Wild Goats

 So here are the two impressive looking bucks that escaped from a farm in a neighboring town and have been roaming free for several months.  All attempts to catch them have proven futile, even using tranquilizer darts. Evidently, goats can withstand a dose that would kill a cow!

 These beautiful, but wary guys would not let me get closer than about 25 feet. They were wandering along the road just down the hill from us and a neighbor spotted them, and drove up to ask if we were missing any..( Evidently, because we have goats, folks immediately think any loose goats must be ours). I quickly grabbed a bucket of sweet feed, which always brings my boys running, to see if I could possibly lure them closer, while waiting for the owner to arrive. They were curious, but too wary.  If they had ever been tame or handled much, their months of freedom in the forest had erased any tameness they had.
I am not sure of their breed... maybe a mix of alpine and nigerian dwarf.  Judging by their horns, these were older, mature goats...Bucks smell REALLY strongly.... and these guys were no exception.... you could smell them 50 feet away.  Buck taint is not a pleasant smell, though maybe a female goat would disagree.

The owner arrived, and sadly, I believe they had no choice really but to dispatch them, as they would not have made it through a winter, and any "natural"death, by freezing or starving, coyote pack, or mountain lion, or being hit by a car, would be prolonged....a gunshot was a quicker, and painless end.  It was the right thing to do, but still sad, and I left before the deed was done.

All of which goes as a reminder that when you bring an animal home, and enclose it with a fence, you become responsible for that animal.  These guys were not protected. It makes me awfully sad.

 Here are my two NOT at all wild goats- fat, friendly and safe. I came home and hugged them.

Meanwhile, the flock, guarded by Floyd the rooster, and watched closely by me when they are out, enjoyed some time scratching around in the yard. Dont plan on having nice flowerbeds if you have free range chickens.