Why this national park wants hunters to kill as many goats as possible

New York Post ^ | September 28, 2020 | Hannah Frishberg

[nickcarraway]

Federal and state organizations are up in arms over which modern warfare tactics should be deployed against a park’s goat population.

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park has a problem: Invasive mountain goats pose a life-threatening risk to the region’s bighorn sheep. In the name of protecting the native flock, the National Park Service and the state of Wyoming developed a plan for eradication in 2018, relying mostly on aerial sharpshooters to gun down the goats from helicopters. Although the NPS initially dismissed volunteer hunters as “ineffective,” they eventually allowed for a supplemental on-the-ground anti-goat op after a significant push from the state’s Game and Fish Department, the Daily Beast reported.

“This is every hunter’s dream,” said Wyoming Wildlife Advocates executive director Kristin Combs, according to the Daily Beast. “You’re letting them loose inside a national park to kill as many goats as possible.”

[Calvin Locke]

Maybe they were always too slow to get that last rack of goat ribs, and the testicles were all that was left?

[SgtHooper]

Must be domesticated-got-loose goats. Can’t believe it’s these fuzz heads.

[JungleGoat77]

Sad, it is these white-furred contemplative hermit-like goats they’re killing. https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/goat-cull-efforts-off-to-smooth-start/article_9131f58d-14be-5344-853e-fe7f19a0c113.html

[Fury]

I bet they are yummy

Not even close. Very gamey. Very hard to get at.

[Bonemaker]

Should be some gyros in there somewhere too.

[Bonemaker]

I’d do it except I’d keep mistaking democrats for goats.

[NorthWoody]

I’ve only seen mountain goats at the summit of Mt. Evans in Colorado, around the visitor center. They seemed half tame. (The drive up there is not for the feint of heart, if you or anyone you know ever think about doing it.)

There were adults and young ones (kids). They wouldn’t let anyone touch them, but there were probably 50 people within about 25 feet of them, taking pictures. There were a few other goats maybe a hundred feet away, lying around like they didn’t know any humans were nearby.

Wild goats in the back country are probably less receptive.

[Fightin Whitey]

That is one beautiful critter. I could not shoot it. Or eat it.

Nah, it's good stuff. Little Marsey Doats,

Little Dosey Doats,

Little Lambsey Divey...

Little Black Jack inna fryn pan and you'd be hooked for life b-a-a-a-a-h!

[NorthWoody]

I’ve eaten goat twice, in Ecuador. You can get it as a normal menu item in restaurants there.

It’s going to be a bit on the tough side no matter how you cook it (according to people who know more about it than I do) but the flavor is just fabulous.

I asked that it be made with no seasonings so I could taste the true flavor. It’s probably the best-tasting meat I’ve ever had. I’ve been wanting to have some more ever since.

[NorthWoody]

It’s Mares eat Oats and Does eat Oats and Little Lambs eat Ivy.

Just sayin’.

[The MAGA-Deplorian]

This February, the plan was launched, and the sharpshooters culled 38 goats — a third of the park’s population — in their first day.

114 goats dont seem like much of a problem to me.

[jdsteel]

Go to an Indian restaurant. Plenty of goat to be had there.

[Glad2bnuts]

In WA they began moving these goats out of the Olympic National Park, and to the Cascade range “where they naturally occur”. The theory is that mankind placed them in the Olympic Mtns, and they destroy habitat. They hired people to do this instead of opening hunting seasons...

[Fightin Whitey]

You're wrong again!

I'm going to have to fire you and hire Mr. Ed Instead!

[EinNYC]

If mountain goats are also a native species, then why do the park wallas want to kill them?

[Trillian]

I said the same thing about squid, octopus and mussels.

[Mr. K]

That’s why they have to be marinated and cooked long and slow (to soften)

[Who is John Galt?]

Goats get into some NASTY terrain. Getting the goat OUT can be flat out dangerous.

In SW Montana, I've seen them moving around on rock faces that looked vertical - easy as you or I might walk down a city street. No idea how you might pack one out of some places, assuming you could even get to it (or that it would be worthwhile, if it fell hundreds of feet when shot)...

[SJackson]

Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.

[9YearLurker]

Adorable.