A Man Who Stares At Goats

Street Smart Naturalist · Jun 25, 2026 · 8m

Rarely does one have the opportunity, or perhaps, challenge of standing face to face with a large, hairy, stiletto-horned beast. My wife and I did this week, high atop a rocky ridge. The encounter was a bit nerve wracking as a male mountain goat seemed unduly interested in us. (I assume he was a mature, as opposed to juvenile, male because males tend to be loners; by the way, males are known as billies, females as nannies.)

Our face off with Mr. Goat began on a ridge of Iron Peak in the Cascades. Looking north toward Mt. Stuart, I noticed a white dot moving below us at the pass we had…