2017 Alpine Lakes Mountain Goat Survey

[yakimanoob]

I'd love to hear any reports/outcomes of the survey.  Our dates were wrong but I still got to chat with Allen, which was a pleasure.  I'm hoping the population study comes out with way more animals than we thought so maybe I'll have a prayer of drawing a tag in my lifetime . 

I'm 30 and just moved to WA and just getting into hunting, so I'm certainly a few years behind on my points...

[Dode]

I counted 23 of them in my area! Sorry for the double pic.

[jackelope]

I'd love to hear any reports/outcomes of the survey.  Our dates were wrong but I still got to chat with Allen, which was a pleasure.  I'm hoping the population study comes out with way more animals than we thought so maybe I'll have a prayer of drawing a tag in my lifetime . 

I'm 30 and just moved to WA and just getting into hunting, so I'm certainly a few years behind on my points...

Hey I was not applying for permits when I was 30(35 was my first year) and I'm going mountain goat hunting this year. In a perfect world, I'll be 44 when I kill my goat.

[quadrafire]

I'd love to hear any reports/outcomes of the survey.  Our dates were wrong but I still got to chat with Allen, which was a pleasure.  I'm hoping the population study comes out with way more animals than we thought so maybe I'll have a prayer of drawing a tag in my lifetime . 

I'm 30 and just moved to WA and just getting into hunting, so I'm certainly a few years behind on my points...

Hey I was not applying for permits when I was 30(35 was my first year) and I'm going mountain goat hunting this year. In a perfect world, I'll be 44 when I kill my goat.

Yea but you drew LONG before you were due. 

[X-Force]

Just wanted to recap our goat count experience. We were only in there for a short stint compared to some guys but it was fun camping and counting animals.

24 goats in basically a day. Most were near the trail and lake Ingalls. We camped in the NF just outside of the wilderness boundary. Beautiful country.

We saw 3 aggressive goat encounters all were nannys and 2 had kids.
A guy just inside of the wilderness boundary was booted from his camp by a nanny and kid who pushed him 150 yards all the way back to the trail and only left him alone after 8 people on the trail stared her down.
Second aggressive goat was near the lake where a guy got between the goats and water. A nanny pushed him around a dead tree and down the hill until her and her group had a clear walking path to the lake.
Third goat wasn't totally aggressive but kept pushing in on us while we were sitting on a cliff watching goats below. She would sneak in to 15 yards or so, get shooed off an come back in after a couple minutes. We finally let her have the rock and we headed back to camp.

[boneaddict]

Love the photos

[jackelope]

Thanks for the photo's, X-Force!!
 

[Bushcraft]

Great pics!  I'll have to post some from the count too.

The goats in the area, particularly the core Enchantments are highly habituated towards humans and have come to realize that we are an easy source of salt (from our urine and sweaty clothes and gear that's left out).  It's likely that they weren't necessarily acting aggressively, but just trying to get close or stay close to a Salt Dispenser. 

The best response is to hurl rocks at or near them if they get too close.  This almost always scares them off.  Don't physically engage them with hiking sticks as this will likely trigger a fight instinct...and they'll win.  As you no doubt observed they are constantly jockeying for food and bedding and are not at all kind to one another in the process.  It's like watching a dysfunctional family.    If fact, during translocation projects, we need to crate them individually or they'll kill or severely hurt one another.