NEW GOAT UNIT Conflict Reduction

[X-Force]

I must be reading it wrong. It looks like if you draw the conflict tag you are done. The regs say the once in a lifetime restriction  includes all Goat/- Goat Conflict tags....I wouldn't waste a OIL tag on a conflict tag. But I may be missing something.

With 1000+ people applying for each permit waiting for and OIL will take 1000 lifetimes.

[kkc66]

I must be reading it wrong. It looks like if you draw the conflict tag you are done. The regs say the once in a lifetime restriction  includes all Goat/- Goat Conflict tags....I wouldn't waste a OIL tag on a conflict tag. But I may be missing something.

Goat conflict tags are included in the "once in a lifetime" restriction. If you kill one on a conflict tag you are done.

[kkc66]

Bob is correct, if you kill a goat them you're done.

[fishngamereaper]

I must be reading it wrong. It looks like if you draw the conflict tag you are done. The regs say the once in a lifetime restriction  includes all Goat/- Goat Conflict tags....I wouldn't waste a OIL tag on a conflict tag. But I may be missing something.

With 1000+ people applying for each permit waiting for and OIL will take 1000 lifetimes.

I've been applying for 18 years and have really good knowledge of the herds from Goat Rocks to Chelan. Although it is an OIL tag, if I do draw I want it to be for an area I enjoy going to and an area Ive been trying to draw for nearly half my life. I would not want to settle on a new area just because its an option. I've spent some time in the Olympics and the quality just doesn't seem to be there. Im not fond of the early seasons, no time for the goats to hair up, and Im not fond of the crowds.

[Katmai Guy]

What Nature Boy said!  I drew the Mt.WA A tag last year and never got near a goat during the season.  Where the Bio said the majority of the big billies were, I could never find a way to access.  I could see them from Mt. Ellinor, just couldn't get there.  Hunted Mt. Ellinor and tried to get into the bowl and onto the ridge behind but couldn't make that happen either.  Talked to the Bio after the hunt and they were amazed that I hadn't seen any goats on Ellinor, they expected there to be 10 or 12 goats in the vicinity, due to the "goat conflicts" hikers were having in the past. Oh well.

[JimmyHoffa]

With the new expanded  boundaries can this hunt be packed in by horse or ATV?

Horse yes, ATV no.  ATV can't go in the wilderness where the goats are.  You could ask around at the different Backcountry Horsemen Groups to see who they recommend if you don't have your own stock.  They do all kinds of rides into the northern part of the unit.  Pretty easy ride for horses to get to Marmot Pass.  I only know of the ones that go into the Buckhorn WA, not the lower areas.

[cem3434]

I must be reading it wrong. It looks like if you draw the conflict tag you are done. The regs say the once in a lifetime restriction  includes all Goat/- Goat Conflict tags....I wouldn't waste a OIL tag on a conflict tag. But I may be missing something.

With 1000+ people applying for each permit waiting for and OIL will take 1000 lifetimes.

I've been applying for 18 years and have really good knowledge of the herds from Goat Rocks to Chelan. Although it is an OIL tag, if I do draw I want it to be for an area I enjoy going to and an area Ive been trying to draw for nearly half my life. I would not want to settle on a new area just because its an option. I've spent some time in the Olympics and the quality just doesn't seem to be there. Im not fond of the early seasons, no time for the goats to hair up, and Im not fond of the crowds.

With it being a new hunt catergory "Goat Conflict", I don't understand what you would be out even if you did draw.  You could hunt the area and if you didn't see that OIL billy, then you eat your tag and lose your points in that category.  You still keep your points and could potentially draw Goat Rocks or another tag under the "Goat" category in the future.  Am I missing something?

[Katmai Guy]

Nope, it's a good scenario in my mind also.  You could be picky.

[Katmai Guy]

The bad part is we won't be accomplishing what the hunt was created for and that is reduction of the population in that area.  If the wdfw doesn't get the population down, the park service will cull all the goats in the park, which will eliminate the need for this hunt.  Kind of a double edged sword.

[fishngamereaper]

I must be reading it wrong. It looks like if you draw the conflict tag you are done. The regs say the once in a lifetime restriction  includes all Goat/- Goat Conflict tags....I wouldn't waste a OIL tag on a conflict tag. But I may be missing something.

With 1000+ people applying for each permit waiting for and OIL will take 1000 lifetimes.

I've been applying for 18 years and have really good knowledge of the herds from Goat Rocks to Chelan. Although it is an OIL tag, if I do draw I want it to be for an area I enjoy going to and an area Ive been trying to draw for nearly half my life. I would not want to settle on a new area just because its an option. I've spent some time in the Olympics and the quality just doesn't seem to be there. Im not fond of the early seasons, no time for the goats to hair up, and Im not fond of the crowds.

With it being a new hunt catergory "Goat Conflict", I don't understand what you would be out even if you did draw.  You could hunt the area and if you didn't see that OIL billy, then you eat your tag and lose your points in that category.  You still keep your points and could potentially draw Goat Rocks or another tag under the "Goat" category in the future.  Am I missing something?

I may be totally off. If so I apologize. But the way I read the regs if you draw for the conflict tag it eats your oil points and is included in the OIL rules. I guess I need to go back and re read this years regs. I think it changed from last year. Again I may be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time

[Katmai Guy]

It has changed since last year where it was OIL.  This hunt now carries it's own point category but if you get drawn and harvest a goat it counts as an OIL goat.

[Nature Boy]

The biologist interviewed me last year to gather data about my experiences in the region.  The biologists themselves hadn't done any field surveys on foot in the region due to the severity of the terrain (that should tell you something).  They do all the field work via helicopter.  He did send me some pretty cool pics of goats taken from the helo survey...so biologist can be your friend when doing research on where to hunt!  I was actually up on the mountains scouting and got buzzed by the helo!  I was told that the National Park Service has a strategy to remove all goats from Olympic National Park and the surrounding wilderness areas.  The conflict resolution hunts are designed as a mitigation step to prevent unwanted human/goat encounters and hopefully change the NPS strategy.  The biologist felt that eventually the goats will be relocated but in the meantime WDFW wants to provide the hunt opportunity.  So the message is this hunt opportunity may not be around forever.   

[shanevg]

Such a weird decision to have a separate point category but then count the goat against your OIL allocation. I'm applying for the hunt but if I have the tag I'm passing on anything less than the state record with a bow. Definitely not their intent for the hunt.

On a side note, I know that Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance is in active discussion with WDFW and NPS about helping fund goat relocation when the time comes to do that. I strongly encourage all members to check out and join RMGA to help find valuable projects like that as well as this summers Alpine Lakes goat survey! 

[pd]

Why the need to relocate these goats?  Are they non-native?

[jackelope]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01712/wdfw01712.pdf
page 74.....

Who May Apply:
Anyone, except those who harvested
a mountain goat in Washington state
after 1998. Except for auction and raffle
permitted hunts, an individual may only
harvest one mountain goat during his or her
lifetime. This once in a lifetime restriction
includes both "Goat" and "Goat - Conflict
Reduction" categories.