Any body have any or use them i have one in training
Our fellow Trad Ganger Santiam uses pack goats. Here is his web site:
http://www.huntingwithpackgoats.com/Spring_Bear.html
If you send Bill a PM, he will probably assist you a bunch.
Good luck,
Paul
We've used them. I think they are all gone now but two.
I have used pack goats for over ten years now, I have had great success with mine. Two alpines. Very loyal animals that love to hike in the mountains around our house. The one thing I would tell you to watch out for is domestic Dogs.PM me if you have any questions. :campfire:
How many years of service would you expect from one goat.
They stink and are not very western
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/olgreenhead/goats/Picture018-1-1.jpg)my future packers
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/olgreenhead/goats/Picture017-1.jpg)this is my toggenburg she is is in training
We have a couple goats out here at Critter Crossing (our farmstead). They aren't good for much, but they do eat some broadleaf weeds and they're Miniature Fainting Goats so they do provide some laughs now & then. For sure they don't get to sleep on the sofa...
Have some neighbors that raise them and make good money selling to a couple ethnic markets in the Twin Cities where they are valued as food. They must have a good 150 head over there, and some of those billys look darn near big enough to ride, let alone pack...
ive got to buy me a saddle for trainee
we eat those they are yummmmmmmmm
Way To Go Jeff!! LOL :biglaugh: Ya Beat Me To It Bro!! HAHAHA :biglaugh:
:clapper: :clapper: :goldtooth: LOL!!!
i had sharp things to eat this morrning LOL!!!
Goat is tasty. The alpines make great pack animals and will climb straight up cliffs you won't. It is awefully nice to be able to have a camp chair, extra water, and canned food 10 miles from the road. Just don't take them into grizzly country unless it is legal to use live bait in camp.
They aren't ready for full loads, still growing, until they are three and they live for 10-12 years.
I loved packing with them. I lot of people think it is rediculous but when was the last time you spent a week in the backcountry and the only thing you had to carry was a fishing pole. I like horses but goats are sooo much easier to have along.
On one trip I was worried when I got into a lot of heavy downfall that we had to get over. My goats had no trouble made it look easy which was not the case for me.
I have been really impressed by them and it's nice that I never had to keep them on a lead. I sold mine, when I was told I was being transfered to the city. I should have waited because the transfer fell through.
Not only can they pack your stuff, but you'll always have survival rations.
This is a cool thread! I know its a stupid question but how do you keep the goats while you are hunting? Do you keep them tethered in camp? What type of feed do you tote in? Keep the info coming!
hey mtn.trapper, over the years I never really packed anything special for mine I would always pack some of the alfalfa pellets with me but most of the time they milled around and ate what mother nature provided in the area I was in. You bring up a good question when I was trying to do serious hunting someone would have to stay with mine,because they always wanted to go with me.
I love the idea of pack goats and plan to raise some of my own for getting back into the thick country.
ak.
When I hunted with them, they came along with me. I liked all the natural noise they would make. They make the same noises as deer and elk do when walking and eating. Helps mask my footsteps. My goats didn't make much noise, but some goats are more vocal which would not work well. I never had to pack any feed for them because they browse like deer so food was never a problem.
They can be great for a lot of different things. I have a very young family so when we went hiking, we would carry our kids in the kid packs and the goats would pack the food and gear. I even used them chukar hunting to pack extra water for the dogs. Guys that use them love them.
What is the best breed to pack, toggenburg, alpines or saneens?
I had the same idea years ago. Here's the thread. Hope it helps??? http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=42;t=000009
What about predators while away from camp?
I'm a guessing they're on their own???But I have thought of that also. And my ideas are to hang a dirty shirt on a bush nearby and take a small am/fm radio and play it as loud as you think nessasary?? Talk radio or something with lot of human voices... It might keep away some of them??? But I'm only guessing??
me- I love my donkeys. I have used one ( Johnny aka 'the bread thief') for packing.. for 23 years. How long do goats live? I had a mule that packed right into his 44th year....
I have a friend in BC who's buddy talked him into using Lamas rather then horses. They split up with three each in the mountains to hunt. When Bear came back to his camp he noticed the Lamas were'nt in the padock. He started looking and found one dead on the ground with it's throat all blood. He was inspecting it when his flash light died. He said he had this creepy feeling walking to the tent to get a new light. He returned to the Lama was down looking when the hair on his neck stood up. He spun the light to find a lion creeping in on him just feet away. He unlaoded on it with his rifle killing the cat. It had killed two of the lamas and the other one was nuts from the run in with it. His buddy that took the other three lost one to a cat also. I would say goats are most likely good for some areas but not others.
