Obviously, tags for neither grow on trees

If you drew a tag that let you hunt a Rocky Mountain BH sheep or a goat in the lower 48, which would it be?

Big horn sheep are amazing animals, but ever since I was a kid, I have had a thing for mountain goats.

I think I'd have to hunt a big billie. Maybe.....

What say you?

Damn you. I want both.

That is hamburger vs prime rib, of course it would be the Bighorn...

Hah!

So Shrap, I'll put you down as "undecided"

Bighorn, not that I don't want to hunt goats someday.

Sheep!

Sheep here as well.

Sheep for sure. I was lucky to take a goat in 2009.

I need at least one ram before I die.

Gotta be a goat for me. Hoping to make it happen in 2016 in either BC or SE AK.

Sheep, but not by a huge margin. I also have a soft spot for big goats. A mature billy is an incredible animal, to me.... I was lucky to see some bigguns this past summer and fall....

One from Colorado, excuse the crappy pic.... He was bedded up on a ridge overlooking 2 big basins at around 13,000 feet...



Tanner

Well, I don't mind seeing you guy's goat pics...

Got a lot of sheep points and zero goat.

Sheep, no question for me.

Good question, here in BC, both are available to we residents, however, the populations are down due to government mismanagement and the vile behaviour of the GOABC.

I have a slight preference for RMGs, but, have never had the fascination with these that so many foreign "trophy" collectors do; my preferences are BIG Elk, Blacktail Deer and Blue and Ruffed Grouse.

IF, I have any more mountain hunting in me, not looking good, I will probably go after a good RMBH at home in the Kootenays. I KNOW where they ARE, it's climbing/packing up there that is the issue.

Sheep... I actually have little to no desire to take a goat.

I do like hamburger too....

All things being equal there is no contest whatsoever; bighorn sheep.

Of course all things aren't equal and goats (at least from the cursory investigation I've made) seem to be easier tag-wise even if "goat country begins where sheep country ends".

My son's wanted a goat (literally) since before he could talk, and I've wanted a bighorn since I was a kid. We'll likely meet halfway and do an auodad hunt as we both put in for both those native species and wait... and wait...

Damn Shrap! A goat and a sheep.

Hoarder.

I think part of my desire for a goat is just the fact I've seen a lot of sheep, but rarely goats.

I've probably seen at least 100 or more sheep for every goat I've seen.

Brad, and others, curious as to your desire for one over the other?

MM, I get around goats all the time. To me they're like white golden retrievers. They have disarmingly sweet dispositions... part of me feels like I'd be shooting one of God's pets.

The headgear does nothing for me. I have no desire for a mount. Don't care to have a white couch throw.

I love watching them in the wild, but just don't really care to shoot one.

Here's a billy I came upon 8 or 10 years ago after a long day of elk hunting. I was coming down off a mountain and ran right in to this fellow. He was sound asleep nestled against a tree. I stood looking at him 6 or 8 feet away, when he finally became aware of me. He slowly rose from his bed, stretched like a big dog, and just stood there studying me. We watched each other for at least 5 minutes until he finally decided he had business on another part of the mountain and ambled off:

Great photos!

The white couch throw is another of the reasons I might prefer to go after a goat. Awesome looking pelts! But as you stated their head gear isn't exactly awe inspiring.

Damn....Again, very cool photos. That second one is amazing.

MM, glad you like them!

Have had many blessed days in the mountains. This was definitely in the top 50!

For reasons I cant explain I have always preffered a goat,something about them is just cool.

Here's a couple more shots from goat country...

Where I took them:



Goat:



Goat hair all around the lake:



A gaggle of goats:

If I could pick which tag I drew, it would be Mountain Goat.

No reason. I just think they're awesome.




Travis

I'd say sheep. Although this guy has been delicious.



By October, the other seasons have run their course, you are starting to recover from other hunts, you've burned all your vacation, and the weather is turning to crap. It can be tough to get people rallied for a goat trip.

The toughest animal you will ever love...

Me too.

I put in for the points and expect to take one some day but it does not seem to take much skill to approach them.

Goat if I could handle the country.. Already have a couple rams.

