Registration permit hunt RG245 for mountain goats in Unit 6D has ended by emergency order.
The hunt ended on Oct. 11 for that portion of Unit 6D west of Browns Creek, south of Lowe River and Port Valdez, and north of Jack Bay and the main channel of Jack River, said Charlotte Westing, the area wildlife biologist stationed at Cordova for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Aerial surveys conducted in August found a minimum count of 62 goats in registration permit area RG245, Westing said.
The department set the maximum allowable state harvest at 5 goat units.
Additional take beyond the harvest objective could harm the long-term stability of the mountain goat population, she said.
The harvest as of Oct. 10 had 4 billies and one nanny. With hunters still in the field, it was likely that additional goats had been taken and not yet reported, so the closure was announced to prevent unsustainable harvest.
The closure affected only registration permit hunt RG245 in Unit 6D. All other mountain goat hunting regulations in the remainder of Unit 6 were not affected by this emergency order.
