Mountain Goat - In the Field
Hunting Mountain Goat
In the Field
It's a species that lives in a land of sheer cliffs and perpetual snows. Colorado's alpine tundra is home to the mighty mountain goat. These natural mountaineers are one of the state's most unique and cherished species. The mountain goat spends most of the year above 13,000 feet!
Know Before You Go
Road Closures
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are in charge of road closures. Roads are closed seasonally for many reasons. Some roads are closed to protect wildlife at critical times of the year; others are closed because they are not passable due to snow, snow drifts and ice or to protect the road bed. Please be aware that road closure information is subject to change daily.
Fire Restrictions and Prescribed Burns
Colorado is a high wildfire area, and there are often fire restriction and/or bans around the state. Some planned, or prescribed, burns occur during hunting seasons, which can lead to road closures. Closures of areas can change quickly (even daily or hourly) and your hunting destination or access route may be affected. Prior to license purchase, scouting or hunting, learn about closures and plan alternative routes and areas to hunt.
Firewood
If you’ll be camping during your hunting trip, please help protect our forests by buying your firewood in Colorado. Firewood can spread harmful insect pests and diseases such as emerald ash borer, sirex wood wasp, gypsy moth, Asian longhorned beetle and oak wilt disease. If you have firewood from another state, please burn it immediately. For more information, visit our Invasive Species pages or contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture at (303) 239-4140.
Altitude Sickness
Learn about altitude sickness: what it is, the symptoms, how to lessen your chances of being affected, and treatments. The lowest point in Colorado is 3,317 feet above sea level, so altitude sickness can affect you even if you aren't venturing into Colorado's high country.
Information to Leave for Friends and Family
Each member of the hunting party should provide contact information, a schedule with planned locations, and other information that can be used to locate the person to their family or friends. Instruct family members and/or friends on the procedure to follow should it be necessary to contact you in an emergency.
Register Your Off Highway Vehicle
All off-highway vehicles operated in Colorado on public lands or traveling on an OHV-designated route must have a valid Colorado OHV registration or permit. Vehicle use is limited to transporting hunters and downed game.
Find out moreKnow the Rules
Hunters play a key role in supporting wildlife management efforts in Colorado and nationwide. Today, the revenue generated from hunting and fishing activities constitutes about 70 percent of CPW's wildlife management funds.
Hunters and nonhunters alike should show respect and courtesy to all users engaged in outdoor recreation activities.
This video provides the laws and regulations for hunting mountain goats in Colorado.
It is illegal in Colorado for anyone to prevent or interfere with an individual’s ability to participate in hunting and trapping.
This includes, but is not limited to, alarming, distracting, or frightening prey; causing prey to flee by using light or noise; chasing prey on foot or by vehicle; throwing objects; making movements; harassing hunters by using threats or actions; erecting barriers to deny access to hunting areas; and intentionally injecting yourself into the line of fire. Violators face criminal prosecution and may have to pay damages to the victim, as well as court costs.
If, while hunting, you feel you are being harassed, remain calm and composed, avoiding confrontation or arguing. You should seek assistance from law enforcement personnel. Contact the nearest Colorado Parks and Wildlife office, the Colorado State Patrol, or the local police or sheriff’s department. Report incidents immediately or as soon after their occurrence as is reasonable.
Penalties upon conviction for this misdemeanor include a fine between $500 and $1000, twenty license-suspension points, damages, and court costs.
The Top 10 Most Common Hunting Violations in Colorado
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Trespassing
Going onto private lands without getting permission first while hunting, fishing or performing any related activity is illegal. Private lands do not need to be posted or fenced, so it can be difficult to see boundaries. Violators may be suspended for up to 5 years for trespassing. This includes State Land Board properties not leased and signed to CPW, unless permission is given by the lessee. You must have permission from the landowner to enter private land to retrieve a harvested animal. First, you should try to contact the landowner on your own. If that effort fails, call the local CPW office.
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Failing to make a reasonable attempt to track and kill animals you wound or may have wounded.
Remember that it’s against the law to pursue wounded wildlife that goes on private property without first obtaining permission from the landowner or person in charge. You must still attempt to gain permission to enter and locate the animal.
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Failing to reasonably dress, care for, prepare and provide edible wildlife meat for human consumption.
At a minimum, the four quarters, tenderloins and backstraps are edible meat. Internal organs are not considered edible meat.
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Hunting without a proper license.
Anyone who hunts wildlife must have in their possession the appropriate and valid Colorado resident or nonresident license that includes their Customer Identification (CID) number, and must only harvest wildlife of the species and type indicated on the license.
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Mistakenly killing wildlife.
You must report big-game animals unintentionally killed, not due to carelessness or negligence to a CPW office (or a local Sheriff’s office after CPW regular hours) before continuing the hunt and as soon as practical. Before contacting CPW, field dress the animal. CPW evaluates the circumstances, including shots fired, species and number of animals present, firearms, ammunition, etc. Big game accidentally killed does not count toward annual bag limits.
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Not showing evidence of sex.
Be sure to leave evidence of sex naturally attached to the carcass. Evidence includes the head, the vulva or the scrotum.
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Carrying loaded firearms while in or on any motor vehicle.
Firearms must be unloaded in the chamber. Muzzleloading rifles are considered unloaded if the percussion cap or shotshell primer is removed, or if the powder is removed from the flashpan. It is illegal for anyone to have a loaded electronic ignition muzzleloader in or on a motor vehicle; the chamber must be unloaded or the battery must be disconnected and removed from its compartment. Most accidents involving firearms occur in or near vehicles.
