Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) officials closed two mountain goat hunts in the Cordova area by emergency order on Wednesday as a precaution against harvest exceeding objectives, according to Ryan Scott, acting director of the Division of Wildlife Conservation for the Cordova area.
The first hunt is registration permit hunt RG244 in Unit 6D, which includes the mainland drainages south of Jack Bay and the main channel of Jack River, east of Valdez Arm and Tatitlek Narrows, and west of the main channel of Denson Creek.
The last aerial survey found a minimum count of 191 goats in registration permit area RG244. The maximum allowable harvest is nine goat points. The current reported harvest is four billies and three nannies for a total of 10 goat points.
Registration permit hunt area RG232 includes that portion of Unit 6C east of Scott Glacier and the main channel of Scott River, north of the Copper River Highway, and west of Sheridan Glacier and the main channel of Glacier River. ADFG officials said the last quality aerial survey found a minimum count of 319 goats in registration permit area RG232. The maximum allowable harvest there is 12 goat points.
Each billy counts as one goat point. A nanny counts as two goat points.
Hunters remained in the field earlier this week, and it is likely that additional goats have been taken and not yet reported.
All other mountain goat hunting regulations in the remainder of Unit 6 are unaffected by this emergency order.
