State proposes mountain goat transplant

For decades, a relatively small band of mountain goats lived in the Whitefish Range. Poaching and over hunting, however, all but exterminated the herd.

The last mountain goat sighting in the range that runs from Big Mountain north to Canada was in the early 1990s, and those goats could be attributed to individuals that had migrated considerable distances from Canada or Glacier National Park.

But now, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1 officials have proposed transplanting 15 mountain goats from the Crazy Mountains, near Big Timber, to the Whitefish Range. The work could begin as early as January 2011. The goats would be released on Stryker Peak, north of Whitefish.

No mountain goats are known to occur at this time in the Whitefish Range south of Canada. FWP’s plan is catch several nannies and their kids and about four billy goats, FWP biologist Tim Thier said. The hope is to re-establish a viable population of about 75 goats roaming the Whitefish Range, he said.

The goats would be captured using helicopters and net guns. The animals would then be immobilized and put in a crate for transport. Transporting the goats in individual crates reduces the risk of injury to both goats and handlers, Thier noted. The animals will not be tranquilized.

Biologists prefer to do the work in winter to reduce heat stress and because it’s thought the animals should bond and stay in a more central location because of snow.

The goats would be transported in their crates to the release site by snowmobile, and some would be fitted with radio collars to track their movements. They would also be checked for disease before release. The cost of the project is about $12,000, Thier said.

Mountain goats are not considered native to the Crazy Mountains. They were transplanted from west of Augusta in the 1940s and now number about 400.

Copies of a draft environmental assessment on the proposal are available at FWP headquarters, 490 North Meridian, in Kalispell, and online at www.fwp.mt.gov under Public Notices. The draft EA will be available for a 15-day public review through Nov. 3.

For more information, contact Thier at 882-4697 or e-mail tthier@mt.gov.