Bighorn. In Montana of course. mtmuley

I really think the "tameness" of Mountain goats is dependent on where you find them. Some are very wary of people, and some act like dogs. Bighorns aren't exactly the most spooky critter out there, either.

The goats I was looking at in Colorado, including the Billy I posted above, didn't want anything to do with me.

Tanner

Ha! Great 1980's-ish photo... the colors and stash give it away.

I can relate (grin).

Critters are definitely spookier during the rut, and I believe they posses some sort of innate sense of our intentions... critters are generally harder to kill when your intention is killing.

I'd have to agree. Most of the sheep I've seen have been while I was fishing. Generally they don't seem to care about my presence.

In fact, I always seem to see more critters while fishing.

Maybe I should start hunting with a fly rod.......

I've done both in Colorado. Bighorn sheep, no doubt in my mind. They just have the "look".

lol. The big 80s, baby! Great shots, guys.

If I had to pick, I'd say sheep.

Ya. You nailed it.
Still got that jacket and stash but the stash is grey.

Bighorn for sure, already lucked out and got a nice billy.Had a shoulder mt done and yeah the rest of the hide does make a nice couch thro next to the buffalo hide. Brad is right as usual when you exhibit predatory behavior like trying to sneak on a goat your done. They sense your behavior and react accordingly. Magnum Man

Sheep.....I quit stacking goat points.

Already shot a goat, so I say sheep.

Those are really good pictures Brad. Montana?

My avatar should tell you how I feel, lol. Have taken one Stone but I prefer goat hunting. There is nothing quite like a big late season billy and their long fur.

Sheep for me.

I've guided to some, but I would like my own.

Sheep for me, though I put in for goat in several states every year as well.

My experience has been that goats are often more spooky than sheep. Pretty odd goat pics Brad has. They've been as spooky as deer for me.

Sheep (in units where you could road hunt them and units deep in the wilderness) have not been really spooky IME.

It would have to be bighorn sheep for me.

BTW, some beautiful photos gents!

I've guided about 100 Dall and 7 Goats,, that pretty much sums it up. Here's mine,,, I was happy to get that part of my trophy room out of the way!

I already have one of each. I have had two sheep tags in my life in Colorado. Finally had to give up putting in, but I would like to get a nicer goat than the one I got. I got too old , but would take a goat hunt over the sheep. Sheep are not really all that hard , but a goat hunt will kick your a$$.

Not a monster, but not bad for an old fart.

Yes, I'm in Montana.

As I planned my retirement, actually the "retirement hunt", I was very close to booking a NE BC goat, moose and elk combo hunt with folks I have done the same with less goat previously. Also had a lady Stone sheep hunter in camp at the time. A great trip. I decided on a brown bear hunt in southeast Alaska but do see myself chasing goat next and Dall after that. Start of D-Day end of May... )

My bad leg won't allow a hunt for either but were I able it would be a sheep hunt.

If i could hunt but one sheep it would be the Dall.

I took a goat in zone 100-00 2011. It was a true adventure. I have 11 bonus points for resident MT, altho' I am not going to kid myself about drawing a sheep tag in MT. The one thing I will advise people about goat hunting is to get in the best condition possible. Train with a heavy pack hiking lots of mountain trails before your hunt. Both are magnificent trophies. MTG

I would definitely pick sheep, but goats are a very close second.

I was fortunate to take a nice Rocky Mountain bighorn in Hells Canyon a few years back. I have an tremendous amount of respect for goats, and hope the draw odds are in my favor soon.

I've killed bighorn, Dalls and mountain goats and all are special.

Lately I've really enjoyed chasing the billies...ball busters for sure. I'll be chasing a billy in Alaska with my son from Fairbanks this Fall with my draw tag...

Nice stuff gents.

One more of the living variety...

Bighorn by a pretty wide margin for me.

The odds of me hunting either are slim, but if I had to choose I'd take mutton over goat.

Either would be a fabulous hunt for this KY boy though...

Sheep with out question. I got a mountain goat in UT couple years ago and an Ibex in NM about 4 years ago. So my goats are pretty covered

That goat looks like he's thinking "Oh, goody another tourist with a camera."

Sheep, because there's more cushion for the pushin...and the velcroe gloves stick better...

Whichever one is better table fare. If its a wash then I'd side with Sheep.

