Mountain goats are often seen in the Snake River Canyon near Alpine, Wyoming. It isn't unusual to see a few fairly close to the road in winter, but when we were there, they were a long way up the mountain.
Several members of our Sharp Shooters Camera Club have taken beautiful close-up photos of these interesting animals, but I wasn't so lucky. However, I was extremely fortunate to see a huge herd of over 75 goats grazing their way across the mountain. The snow had just about melted, so I suppose they were taking advantage of the bare ground to find food.
The herd was scattered over a wide area and was gone in about a half hour. This huge herd was probably a nursery group of nannies (females) and kids. The billies (males) usually form much smaller groups and keep to themselves. These photos show just a small part of the widely scattered herd. As the weather warms up they will head for higher elevations and won't be seen again until next winter.
The herd was scattered over a wide area and was gone in about a half hour. This huge herd was probably a nursery group of nannies (females) and kids. The billies (males) usually form much smaller groups and keep to themselves. These photos show just a small part of the widely scattered herd. As the weather warms up they will head for higher elevations and won't be seen again until next winter. 