Alaska Mountain Goats...

[Moosie]

With my dad moving to AK this year I'm heading up for Goat and Brownbear hopefully next year.

Although I'm sending out a Few Emails to guys in AK, Who here knows about Mountain goats ? I'm looking to Hunt around the Sitka Area. I have 2 Althletic Non HUnting Shirpa's willing to hike up and Pack a couple of Goats out for me. Unfortunately they don't know much about the Rules/Regs or Draw info.

I'm partial to the Sitka Area but Not Opposed to doing something else. Anyone have any info ? I looked at AK F&G site and Seen alot on Identification and such but not much on rules and draws. I'm guessing I missed the page ?!?!?

Anyways..... any help ?

 

[Ovis]

Moosie

I've only hunted goat in the Prince William Sound area of AK. Tons of black bear and an abundance of goats there. Not a whole lot of brown bear, but they are there. There are some places I have encountered goats in the Wrangells though, but I wasn't hunting them.

Since goat populations are very susceptible to over harvesting, ADFG really keeps a finger on them. Goat hunts are either by draw or registration...at least I am unaware of any open hunts.

The areas I have hunted for goat are by registration hunt. The Wrangell area I was in and encountered goats was a draw...I pitty the poor bastard that drew a goat hunt there and actually went after them. They were in some crazy wicked areas.

Most units are broke down in smaller sub-units. Within these units, there are quotas for the number of billies harvested. Not that you can't kill a nannie or kid, but ADFG really really doesn't want you to, nor do I think most hunters really want to either. Let's say a sub-unit has a quota of 5 billies. That means 5 hunters can go into that area, successfully kill 5 billies, report it to ADFG and then the area is closed for the take of goats. If all the goats taken were Billies, that wouldn't be too bad, but what happens unfortunately are nannies and kids are shot...though more nannies than kids, obviously. Nannies are worth 2 billies, kids are worth 3 billies. So you could see if some guys went in and shot a nannie and a kid, report it to ADFG, then the sub-unit is closed. Thus, it is highly encouraged to really judge between a billy and nannie. If you shoot a kid by mistake, you really are an idiot.

Registration hunts are great. Only reason to put in for a goat draw is if you were really partial to an area (say the sub-unit was your very back yard). I don't think you are going to find any one place significantly easier to hunt than another. The exception might be Kodiak. I'd be interested to hear what BW or one of the other guys who have hunted Kodiak and SE AK would have to say about that. I've never been to Kodiak.

 

[Moosie]

I have a friend thats a F&G bioligist on Kodiak. He gave me alot of info on it. There are area's that are easily accessed by roads and are real hard to draw. Then there are Remote areas that are hard to get to that are easy to draw. Go figure how that works

Where in the regs does it talk about the Registration hunts and the Limits. It sounds just like Mountain hunting here in Idaho with the Female Quota.

 

[Ovis]

I tried to see if I could google it and come up with it, but no luck. They generally go over it with you at ADFG and they also give you some literature with it included. I did find a product online that mentions the weighted system off and on.

http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/pubs/techpubs/mgt_rpts/goa02mt_sc.pdf

I don't recommend going goat hunting any earlier than the 3td week of Sept in Alaska.

 

[Steiny]

Sounds cool !
Been thinking I ought to knock off one of those evil shaggy white critters, before I get too many more birthdays behind me.

From what I've read, it sounds as if it's usually a b!tch of a hike getting through the lower level vegetation. Ovis could proably shed more light on that issue.

 

[Erik in AK]

Moosie,
Your Dad will have to accompany you on any goat hunt. If you want I'm willing to take you and your Dad into where I killed my goat. Its a registration permit area with an annual quota of 3 or 4 billys or 1 nanny. It's a relatively short but a serious climb, not technical but steep and its only 40 miles south of Anchorage. If your Pop's is up to it then lets plan for next October. The 1st to the 15th is any weapon and the 16th to the 31st is bowhunting only.

This area is adjacent to drawing or no goat areas

 

[TBinKodiak]

Nope no goats on Kodiak.

 

[Oak]

Nice looking goat! What's the length on that guy?

Oak

 

[Erik in AK]

He's over 9" easy. Maybe 10"

Beautiful goat!

 

[TBinKodiak]

Thanks guys, I shot that guy last year here on the island. He is 9.75" long with 5 5/8" bases.

 

[Moosie]

Hey Bud, Are we going to do a Duck/Goat combo ?

Nice goat, Nice Country !!

 

[Elkgunner]

TB,
Welcome and very nice pictures of a nice goat.

 

[300wsm]

Erik In Ak
Are you going to try that spot this Oct, not sure if I will head up there or try that cow hunt in 20A, off shift Oct 3 and it opens up on the 5th, do you have snow up there yet

 

[TBinKodiak]

Moosie

I'm up for a combo but lets make it deer and ducks. Not sure my body could handle another beating like that. Then again I did just do a 45 mile sheep hunt a couple weeks ago. |oo
Only 2 weeks before duck season opens.... hump
TB

 

[Erik in AK]

300,
We've got termination dust but no snow just yet

I got schwacked with some "extra" time. I don't get home until Oct 6th and the wife has plans for that week. So it looks like I ain't going goat hunting this year.

I'm thinking about a deer trip to Kodiak in November, you interested?

 

[300wsm]

deer trip would be good, but stuck heading to Ca in Nov, were getting stuck here at 11 with a lot of extra time, I sent a email to yopur work that talked about the informal range at the creek we talked about. Steve