Section 232-28-623. 2015-2017 Mountain goat seasons and permit quotas.

(1) Hunters must comply with the provisions of this section. A violation of species, sex, size, number, area, season, or eligibility requirements is punishable under RCW 77.15.410, Unlawful hunting of big game—Penalty.

(2) Mountain Goat Permit Hunts

(a) Who May Apply: Anyone may apply, except those who harvested a mountain goat in Washington state after 1998. Except for auction and raffle permitted hunts, an individual may only harvest one mountain goat during his or her lifetime.

(b) Bag Limit: One (1) adult goat of either sex with horns 4 inches or longer.

(c) It is unlawful for a person who kills a mountain goat in Washington to fail, within ten days after acquisition, to personally present the horns attached to the head for inspection at a department office or location designated by a departmental representative. After inspection, the head/horns of a mountain goat lawfully killed in Washington may be kept for personal use. A violation of this subsection is punishable under RCW 77.15.280 (1)(b).

1This is a new hunt type. Points accrued or spent on this hunt do not apply to other mountain goat hunts.

(3) Mountain Goat Hunt Area Descriptions. The following areas are defined as mountain goat hunt areas:

Chowder Ridge 4-3:

Hunt Area: Whatcom County within the following described boundary: Beginning at the confluence of Wells Creek with the North Fork Nooksack River; then up Wells Creek to the confluence with Bar Creek; then up Bar Creek to the Mazama Glacier; then SW on Mazama Glacier to the summit of Mount Baker; then NW between Roosevelt Glacier and Coleman Glacier to the headwaters of Kulshan Creek; then down Kulshan Creek to the confluence with Grouse Creek; then down Grouse Creek to the confluence with Glacier Creek; then down Glacier Creek to the confluence with the North Fork Nooksack River; then up the North Fork Nooksack River to Wells Creek and the point of beginning.

Lincoln Peak 4-4

Hunt Area: Whatcom County within the following described boundary: Beginning at the confluence of Glacier Creek and the North Fork Nooksack River; then up Glacier Creek to the confluence with Grouse Creek; then up Grouse Creek to the confluence with Kulshan Creek; then up Kulshan Creek to headwaters; then SE between Coleman and Roosevelt glaciers to the summit of Mount Baker; then SW on Easton Glacier to Baker Pass; then W on the Bell Pass Trail (USFS Trail 603.3) to the intersection with Ridley Creek Trail (Trail No. 696); then W on Ridley Creek Trail to Ridley Creek; then down Ridley Creek to the Middle Fork Nooksack River; then down the Middle Fork Nooksack River to the confluence with Clearwater Creek, then up Clearwater Creek to the confluence with Rocky Creek, then up Rocky Creek to the Washington DNR boundary; then along the National Forest-Washington DNR boundary to Hedrick Creek; then down Hedrick Creek to the North Fork Nooksack River; then up the North Fork Nooksack River to Glacier Creek and the point of beginning.

Dillard Creek 4-6

Hunt Area: Whatcom County within the following described boundary: Beginning on Baker Lake Road and Rocky Creek; then NW up Rocky Creek to its intersection with the Park Butte Trail (Trail No. 603); then NW on Park Butte Trail to its intersection with the Bell Pass Trail (Trail No. 603.3); then N on Bell Pass Trail to Baker Pass; then N onto Easton Glacier and NE to the summit of Mount Baker; then NE and SE on Park Glacier to headwaters of Park Creek; then down Park Creek to Baker Lake Road; then SW on Baker Lake Road to Rocky Creek and the point of beginning.

Avalanche Gorge 4-7

Hunt Area: Whatcom County within the following described boundary: Beginning on Baker Lake Road and Park Creek; then up Park Creek to headwaters and beginning of Park Glacier; then NW and SW on Park Glacier to Mount Baker summit; then N on the Mazama Glacier to Bar Creek, then down Bar Creek to the confluence with Wells Creek; then SE up Wells Creek to its headwaters; then E about 1 mile to an unnamed peak (indicated elevation 5,831 ft, just W of Ptarmigan Ridge Trail (Trail No. 682.1) (See referenced 1:24k USGS quad map - Shuksan Arm)); then NE to the headwaters of the first tributary of Swift Creek encountered; then SE down said unnamed tributary to the confluence with Swift Creek; then down Swift Creek to the Baker Lake Road (USFS Road 394); then SW along the Baker Lake Road to Park Creek and point of beginning. (Refer to 1:24k USGS quad map - Shuksan Arm).

Chelan North 2-1

Permit Area: Beginning at the mouth of Fish Creek on Lake Chelan (Moore Point); then northeast up Fish Creek and USFS trail 1259 to the Sawtooth crest near Deephole Spring; then southeast along the Sawtooth crest, which separates Chelan and Okanogan counties, to Horsethief Basin and the headwaters of Safety Harbor Creek; then south along Safety Harbor Creek to Lake Chelan, then northwest along the north shore of Lake Chelan to the mouth of Fish Creek at Moore Point and the point of beginning.

Methow 2-2

Permit Area: Okanogan County within following described boundary: Begin at Twisp, W along Twisp River Rd (County Rd 4440) to Roads End; W up Twisp Pass Trail 432 to Twisp Pass and Okanogan County line; N on Okanogan County line through Washington Pass to Harts Pass; SE down Harts Pass (Rd 5400) to Lost River; along Lost River-Mazama Rd to Mazama; SW to State Hwy 20; SE on State Hwy 20 to Twisp and point of beginning.

