The new hoofed residents of Ben Lomond Peak have had a good first year.
It’s been 13 months since the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources brought in 10 mountain goats from the mountains east of Beaver to Ben Lomond, north of North Ogden. The goal was to help the Ben Lomond herd recover after transplants, hunting and years of harsh weather dwindled its numbers.
So far, all 10 transplants are alive and well, said Box Elder District wildlife biologist Daniel Sallee.
The first winter in a new location can be tough. Animals have to find safe places to avoid predators and find food and water, so Sallee expected to see one or two deaths.
“It wouldn't have been concerning if we did, but it's really cool to see that they all made it,” he said.
Plus, when Sallee went up the mountain in the fall, he saw one of the new arrivals nursing a baby. The transplants are easy to spot with their yellow ear tags and GPS collars.
Some of the existing goats also have collars. The tracking helps biologists understand how the herds get along. Early on, the new goats kept to themselves.
“Right after we let them go, they kind of all shotgunned across the ridge and then met up on the north side of Ben Lomond Peak,” Sallee said.
Throughout the year, one goat wandered close to the Wyoming border, and another down near Interstate 15, before turning back home.
Come late summer, Sallee said, the two groups of goats began interacting. They continue to get along — which you see in the population numbers. The herd has grown from about 30 individuals before the transplant to roughly 50 or 60 now, Sallee estimates, based on the new arrivals and the existing herd’s reproduction.
Still, the state will continue to issue very few hunting permits so the population can grow.
“Once they get up to about 100 individuals, we'll probably increase tags a little higher, just so they don't grow above that every year,” Sallee said.
This winter’s unusual weather has allowed the mountain goats to remain at higher elevations than normal. Sallee expects there to still be plenty of vegetation due to warm weather and rain.
“They're probably loving life up there right now at 9,000 feet and above, eating fresh grass,” he said.
Mountain goat transplants are no easy feat. In 2024, the Division of Wildlife Resources contracted a helicopter crew to fly through the Tushar Mountains to look for goats.
“They shoot a net that ensnares the animal, then they drop down, and a guy who’s called a mugger jumps out and untangles the goat from the net and puts a blindfold and hobbles on them,” Sallee said.
Next, each goat was put in a transport bag on the end of a long line, and the animals were flown to the awaiting staff. The goats’ weight and body fat were measured. Each one got a GPS collar and a dose of sedatives for the ride up north.
After a night in a holding facility to wait for blood test results, the goats were released on Ben Lomond.
Sixteen goats captured from the same location were sent to Nevada to increase genetic diversity there.
The effort is worth it to spread mountain goats out and keep populations healthy, Sallee said. It’s also fun for hikers and bikers to spot the fluffy, horned animals.
For his part, Sallee loves watching baby mountain goats.
“They race each other across, like, huge cliffs and head-butt and run down snow slides,” he said. “It's really cool to watch the kids playing up there.”
As for the Ogdenite who first asked KUER about the mountain goats, he saw some from afar early this year and will keep his eyes peeled for more.
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
