Proposed pack goat Ban in CO!

[String&stick]

US Forest Service NEPA Projects Home

A proposed plan for national Forest land in southern Colorado would outright ban pack goats Forrest wide. While some may think this is ok in order to save Big Horn sheep, there a a few things to consider.

1. Goats have only been shown to transmit non lethal pathogens (in a caged experiement).
2. Goats have never been proven to transmit disease in a wild setting to big Horn sheepm
3. And my biggest gripe, they are proposing to still allow massive sheep grazing allotments!!! Sheep that have been proven time and time again to transmit lethal pathogens to Big Horns!

Anyway if you care either way the link above will take you to a comment page and you can navigate to the actual proposal as well!

 

[Kodiak]

To your point number two. I would say that is should be proven that goats can not transmit deseises to pack goat. It is not worth messing with a species that is know to be very susceptible to diseases for a little bit of convince for a goat to carry your things. I don’t know that it should fall on the Forrest service to prove that goats are safe. There is obviously some evidence or theoryto prove otherwise. CO is looking out for their wildlife which I think is a great thing.

I totally agree with point number three. It is crazy that sheep grazing isn’t more regulated in bighorn country.

Bighorns are a magnificent animal that I have had the pleasure of hunting an I think we need to to everything possible to keep their numbers up.

 

[Blockcaver]

Good for them for banning pack goats. CO also needs a separation program for domestic and bighorn sheep as well.

 

[dreamingbig]

I would rather see them open up spring bear hunting and ban wolves than to ban pack goats!


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[String&stick]

I agree that pack goats need more research, I take more issue with banning them while still allowing massive amounts of sheep grazing

 

[Poser]

I’ve yet to see any pack goats, but I sure do see a lot of domestic sheep shitting all over everything and grazing the **** out of the high country.

 

[lak2004]

There is work being done down here in the SW to show the blatant overlap of bighorn range and domestic sheep grazing allotments. It is an on going battle, but there is a concerted effort to collect photographic evidence of overlap. If you are interested PM me and I can point you in the right direction.

http://www.mountainstudies.org/bighorn

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[ElkElkGoose]

I think the spread of recreational users into the backcountry en masse is a bigger danger.

 

[S.Clancy]

They're prob going after the low hanging fruit. Easier to ban pack goats than remove historical grazing where a group of ranchers is going to throw an epic shit fit.

 

[CorbLand]

They're prob going after the low hanging fruit. Easier to ban pack goats than remove historical grazing where a group of ranchers is going to throw an epic shit fit.

This. Can you imagine the absolute shit fit that would be thrown if they tried to ban sheep grazing?

 

[ragz]

I'll be hunting with pack goats this elk season. I'll let you guys know how many wild sheep I infect.

 

[ClearCreek]

I'll be hunting with pack goats this elk season. I'll let you guys know how many wild sheep I infect.

You will never know, they will die long after you are home.

ClearCreek

 

[slick]

I admire that pack goat people are passionate, but I have a hard time understanding that people would be against protecting a resource as fickle as bighorns.

Someone above said the pathogen that goats can transmit to bighorns isn’t fatal, but the disease itself doesn’t have to be fatal, it puts the sheep at a decreased “fitness”level. It’s a serious issue and I think this group of individuals (Rokslide) is arguably more passionate about our wildlife resources than any other user group. This isn’t some ploy to hate on goat owners, it’s a real threat.

Don’t bring your goats into known bighorn territory. It’s like mountain bikers whining they can’t ride in wilderness areas.

 

[ragz]

You will never know, they will die long after you are home.

ClearCreek

Won't be anywhere near sheep territory either way. I'll have to read up on goat impact this afternoon. Don't have any skin in the goat game really but I'm interested in seeing more data. I've heard about the impact of grazing sheep.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I admire that pack goat people are passionate, but I have a hard time understanding that people would be against protecting a resource as fickle as bighorns.

Someone above said the pathogen that goats can transmit to bighorns isn’t fatal, but the disease itself doesn’t have to be fatal, it puts the sheep at a decreased “fitness”level. It’s a serious issue and I think this group of individuals (Rokslide) is arguably more passionate about our wildlife resources than any other user group. This isn’t some ploy to hate on goat owners, it’s a real threat.

Don’t bring your goats into known bighorn territory. It’s like mountain bikers whining they can’t ride in wilderness areas.

The Pack goat is an easy target. Domestic sheep, mountain goats, mule deer, and cattle can and do carry movi. We should probably ban them too. Because those animals have a much higher chance of being in contact with wild sheep. Not to mention how can my pack goats give a wild sheep movi if they don't have it?? I get them tested.

 

[HuntHarder]

This is crap!! I do not hunt with pack goats and this still irritates me. Arizona game and fish tried to ban trail cameras based on the potential spread of CWD. Just another bullshit excuse to add more rules. If they really want to ban trail cameras because they do not consider them fair chase, just say it. Same goes with pack goat ban. Using the rare case of disease spread is laughable. I am guessing some tree hugger is in the pocket of someone and thinks it is cruel to use them to carry someone's gear. I can not wait until we have to step into a machine to kill every ounce of bacteria on us and our gear before we go step foot into the forrest.

 

[FLAK]

Not enough money (influence) in goats,,,,,,now sheep, that's a whole nother
ball of boogers.

 

[String&stick]

The Pack goat is an easy target. Domestic sheep, mountain goats, mule deer, and cattle can and do carry movi. We should probably ban them too. Because those animals have a much higher chance of being in contact with wild sheep. Not to mention how can my pack goats give a wild sheep movi if they don't have it?? I get them tested.

This is it exactly, and my issue with the potential ban. Simply requiring that all pack goats have proof of certified testing finding them free of movi, would solve the pack goat issue. Beyond this if you actually cared about the sheep then you would certainly ban or greatly modify sheep grazing allotments.

I care about bighorns and want to see them thrive, this is simply a "look see what we did to help" move that does nothing!

 

[slick]

The Pack goat is an easy target. Domestic sheep, mountain goats, mule deer, and cattle can and do carry movi. We should probably ban them too. Because those animals have a much higher chance of being in contact with wild sheep. Not to mention how can my pack goats give a wild sheep movi if they don't have it?? I get them tested.

It is an easy target, and it’s also easily remedied. Don’t bring them into sheep country.

Mule deer and Rocky Mountain goats?? Not sure why that is even being brought up, last time I checked I wasn’t hauling MD into camp with me.

I’m glad you get them tested, I think the wool growers associations, pack goat breeders/users, etc. should be incentivized to produce disease free stock. Not everyone tests their goats. And I still feel that if it’s a known threat, then Natural Resource Agencies whether state or federal doing something to potentially protect the resource is a good thing- and their job. For the record, I’m obviously not for sheep grazing allotments in known bighorn country.

I’m sorry that it would prevent you bringing your stock into some places across the west, but I’m on board with the ban.

 

[Mike7]

The pack goats that I have seen stay right with their owners on the trail and at night in camp like pets, unlike grazing sheep herds.

So how then does this expose bighorn sheep to potential disease, particularly if the owners don't approach sheep or sheep areas?