Goats and a grizzly...			...near Houston
			by Jim Easterday

There was no where to go. They couldn't climb down the steep drop-off behind them and there wasn't enough room to walk around the grizzly bear that was walking toward them. A quick decision was made. The men held bear-spray cannisters at the ready, in case of an attack, while Frank McDonald, of Houston, clicked photos of the young bear. Sniffing the air, the grizzly calmly walked to within 6 metres, hesitated, then averted his eyes from the three men and walked away.

Closer and closer

The three men never took their eyes off of the bear until he disappeared over a hill. The bear had been so close that the men could see a thick cloud of mosquitos that floated above him but Frank, and his two friends, weren't trying to photograph bears, they were stalking mountain goats with cameras. Mountain goat fact: They are not goats at all but a type of antelope. Males are about 5 feet long and weigh 250 pounds. Females are smaller.

Close enough!

Frank is a guide and takes visitors, from around the world, on hikes into the mountains near Houston. He knows the mountains and he knows where the mountain goats stay. Goats may be rare in other mountain ranges but we are fortunate to have a healthy population and enough restrictions on hunting to ensure their survival. One of Frank's favorite pastimes is photographing mountain goats. It's not easy.