Less mountain goat tags coming?

[greenhead_killer]

Per WDFW Mountain goat populations have declined overall in Washington relative to estimated historical levels. Goat populations within the state were considered to have exceeded 10,000 animals (including those within federally-managed areas) as recently as 1961. As of 2008, our best estimate of the mountain goat population is the 2,400 to 3,200 range.  Of these, about 450 live primarily within national parks..

I'd guess there's a pretty strong correlation between that timeline and certain predator control methods that are no longer employed

this was my thought as well. odd how many species have been on the decline since that garbage passed. its almost like the wdfw planned it that way.

[sagemd]

Well I personally wouldn't want to have goat hunting in the Enchantments. Those goats are so tame and there is absolutely way too many people there. I think they need to relocate some of them to an area where they can be hunted. Back in the Early 2000's I believe the some of the goat population had some virus or worm I forget what it was. I think the could have put medication on or in a salt block and stopped it but they never did. Have you ever seen them group up in the fall when its breeding time? I saw 25 goats in the GPW in one 100 yard area.

Tame goats need to be hunted. Tame mountain goats is what lead to the death of a hiker in the Olympics.
To many hikers in over populated goat habitat is not healthy for goats.
 What does the amount for people in an area have to do with goat hunting. Hunting is a very safe management tool.
 Relocation is very expense.
 It is paid for by hunters/license and tag sales. Increasing tag sale (permits in the Enchantments) increases funds for relocation.
Virus or worm ? When you figure it out!!  But yes goats have been and are mismanaged in Washington.
Goats breed in late November. Not in the fall.  A group of 25 is not uncommon, spring, summer or fall.

[fishngamereaper]

They could stand to offer about 10 tags between I90 and Hwy2 and it wouldn't make a dent in the numbers.

I'll take a kachess ridge tag please...

[Skyvalhunter]

Well I personally wouldn't want to have goat hunting in the Enchantments. Those goats are so tame and there is absolutely way too many people there. I think they need to relocate some of them to an area where they can be hunted. Back in the Early 2000's I believe the some of the goat population had some virus or worm I forget what it was. I think the could have put medication on or in a salt block and stopped it but they never did. Have you ever seen them group up in the fall when its breeding time? I saw 25 goats in the GPW in one 100 yard area.

Tame goats need to be hunted. Tame mountain goats is what lead to the death of a hiker in the Olympics.
To many hikers in over populated goat habitat is not healthy for goats.
 What does the amount for people in an area have to do with goat hunting. Hunting is a very safe management tool.
 Relocation is very expense.
 It is paid for by hunters/license and tag sales. Increasing tag sale (permits in the Enchantments) increases funds for relocation.
Virus or worm ? When you figure it out!!  But yes goats have been and are mismanaged in Washington.
Goats breed in late November. Not in the fall.  A group of 25 is not uncommon, spring, summer or fall.

The problem with hunting in the Enchantments is when you have literally 100's of hikers,trail runners, going thru the area it is not conducive or even good for public relations to send goat hunters up there to shoot animals. When goats are 10 feet away from people it is not ideal circumstances for a hunt. Us as hunters have to know when be respectful of other recreation users. When it comes to getting what we want bad public relations don't help. It reminds me of the bear hunter that shot the bear on MT So trail and left it for an extended amount of time. That got so much bad PR it hurts our cause when we want to keep things like spring bear hunts.

[jackelope]

Does anybody on here believe that there is even a bio at WDFW capable of honestly knowing the true goat populations in specific GMUs here? I know of a few places they have absolutely no clue on how many goats actually exist there.

In 2017 when I had my tag I did some asking. This was before the goat rocks was split into 2 different units. This is some of what I got.







This past fall I helped a guy on the east side of the goat rocks fill his tag. Got some really great intel from folks on here and we killed a 7.5 year old billy in an area that the biologist told me, in 2017, that nobody had ever killed one in to the best of his knowledge.  It took us a 4 hour round trip hike one day to find the group of billies and another day to kill one of them because of where they were. That first day we saw 10 goats on the one hike in. I guess what I’m saying is that it was pretty easy to find and kill a billy in in an area that nobody had ever done it before in.


I’m sure I saw 100 goats on one scouting trip in one day in the rocks in 2017.  It’s hard for me to believe we need reduced tags 4 years later.

[rougheye]

This year when I killed my raffle goat in Blazed I reported to the bio the locations and numbers of all the goats I had seen . He wasn’t interested until I got into the hundreds . Then he commented that he was surprised there were so many and there would be a reduction in tags next year. This has been planned for a while. I met with him first week of November. They don’t have a clue !

[Widgeondeke]

           

                                  

[trophyhunt]

Josh, does your post say they counted 1 goat on castle mnt?

[Bill W]

back when I started putting in for a goat tag I believe there were around 50 or so tags available each year.

[Bob33]

The good old days.

[storyteller]

Wow, 900 permits, that is incredible.    Thanks for the news article

[Skyvalhunter]

My dad drew goat tags in 72, 73 & 74. I know several of his also drew tags around then. Then 448 & 460 were open for draws.

[Limhangerslayer]

Like I said on another post, all they have to do is fly the middle of the day in the summer and problem solved almost no goats.  Primarily because they hide out in dark timber and north slopes.  Wouldn’t doubt that’s what they did

[jackelope]

Josh, does your post say they counted 1 goat on castle mnt?

Yes. That’s what it says. That’s a screenshot of an email from a WDFW biologist.

[trophyhunt]

The good old days.

Your the one who got my 1969 hunting regs!!!!!’  Lol, I tried to buy those.  You see the bear limits back then?? No limit for bear on the west side, 1 bear on the east, crazy!