Hunting the elusive mountain goat

The mountain goat is the least common, and least studied, big game species in North America. Add to that the fact how tough it is to draw a mountain goat hunting license and it is not surprising that few people report having seen a mountain goat up close.

"In Montana, for fall 2002, only 4 percent of all applicants (with and without preference points) were successful in drawing one of the 322 licenses available," said Glen Erickson, Wildlife Division bureau chief for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Mountain goat hunting season is Sept. 15-Dec. 1.

By far the largest number o...