JACKSON, Wyo. — The head of Wyoming Game and Fish made a last-minute plea to his counterpart in charge of the Grand Teton NP to stop a planned eradication of mountain goats by aerial gunning, scheduled to begin today.

Game and Fish director Brian Nesvik again called for the stop to the mountain goat culling in Grand Teton National Park. The park intends to begin mountain goat removal today and through the weekend.

In a phone call to Gopaul Noojibail, acting Grand Teton Park superintendent, Game and Fish made a third request to stop aerial gunning to remove mountain goats from the Targhee herd.

“While we recognize Grand Teton National Park’s efforts to address the expansion of mountain goats in native bighorn sheep ranges, the department has been consistent in voicing our opposition to the use of aerial lethal removal,” Nesvik said.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission passed a resolution in Jan. 2020 condemning the use of aerial gunning to manage goats and urged Grand Teton to use skilled volunteers as the removal method. In a letter dated Jan. 28, 2019, the Department formally recommended the Park to use skilled volunteers for mountain goat removal.

“Game and Fish continues to hear from the public loud disapproval of the Park’s selected method of removal,” Nesvik said. “I have again asked the acting superintendent to use skilled volunteers because it aligns with the public’s desires for acceptable methods of removal while allowing the park to achieve their objectives to reduce mountain goat populations.”