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Just get a horse or a mule. Go in half with a buddy and find somewhere to board it during the year. You don't have to be able to ride it, just lead it around. Goats shouldn't be in the woods.
Quote from: 300rum on July 14, 2023, 06:36:01 AMJust get a horse or a mule. Go in half with a buddy and find somewhere to board it during the year. You don't have to be able to ride it, just lead it around. Goats shouldn't be in the woods. What a stupid statement, ignorance is bliss … probably never owned either
My goats have been to the goat rocks before. Many people doubt goats and I did too, until I got some. I've taken some skeptics out on hunts, none were skeptics after seeing the goats work. Mine have packed out 15+ big game animals, and hiked probably over 1500 miles since I got them. the furthest they have packed an animal was 17 miles from the truck in a single day, the most distance they have done in a single day with a light camp is 25. Mine routinely climb terrain that a mule, horse, llama or donkey would get stuck or tumble to its death. They have crossed rivers goat beard deep and followed me up terrain that I needed an ice axe and crampons to do, they don't spook with gunshots and could care less about the smell of blood from a fresh kill. They follow with no leash better than any dog I've owned. A good 200ib pack goat can carry about 50 ibs max payload, I have owned two that could pack 70. Most of my adults weigh 190-220, my largest weighs 307. The drawbacks are: --A very small % of goat genetics are actually suitable for packing, even with the very best genetics a certain % will still be duds (when compared to the best). -They don't do well being left alone back at camp (not to mention irresponsible) so they have to hunt with you, it works but can have its drawbacks-They don't have the natural endurance of a horse or mule, so you have to keep them in shape with regular conditioning. I find a 7-10 mile fast paced hike once per week keeps them in top shape, I start this 3 months prior to the first hunt of the year.-They have a short pack life (6 years is what I plan for), so I'm always are raising younger 'prospects' to replace goats that are due for retirement, which means if I want 6 strong adult packers I need to plan on keeping a herd of 10-12 to allow for culls and wait for younger goats to reach packing age (3-4 yrs old)
Any pack stock has it's pros and cons. Plenty of cons to horses and mules for the average Joe. To say that a novice should "just get a horse" or that llamas don't belong in the woods is a silly statement. Goats can be somewhat of a ****show if they're not managed well and it would be a mess if there were a whole bunch of guys running them, but they can also be extremely efficient and way less demanding than owning and maintaining equines. Bottom line is horse guys saying goat guys or llama guys don't belong in the woods is no different than archery hunters hating on rifle hunters and so forth. It's dumb.