what percent of north american big game hunters hunt mountain goats?
- Thread starter HUNT
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I doubt that there are any stats for something like that, even though the net has about everything! I'm sure it would have to be a very small fraction of 1% because there just aren't that many opportunities to hunt them in the lower 48 and many don't have the money to do it out of the lower US. I would also imagine the split between rifle and bow would be pretty significant because a lot of people who would hunt them probably would want to take an animal on their hunt. Obviously it would be easier with a rifle in the terrain they live in.
Zeke
Long Time Member
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+1 TG
Even among those who have hunted mountain goats, I would say that they only get the chance to hunt them one time in their life.
I know that in our circles the number is around 1% and we live in a State where Mtn goat tags are relatively easy to get (10-15 years of applications). It took me 12 years to draw and it looks like my wife should draw next year with about the same points. (we both drew desert sheep first and during that application period we couldn't apply for goat)
If you're asking for an opinion of the percentage of big game hunters who have EVER hunted them, I'd still say it's less than .5% (1/2 percent). Look at all the whitetail hunters who don't even apply for goat.
Zeke
Even among those who have hunted mountain goats, I would say that they only get the chance to hunt them one time in their life.
I know that in our circles the number is around 1% and we live in a State where Mtn goat tags are relatively easy to get (10-15 years of applications). It took me 12 years to draw and it looks like my wife should draw next year with about the same points. (we both drew desert sheep first and during that application period we couldn't apply for goat)
If you're asking for an opinion of the percentage of big game hunters who have EVER hunted them, I'd still say it's less than .5% (1/2 percent). Look at all the whitetail hunters who don't even apply for goat.
Zeke
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littlejoe
Guest
Once with a rifle.
whitwell_56
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You might could look up each state/province where there are goat tags and see how many are issued each year. that would give you some idea of haw many people are hunting them on an annual basis.
npaden
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If you are doing it for a research paper then put some work into it.
A quick google search and didn't find much on the subject so it's going to take some work.
I started with Colorado and pulled up their hunting regulations and they had 218 mountain goat licenses for 2011 with 27 being archery and 191 being rifle.
You'll need to do the same for Montana, Wyoming, Idaho Washington, and Utah. Maybe Oregon and too.
For 2007 there were 692 mountain goat hunters in Alaska according to their statistics I found.
https://secure.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=goat.harvest
If you just want a rough guess, let's say there are 1,000 tags issued in the lower 48, 1,000 hunters in Alaska. That's probably a little high, but should be fairly close.
I couldn't find anything on harvest #'s in British Columbia, but they have an estimated goat population of 36,000 - 63,000. They have a low sustainable harvest, but maybe 5,000 goats might be possible.
I would think Alberta has some goats as well.
Add that all up and you probably get around 10,000 mountain goat hunters per year. I think that sounds pretty reasonable.
Depending on sources, there are as many at 45 million hunters in the US alone. Those are folks that have hunted anytime in their life. If you want just the people who have hunted in the last year you are looking at around 15 million in the US.
10,000 mountain goat hunters out of 15 million total hunters is .0667%. That's 1 hunter out of 1,500 hunters that would go on a mountain goat hunt.
That's probably a conservative number, i.e. it's probably a smaller % in reality.
A quick google search and didn't find much on the subject so it's going to take some work.
I started with Colorado and pulled up their hunting regulations and they had 218 mountain goat licenses for 2011 with 27 being archery and 191 being rifle.
You'll need to do the same for Montana, Wyoming, Idaho Washington, and Utah. Maybe Oregon and too.
For 2007 there were 692 mountain goat hunters in Alaska according to their statistics I found.
https://secure.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=goat.harvest
If you just want a rough guess, let's say there are 1,000 tags issued in the lower 48, 1,000 hunters in Alaska. That's probably a little high, but should be fairly close.
I couldn't find anything on harvest #'s in British Columbia, but they have an estimated goat population of 36,000 - 63,000. They have a low sustainable harvest, but maybe 5,000 goats might be possible.
I would think Alberta has some goats as well.
Add that all up and you probably get around 10,000 mountain goat hunters per year. I think that sounds pretty reasonable.
Depending on sources, there are as many at 45 million hunters in the US alone. Those are folks that have hunted anytime in their life. If you want just the people who have hunted in the last year you are looking at around 15 million in the US.
10,000 mountain goat hunters out of 15 million total hunters is .0667%. That's 1 hunter out of 1,500 hunters that would go on a mountain goat hunt.
That's probably a conservative number, i.e. it's probably a smaller % in reality.
S
springbear
Guest
I will be hunting them this year in idaho.
I bet it is a very low percentage in the lower 48, higher in Canada and AK.
I bet it is a very low percentage in the lower 48, higher in Canada and AK.
ICMDEER
Very Active Member
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Maybe a better question would be how many would hunt goats if given an opportunity. I've never hunted a goat, but I have applied for a license for over 35 years. If I ever draw, I'll go. But I won't go to Alaska or BC just to hunt one. I'll only do it at home in Wyoming. Maybe a search of Alaska or BC would be more valuable, since the licenses are easier to acquire in those places.
J
Jeff46
Guest
Surely less than 1% when you take into account the number of whitetail hunters in the east and midwest. But if you are looking for something more objective than the opinions of a bunch of guys online, maybe you could use harvest to estimate the number of hunters, say compare B&C entries for goats to entries for other big game.
I have hunted mt goat in BC, as we don't have mt goat here in NM and it will take forever to draw a tag in most states that do have goats, My dad hunted them with a rifle and I with a bow... unfortunately no harvest but I do have plans to go hunt them in the next year or two.
nmbighorn
nmbighorn
BrowningRage
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npaden just did all the legwork and educated guessing that any of us would have done... His numbers look pretty good to me.
Good luck on your paper...
"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
Good luck on your paper...
"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
S
scottyboy
Guest
I never wanted to bother with trying to draw a goat tag in the lower 48 with the dismal draw odds (I'll save that for the sheep draws!!)
I am off to BC to hunt goats in BC in less than 2 months. If I take a good billy, one will be enough for my lifetime.
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DRSS
I am off to BC to hunt goats in BC in less than 2 months. If I take a good billy, one will be enough for my lifetime.
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DRSS
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wvbowhunterinalaska
Guest
The thing to remember about Alaska and Canada is that non-residents have to have to go guided. So while the tags are plentiful, the guide services are not cheap.
WVBOWAK
WVBOWAK
nfh
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do you have any eastmans magazines. just a couple of months before its time to apply for tags, eastmans reports on wyoming, and the other states. how many people apply, how many people were succesful.
im working out of town but i copied that paticular info out of that magazine for my own personal info since i got a resident mountain goat tag. if i was home i could of just copied and it and send it to ya.
im working out of town but i copied that paticular info out of that magazine for my own personal info since i got a resident mountain goat tag. if i was home i could of just copied and it and send it to ya.
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wvbowhunterinalaska
Guest
I believe Jack O' Connor said where sheep country ends goat country begins. I saw some goats running up the cliffs headed out of the harbor at Seward a couple of summers back while on a fishing charter. I looked over at a buddy of mine and said "Wanna chase after them"? He gave me a puzzled WTF look and said "No". These cliffs looked like they would kill you just looking at them.
WVBOWAK
WVBOWAK
