[idahonancy]

The boys and I were on our usual walkabout and black audi car pulled over to side of the road in front of us. This was not the usual Idaho pickup truck but a shiny sporty black maufia looking car. The man gets out of the car and proceeds to ask all the usual questions about the breed of the goats. I state they are Oberhasli and they state "Oh what?" At least he was sensitive to fact that "you probably get these questions all the time". This man had recently done a week long trip in the Beartooth range in MT above Yellowstone. He said he was through with horses. He then stated my boys "would make great packgoats, you know goats are the perfect answer." I did not tell him they were packgoats. Usually I do not mention packgoats until I'm relatively sure the person I'm talking to knows what a goat is. This is the first person in 3 years that pulled over and knew the word packgoat. Packgoats, the perfect answer, the word is spreading.
IdahoNancy Oberpacker

 

[idahonancy]

When you go to Montana people there are a little different. You want to see people stare at goats. Some people there are absolutely beyond confusion when you put a pack on a goat. Stopping anywhere in that county people want to know what I have in the mini stock trailer. Men and women walk right up and put their nose in the window, stand back and scratch there heads.
At 4 am we parked at a trail head in Montana for our elk hunt. It is difficult to ready myself and my goats for a hunt in the dark at 4 am. An outfitter with horses came over to me and started asking questions he was baffled by the packgoat idea and wanted to talk. He told me if we got an elk down we could give him a call and he would take it out on his horses. I told him if his got one down where his horses could not go he could call me. Conversation ended.
Really I think it will be along time before the idea takes off in that country. I often get the feeling they think I have a bad illness and need medication.