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BSA doesn't. Trail LIfe does, or it will when we're done developing it.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Pre hunting season 17.5 month old weights from scale at the vet

Thor 189
Odin185
Gunnar 180
Ivar 173
Ragnar 169
Loki 160
Nigel 150

I’ll keep everyone between 15 and 20 pounds this fall


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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I wonder if one of those pack saddles would work on my 130lb (and growing) dog.

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Supposedly, a young, conditioned dog can carry 25% of it's body weight. Some light boned breeds can carry less. On a pack trip, at least it can carry it's own bed and board.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
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Leaving for mountain goat hunt in the morning. Hunting Monday through Friday so hopefully there’s an update by then. Getting stuff weighed and balanced now. Gonna take the bulkiest stuff on a pack frame, but hopefully essentially 0 weight on me and my buddy. I went on his mountain goat almost exactly 10 years ago.
Got about 3,000 feet to gain tomorrow and that’s if we don’t spot a billy. If we do, could be a 5,000 foot day. Should only be about 5 miles though.


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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Good luck!

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Goat down. I’ll do a more of a packgoat and gear review here and hunt story in general big game later


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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Sweet!

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Congrats! Looking forward to a story and pics.

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Yessss!!!!!!


Casey

Not being married to any particular political party sure makes it a lot easier to look at the world more objectively...
Having said that, MAGA.
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Originally Posted by exbiologist
Goat down. I’ll do a more of a packgoat and gear review here and hunt story in general big game later


Do the "boys" realize you shot one of their cousins. Cheers NC


don't judge until you have walked a mile in other persons' moccasins'
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So the goats did great. Totally proud of them, they adjusted to trail life quickly. We went through stuff no horse could ever handle. The cliffs and waterfalls stressed me out but they just rolled with it.

I did my part to lead the way, by avoiding the most difficult dead falls. Over chest height I’d try to go around. Multiple dead falls suck but they figured it out. Thick brush was nothing, and just like a horse they push through it.

The goats with minor weaknesses really weren’t. Odin’s big haybelly and getting hot in the sun, was no big deal in mild temperatures. He was usually mid train and if he was huffing and puffing, fair chance I was too.

Nigel and Loki’s smaller size was easily dealt with by just giving Loki the sleeping bags ( on the way back we added ammo on one side and binos on the other). Nigel just got leashes and cables on the way up til we needed room for water, on the way down he got a light load of meat. Nigel is also the only one with any skittish tendencies so I made sure he was hooked up before the shot. Nigel is also the quirkiest, he hates splitting the group up and will call for a little if someone walks off to take a dump or when I did my final stalk. I also had to keep Nigel closest to me and yet still within sight of the others at night to keep him calm.

Gunnar’s soft pasterns caused no issues but he was the most hesitant to jump off a cliff and skid down to us in the creek bottom when we cliffed out. Not necessarily Pastern related but could have been. I didn’t give him a huge load either and didn’t want to do any new damage. Was also prepared to kill him if I really [bleep] him up, but he’s still my favorite and friendliest. And he has the best beard so far.

They really took cues from us. They knew when it was a real break and they could lay down or if a quick break and just when to stand around and browse. They also seemed to know when we were going to camp for the night.

I still have no idea of their water requirements. They went without water, not by choice, until 10am on day 2 and they all needed a drink. But only half even took a drink during some minor stream segments we hit on day 3. They all drank again in day 4. I suspect green vegetation reduces their intake compared to what they drink at home with hay.

Thor, Ivar and Ragnar really seem the most bombproof and have no obvious weaknesses. They kick ass.

Next problem is the kid packs just don’t have enough capacity. I struggled to get enough moderate density stuff like clothes to push their weight limits.

Regarding the dead mountain goat, they flat out didn’t care. Only one of them even looked at it. The goats didn’t give a crap. At the shot, nothing happened, but they were mostly hooked up. Oh and I used Ivar as a decoy, and whether or not it worked, I don’t know, but the mountain goats came down off the cliffs and he was standing out in full visiblity.


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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So Ivar was a Judas goat.. He He. Good story keep them coming, Cheers NC


don't judge until you have walked a mile in other persons' moccasins'
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Great stuff man...


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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

[Linked Image from i392.photobucket.com][Linked Image from i392.photobucket.com][Linked Image from i392.photobucket.com]
[Linked Image from i392.photobucket.com]

Last edited by exbiologist; 02/08/20.

"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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Quote
Gonna cost a boatload to re-oufit them all, so might go piecemeal into this year.
Have you tried making your own using a commercial one for a pattern? This top pic is a DIY llama saddle I made. I needed 2 more so I duplicated an old one that's no longer made. The bottom pic is a commercial goat saddle I used to have. It was easy to take it apart and make another one just like it. I found a web sight that sells those short cinches at a pretty low price and I made the rest of the rigging.
Here's a link to the site where I got the saddle. It came in pieces so you can just duplicate them if you're handy with wood. They're easy to assemble. The hardest part is making the breast and britching straps. Not many sewing machines can handle stuff that thick so it takes some innovation. SADDLE KIT

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


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I should try that. I hate wood working but FIL has a pretty serious interest and is retired


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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2 year old “weigh ins” with the measuring tape today. Thor and Odin came in at 44 inches, which is off chart but should be 225 or so. Gunnar and Ivar both came in at 43 inches which is off the scale of my tape but translating to 215 on some online charts. Ragnar at 42 inches should be 200, Loki and Nigel about 175 pounds each.

Assuming they continue to grow through this fall, and that payloads are between 15 an 20% of body weight in year 2, total gear and meat capacity ought to be 250-300 pounds.

I’m in the running for at least one quality hunt this year(Muzzleloader elk), but that may be the only one they get to go on. Kinda depends on how the draw and luck on leftovers or reissued licenses goes, not just for me but for wifey and FIL. Haven’t done Wyoming draw yet, but leaning away from doing the backcountry deer hunt this year with it overlapping the good elk license. In for Utah though, and if I’m lucky could end up with something nice there to use with the goats.


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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Good luck with your draws!


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great thread, Exbiologist. thanks for "maintaining" all your info + data in one thread. smile


First teach a child to love God, second teach him to love family, third teach him to fish and hunt and by the time he is in his teens no dope dealer under the sun can teach him anything. Cotton Cordell
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