Olympic National Park Goat Hunt Group Anyone?

[jackelope]

I can tell you I’ve seen people on Facebook from other states talk about their groups applying. Probably a bunch of people.

Yeah I lol'd when I read the "if we get more than 30 qualified applications" bit.  Like there was ever a chance of getting less than that, especially when all the hunters in the country are bored and at their keyboards. 

Key word “qualified”

[Limhangerslayer]

You can always get a replica!

[yakimanoob]

You can always get a replica!

Follow me for more taxidermy examples and lessons! 

[Rob]

I have personally heard of 6 different groups of people applying.  I think there is going to be a large pool of teams applying.

[Onewhohikes]

There might be a lot of people applying but I am doubtful that it will go thru

[deerhuntr4885]

I talked to the NPS rep yesterday.  She said they have had 200 teams already apply.   Mine is one of them.

[fowl smacker]

We applied in a group of four.

[Houndhunter]

I talked to the NPS rep yesterday.  She said they have had 200 teams already apply.   Mine is one of them.

Wow 200! I wonder how many apps are out of state guys? I was feeling pretty confident about our group but who knows with that many groups applying

[kselkhunter]

They had so many "qualified" teams in the pile of applications by Monday that they changed their website.  Removing the reference to April 24th and 30 teams.  Yesterday at 5pm was the hard deadline.  It was always the original deadline, but they had the extra week in there in case they didn't get enough teams in time.

I believe the over 200 teams number.

[Snakeriver]

I'm in with a group of 5. Are they picking hunters by there applications or is it gonna be a lottery draw?

[kselkhunter]

I'm in with a group of 5. Are they picking hunters by there applications or is it gonna be a lottery draw?

Lottery draw from the pile of "qualified" applications. 

[Bullkllr]

I'm in with a group of 5. Are they picking hunters by there applications or is it gonna be a lottery draw?

Lottery draw from the pile of "qualified" applications.

Wonder how they're going to determine qualified?
Seems like high-level climbing/mountaineering skills would be high on the list of requirements.

[Limhangerslayer]

When I talked to her, climbing was not on the list.  Mountaineering, yes.  They don't want people in there climbing cliffs trying to get goats.  And the rocks in there are not could for climbing either.  Her main  emphasis was people knowing how not to get themselves into trouble.

[Chad McMullen]

A team I am familiar with includes:
1) a USMC sniper and SWAT team trainer, who just so happens to also hunt the high buck season in the Oly NF wildernesses every year for the past 10 seasons
2) A backcountry hunter who has 100s of off-trail backpacking miles and 1000s of on-trail miles in ONP since his youth (plus many more elsewhere)
3) a mountaineer who has done first and second ascents in Alaska and Yukon territory, difficult ascents of Mt. Rainier, and tons of roped rock/ice/snow throughout the western U.S.
4) three other hunters with abundant backcountry hunting, backpacking, and horsepacking resumes.

All six of the members are skilled shooters with high hunting success rates
All six understand this is a culling/eradication program, not a hunting trip.
Three of the members are trained specifically in a field science of some sort and are professionals in related fields.
One of the members routinely collects police evidence; another is an attorney, and in their professional live both know how to de-escalate conflict with the public -- a public that may not agree with the goat removal program.
Two have wilderness first responder training and the rest are all current with basic first-aid/CPR

[MtnMuley]

I hope they rank the teams to pick the top 30 and then have the lotto.