Goat removal plan for Olympic National Park

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

The park tried to move them once before and the greenies shut it down, about 25 years ago.  They used helicopters and tranquilizers.  The helicopters would lower a harness to the goat and fly them off.  Greenies said it was too dangerous and was causing psychological damage to goats.

Maybe they could first dart the greenies, harness them up, and fly them back to CA. Just a thought.

Now there's a common sense solution!

[Katmai Guy]

The goats are thriving in the Olympics why does the state want to eradicate them from an area that they are doing good in. Someone was killed by a wild animal and they are jumping to such extremes. It cracks me up that they say they are not native to the Olympics. Mountain goats are native to the Northwestern part of the United States. Its not like they were introduced into another continent. There are only 3500 goats in the whole state, the conservationist in me says help them thrive and maybe someday our grandchildren will have goats to kill when they spill outside of the park.
Or let us hunt 25 of them a year inside the park and it will create a more natural relationship between animals with hooves and those of us with thumbs.

Supposedly the native flora is more important than the non-native fauna.  The NPS has been trying to rid the park of them for years.  The conflict permit was created to help solve this problem but the success rate sucks so it seams the NPS is going to try other methods.

[jagermiester]

Yeah but don't you think the non-native distinction is a little strange. These animals are native to the Pacific Northwest.

[Pegasus]

They could just make an open season for any goat in the Olympics kinda like how they deal with the feral hog problem. Ya I know its a park but those goats are crazed killers and we must deal with the obvious. Its either that or plant a bunch of wolves to take care of the problem until they kill a hiker...

[Jpmiller]

Yeah but don't you think the non-native distinction is a little strange. These animals are native to the Pacific Northwest.

I see your point. White tails aren't native to alot of their current range in the state and if not for agriculture may never have spread to where they are now. The state seems fine with them.

[PlateauNDN]

The park tried to move them once before and the greenies shut it down, about 25 years ago.  They used helicopters and tranquilizers.  The helicopters would lower a harness to the goat and fly them off.  Greenies said it was too dangerous and was causing psychological damage to goats.

Maybe they could first dart the greenies, harness them up, and fly them back to CA. Just a thought.

Now there's a common sense solution!

  that would cover a big portion of the west side of the state.

[j_h_nimrod]

The goats are thriving in the Olympics why does the state want to eradicate them from an area that they are doing good in. Someone was killed by a wild animal and they are jumping to such extremes. It cracks me up that they say they are not native to the Olympics. Mountain goats are native to the Northwestern part of the United States. Its not like they were introduced into another continent. There are only 3500 goats in the whole state, the conservationist in me says help them thrive and maybe someday our grandchildren will have goats to kill when they spill outside of the park.
Or let us hunt 25 of them a year inside the park and it will create a more natural relationship between animals with hooves and those of us with thumbs.

Supposedly the native flora is more important than the non-native fauna.  The NPS has been trying to rid the park of them for years.  The conflict permit was created to help solve this problem but the success rate sucks so it seams the NPS is going to try other methods.

The success rate for the conflict goat hunts sucks?  That hunt seems like a no brainer with a lot of access, little pressure, and a good population.

[Bob33]

The goats are thriving in the Olympics why does the state want to eradicate them from an area that they are doing good in. Someone was killed by a wild animal and they are jumping to such extremes. It cracks me up that they say they are not native to the Olympics. Mountain goats are native to the Northwestern part of the United States. Its not like they were introduced into another continent. There are only 3500 goats in the whole state, the conservationist in me says help them thrive and maybe someday our grandchildren will have goats to kill when they spill outside of the park.
Or let us hunt 25 of them a year inside the park and it will create a more natural relationship between animals with hooves and those of us with thumbs.

Supposedly the native flora is more important than the non-native fauna.  The NPS has been trying to rid the park of them for years.  The conflict permit was created to help solve this problem but the success rate sucks so it seams the NPS is going to try other methods.

The success rate for the conflict goat hunts sucks?  That hunt seems like a no brainer with a lot of access, little pressure, and a good population.

Both conflict reduction hunts last year were 100% success. I'm not sure how that sucks?

[bigtex]

The goats are thriving in the Olympics why does the state want to eradicate them from an area that they are doing good in. Someone was killed by a wild animal and they are jumping to such extremes. It cracks me up that they say they are not native to the Olympics. Mountain goats are native to the Northwestern part of the United States. Its not like they were introduced into another continent. There are only 3500 goats in the whole state, the conservationist in me says help them thrive and maybe someday our grandchildren will have goats to kill when they spill outside of the park.
Or let us hunt 25 of them a year inside the park and it will create a more natural relationship between animals with hooves and those of us with thumbs.

It's the National Park Service who wants to do it, not WDFW.

[shanevg]

If they are going to eradicate the goats anyways, why so few conflict tags?  I understand why they wouldn't want an open season (would just push the goats back into the park), but why not 4 seasons (August, September, October, November), 25 tags per season or something like that.

[Katmai Guy]

The goats are thriving in the Olympics why does the state want to eradicate them from an area that they are doing good in. Someone was killed by a wild animal and they are jumping to such extremes. It cracks me up that they say they are not native to the Olympics. Mountain goats are native to the Northwestern part of the United States. Its not like they were introduced into another continent. There are only 3500 goats in the whole state, the conservationist in me says help them thrive and maybe someday our grandchildren will have goats to kill when they spill outside of the park.
Or let us hunt 25 of them a year inside the park and it will create a more natural relationship between animals with hooves and those of us with thumbs.

Supposedly the native flora is more important than the non-native fauna.  The NPS has been trying to rid the park of them for years.  The conflict permit was created to help solve this problem but the success rate sucks so it seams the NPS is going to try other methods.

The success rate for the conflict goat hunts sucks?  That hunt seems like a no brainer with a lot of access, little pressure, and a good population.

Both conflict reduction hunts last year were 100% success. I'm not sure how that sucks?

My bad, the first season sucked, I hadn't checked the last 2, just made an assumption.

[JimmyHoffa]

If they are going to eradicate the goats anyways, why so few conflict tags?  I understand why they wouldn't want an open season (would just push the goats back into the park), but why not 4 seasons (August, September, October, November), 25 tags per season or something like that.

November would be tough on the guys that apply but aren't familiar with those areas.  They might be alright in the earlier months, but can get a bit hairy as the year rolls on.  Been up there in goat land for deer opener (mid oct) a few times and had temps in the teens, snow/ice.

[JimmyHoffa]

Heard they plan to relocate the goats as they can find them until 2019.  At that point they'll just shoot the ones they missed.