Alaska Mountain Goat Hair: The Long and Short of It
Are you considering coming to Alaska to hunt Mountain Goats? If so then let us educate you on the differences between the mountain goat hunts being offered in Alaska. Currently there are several places to hunt the majestic Alaska mountain goat in our great state. However, if you are a not a resident of Alaska, you will be required to hunt this big game species with a registered guide, or come as a “next of kin” hunter with a relative that lives full-time in Alaska.
There are plenty of options for getting a guide for a mountain goat. You may wonder what the differences are between these hunts that you have seen on the market ranging with a variety of prices.
What is the difference? If you call up a guide and they are offering you an “alpine hunt” then start hitting the gym! These are terrific hunts for the young at heart who happen to be in shape. The state season opens August 1st every year.
If you are planning on doing an alpine hunt in August for Mountain Goat, it will be similar to a Dahl Sheep hunt but typically harder due to the mountainous terrain where the goats reside. There will typically be a lot of climbing involved, and tent camping. The later in the year you book your goat hunt, the lower the elevation of the goats due to a variety of factors such as the rut and the snow later in season, which drives them down to lower elevations. Typically these are what are known as “late season goats” taking place in the latter part of the year in the months of October and November. So then why would you want to come on one hunt versus another? The Hair!
“By the first of November, you can have 6-8” hair length… “
The warmer the summer the shorter the hair length will be on the goats. This is especially true this year since we have had such a warm summer season. This is going to show up on all hair lengths of the goats as well as other species. Here is a photo of a November goat. By the first of November, you can have 6-8” hair length, which as shown makes a huge difference when all is said and done and you have that trophy Billy hanging up in your home. I am not trying to downgrade horn length, which in our area average Billy horn length is 9″ and higher. However, what you will notice is the amazing hair length of your species when all is said and done. If you are a trophy hunter looking for an amazingly beautiful mountain goat, then, by all means, you need to wait until the end of October to hunt to get the best hair length out of your Alaska mountain goat. This makes a huge difference in the quality of your trophy.
Here in Southeast Alaska most hunts are conducted off of boats or yachts and those are what are considered your “base camps” for the late season goat hunts. We have been conducting our goat hunts since 1992 here on the mainland of Southeast Alaska and offer our clients a very unique goat hunting experience. The difference with our hunts besides being a “late season” goat hunt, is that there is virtually no climbing required and that each evening is spent aboard our full service luxury yacht with a private stateroom and fabulous food waiting you every night.
We have a full time chef there to meet you every night for an amazing culinary experience. We have virtually 100% success rate on these hunts. No other guide or outfitter can even come close to our recorded years of success or accommodations for November long haired mountain goats. There is no other place in Alaska or North America with the scenery and geologically stunning area on earth where we hunt our Mountain Goats! This is truly one of finest and uniques hunts in North America that you will not want to miss.
Captains Bruce & Ann-Marie Parker
Parker Guide Service
