So with this storm system dumping 12-20 inches(forecasted, so far maybe 6-8), I’ve decided to push my hunt back by a day to let this play out. I may have time, but I doubt it, to get proper weights on the goats. So I just used the weight tape and the 2 littlest boys 41 inches, making them about 190 pounds. Ragnar is off the tape around 42.5 inches so maybe 205-210. The four biggest aren’t identical but Gunnar and Odin have similar girths around 44 inches. Not sure how that computes, but probably in the 220-230 neighborhood. Thor and Ivar are totally off the tape, not just beyond estimating, so I’ll go with 240-250 on them.
Here’s hoping it warms up and thaws the snow a bit for the hunt or else I may consider packing feed in
"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter
If I was doing it again, I'd probably go with goats instead of my llamas. The problem is that they're getting very hard to get. Good ones are becoming more rare all the time. The government apparently has stopping importation and the current crop in the US is getting very inbred. You see more bad feet, legs, and backs all the time. Good ones are quite expensive now if you can find them at all. I see a lot of llamas in pastures that are just ornaments but when you get a better look, they're just dog food.
“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.
Nice pics Ex, I’m sitting up on the mountain now weather is pretty windy and snowy ,visibility is about 50 yards. I have not weighed my goats since I guess around July but my one goat is getting big. He starting to gain weight on the other goat. He used to be just fat but now he has gotten longer and taller he’s looking strong . He’s my most personable goat but he’s a big jerk to the other goat. We were hunting last weekend and had some close encounters with some decent elk. I don’t actually plan on taking the goats on hunts until I can actually pack with them but took them scouting quite a bit. The are young but they get pretty tired after 12-14 miles at 10500 plus I’m also worried in the future I won’t be able to condition them as well as they need.
Just weight ropes measured my goats they both measured 37 inches. One goat looks to be bigger but they both measured the same the chart says 150 pounds which I think is fair when I pick them up I’m not sure where that sits but I’ll log it so I have something to compare my goats next year. At the end of the month they will be 6 months old
Bull down. Everything out now. Goats did great but also screwed up some sets. Everything worked great when they bedded down. They also alerted to one little bull they snuck in quietly thst I didn’t see. I left the kids in camp when I shot my bull while my partner stayed back to watch them. The storm didn’t amount to much, so we overpacked clothing. No big deal.
"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter
Good job looking forward to hearing the story. I’m up hunting now and will be all week, we had some close encounters but I haven’t t drawn the bow yet!! Congratulations!!!!
Well just an update. I was able to shoot a cow elk this past weekend. I was wishing I had my goats and they were a couple more years old. I shot her at 11300 and she was at roughly 10350 on a 44 degree slope. Roughly .54 miles from the road but a mile from truck. After quartering out I carried the rear quarter and both backstraps out. IT was fairly steep and it started snowing which made it a little slick. Got to the road dumped my pack went and got the truck brought it back to my pack and unloaded. That first trip was rough with the weight of my pack and my rifle and everything else that we think we should have just in case. Lol!! The second trip I emptied everything from pack and went down empty and was able to carry out the other rear quarter and a front quarter. That left the front and both loins which I went down this morning and retrieved. It Was 14 degrees this morning and only warmed up to 23 degrees by 11:30. All in all good hunt but I definitely can’t wait for my goats to get old enough to help pack.
Idaho closure: I just discovered that the forest service has closed part of the Boulder-Whiteclouds wildness area in Idaho to pack goats. I don't know if this is new or if I just didn't see it before. The forest svc web site is one of the worst I've used for finding anything. All I've been able to find on this is a map. You'd think our fine government could come up with better websites with all the money they waste.
“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.
Yeah that one has been talked about for a bit on the goat pages. There’s more coming, but the goat people are getting better at fighting them and just getting tuned in rather than reacting after it’s done.
"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter
Just put a deposit down on 2 more baby pack goats. Looking forward to this spring. I need to fence in a couple acres and build another goat shed for my yearlings.
Just put a deposit down on 2 more baby pack goats. Looking forward to this spring. I need to fence in a couple acres and build another goat shed for my yearlings.
good on you!
I have 3 pack goats. none have been hunting with me yet as they are all too young. I only have 3, and all are alpine wethers. I plan to measure height/weight this weekend, in fact.
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
Billy Goat, I’m still trying to figure out how to post pics but like Exbiologist says pics are always welcome. Keep us informed on height and weight and age please!
