Bear!

[WNC Goater]

Bears will eat goats. I don't know what most people's experiences are with goats in camp, but at home bears are an issue in my area. Lots of people lost goats to bears two years ago when we had that horrible drought. One of my neighbors had a bear take several of his llamas, one of which was a stud, that same year.

Well so much for the llama theory! I'm sure a bear, being a predator, would indeed kill a goat. I just wonder if having goats in camp would attract bears to a camp. I suppose that would depend on how prevalent the bear's natural food source is. Some years if we have drought or other weather related issues, or mast failure, bears become more aggressive, wander into town and neighborhoods and start raiding garbage cans and bird feeders. At the same time, I suppose any predator is opportunistic and one just wonders if the bear stumbled onto a few goats in camp, would they attack or avoid.