South Lake Chelan 2-3

Permit Area: GMU 246

Naches Pass 3-6

Permit Area - Naches: Yakima and Kittitas counties within the following described boundary: Beginning at Chinook Pass; then north along the Pacific Crest Trail to Naches Pass; then east to USFS Road 19 and continuing to State Highway 410; then west along State Highway 410 to Chinook Pass and point of beginning.

Bumping River 3-7

Permit Area: Beginning on US Forest Service Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest Trail) and SR 410 at Chinook Pass; NE on SR 410 to US Forest Service Rd 1800 (Bumping Lake Rd); SW on the US Forest Service Rd 1800 (Bumping Lake Rd) to US Forest Service Trail 973 (Richmond Mine Rd); SE on US Forest Service Trail 973 (Richmond Mine Rd) to the north fork of Rattlesnake Creek; SE down the north fork of Rattlesnake Creek to US Forest Service Rd 1502 (McDaniel Lake Rd); SE on US Forest Service Rd 1502 (McDaniel Lake Rd) to US Forest Service Rd 1500; S on US Forest Service Rd 1500 to US Hwy 12; W on US Hwy 12 to US Forest Service Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest Trail) at White Pass; N on the US Forest Service Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest Trail) to SR 410 at Chinook Pass and the point of beginning. (Lands within the boundary of Mt. Rainier National Park along the Pacific Crest Trail are not open to hunting.)

Blazed Ridge 3-10

Permit Area: Kittitas and Yakima counties within the following described boundary: Beginning at the mouth of Cabin Creek on the Yakima River; then west along Cabin Creek to the headwaters near Snowshoe Butte; then south along the Cascade Crest separating the Green and Yakima river drainage to Pyramid Peak; then southeast along the North Fork, Little Naches, and Naches River to the Yakima River; then north along the Yakima River to the mouth of Cabin Creek and point of beginning.

Goat Rocks 5-4/Tieton River 3-9

Goat Rocks 5-4 Permit Area: Beginning at US Hwy 12 at the US Forest Service Trail 2000 (Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail); S on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail to Lewis County line at Cispus Pass; S and W on the Lewis County line to Johnson Creek Rd (US Forest Service Rd 21); N on Johnson Creek Rd to US Hwy 12; E on US Hwy 12 to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and the point of the beginning.

Permit Area - Tieton River: GMU 364

Permit Area - East Olympic Mountains Unit

Beginning at the intersection of Lake Cushman Rd and Jorsted Creek Rd (US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 24); W along Jorsted Creek Rd (USFS Rd 24) to Olympic National Park (ONP) boundary at the northern end of Lake Cushman; N and NE along the ONP-Olympic National Forest (ONF) boundary to the Jefferson-Clallam County line; E along the Jefferson-Clallam County line to its intersection with ONF boundary in Section 33 of T28N R2W; S along the ONF boundary to the intersection of Lake Cushman Rd and Jorsted Creek Rd (US Forest Service (USFS) Rd 24) and the point of beginning.

Permit Area - Boulder River North 4-8a

That area within the Boulder River Wilderness of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, beginning at the Boulder River trailhead on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Rd 2010 (to Boulder Falls), then E along the USFS Boulder River Wilderness boundary to Squire Creek, then southward along the Squire Creek to Squire Creek Pass, then SW up Squire Creek Pass to the headwaters of Copper Creek, then SE down Copper Creek to the unnamed tributary to Copper Creek which heads E up to Windy Pass, then E up said tributary to its headwaters in Windy Pass, then E across Windy Pass to the headwaters of Windy Creek, then E down Windy Creek to the USFS Boulder River Wilderness boundary, then N along the USFS Boulder River Wilderness boundary to the Boulder River trailhead on USFS Rd 2010 and the point of the beginning.

aMountain goat populations are managed as a collection of subpopulations, and the ideal harvest is distributed through all the subpopulations. The director is authorized to open or close subhunt areas and reduce permit levels to protect from overharvesting specific areas.

The director is authorized by the commission to identify the subhunt unit as a condition of the hunt permit. Hunters receiving permits will be sent a text description or map of the subhunt unit from the director prior to the start of that hunting season.

bPermit hunters may start hunting September 1 with archery equipment.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.055, 77.12.047, 77.12.150, and 77.12.240. WSR 15-10-048 (Order 15-101), § 232-28-623, filed 4/29/15, effective 5/30/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.240, and 77.32.070. WSR 14-10-019 (Order 14-95), § 232-28-623, filed 4/25/14, effective 5/26/14; WSR 13-11-078 (Order 13-94), § 232-28-623, filed 5/16/13, effective 6/16/13.]

RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.055, 77.12.047, 77.12.150, and 77.12.240. WSR 15-10-048 (Order 15-101), § 232-28-623, filed 4/29/15, effective 5/30/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.240, and 77.32.070. WSR 14-10-019 (Order 14-95), § 232-28-623, filed 4/25/14, effective 5/26/14; WSR 13-11-078 (Order 13-94), § 232-28-623, filed 5/16/13, effective 6/16/13.