QuoteThey stink and are not very western
I'll probably get hung for saying this but :readit:
They are smarter than a horse, just my two cents. Hey Art bring one to Denton to carry my bow up those hills :bigsmyl:
hey i already thinking of bringing my 2 yr old
Well getting up at 5 am to bottle feed is somthing i havent done in 14 yrs. :coffee:
LOL they look nice and comphy on the couch I'm pretty sure that wouldn,t go over here but then again they are young and probably havn,t started to pi$$ on their head yet.My bud's goat would do that when he started rutting in the fall and one of my other buds actuallt used that scent to turn a nice buck into bow range.Not sure if yours are type to get stinky in the rut or not but once they do I,m bettin the couch will be off limits hahaha
They are already banned from the house! But mommas not always home :D
The males are called wethers they are fixed when they are young so you dont get any of that action.
Here in Idaho we have a saying : " you know how to pack a llama ?" ---- "well first you quarter it...".
Goats just don't seem to have any personality - I guess that's OK if you run out of food.
How much weight can a goat carry? Donkeys are OK with 65 pounds a side; its mostly a matter of bulk - not weight when your packing... what can a goat carry?
For the question of how to keep them in camp. Stake the matriach out in camp and your in business. The rest of the herd will stay with her. If you want to keep them safe. Where legal take a large dog with you that is trained to stay with the goats. Cougars and bears will stay away from the large dog. The shirt and raido is an interesting idea that might just work. Shirt upwind of goats and radio loud enough could keep predators away.
They can call deer, too. Once when our kid goats were in that stage where they get to exploring and start bawling when they figure out they aren't next to mom, they called in several does in broad daylight, and they showed up in the yard ready for war! Apparently a kid bawling sounds a lot like a fawn in distress...
Here is a picture of my best pack goat. I have another one that is over the hill (10 years old) but might make through another season. I am going to give them both a try packing this year.
(http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv172/connerparry/n1368550495_339939_30494121-1.jpg)
Great just what I need another distraction from school!LOL I have to say that I am intrigued by this idea. When I have time I think I am going to have to give it a try!
do you think they get offended if you took them goat hunting????
I've got a friend here who insists a big wether can pack 100 lbs, but that's pushing it.
I hope he is exagerating about putting 100 lbs on his goat. A generally accepted standard for weight, depending on the type of terrain, is up to 25% of body weight. If the goat has good conformation and is in packing shape, possibly 30% of body weight, but that is getting heavy. A lot of pack goats weigh 175-205 lbs.
I know 30% of my body weight would be a fairly heavy pack, not factoring in any kind of difficult terrain. No different for a goat.
This thread makes me laugh. Alot of comedians on here.
I have pack goats I use to hunt with. They are great, but also add thier own set of issues to the hunt. In the terain we hunt, 6000 foot or so rimrock type stuff, we load them with 15 to 30 pounds max. Down a logging road on flat terain would be different. When you say how much a goat can carry, you have to talk about what type of terain.
Are you calling me a comedian? Chesapeake if you got any ifo that might me here my address olgreenhead@aol.com
This is an interesting thread. I had no idea people used goats. Cool!
ttt
Anyone know what the regulations are on using goats on National Forrest?? Shots records ect???
That friend who made the 100 lb claim is actually female. When she said that I replied that I didn't think any goat could carry more than a third of its weight, and she replied that her wether weighs something over 300 lbs.
I haven't seen the goat. She herself is a pretty big-boned specimen...and also smart and competent. I have no direct experience with hers or any other goats, but I've heard enough to be interested.
I am suppose to get some saneens in the next month or so. I am going to look at some stock today. A 200lb goat is a big goat. I would be happy if they would carry 20lbs.
Anyone know what the regulations are on using goats on National Forrest??
stringcutter ill find out for you asap
I suppose they are good enough if they can carry enough barbecue :D sauce...
Cant have goats in a national park and there a few general regs for state and national forest . I will find just what they are if interested .
Greenhead what they say about National Parks and "Seeing Eye Goats"?? LOL
I was pretty sure you couldn"t have them on National Parks..?? But National Forrest should be a differant thing all together?? Don't they even let some cattle grazy on National Forrest??
I have used mine here in Ut.on Nat.Forest with no problems. I have talked to several rangers and all they all thought it was great.Now this is just my exp.dont know how others have fared.