The new hunts will feature populations that have not been hunted for a decade or more and should provide hunters an excellent opportunity to harvest an old, mature billy. Idaho has a long season (August 30 through November 12), which provides not only ample opportunity to fit an Idaho hunt among other fall endeavors but also allows hunters tough enough to endure the cold of late season an opportunity to harvest a billy in full winter coat.
Hunter success in Idaho is high: 83 to 89 percent annually since 2000, with hunters typically harvesting an animal in less than five days of actual hunting. Although both sexes are legal, about 75 percent of harvested mountain goats are males. And while the number of permits is low, the number of applications is also surprisingly low. Only 418 hunters applied for 40 permits in 2004, for drawing odds of 1 in 10. Idaho draws from the entire pool of applications, so nonresident hunters have the same chance of drawing a permit as residents. However, nonresidents are limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the total number of permits awarded annually.
Hunt regulations are posted on the Idaho Department of Fish and Game web site (http://fishandgame.idaho.gov). Hunters should also check out previous season drawing success. Just go to the web site's Hunting section and click on Controlled Hunts. Then follow Applications to the listing for Mountain Goats. To look up previous-year harvest statistics, click on Harvests in the Controlled Hunts section and find Mountain Goats.
A nonrefundable nonresident hunting license ($128.50) must be purchased prior to applying for a mountain goat permit. The permit and tag fee is $1,515,........(continued)
