No Snow, No Problem: See Mountain Goats
DWR holds wildlife viewing event in northeastern Utah
Mountain Home -- Less snow means fewer mountain goats at lower elevations in northeastern Utah this year. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attend an upcoming wildlife viewing event: you should still see some goats.
“With only a fraction of the snowpack that we experienced just a year ago, the rocky layer on the South Slope of the Uinta Mountains has been exposed through most of the winter,” says Tonya Kieffer, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “This year, viewing mountain goats may prove to be difficult, but it’s still worth trying.”
The free mountain goat watch happens March 31 at an area called Rock Creek. The area is northwest of Mountain Home in northeastern Utah.
The free event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
What you’ll see
Randall Thacker, DWR biologist, says from the Rock Creek Road, you can usually see 10 to 30 mountain goats wintering in the canyon.
"This is a very unique opportunity in that some goats have remained within sight of the Stillwater Dam throughout the winter, though we suspect most of the herd is higher than normal this spring and may not be as visible from the bottom of the canyon,” Thacker says.
The mountain goats move around, so biologists will have to wait until the day of the event to determine the exact viewing sites. To find the viewing sites, simply drive up Rock Creek Road until you pass the U.S. Forest Service boundary sign. Once you pass the sign, drive slowly until you see biologists parked along the road.
Spotting scopes, equipped with Phone Skope adapters, will be available so you can get a close look at these incredible climbers in their shaggy, wintery white coats. Biologists will also set up a site that includes displays and information about mountain goats. From the site, biologists can direct you to additional viewing areas.
"Binoculars and spotting scopes will be available for you to use,” Kieffer says, “but if you have your own viewing gear, please bring it.”
Kieffer also encourages you to wear warm clothes and to bring some snacks. “Weather in the mountains is unpredictable,” she says. “And the viewing sites are quite a ways from stores and other places that sell supplies."
The nearest place to buy food is back in Mountain Home, at the Mountain Home Inn and Store. Kieffer says the store is helping host the event this year, and will provide some light snacks and refreshments at the viewing site.
A final note: the weather will determine if the event is held. If it appears the weather will be too severe, the event will have to be canceled.
“Hopefully,” Kieffer says, “the weather will cooperate. For an update, please feel free to call our Vernal office on Friday, March 30.”
You can reach the Vernal office at 435-781-WILD (9453).
Directions
1) To reach the viewing site from U.S. Highway 40, take one of the roads from US 40 to Altamont/Mountain Home:
a) If you’re approaching from the west: turn left (north) onto state Route 87 (N. Center Street) in Duchesne. Follow SR 87 north for roughly 15.5 miles, and turn left onto the road to Mountain Home (21000 West). This road is about four miles before you reach Altamont.
b) If you’re coming from the east: drive through Roosevelt on U.S. 40 roughly 5 miles, and turn right (north) onto Ioka Lane (3000 South; this road is right before US 40 turns south and goes uphill). Ioka Lane is also SR 87, so stay on this road to Altamont, then drive through Altamont to reach the Mountain Home Road, and turn north. This road is roughly 4 miles past Altamont.
2) From the SR 87/Mountain Home Road Junction: travel north on the Mountain Home Road about 2.8 miles, and turn left at the Mountain Home Inn & Store onto Country Route 95. This is the road to Rock Creek and Upper Stillwater Dam. The turn isn't well marked, but a sign for the Miner's Gulch, Yellowpine and Stillwater campgrounds is posted near the turn.
Follow Route 95 roughly 20 miles to the viewing area.
“If you keep your eyes open as you travel,” Kieffer says, “it’s common to see elk, deer and a variety of other wildlife along the way.”
Utah's largest herd
The Uinta Mountains are the largest contiguous block of mountain goat habitat in Utah. And mountain goats on the Uintas are doing well.
Thacker says mountain goats were re-introduced to the Uinta Mountains in 1987 when DWR biologists released seven animals from Lone Peak. In 1988 and 1989, biologists released another 25 goats from Olympic National Park. Between 1992 and 2000, the herd was supplemented by 57 additional animals from two Utah herds.
After the releases were over, a total of 89 goats had been released at 12 sites on the mountains.
