Roads in high elevations opened up mountain goat habitat to hunters. Now some populations have rebounded . . . But other populations aren't doing as well. There appear to be many causes for the decline such as predation, disease, habitat loss and hunting. Wildlife researchers are now suggesting that human disturbance is a major problem for the goats.
Mountain goats feed intensively in summer, fattening up for winter.
But as recreational use of mountain goat country increases, the presence of people drives the skittish goats away from prime feeding areas, preventing them from gaining enough weight to survive the winter. So if you see a mountain goat while visiting the Cascades, please . . Special thanks today to the U.S. Forest Service . We're Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.