The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat,

[Macs B]

I was surprised to see a small herd of mountain goats perched on the hillside in the Rimrock area this past Monday afternoon.  (13 NOV 23) I counted 17 animals all together, without a suitable scope I couldn't tell male from female but size wise it looked like four or five obviously larger animals. 

Am I the only person that didn't know we had goats in the Rimrock? 

[Mtnwalker]

There's been a herd that hangs out on the nob north of the dam for some time now. You can see them from that little store on the corner sometimes. Also some goats that hang on bethel ridge not far from there

[ghosthunter]

There's been a herd that hangs out on the nob north of the dam for some time now. You can see them from that little store on the corner sometimes. Also some goats that hang on bethel ridge not far from there

Yeah I have seen the Bethel goats , not that far down to Rimrock.

[time2hunt]

Lots of goat throughout that area.


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[jackelope]

Isn’t that the Goat Rocks West I mean east  mountain goat permit area?

[jackelope]

Isn’t that the Goat Rocks West mountain goat permit area?

Yes. It is.

[time2hunt]

Rimrock would be east goat rocks


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[GOcougsHunter]

According to the WDFW's "precautionary principle"  those goats don't really exist.    

[jackelope]

Rimrock would be east goat rocks


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Derp.

[Naches Sportsman]

There's been a herd that hangs out on the nob north of the dam for some time now. You can see them from that little store on the corner sometimes. Also some goats that hang on bethel ridge not far from there

There’s been billies shot off of there too.

[LDennis24]

In the early 90's they had one wander clear down to the Dalles and it was hanging out with the Bighorn on the John Day River for a bit before they tranqed it and flew it up to Mt. Adams. It was right along the Columbia River just grazing away like it was natural. There is a group of a dozen or so on Smith Creek Butte East of St. Helen's also. I've seen them near Cougar even. Not a normal place to be found. And people have seen them at Merrill Lake as well. They seem to get into the timber every once in a while and then work their way back to some open top ridge or back to high ground on the mountain when they feel like it.

[Limhangerslayer]

I was surprised to see a small herd of mountain goats perched on the hillside in the Rimrock area this past Monday afternoon.  (13 NOV 23) I counted 17 animals all together, without a suitable scope I couldn't tell male from female but size wise it looked like four or five obviously larger animals. 

Am I the only person that didn't know we had goats in the Rimrock?

goats all over that area in the upper elevations.  Right now is also their rut.  So find a group of goats, there’s at least one billy in there

[300rum]

They aren't too far from there right now.  I would say about 15mi as the crow flies from the river. 

In the early 90's they had one wander clear down to the Dalles

[LDennis24]

They aren't too far from there right now.  I would say about 15mi as the crow flies from the river. 

In the early 90's they had one wander clear down to the Dalles

Well the story was that it was relocated from somewhere to Mt. Adams and didnt stay. It came from Mt. Adams and worked it's way to the desert in Oregon. Just a lone billy.

[tvandy45]

A friend of mine was out duck hunting the columbia a few days ago and sent me a photo of 4 goats above the river between drano lake and home valley

In the early 90's they had one wander clear down to the Dalles and it was hanging out with the Bighorn on the John Day River for a bit before they tranqed it and flew it up to Mt. Adams. It was right along the Columbia River just grazing away like it was natural. There is a group of a dozen or so on Smith Creek Butte East of St. Helen's also. I've seen them near Cougar even. Not a normal place to be found. And people have seen them at Merrill Lake as well. They seem to get into the timber every once in a while and then work their way back to some open top ridge or back to high ground on the mountain when they feel like it.

[andrew_in_idaho]

I see goats pretty regularly right outside of lagrande Oregon from I-84 in the curves along the grand ronde. Only about 2-3000’ of elevation. I’ve seen them in the dead of summer at those elevations


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[bigmacc]

Interesting enough. This state used to hold quite an abundance of goats. Back when I drove truck up into Stevens Pass turf I had a couple folks  (Mt View) that owned a store. I would deliver just a few cases back then, every two weeks. I won’t mention his name. Every time I’d deliver he had an old spotting scope set up, looking on the rocks above Baring. He’d tell me to look. I did. Huge herds of goats on those rocks. I would make my delivery and move up the pass. Chains on. I would get up to where Josh had his Chevron and his Tow company. Make my delivery. Josh would say “ how were the goats?” I’d tell them we seen a bunch. He  knew where the goats were in that turf. My favorite route back in those days. He and his wife always had a sandwich for me every Tuesday. No matter how far behind I was, I always ate the sandwich, drank a 7up and looked at those goats. Good times. Some on here may remember. If I had accrued overtime on Tuesdays, my boss knew why.👍 43 years. Never a question asked.

I seen a lot of big goats through that spotting scope. A lot! Some on here May remember this place……. Sky?

[jackelope]

Interesting enough. This state used to hold quite an abundance of goats. Back when I drove truck up into Stevens Pass turf I had a couple folks  (Mt View) that owned a store. I would deliver just a few cases back then, every two weeks. I won’t mention his name. Every time I’d deliver he had an old spotting scope set up, looking on the rocks above Baring. He’d tell me to look. I did. Huge herds of goats on those rocks. I would make my delivery and move up the pass. Chains on. I would get up to where Josh had his Chevron and his Tow company. Make my delivery. Josh would say “ how were the goats?” I’d tell them we seen a bunch. He  knew where the goats were in that turf. My favorite route back in those days. He and his wife always had a sandwich for me every Tuesday. No matter how far behind I was, I always ate the sandwich, drank a 7up and looked at those goats. Good times. Some on here may remember. If I had accrued overtime on Tuesdays, my boss knew why. 43 years. Never a question asked.

