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.
License Costs
|
Resident |
Nonresident |
Rocky Mountain Goat tag |
$142 |
$1513.50 |
Controlled hunt application fee |
$8 |
$8 |
| Resident | Nonresident |
Rocky Mountain Goat tag | $142 | $1513.50 |
Controlled hunt application fee | $8 | $8 |
News, notes and alerts
Hunters who don’t draw a tag earn a preference point
Applicants must buy a hunting license
A hunter may draw only one goat tag in his or her lifetime
No party applications are accepted
Highlights
Hunters may take a goat of any size or gender
No less than 5% and no more than 10% of goat tags are issued to nonresidents
Hunters may buy as many raffle tickets as they desire
You do not lose preference points if you forget to apply for two or more years
The state record was taken in 2012 and scored 54 B&C points (No. 30 all time)
Males and females can grow big enough horns to qualify for the record book
45 goats were released in 2010 and another 24 in 2012 on Mount Jefferson in the Cascades
Rifle and handgun cartridges must be at least .24 caliber
Muzzleloader bullets must be .50 caliber or larger
Goats scoring 50” or more have been as young as 4.5 years
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.
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