Phil Mooney holds a sedated mountain goat. He will give the goat an injection to reverse the tranquilizing drug.  It takes 5-7 minutes for the goat to wake up and walk away, no worse for wear. (photo by Kevin White, Juneau goat researcher)

Phil Mooney holds a sedated, radio collared mountain goat. He will give the goat an injection to reverse the tranquilizing drug. It takes 5-7 minutes for the goat to wake up and walk away, no worse for wear. (photo by Kevin White/Juneau goat researcher)

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced an emergency closure for mountain goat hunting in the North Fork Katlian River area in Sitka. Biologists have set a maximum guideline harvest objective of four male mountain goats, or one female mountain goat for the area. On Tuesday (12-24-13) that guideline harvest was met – two male goats and one nanny was harvested.

The harvest guidelines are based on elaborate research that starts with radio collaring dozens of goats on Baranof island. From the vantage point of a Temsco helicopter, Phil Mooney, along with Juneau goat researcher Kevin White scour the mountaintops for goats. When they find one the goat is darted and sedated. Then they take body measurements, blood and tissue samples, photographs, and install a GPS radio collar. Within an hour the sedative is reversed and the goat is back on its feet completely unharmed.  Mooney says, “the information collected from the collars so far has greatly expanded our understanding of goats on Baranof.”