Mt. Goats

[Teton Chuck]

Spent some time with a herd of Mt. Goats. Thought I would share this one.

[NorthernFocus]

That's something I've wanted to do for some time. Seen a couple of them down at sea level in Prince William Sound but never seen them in their own domain. You picked a bad time of year for the condition of their coats. Good excuse for a re-visit

[Shadowman]

Nice effort.

[Nicks Pics]

Really interesting picture! I like the perspective, it has a close goat, a farther one, and the slopes in the bg. It gives the feeling that the viewer is standing there with them. It looks like they're not yet finished molting, but they'll probably be getting winter coats in soon I'd suppose. Maybe they have one molt per year.

[Teton Chuck]

Good observation that they are not done molting. From these photos you can tell that they perhaps have three coats. The two outer ones are molted during the summer, then grown back. I took this photo at the end of June. You can see how the molt progresses. When you hike in this region you find lots of Mt. Goat hair lying around. And the Mt. Chickadees use it to line their nests.

[Nicks Pics]

And the Mt. Chickadees use it to line their nests.

How sweet!

Spent some time with a herd of Mt. Goats.

Do you feel like telling us any more about this? Were you there to photograph them, or studying them or, hanging around watching them from the ridges? Just interested in this sort of thing!

[Donald]

I think that's an excellently composed and beautifully lit image (the first one I mean). You seem to very close in. Are they quite docile animals?

This is the sort of quality image that you'd see in a high-end magazine/journal accompanying an article about mountain goats.

[Teton Chuck]

Thank you Nick and Donald, The goats in the herd are quite comfortable being close to people. They come down to the valley floor at least twice a day. If people just stand still and don't crowd them they just go about their business. The are small animals, the largest being about three feet tall. I sat down on the ground so I could photograph them as I've been told you should do with children. I try to take advantage of the early morning light. I find that photographing these animals offer a similar challenge to photographing bison - but at the opposite end of the spectrum. Bison are extremely dark and are difficult to photograph in full light. These animals are extremely light and offer contrast issues of their own.

On another note, they have two layers of hair, not three and I said earlier. Their hair protects them in winter form cold to -50F and winds of 60 MPH. They are truly adapted to high cold places.

[Nicks Pics]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[IzzieK]

Interesting shots and equally interesting information about these...are you in the Idaho side or the Wyoming side? Wyoming is the most beautiful place...if only the winter is not too harsh...

[Cliff Roamer]

Art Wolfe has a useful tip when photographing animals like goats, this is a great video to watch but for his animal tip skip to 27m 50s

[Teton Chuck]

Izzie, These photos were taken in Colorado. I have not photographed the herd on the Idaho - Wyoming border, but I will attempt to work with them this winter. I guess they are too close to my home. :-) You might be interested in the information I will leave for Mike. Also his post was very interesting.

[Teton Chuck]

Mike, thanks for posting the Art Wolfe link. I enjoyed it. I have taken advantage of Art's way of getting close to goats, but I did not have to do the deed itself. In the area where I go, people camp with no facilities and consequently urinate here and there. You can tell exactly where because the goats are using these places a "salt licks". I have posted this photo of a nanny and kid using one of the areas. Thought you might enjoy.