Washington Mountain Goat Hunting 2025

Application Deadlines Non-Resident Fees Resident Fees Big Game Season Dates Draw Result Dates State Contact Information

May 28, 2025

UP-FRONT FEES
Special Permit Application - Adult (Per Species)	$152.30
Special Permit Application - Youth under 16 (Per Species)	$5.05
Elk & Deer General License	$1,020.06
Elk & Deer General License (Youth)	$56.13
Elk General License	$685.60
Elk General License (Youth)	$29.82
Deer General License	$599.07
Deer General License (Youth)	$29.82
Black Bear License	$306.10
Black Bear License (Youth)	$17.68
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Sheep, Moose, or Goat License	$2,279.00
Sheep, Moose, or Goat License (Youth)	$77.90
Reflects the July 1, 2025 Pricing Increase

UP-FRONT FEES
Special Permit Application - Adult (Per Species)	$9.61
Special Permit Application - Youth under 16 (Per Species)	$5.05
Elk & Deer General License	$116.85
Elk & Deer General License (Youth)	$56.13
Elk General License	$69.29
Elk General License (Youth)	$29.82
Deer General License	$61.70
Deer General License (Youth)	$29.82
Black Bear License	$32.86
Black Bear License (Youth)	$17.68
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Sheep, Moose, or Goat License	$457.40
Sheep, Moose, or Goat License (Youth)	$77.90
Reflects the July 1, 2025 Pricing Increase

WASHINGTON MOOSE (SPECIAL PERMIT) SEASON DATES
Any Legal Weapon	Oct - Nov, 2025 (varies by unit)
WASHINGTON MOUNTAIN GOAT (SPECIAL PERMIT) SEASON DATES
Any Legal Weapon	Sep - Nov, 2025 (varies by unit)
WASHINGTON BIGHORN SHEEP (SPECIAL PERMIT) SEASON DATES
Rocky Mtn / California Bighorn	Sep - Nov, 2025 (varies by unit)

Note: All Washington big game seasons vary by GMU, weapon type, and special permit. Always confirm in the current WDFW Big Game Hunting Regulations before planning. See: https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/big-game

YEAR	RESULTS POSTED
2025	June 10
2024	June 12
2023	June 14
2022	June 14
2021	June 10
2020	June 10
2019	June 12
2018	June 15

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

600 Capitol Way North
Olympia, WA 98501-1091
ph. 360-902-2200

APPLY CHECK POINTS

The big news for Washington mountain goats is that 50% of the goat tags available from 2024 have been cut. Washington will only have seven goat tags available in five different units for 2025. Mountain goat units Bumping River, Chowder Ridge, Lincoln Peak, and Avalanche Gorge will not have any draw tags for 2025. Both hunt areas on Lake Chelan are also still closed.

The Mount Baker subunits were closed due to low population counts and the high number of female goats that had been harvested over the last three years. Hopefully these populations will rebound and these units will once again be available in the near future.

They manage their mountain goat population more conservatively than any other state. They do not allow hunting until a herd has at least 100 goats. Once a hunt is created, harvest should not exceed 4% of the stable adult population and no more than 30% of the harvest can be of female adults. Although permit hunters are allowed to harvest any goat with horns 4” or longer, hunters are encouraged to target male goats (billies) in all hunts. An online gender identification course is required before permits will be distributed.

Due to Washington’s conservative goat management, more goats die of old age than are harvested. That is a recipe for giant goats. There is Boone and Crockett record book potential in the units available for 2025. The standout units with true giants are Mount Margaret and Mount St. Helens as both have these herds have a robust and growing goat population.

Washington has some of the toughest mountain goat country in the West. If you are lucky enough to draw a tag, you can expect a physical hunt on most of the hunts available. Goats are very difficult to judge, so if you happen to draw a tag, you want to hire a guide or make sure you or someone in your group knows how to judge goats.

Washington has nearly 3,000 mountain goats in the state. Many goat areas fall in popular hiking and recreational areas, and they strive to keep conflict to a minimum. Hiking and camping permits may be necessary for permit holders to obtain before heading off into the backcountry.

UNIT	COMMENTS
Naches Pass	The last population survey showed 110 goats with a stable population. Expect a difficult hunt to find a trophy billy, but they do exist and a hunter killed a 51" goat here a couple of years ago. Draw odds remain difficult because this unit has decent access and is less physically demanding for those lucky enough to draw the permit. Horses can also be used in this unit due to better trail systems. The hunter hunted 7 days in 2024.
Goat Rocks West	The season changed this year with the opening date being one month later than in 2024. Most recent population estimates put the Goat Rocks herd at 141 goats. This is a moderate increase in the population from the previous aerial surveys. Goats are really spread out throughout suitable habitats. Dedicated hunters should be able to find plenty of great goats after a physically demanding hike into the backcountry. The hunters both harvested a billy and averaged 4 days of hunting in 2024.
Goat Rocks East	The season changed this year with the opening date being one month later than in 2024. Most recent population estimates put the Goat Rocks herd at 141 goats. Very similar terrain and access to the Goat Rocks West hunt listed above. Goats are really spread out throughout suitable habitats. Expect a physically demanding hike into the backcountry with potential for a great billy. The hunter harvested a billy in 10 days of hunting in 2024.
Mount Margaret Backcountry	The Mount Margaret and Mount St. Helens goat population is increasing with 335 goats being observed in the last survey. This is a great hunt with big, old billies available. Hunters should be prepared to hike five to six miles to get into the better goat areas of Mount Margaret, Minnie Peak, and Mount Whittier. This is a backpack-only accessible unit that will require one to use the trail systems in the unit that are open to foot and non-motorized use only, and a USFS permit is required to camp. No pack animals are allowed. The hunters averaged 2 days of hunting and one took a billy and the other a nanny in 2024.
Mount St. Helens South	The goat herd around the Mount St. Helens area continues to increase in total population. This is a great hunt with big, old billies available. Most goat hunting terrain will be found just past the trail systems open to foot access only. No pack animals are allowed. USFS access permits are $22 per day and are mandatory for the month of October in this unit. A majority of the goats will be found in the northeast corner of the unit above timberline near Ape Glacier. The 2024 hunters reported hunting for 4 days and one took a billy in 2024.

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Wolf populations in Washington continue to grow and expand into new areas. The last time Washington released information on the state’s wolf population was December 2022. At that time, 216 wolves in 37 different packs were surveyed and counted in their base minimum counts. Twenty-six of these packs were considered successful breeding pairs. The truth is that the actual wolf numbers are much higher than this visual count. Overall reports show the wolf population is growing by an average of 23% per year across the state. Wolves were federally relisted in the western two-thirds of the state in February 2022. We hope that Washington is able to address the burgeoning population of wolves in the eastern portion of the state before their moose population is lost. However, with their very liberal Game Commission and the public’s desire to remove hunting of all animals as a management tool, the future may not look too bright for Washington’s wildlife.

Washington Mountain Goat

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Dates & Fees | Washington Mountain Goat Hunting