Goats were common among the rugged, alpine peaks and ridges of northern Oregon when Lewis and Clark arrived in 1806 but were eliminated by settlers in the mid-1800s. Wildlife workers in 1950 moved five animals from Washington to the Wallowa Mountains. Later transplants supplemented the initial release, reintroducing goats to other areas. More recently goats have been re-established in the Cascade Mountains, where biologists expect hunting eventually to be allowed on a limited basis. There are so many goats in some areas that the game department no longer must depend on out-of-state sources for new reintroductions. More than 225 of the animals have been captured at a single lake in the Elkhorn Mountains. Currently there are enough animals for the state to issue hunting permits in eight areas in six game management units. Viewing goats is popular among hikers in parts of the state, but some of the animals have become unafraid of humans due to lack of hunting pressure and an insatiable appetite for salt which they often find by licking backpack straps, sweat-soaked shirts and even places where hunters have urinated. The state is seeking to reduce contact and advises people to avoid leaving anything with salt on it within reach of mountain goats. The game department’s objective is to continue to re-establish goats in historic range and maintain healthy population of the animals until all suitable habitat is properly filled. Hunters who are lucky enough to draw one of the highly sought tags have a good chance of taking a mature billy or nanny and a fair chance of finding a trophy-quality animal.

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Boone and Crockett entries

** Boone and Crockett classifies Rocky Mountain Bighorns and California Bighorns under the same classification. Units below may include Rocky Mountain Bighorns. Units listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Units in this table are considered if any part of the unit is found within any part of the county.