I seen a lot of big goats through that spotting scope. A lot! Some on here May remember this place……. Sky?

They’re still there.

[LDennis24]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing bigmacc! There are a few in the Blues if you know where to look also. But not very many.

[bigmacc]

Interesting enough. This state used to hold quite an abundance of goats. Back when I drove truck up into Stevens Pass turf I had a couple folks  (Mt View) that owned a store. I would deliver just a few cases back then, every two weeks. I won’t mention his name. Every time I’d deliver he had an old spotting scope set up, looking on the rocks above Baring. He’d tell me to look. I did. Huge herds of goats on those rocks. I would make my delivery and move up the pass. Chains on. I would get up to where Josh had his Chevron and his Tow company. Make my delivery. Josh would say “ how were the goats?” I’d tell them we seen a bunch. He  knew where the goats were in that turf. My favorite route back in those days. He and his wife always had a sandwich for me every Tuesday. No matter how far behind I was, I always ate the sandwich, drank a 7up and looked at those goats. Good times. Some on here may remember. If I had accrued overtime on Tuesdays, my boss knew why. 43 years. Never a question asked.

I seen a lot of big goats through that spotting scope. A lot! Some on here May remember this place……. Sky?

They’re still there.

👍 good to know. We used to count dozens up on those cliffs. I couldn’t get out of that place until Al showed me every last one of them😆

I remember one time me and the “Sky Flyer “ were at the store at the same time( he drove a truck for Rainier Beer back in the day, he’s dead now) and ole Al pointed his scope way down towards the bottom of the cliffs. He told Steve to take a peak, Steve was an avid blacktail hunter. Steve looked where Al had it pointed, The Sky Flyer took a couple steps back, told me to look, his eyes the size of saucers.  One of the biggest blacktail bucks I’ve ever seen, laying in his bed on a big rock bench. He was laying about 150 - 200 yards or so under the goats. Al told Steve and I that he had seen that buck numerous times through the years, seen him mature and just watched him. I remember Steve asking him why he never told him of that buck, Al told him because he knew he’d find him and kill him. After the Sky Flyer passed I still worked that route for years. I remember Al showing me the dead head of that buck, not killed by a hunter but found by Al and his wife a couple years later while hiking. It was a hell of a set of blacktail antlers. Would rival a big mule deer. There could be some on here that remember that buck.    50 years or so ago, give or take.

[jackelope]

Some giant blacktails in that country still too. Cool story.

[kball4]

I've seen one on Divide Ridge just on the Rimrock side while elk hunting.

[Bob33]

From 1969.

[Okanagan]

From observtion I'd guess that steep terrain and cliffs are sometimes more important to goats (and sheep also) than elevation.  Have seen most up high but a number of times in BC have seen goats on a highway and groups on low cliffs just a few feet above a river or a highway.  Almost hit a big billy one rainy midnight near Revelstoke in the middle of the Trans Canada Highway, maybe 200 feet elevation above the Columbia River.

[scotsman]

In the early 90’s, 5 years after Mt St Helens blew up the WA Game Dept ran flights over the mountain to track recovery of Elk and other critters moving back into the blast zone. I volunteered, flying weekly in their Cessna monitoring  elk collar movement. (pre GPS era)
On one trip the pilot took a detour, flying east to west over snoqulamie directly over I90. West of the summit on the South side of the pass there were a number of peaks with lots of goats on ‘em. You’d never guess they were there drqiving down low.

[bigtex]

In the early 90’s, 5 years after Mt St Helens blew up the WA Game Dept ran flights over the mountain to track recovery of Elk and other critters moving back into the blast zone. I volunteered, flying weekly in their Cessna monitoring  elk collar movement. (pre GPS era)
On one trip the pilot took a detour, flying east to west over snoqulamie directly over I90. West of the summit on the South side of the pass there were a number of peaks with lots of goats on ‘em. You’d never guess they were there drqiving down low.

Most people wouldn't think there's mountain goats in King County. There's also some on Mt. Si.

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[jackelope]

In the early 90’s, 5 years after Mt St Helens blew up the WA Game Dept ran flights over the mountain to track recovery of Elk and other critters moving back into the blast zone. I volunteered, flying weekly in their Cessna monitoring  elk collar movement. (pre GPS era)
On one trip the pilot took a detour, flying east to west over snoqulamie directly over I90. West of the summit on the South side of the pass there were a number of peaks with lots of goats on ‘em. You’d never guess they were there drqiving down low.

Most people wouldn't think there's mountain goats in King County. There's also some on Mt. Si.

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[Skyvalhunter]

I was surprised to see a small herd of mountain goats perched on the hillside in the Rimrock area this past Monday afternoon.  (13 NOV 23) I counted 17 animals all together, without a suitable scope I couldn't tell male from female but size wise it looked like four or five obviously larger animals. 

Am I the only person that didn't know we had goats in the Rimrock?

 
You happened to find the herd in the right time when they are doing their breeding. I was hiking the Glacier peak area a few years back in October and a group of 25 was right above the trail. Pretty awesome sight to see.
My dad drew several permits for them in the late 60's-70's. Had quite a few in the Snoqualmie GMU back then but the population dropped off. The WDFW goat biologist told me there population can be pretty volitile and drop significantly in just a matter of years.

[milldozer]

I can't remember the source but I recall hearing a few years ago WA has the highest goat population in the US outside of AK, but has the fewest number of tags issued.