Vagrant Goats

Back when I was a kid growing up along the bluffs that border the Missouri river we used to have a pretty good sized feral goat population. It was kinda a local attraction to be driving down highway 94 or up 63 and to look up at the bluffs and see a bunch of em standing there on little shelves of rock no sane human would attempt to get on.

It was also very common to see a few wander through our backyard or get into the cow pasture and attempt to steal some hay or grain. Occasionally one would even come up and have her kids close to the house or out buildings. I am assuming because predators were less of an issue and all we had was one old dog that was so fat she wouldn't dream of chasing a goat and her kids. Also food at least of a type was always available and since it was only half a farm most people were gone all day at work.

The last time I saw any of those wild goats was just about 15 years ago. A co-worker and I were on our way back from St. Louis and it was such a beautiful day we put the top down on the convertible we were driving and decided to follow the river highway home. Maybe 5 or 10 miles further East than my old stomping grounds covered I happened to glance up and laying right there on a tiny little shelf was the largest old Buck Goat I had ever seen looking right down at me. He was surrounded by maybe half a dozen others and as usual they were all white.

I am not sure if goats naturally turn white in the wild. I know dogs will revert back to brown in a few generations if they go feral and cattle will get naturally shaggy. Anyway all the goats we ever saw along those bluffs were white, maybe it was just the types they were and they usually had horns as well but sometimes they didn't.

These days I live a bit further North of my old digs and I hadn't given the old goat herd a thought in years until yesterday. I was in getting my hair cut and the girl I go to was talking about this goat that turned up at her place and had a kid on her porch. Now she lives within just a few miles of the old bluffs and confirmed when I asked her if it was all white that indeed it was. Not that it would have been a wild goat because I doubt it would have been so comfortable around people if it was but it was still an interesting thing to happen. At least I had never heard about it happening to anyone around here before.

Then yesterday afternoon a closer neighbor pulled in the drive and announced the very same scenario as happening to him yesterday, except he was luckier and got two baby goats from his porch crasher.

I have no clue what this means but hearing the same scenario from two different households within maybe 8 to 10 miles of each other in the same day is just weird.

Maybe someone let their goat herd go?

I live much closer to some open natural forest land so it's possible a wild herd could get established there. Then again with the bloated government employees we have I am sure they will find them and move em before that could happen.

I never heard of voluntary breeding goats just showing up before though.

I did one time have a chicken just show up out here and stay for over a year but never a goat.

Now I am kinda hoping a cow will show up but she can have her calf in the barn please not on my porch.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!