[ohiogoatgirl]

i will soon be going on my first pack goat hike and i was wondering if anyone would like to share their stories of their first hike in full gear. or their first camping trip. or your faveorite trip!
i'll post my story as soon as it happens and i get back!!! i promise!!! and with lots of pics!!!

 

[salmonfisher77]

I wrote a article in Oregon fish and wildlife journal this month about my first bear hunt with the goats! I will post it as soon as its released!

 

[saph]

Ohio Goat Girl, just posted a story for you under the "Pack Goat Stories/Animal Encounters" topic. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[ali pearson]

O.K. ohiogirl, this was my first sleepout with the two young boer goats I started out with four years ago:
Gyro and Ouija were from a herd of meat goats, raised by their dams, but were chosen to be my pack goat buddies at four months because they were so friendly by nature. So of course after spending their next four months as the only goats with me, they were really bonded to me and wanted to always be right next to me. My husband and I have a peice of property in the redwoods we camp at, and we were spending the night there, the first night out for the baby goats. And our first night out with baby goats. So when it was time to go to bed they followed me down to the tent by flashlight. I knew not to let them in the tent because I read the book. I unzipped the tent, went inside with the flashlight, and zipped it back up with them outside, thinking they would settle down next to the tent because they would hear and smell me, and know I was in there right next to them.
Ha! they couldn't see me so they started to panic. they started to bleat and yell frantically, so I called back to them from inside the tent. they stopped, listening, then one of them figured I was buried in an avalanche and started digging at the side of the tent with his front hooves to save me! I had to unzip the door, shine the flashlight on my own face, and talk to them for a long time before they could remember that it was O.K., I was still right there, they just couldn't see me. they settled down outside the tent but directly in contact with me sleeping on the other side of the tent cloth. Much cud chewing noise all night, but they were so warm.

Ali

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

awww!!! how cute!

 

[Harriet Aiken]

I have a camp-out story, not exactly a pack trip. My goats are still young and have never done a trip away from home. When they were four months old I was curious how they would do so I tried something. About 8:00 one night, after they were bedded down in their stall, I quietly went into the barn without turning on any lights. Using only a flashlight, I opened the door to their stall, and called them to me. Both of them followed me out of the barn, across a field, up a hill, into the woods, and onto the porch of a cabin we have there. I settled myself with a sleeping bag and a book. The goats stood around for a little while unsure of what to do, then decided that they might as well eat bushes. So they spent the next hour jumping on and off of the porch, sometimes eating and sometimes standing with me but never very far away. At some point I turned out my light and went to sleep. I woke up several times during the night finding that sometimes they were eating and sometimes they were snuggled up next to me. At dawn we got up, wandered on back to the barn, and had breakfast. The whole experience was kind of magical!

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

awww!!!!
that sounds fun! i wish it wasn't so cold! i want to camp so bad!!! i'd be happy if i could only camp in the yard! getting spring fever and winter's hardly started! :shock:

 

[Harriet Aiken]

I know exactly what you mean - I'm having the same trouble! Camping in the snow is popular with some folks but I haven't mastered it yet. The Norwegians have a saying: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. But sleeping and cooking in the cold........