from another unit for comparison.
A couple of Colorado P&Y goats from another unit for comparison.
I changed my mind, and agree, the side view looks more like a billy. I haven't been in S32 up high for a few years, but this photo is in the west end, along the divide, in 2013.
From: Adventurewriter
08-Jul-19
Average sized mature Billy...
From: Kurt
08-Jul-19
Billy...8-1/2” looks about right. I arrowed two 9” Billys off the divide ups there, one in ‘79 and another In ‘91.
From: Mike-TN
08-Jul-19
Young billy
From: wildwilderness
09-Jul-19
My son drew a Nanny tag a few years ago and we learned how to tell Nanny vs Billy. In the field we felt pretty confident about it once you observe them. I don’t think it’s a reason not to put in for a Nanny tag.
From: Shrewski
09-Jul-19
Many of the sheep units in Colorado the DOW tries to keep the goat out of them. Not sure where you were but it might be worth a call. I know I saw one in S12 during my hunt and they issued a depredation permit to get it out of there.
From: Lone Bugle
09-Jul-19
FWIW, in my experience where there are goats.... there aren't sheep. Goats are very territorial.
From: Kurt
09-Jul-19
Lone Bugle, I saw a nice lone billy on Mt Evans run a herd of Bighorns off a natural lick one time. He was definitely the boss. Kurt
From: Shrewski
09-Jul-19
On that note; while on Kodiak, I watched two goats climb down a LONG way onto a beautiful patch of green a dozen or so deer were feeding on and run the deer off.
I am sure the biologists in CO do not want goats in their sheep areas.
From: Ziek
09-Jul-19
If you read the posts, it's obvious the goats have been there for decades, and I'm sure CPW knows this. Just because it's a sheep unit, doesn't necessarily mean sheep (or goats) typically use the entire unit and are in conflict. These goats were in the area when the old DOW decided there were too many sheep, and added rifle hunting to help manage sheep into what had historically been an archery only area. At the time we were told it would only be temporary, until sheep numbers were down to objectives. Guess what? The sheep quality and quantity have been "managed" or more accurately, over-managed. But we still have rifle hunters there, taking "their fair share" of the resource.
From: Rock
11-Jul-19
I have actually seen Sheep and Goats bedded together before. Once when I was helping a good friend on a NR rifle Sheep hunt and he killed his Ram within 100 yards of 16 Goats.
