While hiking near Pearisburg, VA, I encountered the 5 feral goats of Symm’s Gap. They appeared out of nowhere without any warning , like noise or scat, as if beamed from an alien spaceship. The white goat took the lead from the huddle near the tree on the top left and appeared very willing to commence a meeting amongst the six of us, like he was going to sell me a car or offer a great deal on real estate near the AT.
Stopping about three feet in front of me, the goats appeared cute and harmless as pictured below.
They moved around contemplating on what to do next.
The white goat moved behind the lead as they worked in tandem. One went right for the trekking pole tethers while the other lunged towards my bandana that hung from the pack. They quickly backed away, regrouped, and tried the same approach when I scared them away using my teacher’s voice. The goats scampered north on the AT looking for their next hiker. Be sure to watch the video at the end of this article.
Advice for encountering feral goats
1. Remain calm- I know the same generic advice given for any animal, but you won’t have to worry about venom rushing through your veins like a venomous snake.
2. Identify the leaders- Look for the members who will make the initial lunges.
3. Fasten loose articles of clothing, etc.- Black bears go after food. Insects go after your skin. Goats see fabric materials as food sources. Tuck and distance fabric items away from the creatures.
4. Scare away- Use a commanding voice and scare them away.
5. Document your encounter- people love a good goat story, especially when sitting by a fire.
10 Things you can say other than “Go” to get goats away
1. “Look over there. Day hikers with better smelling clothes!”
2. “There’s a sale at Penny’s. Need an Uber?”
3. “Do you know how much merino wool costs? Shew!”
4. “Alpaca fabric is all the rage and I’m not wearing any. Sorry!”
5. “Synthetic materials can upset your stomach.”
6. “Keep it up and the ATC will require goat canisters.”
7. “Scram”
8. “Skee daddle”
9. “Oh look at that drooling coyote behind the bushes.”
10. “Mmm…goat meat tastes like chicken.”
Turtleback’s AT Journey 