No 2023 Chelan Goat????

[Stein]

They were still there May 23, 2023 as well.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/about/regulations/filings/2023/wsr-23-05-068.pdf

[Stein]

Found it, WDFW proposed eliminating them during a March meeting:

2. A reduction of the North Lake Chelan and South Lake Chelan hunts from one permit each to
zero permits each. This proposed change will remove the Boulder River North hunt from the
WAC table until future conditions permit a hunt opportunity.

Sounds like they don't agree on the health of the population.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/bighorn-sheep-moose-and-mountain-goat-summary-sheet.pdf

[jstone]

How or when do they count the goats?

[boneaddict]

What are the facts? If you have one tag, then natives have equal tags, then gov tag can hunt and then a raffle tag, and how about any incentive tags.   So one tag actually equals how many hunts?   I don’t know the facts, does anyone? 

[Stein]

Last year, the two Chelan hunts and Boulder river all together resulted in one goat shot during 62 days of hunting from the regular special permit pool.  I don't know where they report the raffle and gov tags.

[grade-creek-rd]

Bone...I see your point but will add I am not sure if any of the qualifying native tribes hunt the goats (maybe they do...it would be the Wenatchee or Colville Confederated depending on which side of the lake) and as for the raffle they could always add in a stipulation (it's their damn raffle!...but they aren't that smart), same with incentive tag, though I doubt the incentive tag holder would hunt one of these units as there are way better units to hunt. Either way, it sucks to have a hunt taken away with the units being so big and depending on the time of the year the hunt can be very hard. if they were worried about nannies being shot down by the lake, they could have adjusted the hunt dates to Sept-Oct before the goats really move down or restrict the zone to 2,000 feet above the lake. Just a thought on how to make proper adjustments instead of eliminating the hunts all together.

Grade

[Stein]

Same thing they did with Harlequin, their own science said we could shoot 3-5% of the population annually and instead of implementing to that, they chose 0%.

Snow geese target population is 120k, recent estimates are near 800k and rising and they chose to not increase limits.  Montana's regular season limit is double ours and their conservation season is no daily or bag limit.

Same story with pinks, limit 2 when 4 million are projected to return.

You could probably find 100 other examples.

[jackelope]

What are the facts? If you have one tag, then natives have equal tags, then gov tag can hunt and then a raffle tag, and how about any incentive tags.   So one tag actually equals how many hunts?   I don’t know the facts, does anyone? 

Gov and auction tags haven't been able to hunt Chelan for at least a year or 2.

[cem3434]

Same thing they did with Harlequin, their own science said we could shoot 3-5% of the population annually and instead of implementing to that, they chose 0%.

Snow geese target population is 120k, recent estimates are near 800k and rising and they chose to not increase limits.  Montana's regular season limit is double ours and their conservation season is no daily or bag limit.

Same story with pinks, limit 2 when 4 million are projected to return.

You could probably find 100 other examples.

It's simply death by 1000 cuts at this point.  WDFW keeps slowly taking away opportunities from all user groups and tell us its because their "science" supports these decisions.  Let's face it, WDFW has turned into the biggest threat to taking away any remaining future opportunities from hunters and fishermen.

[Quackaddict]

I heard this through the grapevine from the SCI auction. Not sure how much truth their is but, they closed it due to the death rate this year. From what you ask? The lady of the lake feeding them for tourists to see and the cougars killed the sh*t out of them. The lady of the lake would bring feed to the shores for tourists to be able to see them up close and the cats caught on quick making easy work of them. The biolists picked up the radio collars from multiple cat killed goats. Once again I heard this through the grape vine.

[Romulus1297]

Pretty sure the lady of the lake doesn’t feed the goats not many tourists during the winter maybe it was the snow that brought them down to meet the healthy cougars. I asked 1 of the captains today if he has seen them and he hasn’t for quite awhile.

[grade-creek-rd]

Back in the 90's we used to put out a salt lick, one between Goat Creek and Lone Fir Creek and another across the lake by ManlyWam...when I worked on the Lady of the Lake (different owners than now) but only during the summer months and a few nannies with kids would come to them for the tourist. In the winter we didn't do this, and I highly doubt they do it at all now, but even if they did, it wouldn't be during the winter as the lake level drops 20 ft approx and it exposes boulders along that part of the lakeshore and they definitely won't risk damaging the boat to put out goat feed...This winter there was a lot of snow at a certain snowline/elevation that piled up deep and it might have kept the goats down low, but probably not likely as they prefer the cliffs and benches...maybe an avalanche/snow slide killed a few extras but again, unlikely any kind of feeding was going on. Also, the wolves might have kept them down lower too, as the Navarre Pack roams Big Goat and Little Goat and Uno Peak, where the goats will go in the summer and fall, but if they are forced to stay in the cliffs then during winter they might concentrate along the benches and be prime picking for cougars.

Grade 

[boneaddict]

Face it boys, the predator pit has way more priority than your hunting heritage.   If there is no need for hunters then there is no need for you to have guns.   Thats the short version...

[Skyvalhunter]

There was a time when I used to see goats around the North and South Navarra area but that hasnt been the case for a while. Its a shame the population has dropped off as I used to see some decent sized ones. The area certainly could sustain a lot more. But as has been mentioned with the wolves and cougars population and the drop in the deer population goats and marmots are next in line. A guy I know used to run his boat up lake in the winter and see the but not so much anymore.

[andrew_in_idaho]

Pretty sure the lady of the lake doesn’t feed the goats not many tourists during the winter maybe it was the snow that brought them down to meet the healthy cougars. I asked 1 of the captains today if he has seen them and he hasn’t for quite awhile.

As I understand it goats don’t really migrate, they find high wind blown ridges and winter over above everything else


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