Anyone use pack goats?

[crazyhawksfan]

Some buddies and I have been throwing around the idea of using goats to pack us into the backcountry. Anyone have any experience with this? If so we'd like to hear about it and get some pointers/tips! Thanks.

 

[Idahogobbler]

I used to guide in Montana and had 30+ mules in our outfit... After that I moved back to Idaho and was stuck with choosing some pack animals of my own.... I spent a ton of research knowing what I knew about mules and horses then looked into the goat and llama side of things... In the end I went with llamas

I have 3 of them I have pasture they graze on in the spring and summer in the fall and winter I have to feed hay they will only eat 1/2 a round bale. So very cheap to feed....

I have a two horse horse trailer for them but on short runs or exercising you can load all three of them in the back of a truck just like a dog, as soon as you start driving they lay down until you stop again

They can pack more than what you think... I've packed out a full deer on my big male. A boned out elk with a light weight camp will require all 3 animals loaded down and your going to be carrying some to.

There great in the summer take them on camping trips it's awesome hiking into a lake with all my belongings and wife's stuff on them and all you have on your back is your shirt!

And I know I know I grew up on a cattle ranch and have been around horses my whole life, my father in law shoes them for a living and I get all the crap you can imagine for being the crazy llama owner but when it takes less than 200 bucks a year to take care of them and how low maintenance they are how can you go wrong!?

At camp I high line them and go hunt! They will need a big drink about every other day (there like a camel) and they will eat anything a goat will so keeping them fed in the back country takes nothing....

I know this was long winded and was geared towards llamas instead of goats but like I said I weighed all of my options including goats and I would make my decision for llamas 100 times over.... Let me know if ya have any questions and have fun!

 

[Jjamesdean]

Damn I want llamas now.

 

[justinspicher]

Me too. What would you think about getting some "rescue" llamas to train up for backcountry use? Of course the circumstances would have to be right.

 

[Idahogobbler]

I personally have never bought a "pack llama" they sell for like 1500 bucks sometimes more. I wouldn't hesitate to go with the rescue llama route... Things to consider though...

Females can't carry as much as the males but they are much more calm and don't get to excited about anything

Males with things attached can be a pain in the ass save your self the head ache and find a young gelded male.... Try to find ones under 5 years so you can work with them. Also males when born have what they call fighting teeth. They are very sharp teeth in the back that they use to fight other males. 75% of llamas you will find have had them taken out. Do not get a llama with fighting teeth. The above mentioned male I had had its teeth still and long story short he was humanly put down with a .270....

Another thing to consider is you have to have more than one. If you only have 1 they will always wonder and get out of your fence. If you have two or more they won't go any where.

When they get tired they will lay down and won't budge until they are ready to go. A trick I use when one lays down un tie him from the string, grab the other two and walk up the trail until I'm out of sight. The one laying down will instantly jump up and come running in. Tie him to the back and he will continue to follow.

If you keep them in shape they will out walk you. I've had mine in some nasty timber and rocky crags in both Idaho and Montana. It's always the spring time when they are fat and lazy I run into this problem

 

[parshal]

I've got two goats and a llama. The goats are too small to pack with but they would follow you around anywhere you go. The llama, on the other hand, is like a large cat. Imagine herding a 300 pound cat. He was a show llama in his previous life and, once you get him on a lead, he'll walk around like a dog. I can't imagine trying to take him into the mountains and losing him on the string and trying to round him up. I read about a young male that was "lost" on Pikes Peak for quite some time. Everyone would see him from the train. They eventually caught him but the point is that they can be a pain to corral if they get away. It took us two hours to get ours the other day when he escaped. I believe Idahogobbler when he said you need more than one so they'll stay together but those goats hate to be separated. They'd be much less of a PITA in the backcountry. Either animal will eat whatever they find so food isn't an issue. I think the llama can carry 30% of it's weight so you'd need less llamas than goats to carry out an animal. I can't imagine how many goats you'd need for a mature bull elk. Goats are hysterical animals, though. Much more so than the llama.

I read/heard something the other day that CPW is considering restricting the use of goats in areas with mtn goats or sheep due to disease. I don't know any more details than that.

