'Goat man' was hunter in disguise

SALT LAKE CITY, July 24 (UPI) -- A Utah wildlife official said the mysterious "goat man" photographed crawling near some goats was a California hunter testing out a goat stalking disguise.

Phil Douglass, conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, said he was contacted recently by a 57-year-old California man who revealed he had donned a goat suit July 15 and appeared in Coty Creighton's photograph near Ben Lomond Peak just north of Ogden, the Ogden Standard-Examiner reported Tuesday.

Douglass said the man, who did not give his name, gave information substantiating his claims and said he was testing out the goat suit for an upcoming hunting trip.

"He gave me details that convinced me it was him," Douglass said. "I'm satisfied that this was a person preparing for a hunt and did it with knowledge and experience."

Creighton said he had enjoyed the mystery about the goat man's identity.

"I thought I wanted answers, but I was naive. I should have left well enough alone. Now I just want the mystery back," he said.