Utahns would be wise to remember that when hiking the Beehive State’s mountain ranges to escape the heat this summer, there’s a chance they may be entering mountain goat territory.
Utah is home to roughly 1,500 mountain goats throughout the entire state, and the animals are often “found in high-elevation mountain areas with rugged, rocky alpine terrain,” according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
“In 1967 six Rocky Mountain goats were transplanted from Olympic National Park to the Lone Peak Wilderness,” Utah Public Radio reported. “Since then another 270 were released in various other locations. Utah goat populations peaked in 2011 around 2,100 animals. Interestingly, the Willard Peak herd has declined from around 200 to about 30 goats.”
The largest herds are located in the Uinta Mountains and the Tushar Mountains, per Utah’s DWR, but scattered, smaller herds can be found in the Wasatch Mountain Range, including on Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, Provo Peak and in Little Cottonwood Canyon as well.
Just last summer, Utah hikers urged pet owners to be vigilant and responsible when hiking with their pets after three dogs were gored and killed on Mount Timpanogos in just one month, KSL-TV reported.
To prevent conflicts between humans and pets and mountain goats, DWR has some tips to stay safe while exploring “mountain goat country.”
Be aware of mountain goat behavior
Male mountain goats, or “billies,” and their female counterparts, or “nannies,” typically have different times of the year when they can show increased aggression.
Billies are generally known to exhibit more aggressive behaviors during breeding season, according to DWR, which falls around the month of November. Nannies tend to be aggressive when they have baby goats, known as “kids.” Nannies typically give birth in late May, “and then the nannies and kids join up and form large nursery herds,” per DWR.
During the summer months, in the subsequent period following the birth of a herd’s kids, nannies will commonly graze in meadow areas while nursing their young. Not surprisingly, the nannies are known to be territorial and protective of their kids during this time.
What to do if you encounter a mountain goat
The timing of DWR’s warning is not random. Generally, the areas that are frequented by mountain goats are not even accessible to hikers due to deep snow, until the summer heat thaws and melts these areas, naturally making them easily accessible to humans.
“Hikers will most frequently encounter nanny and kid mountain goats in the lower-elevation meadow areas since those are easier to access than other, steeper mountain goat terrain,” the division writes.
If you are on a high-elevation stroll, hiking or backpacking, here are the DWR’s tips to avoid a confrontation with a mountain goat:
- Give the goat(s) space, at least 150 feet or more — the animals are known to stand their ground or charge if they feel threatened by someone or something being too close.
- If you can see a mountain goat coming down a trail you are hiking on, turn around and go back down the trail to avoid close proximity.
- Mountain goats, similar to other big game animals, can feel easily threatened and become aggressive towards dogs in particular. With this in mind, keep your canine companion leashed and under control. “It is against Utah law to allow dogs to chase or harass protected hoofed wildlife, like mountain goats,” per DWR.
- If a mountain goat seems like it may approach you, slowly back away to create distance between you and the animal. If it continues to approach, try to scare it away by waving your arms and making loud noises.
- Prior to beginning your excursion, talk to the agency that manages the area of land you are in to educate yourself on the wildlife population there. Stay alert, and look for trailhead signs to find out if a trail has a history of aggressive mountain goats.
- Don’t ever attempt to feed a mountain goat or let it lick your skin.
“Mountain goats can impale you with their horns, so you don’t want to risk coming into contact with one,” Division of Wildlife Resources Once-In-A-Lifetime Species Coordinator Rusty Robinson says. “Remember that they are wild animals, so always give them plenty of space. They are found in some pretty extreme terrain, so you don’t want to risk getting too close to one while on the edge of a cliff. Be aware of your surroundings, stay alert and don’t put yourself in those situations. If you need to turn around and cut your hike short, do it.”