NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Mountain Goats in Olympic National Park: Biology and Management of an Introduced Species

Methods used to capture/remove mountain goats (Oreamnnos americanus) and criteria used to evaluate the techniques are described in this appendix (see Table 36).

Method

Rope snare: A noose of braided rope was placed on the ground in a location where animals congregated or were attracted by salt or urine. The technique required animals that were habituated to humans and was most effective in late spring-early summer when goats craved salts. Capture sites were chosen to minimize damage to the surrounding vegetation, the capture team, and the goats. The goat, snared by a leg, was physically restrained by the capture team. Capture of mature males was difficult and dangerous. The technique was used extensively during research projects where animals were captured and released on-site.

Other traps/snares: Padded leg-hold traps and cable bear snares were tried unsuccessfully on Klahhane Ridge. Clover-type live traps were considered but not used.

Chemical immobilization: Goats were captured with M99 (Etorphine) and various M99 admixtures early in the program; Carfentanil citrate was used for later immobilizations

Combined tactics: During unsuccessful or prolonged drug induction, capture was sometimes completed by net-gunning.

Evaluation Criteria

Precapture Requirements

The level of effort or planning required before using the technique included reconnaissance, site preparation, equipment preparation, baiting, and more. Drop nets and drive nets, in particular, required considerable logistical support from helicopters to position the heavy, bulky capture equipment. Both also entailed the use and transport of large numbers of personnel.

Population Requirements

Passive techniques, in particular, were most successful when used on high density subpopulations that had become habituated to humans.

Selectivity

How effectively could a specific animal (i.e., sex or age class) be captured? This was of concern when conducting capture/translocation programs because the receiving agency often specified preferences.

Multiple Capture

What was the potential to capture more than one animal at a time with the technique? Was it feasible to capture intact social groups, such as females with kids?

Safety to Personnel

How hazardous was the technique to personnel? Our assessment assumed the use of experienced, trained people familiar with mountain goat capture and restraint techniques and experienced in helicopter operations in mountainous terrain.

Safety to Mountain Goats

How hazardous was the technique to the animal? The net gun and drive net required physical entanglement to subdue the goat. This sometimes led to dangerous situations over which the capture team had little or no control.

Cost per Animal

The estimates in Table 36 are in 1992 dollars but are based on the 1981-89 capture efforts.