"During our last trend count in 2017,” Thacker says, “we counted 733 mountain goats. When we count, we know we miss some. We estimate that there are almost 1,000 mountain goats across the Uinta Mountains right now. The population is doing great."
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DWR Announces Big Game Permit Proposals for 2018 Hunts
Depending on which unit you applied for, you might have a better chance at drawing a permit to hunt big game in Utah this fall.
Buck deer, buck pronghorn, bull moose and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are among the animals for which Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are recommending a permit increase.
Covy Jones, big game coordinator for the DWR, says most of the state’s big game species are doing well. “If you enjoy hunting or viewing big game,” Jones says, “it’s a great time to live in Utah.”
Starting March 19, all of the DWR’s big game permit recommendations should be available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings.
“The recommendations are arranged by unit,” Jones says, “so you can visit the web page and zero in on the units you applied for.”
Learn more, share your ideas
After you’ve reviewed the ideas at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.
RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on April 26 to approve big game permit numbers for Utah’s 2018 hunts.
Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:
Central Region
March 27
6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High
189 S. 1470 E.
Springville
Northern Region
March 28
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City
Southern Region
April 3
5 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center St.
Beaver
Southeastern Region
April 4
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River
Northeastern Region
April 5
6:30 p.m.
DWR Northeastern Region Office
318 N. Vernal Ave.
Vernal
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email. Email addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/rac-members.html.
The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address. You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.
Permit recommendations
The following are the total number of permits DWR biologists are recommending for Utah’s 2018 big game hunts:
Hunt 2017 2018
General buck deer 89,050 91,050
Premium limited entry deer 184 184
Management buck deer 61 71
(including “cactus” bucks)
Limited entry deer 1,191 1,153
Doe deer 1,470 1,955
General any bull elk 15,000 15,000
Youth any bull elk 500 500
General spike bull elk 15,000 15,000
Limited entry bull elk 2,833 2,892
Cow elk, public draw 9,830 10,090
Cow elk, private lands only 8,790 9,105
Buck pronghorn 849 1,021
Doe pronghorn 750 760
Bull moose 68 84
Cow moose 22 34
Bison 148 152
Bison (archery only) 10 15
Desert bighorn sheep 53 56
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep 32 40
Mountain goat 106 117
Mountain goat (archery only) 2 4
Big game animals doing well
While all of Utah’s big game species are doing well, Jones is especially excited about the following:
General buck deer
After the deer hunts are over each fall, DWR biologists go afield and classify the number of bucks, does and fawns on each unit. On 11 of Utah’s 29 general season units, biologists want to see 15 to 17 bucks per 100 does. On the remaining 18 units, the objective is 18 to 20 bucks per 100 does.
Based on the number of bucks observed after the hunts last fall, biologists are comfortable allowing more permits on 10 units. On six units, they’re recommending a permit decrease. On 13 units, permit numbers would stay the same as 2017.
On most of the units where an increase is recommended, the general rifle hunt has been split into two hunts—an early hunt in September and a later hunt in October.
“Permits will be split between two hunts,” Jones says. “That should help reduce hunter crowding and hopefully allow everyone to have a good experience.”
Buck pronghorn
A new management plan for pronghorn will give more hunters a chance to hunt buck pronghorn in Utah this fall.
Data collected in Utah and other states suggest two things about buck pronghorn in the West: excluding bucks that are taken by hunters, survival rates for bucks are relatively low (typically less than 80 percent). And they attain most of their horn size by two years of age.
“Because of these lower survival rates ” Jones says, “and because most of their horn growth occurs by two years of age, it doesn’t make sense to manage for older animals.”
Utah’s pronghorn management plan was revised in fall 2017. “The plan directs us to manage the population such that the average age of pronghorn taken by hunters is between two and three years of age,” he says.
In past years, most pronghorn taken by hunters in Utah were almost four years old.
“Because we are now managing for younger animals,” Jones says, “we can offer more hunting opportunities this fall while still providing a quality opportunity for hunters.”
Bighorn sheep
In the case of Rocky Mountain bighorns, a new population on the Oak Creek Mountains has increased to the point that hunters can take a few rams. “And the population on the Newfoundland Mountains is doing really well,” Jones says. “We’re excited that more Rocky Mountain and desert bighorn sheep opportunities might be offered in Utah this fall.”
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Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
