Six goats collared at Logan Pass

Glacier National Park officials reported Sept. 16 that they had captured and collared six Rocky Mountain goats in the Logan Pass area as part of a three-year research study.

So far, biologists have collared two adult males and four adult females, said Joel Berger, the University of Montana biologist heading up the study. Poor weather lately has hampered collaring efforts, Berger said last week. They hoped to collar more goats in the coming days.

Park officials say the study is a critical component of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor Management planning effort, as human-wildlife interactions within the corridor have been identified as an issue of concern.

Park officials claim interactions between humans and goats are increasing in the Logan Pass area and are creating potential “unhealthy and unsafe conditions.”

“Mountain goats are an icon of Glacier National Park, and the information gathered from this study will play a valuable role in future management decisions,” Park superintendent Jeff Mow said. “Ensuring the safety of both mountain goats and staff conducting research is our top priority with this project.”

Personnel from the National Park Service, University of Montana and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks attached GPS or VHF radio devices to the six goats. The collaring will continue through the fall as weather permits. About 20-25 of the estimated 1,500 goats in the Park will be collared.

The collars will remain on the goats for three years, at which point a mechanism will release allowing the collar to fall to the ground. The collar will then be retrieved by researchers. Park officials say the goats will be handled only once.

The few goats that researchers are not able to collar may be temporarily marked so researchers can visually distinguish between individual goats. They may use paintballs to mark some goats, but Berger said that hasn’t been done yet.

Goats and especially sheep can be identified by distinct markings on their horns. Sheep will be observed in the study but won’t be collared. Kim Keating, a biologist from Montana State University, did a bighorn sheep collaring study a few years ago in the Many Glacier and Logan Pass areas.

The Park partnered with the University of Montana to study how goats are affected by roads, people and trails at Logan Pass area. Data collected from collars will provide information on the goats’ use of Logan Pass and adjacent areas, as well as their movement across the landscape throughout the year.

The study also will incorporate observational, temporary marking and visitor messaging techniques. Researchers will spend time observing and recording human-goat interactions. Informational signs about human-goat interactions will be placed in the Logan Pass area.