February 2025 - 10

WILDLIFE
THIRD PLACE
Cliffhanger
(mountain goat)
Beartooth Mountains
Julia Cook | Cody, Wyoming
Canon EOS R5; 1/800 sec,
f/3.5, ISO 200
M
ountain goats are among my
favorite species to photograph.
However, they inhabit
treacherous terrain, often leaving me
scrambling up steep slopes, standing
atop cliffsides and out of breath from
walking over rocks while trying to
photograph them.
Shortly after sunrise following a night of
solo camping in the high alpine, I found
a group of roughly a dozen mountain
goats a good distance away on the slope
below. After hiking down the hill, I sat at
the cliff's edge to catch my breath, just
in time to watch the goats slowly walk
toward the precipice. In a single file
line, the goats stepped onto the rugged
granite cliff and disappeared down the
other side of a ridge.
A yearling goat brought up the rear,
lagging slightly behind the rest of
the herd. With an energetic leap, the
young goat confidently landed atop
a lichen-covered boulder, its nimble
hooves providing excellent grip on the
rough rockface. Peering beyond the
boulder, the goat watched as the herd
continued downhill. The young goat stood
precariously atop the ridge for a few
minutes as the first of the morning sun
illuminated its white fur in stark contrast
to the surrounding shadowy and blue
cliffs. After what seemed like a moment
of peaceful admiration for its mountain
home, the young goat jumped from the
boulder and disappeared. A soft clatter
echoed up the ridge, the goat clearly
kicked small rocks down the mountain
as it descended to rejoin the herd in the
golden light of sunrise.
10 | February 2025

February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2025

February 2025 - 1
February 2025 - 2
February 2025 - 3
February 2025 - 4
February 2025 - 5
February 2025 - 6
February 2025 - 7
February 2025 - 8
February 2025 - 9
February 2025 - 10
February 2025 - 11
February 2025 - 12
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February 2025 - 14
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February 2025 - 55
February 2025 - 56
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
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