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+--- Thread: other animals (/showthread.php?tid=792)
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RE: other animals - IdahoNancy - 10-20-2014
Nanno is correct the consequences of not containing our goats at could be devastating to packgoat access in national forests and very lethal to our goats. Electrical fences are wonderful for base camp. My husband and I have spent many years archery hunting with our 3 packgoats. We have worked out the kinks with high lines and low lines but our favorite on the go portable containment is a horse picket tie out. Each goat carries his own. The tie out rope is a 6 foot lead rope with a swivel on both ends (Northwest Packgoat Supply). It sits on top of the saddle in case its needed in a hurry. The rope is a large gauge and short so as not to risk getting wrapped around a leg and strangle any thing.
Weaver Picket Stake
High strength impact aluminum
Features a tough iron swivel and replaceable nut top for attachment of hobble line
Wedge lock helps keep stake securely in ground
Measures 15" long
RE: other animals - Saph - 10-20-2014
Please. Please. DO tie your goats up (or otherwise contain them) when in camp. Two weeks ago, I spent 10 hours traveling each way to Cody Wyoming, where I met with Forest Service Officials from Washington DC, the Forest Service Regional Office, the Shoshone National Forest, and representatives from the Wild Sheep Foundation. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the closure of most of the Shoshone National Forest, including the Wind River Range, to Pack Goats, due to concerns over our goats escaping, co-mingling with wild sheep, and transmitting diseases to the wild sheep.
We do not need to go into the lengthy debate on the remote possibility of this scenario occurring, nor do we need to debate the "science" of this issue. It's too late for that; the Shoshone Forest Plan is all but complete and the final decision will be issued soon. However, there are other public lands where we will be facing the same issue. We DO need to spread the word amongst our small Pack Goat Community that we can be trusted to follow Best Management Practices when we take our goats onto our public lands. This includes high-lining at night, and keeping control of our goats at ALL TIMES, in order to avoid any chance of them getting lost, escaping, or otherwise co-mingling with wild sheep. The Forest Service, Bighorn Sheep Advocates, and the rest of the public will be watching us closely from now on.
At the meeting in Cody, we did our best to reassure the Forest Service that we could be trusted to follow these Best Management Practices. The last thing we want is to show that we are not able to control our goats, especially since this issue is going to carry forward onto other National Forests and public lands in the future. Please tie your goats or restrict them when in camp. This can not be overstated enough. Thank you--Saph.
RE: other animals - TOU - 10-20-2014
(10-20-2014, 07:53 PM)IdahoNancy Wrote: We have worked out the kinks with high lines and low lines but our favorite on the go portable containment is a horse picket tie out. Each goat carries his own. The tie out rope is a 6 foot lead rope with a swivel on both ends (Northwest Packgoat Supply). It sits on top of the saddle in case its needed in a hurry. The rope is a large gauge and short so as not to risk getting wrapped around a leg and strangle any thing.Nancy, thx for your input...good stuff! As noted above I'm still "working out the kinks" as well. I really liked the thoughts of these stakes but weighing in at 1.2 lbs & a MSRP of $42/each stake alone x 11 goats...OUCH! May have to work on a design myself. LOL
Weaver Picket Stake
High strength impact aluminum
Features a tough iron swivel and replaceable nut top for attachment of hobble line
Wedge lock helps keep stake securely in ground
Measures 15" long
I found them as low as $32 but still. Any chance anyone has found a better price on these?
RE: other animals - Duck-Slayer - 10-21-2014
I found that the dog tie out stake at Walmart works just as good, use them too tie my goats out in the pasture..... This is what I was gonna do in the first place but didn't know if there was an easier way....
Matt
RE: other animals - TOU - 10-21-2014
...under $4.
http://mobile.walmart.com/search/dog%20stake
I had seen these before with dogs but hadn't thought about how well they would work with +200# goats. (says for a 60# dog) May have to try a few out in the pasture for that price. Saves carrying a hammer I guess...good suggestion.
RE: other animals - Nanno - 10-21-2014
Tying 200 lb. goats to a stake in the ground is my speciality! Cuzco lived on a tether for about four years. I found that the corkscrew style stakes were completely worthless. Not only were they hard to get in the ground, but they pulled right out with minimal effort.
The kind I used most was the third one down on the page TOU posted. Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Boss-Pet-Prestige-21-Inches-Colors/dp/B001F0RQEW/
Mine got bent after a while, but it saw a fair bit of use before it needed to be scrapped. It's also not impossible for a large goat to pull out of the ground. I had to keep an eye on mine to make sure Cuzco hadn't worked it loose, and if it started to wiggle free I relocated it. He managed to pull it out on a couple of occasions, but that's not bad for the amount of time he spent tethered to it.
