Knock on wood but the natives haven't hit the Chowder Ridge herd that hard yet. Seems to be one of the herds with the harder access in the area.
The tag allocation is a bit strange but hunters on all the units last year reported low goat numbers. I know the aerial survey counts were low this year. The biologists say they have set up rules to allow them to close and open units in a reactionary way year to year. As long as they react equally quickly when herd numbers are more visible because of a more normal snow year I am OK with it.
As for the Chowder Ridge unit having so many potential hunters this year - I wouldn't worry too much about it. The Lincoln Peak and Chowder Ridge herds are both easily big enough to sustain 4 hunters in a given year. I think WDFW wants to have at least one Baker unit open for the governor tag and raffle tag and they are trying to take some pressure off the Lincoln Peak herd for a year or two.
Hopefully we have less snow in the hills this fall than last year and the goats return to their more normal habitats this summer/fall so the aerial surveys are back up again this year.
