Olympic National Park Goat Hunt Group Anyone?

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

It would be better to have hunters up there instead of a helicopter flying around shooting animals and leaving them. That’s a bad look

Helicopter retrieval rate would be much higher than boot hunters. Make no mistake, this will be a media feast and "hunters" will undoubtedly be villains. This is an unfortunate deflection of blame from the antis on to hunters.

first thing i thought of was the anti hunter back lash.

Well then they can fund the non-lethal removal of said goats.... love that both parties can recognize that they are not native and need removed... and it's the party that thinks money grows on trees and wont fund humane removal that will sling the dirt. It's hunters and hunting based organizations that have foot the bill to date to save as many as we equitably possible...I think. (I'm assuming because if they did fund the removal efforts so far I'll shut up)

[bigfish51]

Yes, the hunters are encouraged to bring out the meat.  The fur and skull are optional, but there are certain things (parts) that they want for study purposes.  This hunt falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government, so there are probably some different laws to abide by than what the state has.  Again, the anti's will be poo pooing this whole thing anyways, so we as sportsman might as well try to do this thing as clean as we can.  I'm a meat hunter and would definitely pull all the meat out that I could!

Flying the area would be perfectly legal (it is in WA) as long as you don't do it in the same 24 hour period as you hunt.  I've done it before, but generally a few days to weeks before a hunt just to get the lay of the land and general locations.  Heck, most animals move a few miles a day anyways, so trying to spot their exact location is a crap shoot.  But, it wouldn't hurt anything to have an idea!

[kselkhunter]

NPS has listed prior goat retrieval and spotted locations on the unit maps already.  From what I've read, hunters will be supported by NPS with as accurate of information on goat locations as they have.  As they want the goats gone.   


And we're not talking about having to cover the entire park here.  There are 6 units.  Each unit ranges in size from roughly 2 miles by 4 miles up to 5 miles by 5 miles.   Which is still sizeable terrain, and it's ridiculously steep and challenging of course.  But teams are assigned to the unit and won't be wandering all over the park looking for goats.   There are exact locations that the assigned teams will be heading for to search for goats.   3 sessions, 18 eradication teams.   

[JR825]

I would love to be on a team. Sounds like a great experience.

[jackelope]

The way I’m reading that, they want the horns.

[kselkhunter]

The way I’m reading that, they want the horns.

Read the previous page in this thread, post from BigFish51
"I spent a bit of time on the phone with the bio in charge of this cull/eradication hunt.  You do get to keep the skull and horns, but it's kind of complicated.  If a group of 6 guys shoots 4 animals, you get to keep 2 heads.  The other 2 heads would then be given to the tribes for ceremonial purposes.  If the same group of 6 guys killed 10 goats, then each guy gets to keep a head. "

[Tbar]

The way I’m reading that, they want the horns.

Read the previous page in this thread, post from BigFish51
"I spent a bit of time on the phone with the bio in charge of this cull/eradication hunt.  You do get to keep the skull and horns, but it's kind of complicated.  If a group of 6 guys shoots 4 animals, you get to keep 2 heads.  The other 2 heads would then be given to the tribes for ceremonial purposes.  If the same group of 6 guys killed 10 goats, then each guy gets to keep a head. "

Did this retention information come directly from Patti?

[jackelope]

That alone will make this a booner billy hunt. Could you imagine an entire seal goat team 6 up there hunting goats that have never been hunted, set with the mission to shoot all the goats they see. They run into a group of nannies and kids, then spot a lone billy 500 yards up the ridge from the women and children? Which one's getting shot if a guy can keep horns?

[Tbar]

That alone will make this a booner billy hunt. Could you imagine an entire seal goat team 6 up there hunting goats that have never been hunted, set with the mission to shoot all the goats they see. They run into a group of nannies and kids, then spot a lone billy 500 yards up the ridge from the women and children? Which one's getting shot if a guy can keep horns?

Agreement again? Strange times.....

[Rainier10]

I spent a bit of time on the phone with the bio in charge of this cull/eradication hunt.  You do get to keep the skull and horns, but it's kind of complicated.  If a group of 6 guys shoots 4 animals, you get to keep 2 heads.  The other 2 heads would then be given to the tribes for ceremonial purposes.  If the same group of 6 guys killed 10 goats, then each guy gets to keep a head.  This isn't a "trophy hunt" per se, but a tool that NPR is allowing to help (hopefully) remove all the goats from the park.  So, in a normal world of goat hunting (Jackelope and other goat hunters who have talked about it, feel free to chime in), you would be discouraged from shooting a nannie, as she would probably have kids around and the likelihood of said kids surviving on their own is pretty much nil. In the case of this hunt, you are allowed as many goats as you can get, and if the same situation of nannie/kids is presented, you are encouraged to shoot them all.  Otherwise, it would be inhumane and unsportsmanlike to allow the kids to just basically die a slow death.

Also, there are no tag fees and you don't lose any points as this is a NPR thing, not a WA state administered hunt.

All that said, if you are like me and have been applying for a goat tag for 26 straight years and not drawn, this would be great opportunity to get in the game.  I'm planning on applying along with a group of my hunting buddies.  Good luck to all!

The bolded statement is my biggest concern.  They want you to shoot them all because it is humane but when pictures or video that get out it is not going to be painted in a good light.  It will be like the guy that took a picture of the family of baboons he shot.

[jackelope]

That alone will make this a booner billy hunt. Could you imagine an entire seal goat team 6 up there hunting goats that have never been hunted, set with the mission to shoot all the goats they see. They run into a group of nannies and kids, then spot a lone billy 500 yards up the ridge from the women and children? Which one's getting shot if a guy can keep horns?

Agreement again? Strange times.....

THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!!

[jackelope]

Nobody should be allowed to keep horns.

 

[fishngamereaper]

Meat preservation should be mandatory.

[Rainier10]

Nobody should be allowed to keep horns.

 

I didn't get any horns when I went on your goat hunt.  It was one of the most amazing hunts I have been on.  Great experience, great memories and photos to cherish forever.

I feel like this hunt has the possibility to have the same fond memories, experience and photos without taking horns or a mount home as well.

Unfortunately I can also see this going very bad and tarnishing the experience.

[jackelope]

Meat preservation should be mandatory.

I don't disagree, but if they want you to shoot as many as possible, how much meat are you expected to pack out? You come on a herd of a few nannies and kids and you shoot them all, you're talking about a couple hundred pounds of meat possibly. The wastage is what will put the biggest black eye on anyone in this.