A friend is starting a business training llamas to rent to hunters and hikers. Pack llamas do require training. They will jump right up into the back of a truck and ride around like a dog just as Idahogobbler stated. That does require training, though.

When we were looking for our llama we looked at some retired packers. They are a bit tougher animals and can have injuries like any other working animals such as arthritis, etc. so we went with something a little different. We wanted a llama to use as a guard llama to protect the goats from all the coyotes around here. If you've never heard a llama alert call you should google it. It's like a hyena and can't be mistaken for anything else. They'll let you know when something is amiss.

 

[justinspicher]

Great info so far.

 

[Idahogobbler]

Agreed with Parshal. When haltering mine at home I have a small round Corel I get them in to make it easier to catch them.... Once in the back country it's okay to loose one because they will always follow the other two around until you can catch them. If you loose two your screwed lol

 

[crazyhawksfan]

Appreciate the info so far. Keep it up.

 

[Idahogobbler]

Jamesdean your inbox is full trying to reply to ya

 

[Jjamesdean]

Jamesdean your inbox is full trying to reply to ya

Sorry about that! Cleared.

 

[idelkslayer]

Many studies have been done to test the theory that llamas can transmit disease to bighorn sheep and none have ever resulted in a sheep death. These are studies where llamas a exposed to diseased sheep and then penned with bighorns. No bighorn has ever died from exposure to llamas. Little known fact is that llamas actually originated in North America before migrating to South America and becoming extinct here. My thoughts are that because llamas and bighorns historically shared habitat that they share similar immune response. I think a lot of the concern about llamas is only because they look like sheep but are actually a camel species. Disease transmission is usually a problem between similar species that are geographically separated like domestic sheep from the old world and bighorns in the new world that developed different immune response due to being exposed to different diseases and isolated from others.

I started packing with llamas last year and I am pleased so far. They are funny animals in that catching them can be difficult but once caught they are very docile. 100% agree that you have to have more than one but they don't need a ton of space and they eat about 1/4 what a horse does. I usually tie them in a string but I have one male that is so attached to my one female that he will follow her anywhere so once he's loaded down I usually let him loose and let him follow on his own.

If one lays down on you it usually means they are either really tired or something is very uncomfortable in their load. You can get them moving again if you stand behind them and grab their rear legs by the hair and lift.

And yes you will be that crazy llama guy.

If you decide on llamas there are some things to consider. Any llama will pack and physical conformity doesn't always predict a a good packer versus a bad one but look up the Ccara llama website. They have a conformity guide for the type of build that is best suited for pack llamas. But like I said that doesn't mean that a llama that doesn't conform won't pack. One of my males doesn't fit the bill according to their standards but he packed 2 elk hind quarters off the mountain 3 times last fall and did very well. Pack llamas can be expensive as previously state up to and over $1000 but you can usually find llamas for free or less than $200 if you look around.

 

[MallardSX2]

What happened to the Pack goat thread? All I see is Llama information here

 

[Arrowslinger]

Used them once. Two goats packed out 2 blacktails:

 

[Schleppy]

I bought six bucklings last year hoping to use them in the future. They cant carry a full load until 4 years of age is what ive seen so there is some lag time with them. No idea how old llamas need to be.

 

[jeffpg]

I looked into this in the past, forgot about it and moved on, and now you have me looking again!

I first began looking at goats, but soon decided that I liked the idea of the llamas better too. I live in Mississippi and drive out west to hunt and adventure, so that's whole other consideration in itself.

I plan to rent horses for my elk hunt in Wyoming this fall but I could likely pull it off with some good llamas I think.

I'd definitely be interested in knowing where I could rent llamas in Wyoming and/or other western states.

Sorry to join the goat thread hijackers but it happens sometimes.

 

[Idahogobbler]

Swan mountain outfitters in western Montana rents then I believe

 

[slick trick]

well if we got llamas how about some donkeys in this goat thread, miniature donkeys maybe?

 

[parshal]

I've got mini donkeys in my back yard! Well, actually, the neighbors but they come up to my fence. They are loud and don't stand for interlopers.

I would rather use goats than llamas simply because goats are easier. They're way more personable and would be much more likely to follow you around. You'd need more goats than llamas to carry the same weight.

 

[molliesmaster]

Do you ever run into the risk of losing them to predators while you are out hunting?