Brad;
Top of the morning to you sir, hopefully this finds you and your fine family doing well.

Thanks to you and Alamosa for the close up goat photos, they are indeed grand.

Honestly we've got goats around here that can be seen from a couple of major highways and they appear phlegmatic at best.

That said, when we've bumped into them up in the mountains on foot, they've never, ever allowed us to get as close as you and Alamosa did.

When we attempted to hunt them one time in the late '80's - and yes I had a mustache then - well I still do.... anyway I digress. When we hunted them on the Grand Canyon of the Stikine we came away with the thought that any goat hunt we survived was a successful one.

Thanks again for the photos and all the best to you and yours this spring Brad.

Dwayne

I can't believe it took 6 pages for someone to find humor in this thread's title. Lol!

Apart from the fact he was 10 miles from the nearest road, that's true!

Having had both, sheep by a mile in regards to table fare.

I decided that by the time I collected enough points for a ram tag I would be too old to hunt one. I can draw a ewe tag every few years and that has worked out well for me. They are excellent table fare.

I've noticed that with sheep there seems to be an inverse relationship between how high you go vs. how wild they are. I'll drive past the most tame ones grazing next to the highway. The ones around the trailheads and around the lakes that the fly fisherman hike into are pretty tame too. The really spooky ones seem to be those herds well above treeline. I've had them bolt away when they were still so far off that they were just specks - only able to be ID'd through binos.

Lots of sheep in the mountains where I hang out but I've had much less experience with goats.

Goat without a doubt....but not by much.

Bighorn would be a nice addition.....

Aalf, did you do full body mounts on those? That stone would be a gorgeous full body mount.

No I didn't.....my living room was/is stuffed as it is.

aalf- Congrats on the sheep, especially the Stone's! IMO they are the prettiest of the 4. That one looks like a dandy!

Neither sheep nor goat has ever interested me so I'll take.... walleye.

As much as I want a Sheep, the Goat came first.

I have been involved with six successful Dall hunts (two being mine) and there is nothing more rewarding that I have done. We will be chasing sheep again this August and then goats for the first time in September and October. Really cant determine which I am more excited about the sheep or the goats!

Remember, goats pee in the water sheep drink...........

Aalf,

Beautiful sheep, congrats!

Yep, we goat hunters hunt above and beyond the sheep...

Great sheep, Aalf. The stone looks ancient per the annuli...what was his official age? I'm thinking about 11-12?

I've hunted/killed both. Sheep, hands down.

"Yep, we goat hunters hunt above and beyond the sheep.."

Doesn't mean the animals are there.

I've often seen sheep higher than goats in Alaska, on the same mountain.. And I've seen caribou higher than both! For that matter, a cow moose once. But she was just crossing to the next drainage, with sheep, goat, and black bear lower down.

Those are beautiful.

Mountain Goat would be my choice, sheep seem less intelligent then most Elite big game animals and watching a white goat on a hillside that would give me nightmares(do not do heights well) is impressive. I know sheep have excellent climbing abilities as well , but I do believe very little compares to a goats white coat against a blue sky way up high.
Do not know where one gets the idea a goat tag is easier??????

Both of aalf's Rams are nice but that Stone is remarkable... In both horn and cape...

Tanner

I've gotten both -- but I'd rather hunt sheep any day.

Won't ever hunt either, but goats are the pick from this choice.

Bighorn Ram then Dall Sheep for me. Good possibility that neither will ever happen though. It's a grim reality.

Tried for a BC goat when I was a teenager, the mountain beat me. Tried for Yukon sheep when I turned 42, and got a nice Dall that was the fulfilment of a dream. Tried for goat on the same trip, the mountain beat me. Tried to help my brother get a Yukon goat a couple years later, the mountain beat me. It's tough to climb the cliffs when your inner ears are messed up and balance is off. No more goat hunts for me. Still want one though.

I'm a sheep hunter at heart but I need to bag a nice billy before my mountain hunting days are over. Who knows, maybe this fall will be the year.

Wild sheep are the "juice" for me. I have two goats, and two sheep on the wall, but the rams get looked at more....by me anyway.

I will vote for the Dall sheep. I believe it is the most awesome of all the sheep and goats.