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Carrying loaded firearms (except handguns) must be unloaded in the chamber and magazine.
Firearms (except handguns) and bows must be fully enclosed in a hard or soft case. Scabbards or cases with open ends or sides are prohibited. This does not apply to landowners or their agents who carry a firearm on an OHV to take depredating wildlife on property they own or lease.
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Improperly voiding and/or attaching a carcass tag.
You must sign and detach the carcass tag from your hunting license immediately following taking your animal. It is illegal to sign or tear the carcass tag before harvest. The tag must also be attached to the animal properly.
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Shooting from or across a public road with a firearm, bow or crossbow.
People firing a bow, rifle, handgun or shotgun with a single slug must be at least 50 feet from the centerline of the road.
If convicted of these violations, you may face a life-time hunting license suspension in Colorado.
- Killing and abandoning big game wildlife. It is illegal to remove only the hide, antlers or other trophy parts and leave the carcass in the field.
- Selling, purchasing, or offering to sell or purchase big game.
- Soliciting someone to illegally take big game for commercial gain or providing outfitting services without required registration.
Harvesting a Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat Idenitifaction
Mountain Goat Identification
Billy (Male)
- Horns have bases that are close together and larger than the eye.
- Horns are heavy and have more curvature.
- Males stand and stretch hind legs backwards, with a slight arch in the back, to urinate.
- The scrotum may be visible from the rear when goats have short summer coats.
Nanny (Female)
- Horns have bases that are smaller or equal to the eye size.
- Horns are often thinner and straighter, with a curve at the ends.
- Female squat to urinate.
- The dark vulva patch may be visible when the tail is raised.
Identification Guide for Male and Female Goats and Quiz
Hunters holding "female-only" mountain goat licenses must become familiar with gender identification of mountain goats to ensure proper harvest. The Mountain Goat Gender Identification Guide is provided to help hunters identify male and female mountain goats. The quiz consists of 20 non-scored questions with example photos to test your mountain goat gender identification skills. Quiz answers follow the questions and provide clues and notes as to what to look for in the photos.
Reporting a Harvest
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Hunters Did Not Hunt or Harvest a Mountain Goat
Hunters who did not hunt or turned in their license are still required to submit a completed mandatory report within 30 days after the close of the season. Hunters who hunted but did not harvest are still required to submit a completed mandatory report within 30 days after the close of the season.
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Harvest a Mountain Goat
Hunters are required to bring their harvest in for inspection on or before the 5th business day after harvest. The hunter must be present at the inspection and bring the horns and skull intact with the Mandatory Report Form. During the inspection the hunter will provide days hunted, harvest location (GMU and drainage), harvest date, manner of take. CPW will collect horn measurements along with hunt and harvest information and complete the Mandatory Report Form. There is no proof of inspection for Mountain Goats.
Mandatory Checks Phone Number: 303-291-7278
Mark Your Harvest Site with Your GPS
Hunters who have GPS units are encouraged to mark the location of their harvest in the field. This is especially important for hunters who harvest a moose or bear, as these species require mandatory inspections. During mandatory inspections, hunters will be asked to give a location of their harvest. Having GPS coordinates makes reporting simple and precise. Use your GPS to set a waypoint where you harvest an animal and save the UTM or longitude and latitude coordinates. Bring that information to record on the check report form during harvest inspections.
Ear Tags and Radio Collars
If you shoot an animal with a collar or ear tag, report the number, color, harvest location and date to CPW, and return the radio collars.
Carcass Tags
Be sure to sign and detach your carcass tag from your hunting license directly after you harvest your animal, and make sure you attach it properly. The carcass tag should be attached to the carcass (not to detached hides, horns or antlers carried separately) immediately prior to and during transportation in any vehicle, or while in camp or at a residence or other place of storage. Tags must stay on until meat is processed and remain with meat until consumed. It is illegal to sign the tag before harvesting an animal.
Do not remove any parts of a license except the carcass tag only after harvest. Doing so voids the license and you must buy a duplicate. The upper part of the license must be kept by whoever harvested the animal.
If you lose, accidentally destroy or detach the tag, you must buy a duplicate from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife office before hunting and prove the loss, detachment or destruction was accidental. If you have a nonresident big game/fishing combo license, the fishing license is valid after the carcass tag is detached, as long as the rest of the license is intact.
Transporting Game
You can be cited for illegally transporting game animals even if someone else made an error. When you transport carcasses or processed meat:
- Carcasses must be properly tagged. You must meet evidence of sex and antler-point requirements. Hunters must keep their own license.
- Carcass tags or donation certificates (for 20 pounds of meat or less) must accompany processed game meat.
- Carcass tags must be securely attached to carcass, not antlers or horns, or must accompany processed meat.
- Hunters transporting game through national parks or monuments must follow federal regulations. Contact the National Park Service.
- To ship by commercial carrier, the license, photocopy of license, carcass tag or donation certificate must accompany carcass or processed meat.
How to Skin and Field Dress a Mountain Goat
How To
Skin and Field Dress a Mountain Goat
Learn how to properly field dress and care for the meat and hide of mountain goats.
You Can Help Stop Poaching
If you see a poaching incident, report it. Look at it this way: if you saw someone breaking into your neighbor's house, would you just stand by and watch? Of course not; you would report it. Poaching is a crime against you, your neighbor, and everyone else in the state of Colorado. Call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free or Verizon cell phone users can simply dial #OGT.