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Species authority page

Mountain goat

Oreamnos americanus · Big game

Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus): White coat, long and shaggy in winter, with a crest of erect hair along the spine and rump and long leg hair ('pantaloons'). Both sexes have short, black horns that are never shed and grow annual rings. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the mountain goat map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Mountain goat resting on a rock
Adobe Stock · Standard License (asset 2193716473)
Scientific name
Oreamnos americanus
Family
Bovidae
Range
Native from southeast Alaska through western Canada to Washington, western Montana and central Idaho. Introduced populations exist in South Dakota, Colorado, Washington and on several Alaskan islands.
Biology

How to identify it

White coat, long and shaggy in winter, with a crest of erect hair along the spine and rump and long leg hair ('pantaloons'). [1][2]

Both sexes have short, black horns that are never shed and grow annual rings. [1][2]

Females' horns are more slender and bend back sharply; males' horns are more evenly curved. [1][2]

Males are markedly larger than females (Alaska: about 280 lb vs 180 lb). [1][2]

Compared with the dall sheep: Dall sheep are also white but lack the mountain goat's black horns and prefer drier country. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Do not identify Mountain goat from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Steep, rocky cliffs and bluffs in alpine and subalpine terrain. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Nannies form nursery groups with kids and young; billies stay in small bachelor groups except during the late October–early December rut. [1][2]

Active from sunrise to mid-day and again at dusk; digs shallow beds for resting and dust bathing. [1][2]

Grazes sedges, forbs and low shrubs in alpine meadows in summer; browses in winter. [1][2]

Moves from alpine summer range to treeline or old-growth forest in winter. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Native from southeast Alaska through western Canada to Washington, western Montana and central Idaho. Introduced populations exist in South Dakota, Colorado, Washington and on several Alaskan islands.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Alaska Department of Fish and Game

  2. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology