Domestic goats gone wild

1gonewrong

Six Pointer
I assume these goats were once domestic gone wild and have been surviving several years on this rugged, remote mountain in NC. I was able to get close to one of them a few days ago after 3 hours of making my way through laurel thickets and heavy undergrowth and numerous varieties of briars. The goat in the close up picture is big, possibly 200 pounds.

I am sure they are inbred by now but does anyone know what variety they are? The closet thing I can find is a Boer.
 

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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
that's the elusive Southern Appalachian Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus meridionali )

very rare,,,,









or they are escapees from the Chestnut hunting lodge,,,
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I assume these goats were once domestic gone wild and have been surviving several years on this rugged, remote mountain in NC. I was able to get close to one of them a few days ago after 3 hours of making my way through laurel thickets and heavy undergrowth and numerous varieties of briars. The goat in the close up picture is big, possibly 200 pounds.

I am sure they are inbred by now but does anyone know what variety they are? The closet thing I can find is a Boer.
Yep, I would say 200#, about like the average 180# whitetail buck in NC. LMAO
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
I believe they are used to control kudzu and invasive vegitation

They turned some loose at Roan Mountain to do that
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Definitely no boer in the one pictured. Ears way to short and a feral herd of Boers would be red headed because that color gene is so strong in them.
To be feral, I’d say they got to be mostly kiko. Kiko originally came from feral goats running wild in New Zealand. They are extremely hardy and parasite resistant.
 

Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
is that in maggie valley? there were a few last year that were visible when they were on a rock face like that from the valley.

there is also a group on I-26 at the pass going into Tennessee.
 

DaddyRat

Four Pointer
is that in maggie valley? there were a few last year that were visible when they were on a rock face like that from the valley.

there is also a group on I-26 at the pass going into Tennessee.

LOL I know right where those goats are on I-26, but have not seen them in a few months. I heard the pen they were getting out of has been fixed. They are pretty small goats but fun to watch.
 

CarolinaReaper

Guest
Sure-Footed Wild Goat perhaps?



"Other interesting fauna roaming the park include an occasional sure-footed wild goat, white-tailed deer, box turtles (Terrapene carolina), and a number of salamanders."



I remember camping there for the first time years ago with my grandparents and heard someone mention we may see wild goats while hiking. We never did, but it always intrigued me to think we have wild goats in our forests, similar to the Rocky mountains,etc.
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
Used to have a herd of them on the cliffs overlooking Bear Lake in Jackson county. Coupla years ago, I got a few ferals on my trail cam. No idea where they came from
 

1gonewrong

Six Pointer
LOL I know right where those goats are on I-26, but have not seen them in a few months. I heard the pen they were getting out of has been fixed. They are pretty small goats but fun to watch.
That is in Maggie Valley. The rock cliff is visible from the strip mall at Market Street. Goats have been there for years and they are huge for goats. Several times the size of the typical goats that are so common.
 
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