Sure-Footed Goats Ideal For Backpacking

Sure-Footed Goats Ideal For Backpacking AG WORLD 28-2-21 Goats are the ideal pack animal for back country trips, says Charlie Wilson, owner of Wind River Pack Goats in Lander, Wyoming. He notes that research scientists often use them to transport delicate equipment high into the mountains for data collection. Wind River Pack Goats is an outfitting/guiding business that has been around for 16 years. It employs three people from spring until fall, with the busiest time being summer. The company operates in both Wyoming and southern Utah. According to Wilson, the goats have been used to carry all types of things, from food to weather stations, lawn chairs, cast iron skillets, and so on. They're particularly valuable for areas that are too rough for horses or llamas. Because of the Wilderness Act, helicopters can no longer be used in these remote areas, making it necessary to use goats. Wilson says goats are more sure-footed than horses and llamas, create less environmental impact, and don't require any feed to be brought along on the trip since they will forage on almost anything. Mature goats can pack an average of 60 lbs., but in rough mountain terrain, Wilson says tries to keep it down to 45 lbs. per animal. He has had three goats with exceptional breeding and training that had no problem with 110 lbs. Wilson uses larger breeds such as French Alpine, Oberhasli, Saanens, LaMancha, and Toggenburg. "What surprises a lot of people is that goats actually live longer when you pack with them," he says. "They generally live to be eight or 10, but with the wild feed that they select on their own and the added exercise they get, pack goats often live to be 16 years old." On an average trip, Wind River Pack Goats usually takes a group of eight to 10 people (including two staff people) and 12 to 16 goats. "If one person stops for some reason and stays behind, the goats will get pretty upset and will stop and start bleating," Wilson says. "They consider the people a part of the herd, so that's why we refer to our whole group as the herd." Wind River's trips run from mid-April to late October and range from three to nine days long. Prices average $165 to $170 per day per adult, and some trips can accommodate kids at 20 per cent lower rates. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wind River Pack Goats, John Wilson, 280 North 9th St., Lander Wyoming 82520 (ph 307 332-3328; email: cwilson@goatpacking.com; website: www.goatpacking.com).

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