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72 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, August 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 5, 2004 Rocky Mountain goats relocated into Wallowa Mountains By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune A dozen of Oregon’s rare mountain dwellers received a new eastern Oregon address recently as part of the state’s plans to get big-game animals into more suitable habitat. The trapping of 12 Rocky Mountain goats in the goat-rich Elkhorn Mountains and their release in the Wallowa Mountains’ Eagle Cap Wilderness Area marks the most recent move by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to expand the state’s goat herds. Agency biologists and volunteers had to dodge bad luck and a little unwanted attention from a cougar, but the five-day effort helped expand where these large, quiet creatures now roam. "We would have liked to have gotten more animals, but we ran out of time," says George Keister, an ODFW biologist spearheading the project. "The Eagle Cap Wilderness Area has a tremendous amount of habitat for them, and our goal is to put goats back in suitable habitat for them." Capturing these large, rather docile creatures was no easy task. Advertisement A large net was cast above an open meadow, with salt licks added to the ground as bait to lure in the goats. The net was left untouched for a week so the goats would become accustomed to it. The plan was to drop the net on the unsuspecting goats when enough are well within the target zone. Biologists planned to start capturing July 12, when 53 goats were seen in the basin, and crews captured eight goats that first morning. The animals have covers put over their hobbles and horns for safety, and they are blindfolded to reduce stress. After blood samples and ear-tags, the goats get doses of antibiotics from veterinarians, and biologists fit the adults with radio-collars so biologists can track their movement. The covers are then removed and the goats are placed in individual crates. The animals are trucked one hour east through Baker Valley and released in the Eagle Creek area. "I don’t think they were very sure about getting out of their boxes," says Charlie Brinton, president of the Baker Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association and a volunteer on the project. "They were skittish, but they all did well. They’re pretty hardy animals. "But I bet that’s the last time they go to salt." The catch slowed as the week progressed, in part because a cougar showed up and caused the goats to disperse and flee. "It grabbed one of the yearling goats and ate it," Keister says. "That upset the herd." Though the total came up shy of the goal of 15 to 20 goats, the efforts was dubbed successful for the goats and the volunteers. "That was a real treat," Brinton says. "I really enjoyed it." Seven OHA chapters covered the $2,200 cost of the project. The area not only has limited sport-hunting for goats, but the animals’ presence will be a boon to hikers and other visitors to the area as well, Keister says. The ODFW has released Rocky Mountain goats in Oregon 13 times since the first re-introduction of the species here from Washington state in 1950. Goats from Idaho, Washington and Alaska have been released in the Elkhorn Mountains since the 1980s, and the herds there are estimated at 150 goats. A similar release of 16 Elkhorn goats in Hell’s Canyon in 2002 has proven successful, with that herd estimated at 40 animals at the end of last year. This year’s crop of transplanted goats should fare just as well, Keister says. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities