[
b]"Despite its name, the mountain goat is actually a member of the antelope family. It has a long face, long black horns and a short tail. Both males and females have beard-like hair on their chins. The mountain goat sports a coat of wooly, white fur that keeps it warm at high elevations. This coat has a double layer for added warmth during winter—the overcoat molts, or falls off, during summer time".[/b]
Quote from Wikipedia -
Those in the picture are all adults and two are buck males with the straight horns - look closely - we have other pics showing small offspring but, with their color this time of year, blend in and don't show up well.
Picture from Wikipedia - "Mountain Goats"
Look closely - here's one with a "kid" -
OTOH, Bighorns tend to stay in one place over the years - I drove sight-seeing busses summers when in med school - 1947-1951 - there was a herd on Mt Evans - we eveb have a small herd in the burn area west part of CS - reported this AM to be OK - these little "goats" stay within a radius of some 10 miles from Cripple Creek - I've seen them west of CC near Highway #1.
I've been a "native" Colorado resident since I came to Colorado in 1942 (at age 16) and have spent much time in mountains skiing, hiking, hunting - etc - and, while not a certified "naturalist" - am pretty well acquainted with all our wild life.
I really just meant to show some of our more rare species in Colorado for members who never get the chance to see them and didn't mean to stir up such controversy among others - who, as nearly as I can see, have never seen this species - or lived close to them - but feel they know more than natives here about them.
Trust me - these are not Bighorns - maybe more antelope than goat but - have shed winter white coat nad look gray in summer -
As to their "killing" people - I suspect it was because the people killed didn't have the skilled feet these little guys do and people trying to get closer to those goats lost their footing and fell - these little guys have never shown any aggressive tendancy - in fact are frequently difficult to get close to for picture taking - leaving them alone at distance is good but, even then they tend to shy away from anything like close contact - havig a camera with a long lens is the best answer.