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Author Topic: The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat,  (Read 5942 times)

Offline andrew_in_idaho

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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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Offline bigmacc

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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?

Offline jackelope

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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.
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

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Offline LDennis24

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

Offline bigmacc

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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.  :dunno:  50 years or so ago, give or take.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2023, 09:01:35 PM by bigmacc »

Offline jackelope

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

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Offline kball4

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

Offline Bob33

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From 1969.
Nature. It's cheaper than therapy.

Offline Okanagan

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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.


Offline scotsman

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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.

Offline bigtex

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

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Offline jackelope

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

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:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

My posts, opinions and statements do not represent those of this forum

Offline Skyvalhunter

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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.
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Offline milldozer

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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.

 


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