A lot has happened over the past two years in life and with the goats. Since I’m not sure where to begin I’ll start with the present and work backwards and forwards from there as valuable lessons have been learned and more will come.
The current situation
As of right now I have yet to go on a long pack trip with my goats. I set a goal last year to harvest and pack out an animal with the goats (I’ll introduce them all later). This year I was blessed and drew a Nevada mule deer tag as well as a cow elk tag in the same area at the same time. This is the opportunity I’ve been wanting to try out my small string. There are still some hurdles to cross to achieve that goal. Here are some challenges I need to solve before then:
- We don’t always pack in a camp as we do have a side by side and a large wall tent so having a good way to get everything to camp is key.
- Get a good setup at the house to make it easy for someone to watch the goats we don’t take with us. This includes a good feeder system that is easy, clean and they can’t destroy as well as an easy way to get water in the winter.
- Get the goats in shape to hike and comfortable with the gear we will be using with them.
- This season may include a trip to Idaho for them so getting all the necessary paperwork to transport them across state lines.
It is now July 2020 and time is moving fast! September and October will be here before I know it so I have to get a move on. I’ll make updates as we get to each piece moving forward. This will help me stay accountable and get information out at the same time, a win-win in my book.
How do I get there?
Step one was to start getting them in shape and used to the equipment. I purchased one of the signature saddles and pannier sets from Packgoats.com. A disclaimer is I have only used it a couple times to train Harold (my 4 year old whether). However, the construction seems sturdy enough to hold up to some tree, brush and rock crashing as he didn’t seem to realize the packs stuck out. I have also purchased the soft saddle for Wyatt (2.5 year old whether) since he is younger and not ready for a full saddle. I’ve been following Marc Warnke for a couple of years and have picked up some great information. He’s a passionate goat packer and inspired us to start building a string. The equipment is not cheap but hopefully this gear will last a long time and be what we need it to be since we plan on using them hard.
The next step would be to learn how to pack the panniers so they are even in weight and size. I will be doing several short picnic/day hikes to get him used to the setup and make sure they won’t quit on us. There will be some other gear to make sure we can keep food cold if need be and something rigid if there are fragile items in a pack, especially after watching Harold the first time. I know he’ll get better but still…
After we do some short range testing we want to take a small 10ish mile hike the back way into our parent’s ranch. It will be through typical Nevada country and give us a chance to test gear and strategy while still being close to help if needed. It will be hot so we might have to break it into two days. Doing something like this in the summer is probably not ideal but it simulates another situation we will encounter. Archery deer and antelope seasons are in August so we need to be prepared for that type of situation.
Action Items
After going through and listing everything there are a few things that jump out to me that need to be addressed training wise.
- Tie training. In order to do overnight trips they need better tie training. I have been lacking in this area and I need them to low line tie well. We did have a tragedy while tie training and lost a yearling (I mentioned something about valuable lessons?). New short term goal: tie them out consistently and let them work it out before we are out in the field.
- Leading. The older boys are pretty good but the younger ones still either pull too much or drag too much. One in particular is pretty stubborn so I need to put my patience cap on when I have the time to put in and go work with them.
- Gear and the saddles. I need to get them used to the saddles and gear. Harold has done really well but I would like to get him to the point where he just doesn’t blink when you put the saddle on and start pulling on it. His weak spot is the britchen and putting it under his tail.
Getting Started
This year is flying so I need to get a move on! I’ll break all the tasks above into much smaller chunks to make them manageable because we all have other things going on in life than just the goats. I wish that wasn’t true but what can you do? Hopefully you’ll see something that helps or inspires you to get started on something you’ve been wanting to do.
