Goats?

As in pack goats? Been thinking g on it myself quite a lot. Wandering around with a pack goat that carries most of my gear and dog food
 
Matt Derrick said:
I'm curious as to your reasoning behind this. Why would you want to travel with a goat? I'm sure it's been done in other countries but probably not in the USA.
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It's plainly obvious that I don't know the real answer, but oblige me to take a stab at it:

1) Pack animal
2) Ready access to milk
3) Camp defense
4) In the most extreme circumstance, food.

I'm sure there's reasons that I'm missing but, meh.
 
exactly pack animal. wilderness wandering. of course slowing down. But I'm sure some hitching is feasible in a truck bed. Camp defense I'm not sure of being its only a goat but they are vocal. I looked at a few a month or so ago and they are very personable and intelligent critters. theres a few forums on goat packing and hiking with them. I talked to Doobie D on here a time or two and he knew a guy who rode freight and tramped around a bit with a goat. .
 
Herding is a job. You can find pretty decent pay to wander blm lands and keep an eye on herds of goats. Mutant fest in 2006 or 7 or so, we showed up at the previously scouted place (I was there with the first buses arriving), and there was 2000 goats (that werent there 2 days before). The whole place was covered in shit flies. But yeah, one guy with a little tiny pick up and canopy for living in was there to watch them.
Other than that, I have met one traveler who had a goat. he was walking everywhere he went, so it didnt impede him much. The coolest thing I heard from him was that his goat would eat poison oak, and then when he drank the milk he wouldnt be allergic to it anymore. Dunno if its true, guy was nuts for sure. He told me he had walked there from mexico. I met him at the hot springs in Big Sur.

But, I am a farmer, and have spent quite some time working with animals, and goats are not really good animals to have alone. If you decide to have goats, should have a herd, its better for them.
 
my brother raised goats for a while. they are smart, good company and fun to play around with. but they got into everything. one even figured out how to get onto the chicken coop and would eat the eggs. they love to get up on things so they can see farther, imagine little cloven hooves stomping on your car! and the males would butt you whenever you were not watching them, and their little horns hurt and leave bruises. but like a donkey they can find food pretty much anywhere. oh yeah they nibble on everything and will move or "steal" anything they can pick up. also they tended to eat coats, gloves, cloth and especially leather. little fuckers! let us know how it works out for you, okay?
 
hey cardboard, was the goat packing around gear or just walking with him? I figured other people did it. It isn't as handicap-ing? as a horse or something could be.
 
Interesting replies! And yeah Matt I really would want to travel with a goat for the same reasons one would want to travel with a dog - just to have a friend. I wouldn't milk them or eat them or anything like that. I'm thinking a pygmy would be best - small enough to hitch with?
 
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