CO Nanny Tags Experience?

[COSA]

Been putting in for goats for a decade in the lower 48 w/o any luck. Debating on putting in for the nanny tags since the odds are usually better. The experience is more important to me than the horn size. I've heard that the CO nannies have little fear of people with all the backpackers?
Basically, I'd rather not burn my points & $2K+ on an "easy" goat hunt that isn't a challenging experience, if that makes sense?

 

[Jimss]

I've spent a lot of time around goats in several of the units along the Continental Divide in Coloardao and been on around a dozen hunts with family and friends. All of the hunts I've been on have been billy hunts. One thing I've noticed is that around 85% of the guys I've helped out really can't tell the difference between mature nannies and billies. Mature billies tour in size over nannies but the CPW offers so many goat tags in most units that there are very few 4+ year old billies left in most units.In fact, a lot of guys end up shooting nannies because there are very few 2+ year old billies left. If you take a look at the harvest reports it reflects this.

If I was going to nanny hunt I"d like pick a unit with late season tags because it's even tougher telling nannies from billies once nannies get their winter coats. Nannies generally have short hair during the first 2 seasons in multi-season units. It'usually easy to tell nannies from billies early on because billies start getting their long winter hair earlier than nannies. In fact, sometimes nannies still have the previous year's scraggly hair attached in Sept (in Colorado).

Once the goats get spooked during the later seasons they are a lot tougher to get close to. I know where there are natural licks in a couple units and nannies tend to go there every day during the first season until they start getting spooked by hunters. In the summer and first season you can literally drive a 4x4 right up to them. There is also a unit a little farther north that the CPW is almost trying to eliminate goats. They don't want them supposedly competing with bighorn sheep and venturing into new areas (which I disagree on 100%). The population is super low and you will have your work cut out for you finding a nanny late in the season. If you want a super challenge you could also try to arrow one with bow. They are about the toughest big game animals in north America to put on the ground with one shot! Most of the guys I've hunted with have taken several shots to get billies on the ground!

With that said, goats live in some of the prettiest, high alpine country Colorado has to offer. Late season nannies have gorgeous, thick hair. If you are looking for a trophy mount a late season nanny would look impressive...however, an early season nanny will likely have fairly short hair and their bodies aren't near as large as mature billies. A lot of guys would be amazed how small a nanny is but a mature billy looks like a mini, white buffalo! I hope this makes your decision a little easier?