Goat Packing

Southern Arizona has the Purple Mountain Pack Goats, and the enterprise has wisely had a special use permit for the Coronado National Forest and a handful of local Parks and Monuments.

The local high school and I share a wall, and I am packed in close with their 4-H program. They have Nubians and Saanens (sp?). I think they make fine neighbors, and my only wish is that the goats would come and eat my weeds.

stingray4540 said:
I wonder what the rules are for goats in parks? Like places like Yosemite, Big Basin, Point Reyes? A lot of those places don't allow dogs or "pets", so I wonder what they would say about pack goats? I guess rules only tell you what you "can't" do, so if it doesn't say anything about goats, you're good to go?
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There is a news story circulating about a state park in Texas which denied access to a day hike for home schooled kids who had brought along their pack goats. By very specific legal definition, most animals are livestock property not fit for a state park yet equestrian animals are explicitly welcome.

I am enchanted by the use of goats as a pack animal, mostly for the self sufficiency which they are made up from.

Hollowdweller, I am eager for any more photos or stories which you may want to share.
 
People here in Idaho use lots of pack mules, and the guys that really go crazy (like me) up in the Sawtooths and Seven Devils tend to use goats or alpacas because they can go places even people can't. The steeper, rockier cliff walls almost require a high altitude animal for packing. If you can train them, they're great... and when they aren't used they keep your grass cut short.
 
PayetteRucker said:
People here in Idaho use lots of pack mules, and the guys that really go crazy (like me) up in the Sawtooths and Seven Devils tend to use goats or alpacas because they can go places even people can't. The steeper, rockier cliff walls almost require a high altitude animal for packing. If you can train them, they're great... and when they aren't used they keep your grass cut short.
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Im basically in the same boat as you. When the spots you want to get to are 6-15 miles from the trailhead carrying 20-30lbs is much easier than 50-70 on the way in and 100+ on the way out.
 
Awesome goat pics! Too bad they're not yours (yet). My wife wants to get into it if we get some land later in life. We've liked our minimal experiments hiking with llamas and have known a family who hiked a long way with burros, but as you note, goats seem like way easier logistics. I've run into a few pack goats on the trail and as you found, the owners are all about it.

I liked having goats growing up. I'd like to get some pack goats someday,
 
norcalblacktail said:
Im basically in the same boat as you. When the spots you want to get to are 6-15 miles from the trailhead carrying 20-30lbs is much easier than 50-70 on the way in and 100+ on the way out.
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Wait, what?! What are you carrying that's 50-70 lbs?! And how do you end up with 30 more lbs. on your way back?!:eek:
 
stingray4540 said:
Wait, what?! What are you carrying that's 50-70 lbs?! And how do you end up with 30 more lbs. on your way back?!:eek:
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Bow/rifle, binocs, rangefinder, ammo, 7-10 days of food, etc. Alot of extra stuff when hunting. Trust me Ive gone pretty much as lightweight as I can. And on the way out you hopefully have a boned out buck or bear.
 
I'm surprised that the board's most experienced goat packers - Bastid and Ren - haven't posted to this thread. :D
 
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norcalblacktail said:
Bow/rifle, binocs, rangefinder, ammo, 7-10 days of food, etc. Alot of extra stuff when hunting. Trust me Ive gone pretty much as lightweight as I can. And on the way out you hopefully have a boned out buck or bear.
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Oh, yeah, duh!!!:foot:
That makes total sense, it didn't even cross my mind.
Yeah, guns, ammo, that'll do it all right...

I gotta start looking outside of my bubble.:jerkit:
 
I have Llamas and I plan on packing with our oldest one this summer.He'll more or less just carry his own stuff.I never need more than I can carry myself into the woods.
I had honestly not heard of pack goats until today though.A neat idea.
 
Im gonna bring this thread back to life again...

Im interested in hearing, if the OP bought any pack goats and how it worked out for him?

Id never heard about pack goats untill yesterday. Now i cant stop thinking about how great it would be to have a goat to carry all my gear for me. Imagine hiking with nothing more than a bottle of water on you!

Unfortunately i dont even have the place for a dog, much less a goat but maybe some day...
 
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