Logan Pass
Glacier National Park, in partnership with the University of Montana and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will continue mountain goat research activities this summer in the Logan Pass area. The three-year research study began late summer of 2013 to identify how mountain goats are affected by roads, people, and trails near Logan Pass. The study is a critical component of the current Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor Management planning effort which identified human-wildlife interactions within the corridor as an issue of concern. Six mountain goats received radio collars last summer, including five females and one male. GPS and VHF radio collars are utilized to collect location data. VHF collars only collect a data point when they are located by an observer on the ground or in an aircraft, whereas GPS collars collect a data point every few hours and then transmit that information via satellite to a researcher’s computer. Radio collar data revealed mountain goats used Mt. Cannon and the Hidden Creek drainage area as winter habitat. Preliminary observational data also reveals differences between habituated and wild goats. Habituated goats display different herding behavior and use habitat differently than wild goats. Habituated goats often use meadow, tree, and road habitat whereas wild goats generally stay near cliffs and ledges, with some use of meadow habitat. This data is preliminary so results may change as more information is gathered. Mountain goat captures will continue this summer as soon as access to the Logan Pass area is safe. It is anticipated that 20–25 goats in total will be collared for this study. Of the more than 1,500 goats estimated in the park, this represents less than 2% of the park-wide population. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks secured a grant and acquired three additional GPS radio collars to be used for this study.
