Backcountry deer hunt with Pack goats

[schoolhousegriz]

Here is a video of my wife and I on a backcountry deer hunt. Give it a watch if you want, thanks.

 

[TwoNine]

Thanks for sharing. My biggest hangup on goats has been the seeming need to have them along for every movement and hunting deer above timberline doesn’t seem conducive to that. Any personal insight on whether that’s a valid concern or if I’m over thinning it?

 

[Antique0lc]

Good job! Thanks for sharing!

 

[schoolhousegriz]

Thanks for sharing. My biggest hangup on goats has been the seeming need to have them along for every movement and hunting deer above timberline doesn’t seem conducive to that. Any personal insight on whether that’s a valid concern or if I’m over thinning it?

Well some people might get mad at me for this but I leave them in camp most of the time. They pack my gear to camp and I find a good place for them to hang out with plenty of feed and close to camp. The first few times I left them alone and they were pretty loud but now I just kind of sneak off and they're pretty quiet. People worry about them getting killed by predators. They have been fine, and as long as you have couple of them together they keep each other company. Some people like to hunt with them right by their side but I'm not willing to deal with that most of the time.

 

[TwoNine]

Well some people might get mad at me for this but I leave them in camp most of the time. They pack my gear to camp and I find a good place for them to hang out with plenty of feed and close to camp. The first few times I left them alone and they were pretty loud but now I just kind of sneak off and they're pretty quiet. People worry about them getting killed by predators. They have been fine, and as long as you have couple of them together they keep each other company. Some people like to hunt with them right by their side but I'm not willing to deal with that most of the time.

That’s some good insight. Where I hunt the predator risk isn’t zero but it’s darn low. I don’t have goats so I can’t say how attached is he to them but I very much look at them as a tool.

 

[schoolhousegriz]

That’s some good insight. Where I hunt the predator risk isn’t zero but it’s darn low. I don’t have goats so I can’t say how attached is he to them but I very much look at them as a tool.

I feel the same way. They're living a pretty good life for goats

 

[chevyman181]

@Twobyfour

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Well some people might get mad at me for this but I leave them in camp most of the time. They pack my gear to camp and I find a good place for them to hang out with plenty of feed and close to camp. The first few times I left them alone and they were pretty loud but now I just kind of sneak off and they're pretty quiet. People worry about them getting killed by predators. They have been fine, and as long as you have couple of them together they keep each other company. Some people like to hunt with them right by their side but I'm not willing to deal with that most of the time.

Don’t do this
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I have had pack goats and have raised them the past 14 years…. Always have your goats close to you. Within 150 yards….. shaking my head….
Matt

 

[TwoNine]

I have had pack goats and have raised them the past 14 years…. Always have your goats close to you. Within 150 yards….. shaking my head….
Matt

Is this just because of predation risk?

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Is this just because of predation risk?

This is for the risk of losing a goat, the banning of pack goats is largely do to the possibility of a goat coming into contact with a herd of Bighorn sheep. Even though all responsible Pack Goaters test there goats on a yearly basis for MOVI, it’s a fear factor that wild sheep people have, even though there is no resent/new research has been done.
Matt

A recent-ish podcast on the topic

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Update with Dr. Maggie Highland

Play Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Update with Dr. Maggie Highland by American Sheep Industry Association on desktop and mobile. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud.

m.soundcloud.com