I’ve really grown to dislike the local goats. I have my doubts about the goat people.
I mean they’re perfectly nice people, personally. But they’ve got this goat herd that they can’t really feed and don’t even try to confine, so the goats just go frickin’ everywhere. I particularly object to them crossing my yard, because Tobie is excitable enough without help. Also they leave trails of shit everywhere they go, and … y’know, I don’t shit in your yard. Why should I smile while you shit in mine?
So I’m reading a book in my nice heated bedroom this morning, when Tobie comes blasting in for an excited look through the window by my chair. I glance out my window and there they all are. At least they appear to be on the move. I take my AK off the wall and go out to hurry them on their way, but by the time I cross their trail they’re already down the bank and crossing the wash. Except…
Behind me, up on the ridge, there’s this kid that’s screaming its head off for its mother. It apparently can’t see where the herd is going, and I swear nobody in this herd seems to be looking around for a missing kid.
Well now what am I supposed to do? I can leave bad enough alone and maybe they’ll hook up – except that even as I watch, the kid makes the wrong choice and starts going up the ridge directly away from the herd. It’s screaming its head off, calling every predator for miles. Oh, for…
I’ve mentioned before that these goats are basically pets and so are not especially afraid of strange humans. I have no trouble catching the kid, but by the time I gingerly work my way down the ridge with this baby goat in my arms the herd is nowhere to be found. So now what?
I’m not a saint: The thought of cleaning the carcass and letting it hang from a tree to cool while I look for recipes does cross my mind. I caught it. Technically it’s mine.
(sigh) But not in any other sense. So instead I put it in the back of (D&L’s, and please don’t tell them) Jeep and drive all the way to the goat people’s place. Where there’s nobody around. I prop up the gate to their only intact enclosure and leave the baby in there. Its mother will either come home or not; I wash my hands of it. Literally: Goats, even baby goats, stink.
Should we start a goat feeding fund
Brave man – did the back of the Jeep end up needing a cleaning?
speaking of Jeeps, any progress on the Yellow Menace?
Not yet, no.
I’d like to recommend the you tube channel the bearded butchers look for goat … just saying
I have had decent goat stew compliments of an Iranian woman who worked for me one time – she had the work-group over for a traditional meal. Don’t ask me what it was called or which of the 1000 varieties it was… It was spicy and tasty.
Dunno but goat might not be worth the effort. Now one of those breves that roam through from time to time would be worth the effort
Sorta sad. And goats shouldn’t stink – except the males. BTW – they dress like deer.
Goat is decidedly NOT worth the effort, unless you’re starving. I used to live and work in goat country, and was repeatedly told that the only reason I didn’t like it was because I’d never had it “made right.”
The only goat I ever ate that was remotely palatable was fetal, as gross as that sounds… we roasted it and it was actually pretty good. Once they hit the ground and start eating, though, they’re barely worth shooting, much less eating.
Never had goat, so no opinion on its palatability.
Just wanted to comment and thank Joel for removing the troll.
Genuine cabrito still has some bits of goat hair floating around the broth. :^)
Very responsible and grown up of you to take care of the young goat kid. One of my coworkers lived out in the rurals and had a few goat around to tidy up the pasture. Not ruminants like cows, theyare grazers eat ‘branchy stuff’ so help with that work. She said she was highly entertained watching the young ones play. Took years off the attitude.
If your goat tastes bad, I suspect it’s what it’s been feeding on. If they have to rummage, scrape and eat crap, expect the meat to taste like crap. It’s the same for game meat.
As Freeholder says, many times the meat quality (taste, texture, etc) is affected by intake. It’s also a matter of personal taste. I don’t enjoy Mutton or Beets, both taste like dirt to me. The good news is, experimenting before one *has* to eat/consume for survival is part of the “Prepping” experience.