Variation in age of primiparity in mountain goats estimated from horn growth increments

Variation in age of primiparity is important for population dynamics and wildlife management because it can affect growth. Using a novel technique based on the trade-off between annual horn growth reproduction, we estimated 2274 female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus, de Blainville 1816) harvested across British Columbia, Canada, from 1976 to 2019. We then investigated spatio-temporal variation probability that females were primiparous when aged three, four or five years older using Bayesian ordinal regressions. found at three decreased over time nearly all ranges. In Coastal Mountain range, however, significantly increased. These results suggest large coastal populations could be more resilient harvest than other which may experiencing environmental effects promoting later primiparity. Models predicting measures are valuable tool help conservation many species.