Eastern Oregon man recounts bloody encounter between dog, mountain goat at campsite

Every year, Winston Morton and his loved ones go on a boat trip down the Grande Ronde River, camping along the route. He didn’t anticipate having to dash to the canyon’s take-out spot with a bloodied dog in tow just one day after starting the 40-mile float.

However, it is exactly what happened when his family’s German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois cross dog, Palmer, was pierced by the horn of a mountain goat that came near their camp in northeastern Oregon, almost midway along the river route, between Meadow Creek and Alder Creek.

Palmer lived. The meeting occurred three weeks ago, and Morton stated that the four-year-old dog has most likely forgotten about it by now. Morton and his family spent the days after the trip debriefing, but it’s still fresh in their memories. Morton, a fish habitat biologist, found the experience to be a potent reminder of the value of being ready to engage with wildlife and avoid confrontation.

According to him, wildlife is just that—wild. We must treat it with respect. That’s where they are. Being close to them is a great privilege for us.

Morton, 52, was talking to his friend Kris Fischer at the camp at about 4 p.m. when two mountain goats came by. Alsea, Morton’s 19-year-old daughter, was reading a book, while Andre L. Heureux, another acquaintance, was dozing off. The duo had been near the camp twice that morning, but Morton had been able to drive them away by yelling and flailing his hands, so it wasn’t the first time the group saw the mountain goats that day.

Five hours later, however, they had returned. The goats scattered as the group got up and shooed together, with one going up the river and the other downstream. Five minutes or so later, Morton heard his daughter announce that one of the goats had come back.

According to Morton, the goat did not depart this time. Palmer was given a leash in an attempt to frighten the goat away, but Morton stated that the family didn’t usually support using pets to chase animals away. Alsea informed Morton that Palmer and the goat were at odds, with the goat separating Alsea from the dog, even though Morton was unable to see the goat at this time.

Palmer fled into the brush when the goat attempted to butt him, Morton said. In the bushes, neither Alsea nor Morton could see Palmer, but Alsea heard him yelp. Morton claimed that he immediately leaped out of the way as the mountain goat rushed down the trail toward him. Then, to make sure the goat departed the camp, Morton threw rocks at it.

Looking back, Morton regrets not throwing rocks when he first saw the goats that morning. In addition, he wished that after the initial incident, they had packed up and moved to a different campsite and had kept the dog on a leash. He initially thought the goats were two young males because they were smaller than the billy goats he had seen outside his La Grande home. He later discovered, however, that they were two nannies, or female goats, who were probably attempting to protect their young, according to a district biologist at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Palmer didn’t first seem to be limping. Morton added that after that, he began to bleed profusely. One of his horns had gored him. We were unaware of its severity at the time.

Palmer had a puncture wound between his hind legs, according to Morton. The crew went into action mode despite their shock. As they talked over their choices, Morton pressed his palms against the wound. He was unable to identify the location or appearance of the cut due to the excessive amount of blood.

He remarked, “I saw enough to know that it just didn’t look good.”

They started to fear that Palmer could be lost. Morton and his daughter made the decision to leave the canyon with Palmer at 4:15 p.m., even though they hadn’t intended to finish the final 20 miles of their float for a few days. He called his wife, Mika, using an inReach satellite device because he didn’t have mobile service.

Morton focused on navigating rapids and avoiding rocks while rowing the metal drift boat. In the meantime, Alsea and Palmer sat at the front of the boat, applying gauze and bandages from a first-aid kit to Palmer’s wound. To pack up and come back the following day, the other two campers stayed behind. Morton reported that there was blood everywhere about thirty minutes into the journey. However, he saw that the bleeding had decreased and was optimistic that Palmer would live.

They traveled 20 miles more quickly than they had in the past. They reached the take-out spot at the Washington border, just upstream of Troy, in less than three hours. Soon after, Morton’s wife showed up, and he estimated that she and Alsea drove Palmer to the Enterprise veterinary clinic at around nine o’clock in the evening.

A mountain goat hurt a dog at a campsite in eastern Oregon, prompting the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to issue a warning.The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife provided the image.

Morton reached out to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s district wildlife biologist, Holly Tuers Lance. According to Tuers Lance, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management last week posted a warning on Facebook, and the government put up posters throughout the area.

According to Tuers Lance, campers should always keep their pets on leashes and allow the animals room when they come into contact with goats and other ungulates like sheep and elk. To avoid attracting wildlife, she advised urinating in rivers and keeping a minimum of 50 yards away. It’s better to gradually back away while maintaining eye contact with a mountain goat if it approaches or acts aggressively. Try to frighten it away if it keeps coming by shouting, waving your arms, or hurling sticks or tiny stones.

According to Morton, he has previously had up-close experiences with moose, bears, bighorn sheep, rattlesnakes, and deer.

“We visit this location because it is very unique,” he remarked. You must be conscious. You do frequently get to view wildlife, and it’s really lovely.

Palmer wore a cone for two weeks after having an inch-wide wound sutured, according to Morton. The dog is back to work now.

We’re glad he’s alright,” Morton remarked. We undoubtedly feared losing him as we loaded him onto the boat.

Palmer was bleeding, Alsea was supporting him, and Morton was rowing as they drifted down the river. Morton’s first concern was the safety of their yacht. However, he observed the canyon surrounding them during quiet periods on the lake. It was closer to dusk than he had ever floated the river. He reported they observed a raccoon, seven bald eagles, and other wildlife. In their interactions with the goats, they discussed their successes and failures. Morton marveled at the nature surrounding him and the limitless potential of the creatures who inhabit it, despite the current catastrophe.

According to Morton, I told my daughter that it was really lovely. “I was just thinking the same thing,” she added.

Stories by

Maddie Khaw

• Former Multnomah County corrections deputy accused of smuggling drugs to man in jail

• Aggressive mountain goats prompt camping, boating warning in eastern Oregon

• Oregon ethics commission triples fine for former OLCC chief in liquor diversion scandal

• Coyote bites dog on Portland trail in rare attack, then follows owner

• Cops release public alert on Hillsboro man accused of raping teen he met online

About The Author