Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting More on the packgoats

Late winter update. Got the kids out a couple of times so far this winter to play on the rocks. Haven't put any packs on them though. Santa did bring a hard saddle and much larger panniers. But just one set so far. Gonna cost a boatload to re-oufit them all, so might go piecemeal into this year. Since it's application season, I've got some tough decisions to make. I've got the points for a quality backcountry muzzleloader or first rifle elk hunt here in Colorado and this is the earliest first rifle will be for the next 5 years. But also weighing going to Nevada or Wyoming this year on a deer hunt. Can't count on drawing my bighorn ever. Would like the boys to be one more year older (2 at the end of March) before doing the elk hunt, but I sure don't want to wait another year. 4 of them are over 200 pounds at this point and I'll increase their loads this year to about 15% of body weight this fall, up from 10% their yearling year. Hopefully that means 30 plus plus pounds for the bigger boys and 20ish for the two smaller ones. I suspect Thor, Ivar, Odin and Gunnar will be well over 225 by this coming fall. But Odin is still a fat boy and the first to pant and Gunnar still has weak pasterns, so I don't envision those two pushing 35 or 40 pound loads anytime soon. Total load for the 7 should be over 200 pounds though.
Looking to schedule at least two backpacking trips this summer too. Hunting plans will dictate scouting trips though