The best kind of stake is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Failsafe-Products-of-America-StakeOut/dp/B000HI3CKU
Once you pound that thing in the ground, your goat isn't going anywhere. The drawbacks are that it's heavy and that it's hard to get out of the ground without a t-post puller. For camping trips it's probably overkill. Cuzco was on a 30-foot tether, so he could work up a lot of momentum before he ran out of chain. On a shorter rope the dome style stake should be plenty sufficient.
RE: other animals - TOU - 10-21-2014
Those look nice too but as you noted, can be difficult to deliver & extract...especially if needing to do it for 6-11 goats every morning and night. (That's what I was hoping for from the cork screw style...easier in & easier out.) I think for 1-2 maybe even 3 this MAYbe feasible but not for 6-11. Looks like I'm looking at the highline options again...
http://www.packgoatcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=794&pid=4926#pid4926
RE: other animals - Duck-Slayer - 10-21-2014
These are the one's i'm using on my goats in the pasture right now and use them for my dog's on camping trips.... this is what I was going too go with: http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Petmate-Cider-Mill-Dome-Stake/23222776?type=search
Matt
RE: other animals - Casdog1 - 12-29-2014
Since one of my LGDs is also my backpacking dog, she will just come along & do her goat guardian duty on the trail the same as she does at home. The only difference will be with the goats packing, she won't have to carry anything!
RE: other animals - hihobaron - 11-03-2015
(10-19-2014, 06:25 AM)Duck-Slayer Wrote: I have a question for those who use there pack goats for hunting, do you ever have problems with bears, Mtn. Lions, wolves, etc... while you are out and about either hunting or hiking? how do you handle this type of problem? do you just stake the goats out when overnight camping in the mountains?
Matt
Duck \-Slayer
Hello Duck-Slayer
While I do not have a lot of goat camping experience (YET) I do have years of Horse Camping.
I agree keep them close to your camp High Line is what I have used for years with horses would use the same with goats. Bells too.
Were I don't have to pack the whole camp site gear set up in (Truck Camping) I like and use Electric Fence from Horseguard.
The make a unique type called Bi-Polar, It is a web tape about 1 1/2 inches wide,. Unlike normal web tape systems it carries both the hot and ground side from your fence charger on the same tape. You do not have to drive a ground rod in. This makes for a VERY hot charge on the fence it even works well on thick hair coats like sheep and Angors. Also works in dry soils or snow much better than normal earth ground systems. Bi-Polar makes excellent main farm fence also.
More little tricks I have used on containing livestock.
Under electric fence: Solar Powered yard lights zip tied to top of step in electric fences post pointed into pen for night lights. Also warns other campers were you have your fence set up.
Even though it is low level light it will let you see critters in the dark, also wildlife tends to stay away from light.
Something else for your stock you can use the little flashing led warning lights like bicyclers use when riding after dark.
Put one on the collar along with a bell. The battery's last a long time and you only run them at night.
I have had lots of fun with them on poll straps on horses at night, all you have to do is look for the flash of light. You know were critters are at a glance.
Firearms: I am a life long hunter and competitive shooter I always carry. Don't even consider a gun unless you know how and when to use it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Moving on:
There are more "Preditors " out there especially closer to city's with 2 legs you need to worry about than the 4 legged kind.
For a general use gun I like a 4" Ruger 357 revolver, I have a laser mounted in the grip for after dark shooting, put the dot were you want to hit and take your shot.. BTW: I keep a couple Snake loads first up then 3 rounds of defensive ammo.
I also carry some light target loads I can take game with for the dinner pot
If you feel a 357 Mag is to much for you drop down to a good 22 long rifle, revolver better to shoot accurately and hit then to shoot with a big gun and miss. There are some nice 22 single action revolvers on the market for around $200 that are good shooters.
A step up ( Price wise) is the Smith & Wesson 22 Kit gun, there are some others out there from Rossie/Taurus of similar design as the S&W.
Advantage of a 22 you can shoot to practices and be good with it.
Last gun if you are in a area that "Restricts" real guns. Go with a AIR Soft pistol. fires a plastic .20 round ball has a report similar to a 22 LR but will not kill, it dose sting like hell. Good for repelling dogs, on the trail. Also they are made as exact replica copies of their big brother real pistols. The good ones use CO2 and are reliable. You can get one for around $100.
Bear Spray/ Mase/Pepper Spray USELESS
If you have a predator that big giving you a problem Mag Pistol or Heavy Rifle is the only thing to use. Bigger is always Better.
Happy Trails
Good Shooting
hihobaron