Olympic National Park Goat Culling Oportunity.

[entoptics]

I'm sure any of you with WA DNR accounts saw this, but I figured I'd throw it out there. I didn't thoroughly read through the guidelines, but I didn't see anything prohibiting out of state folks.

Olympic National Park Mountain Goat Management link.

Seems like a sweet opportunity to see some amazing country, and participate in a sanctioned and scientifically validated conservation effort (conserving other things by removing the invasive goats).

I believe the little buggers have killed a couple people by mauling them or shoving them off cliffs, and from my understanding, they're pretty hard on the ecosystem.

 

[DNADave]

They are really pushing the physical fitness requirements from what I saw. You have to get a physical and have your physician certify he thinks you can spend 10 days hiking 15 miles each day carrying a 50# pack at altitude (5k feet and up). The Olympics are some pretty rugged and steep country.

My hunting buddies and I are putting together a team and hope to get drawn. It will be interesting to see who and how many. Teams must be no less than three and no more than six.

Also, no lead. They have a list of approved ammo by manufacturer. If your ammo is not on the list, you have to request a deviance. Most of the monolithic culprits are on the list from what I saw, though: Barnes, Cutting Edge, Hammer, Hornady, Nosler, Peregrine, etc..

 

[Blancoalex]

Is this " feral" goats? Sounds wild ones in New Zealand.

 

[DNADave]

Is this " feral" goats? Sounds wild ones in New Zealand.

No, they are your typical North American mountain goat. The issue is that their traditional range never included the Olympic Peninsula until they were introduced there a hundred years ago. Supposedly 12 goats were brought from Alaska and BC in 1920. The park service wants them gone.

 

[Blancoalex]

Thanks for your reply. Sounds like great opportunity for y'all up there!

 

[DNADave]

I'm hoping so. If we get drawn, this will be a bit different than the deer and elk hunting I've done up here and very different than the brush country hunting I did growing up South of SA. People around Pleasanton would get upset if you shot their goats.

 

[Westernhuntr]

Dude sign me up!
I grew up in the North Cascades, knarley terain where these goats live

 

[ofbandg]

It's beautiful country to hang out in. I did some hiking there in the early '90's and really enjoyed it. True rugged alpine and sub-alpine with some volcanic activity thrown in, and goats are not only difficult to hunt they are difficult to judge, so if you don't have to it's a plus. I'm jealous.

 

[DNADave]

Don't be jealous. We have no idea yet which teams will be drawn. At this point we all have the same chance and I don't think it's limited to locals.

Definitely pretty country. I love backpacking in that region. Especially as the Cascades get more and more overrun with Amazonians and Microsofties.

 

[ofbandg]

Good luck with your draw.

 

[seattleman1969]

I'm sure any of you with WA DNR accounts saw this, but I figured I'd throw it out there. I didn't thoroughly read through the guidelines, but I didn't see anything prohibiting out of state folks.

Olympic National Park Mountain Goat Management link.

Seems like a sweet opportunity to see some amazing country, and participate in a sanctioned and scientifically validated conservation effort (conserving other things by removing the invasive goats).

I believe the little buggers have killed a couple people by mauling them or shoving them off cliffs, and from my understanding, they're pretty hard on the ecosystem.

My sister and her BF got chased off the peak of Mt Ellinor in the SE corner of the Olympics ( near the bend of the Hood Canal) by a very aggressive billy. I have no doubt they could injure or even kill someone in the worst case scenarios.

 

[DNADave]

My sister and her BF got chased off the peak of Mt Ellinor in the SE corner of the Olympics ( near the bend of the Hood Canal) by a very aggressive billy. I have no doubt they could injure or even kill someone in the worst case scenarios.

That actually happened a few years ago. An older gentleman and his two friends were hiking around Hurricane Ridge when a billy that was known to be aggressive gored him. He died from the injury shortly afterward.

I've had them in my camp in the Cascades a few times. After that story came out in the news, made me a bit more wary of them. This guy came through my camp in the Enchantments over by Snow Lake. He was just a few feet from me.

 

[seattleman1969]

Man, I have never seen one without its winter coat, he looks like a freaking linebacker... solid critter!

 

[DNADave]

Man, I have never seen one without its winter coat, he looks like a freaking linebacker... solid critter!

That was what I thought at the time. A lot more muscle than I had imagined them being.