'Goat Man' In Utah Mountains Identified As 57-Year-Old Hunter On Reconnaissance Mission

While the man's name has not been released (Utah official didn't even ask for it,) Phil Douglass of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources told the Associated Press that the man dressed in a goat suit assembling with real-life goats was a 57-year-old California man.

The Ogden Standard-Examiner said the Goat Man, urged by a friend, called Utah wildlife officials and gave the agency information that confirms he was the person in a goat suit snapped by photographer Coty Creighton July 15, the paper reported.

So why was Goat Man dressed as a goat? In order to hunt goats, the man wanted to behave like one so he could get further knowledge of his prey in the Utah mountains. The man was preparing to hunt goats using a bow in Canada next year.

I'm satisfied that this was a person preparing for a hunt and did it with knowledge and experience, Douglass told the Standard-Examiner.  He found out about Utah and that it was fairly easy to get close to the goats to (train) to get a clean harvest shot with archery equipment, Douglass said.

When pictures of the Goat Man first surfaced, some wondered whether he was a real-life Bigfoot or some other folk creature.

Creighton described what Goat Man looked and acted like as he snapped photos of the man in the mysterious goat suit.

He was clumsy, working his way down the cliff trying to catch up with the rest of the herd, Creighton told Fox affiliate KTSU. With the binoculars, I could clearly see it was a guy dressed up in a homemade goat suit.

Creighton recalled Goat Man looking up at him.

He kind of slouched down, like was getting nervous or was feeling really self-conscious, Creighton said. He actually got off his hands and knees and sat on the hill for several minutes until he thought I was gone.