# Any other tramps? on the road goats



## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

I do a lot of traveling with my dog and just plain living out of a pack. Hitch hiking, just walking and a little freight hopping. . . . I have heard people have had pack goats on the road and i figured if i got one i could still travel. Obviously probably no motels or hitch hiking but just walking highways and side roads would work. I've heard of a guy who rode freight but thats a whole 'nother discussion. And before any one jumps to conclusions i am quite an attentitive animal owner. I got my dog on the road 2 years ago, rode his first freight two weeks ago and he is still alive, happy and fed to this day. anyone other travellers out there still movin? Or any other stories is much 'bliged. thanks


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## Charlie Horse (Dec 16, 2012)

http://www.needle2square.com/

Well, there's this guy.


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## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

There's at least one guy up in the Snowy Range in Wyoming I've run into who has a goat. He's more of a full time mountain man than a road warrior though, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have internet, so he's probably not on this forum.


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## SMaxwell (May 20, 2012)

There was this guy...

http://thegoatman.com/story.htm


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

The mountain man thing I wanna do someday. I have lived in the woods quite a few times and a goat would be awesome for doing it without coming out for a month or so. 
I figured with hitching sometimes it takes a while anyway and i could make a sign that says truck beds fine and I'd probably get more rides out west or in the south


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

I'm intrigued...why do you do what you do? I think a goat friend would be great for your purposes...I don't know what freight hopping is, if you don't mind, could you describe a little more what it is that you do? Do you have a place that you call home?


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

kind of just gonna be born a wanderer or not ya know. And i Do have a "home" area and I am here now after over a month of being out west and freight is trains.


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## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

I'd be a little wary of freight hopping with a goat. That's a pretty big hop for a goat from the ground into a car, and you're not exactly going to pick up a 200-300 pound goat and just toss him in. Other than that, I'd think a goat would be perfect for ya.


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Goats can jump pretty high, especially if trained to do so. You might want to bring a broom, though. The company might not appreciate goat berries in their train cars.


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

Well I think a goat after being unloaded can probably hop high. Thanks for the optimism Nanno kinda made my day to hear someone totally with it like most of you,. I just plan to walk a lot whenever i get one and ride if i must. Just thinking what it would entail to walk through a city with a pack and my dog and a loaded goat haha. But yes a goat does seem like a good road animal. My dog loves being out and about and smelling new scents everyday and most of ournights are spent outside even when back in the home range and he loves it. he came from the road so he knows it well. i'm sure a goat would too.


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

I think "Knights of the Road" are awesome. I used to dream of becoming a hobo when I was a teenager, only I was going to be a horseback hobo. There was a time when Phil and I talked about buying a gypsy wagon and touring the country with my horses and our goat, Cuzco. But then we settled down instead. I guess we like our hot showers too much. But I think a goat would be the best road companion. They stay right with you all the time. Because they are ruminants, they are extremely warm to curl up with on a cold night. And personally, I find there is no sound more relaxing, that can put me to sleep faster, than the sound of a goat rhythmically chewing his cud.


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

Well its never too late to travel a bit. i'm not a full time tramp, though it almost seems inevitable that I may be someday but my lifestyle in a whole is quite "ramblistic". nanno i was out your way last weekm for over a month. i drove to the springs and met my buddy then parked my subie 27 miles north of denver at my friends uncles and then hitched to cheyenne and rode freight the whole state of wyo to evanston and got a greyhound to reno and walked the few miles to cali and turned around after one night there haha


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

-And rifleman I'd be interested to hear more about that mountain man with the goat.


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## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

I'll be up in the snowy range quite a bit this summer. If I run into him again, I'll definitely talk to him more about the goat, maybe take a picture with him and me and all of our goats. There are a handful of guys out there that trap and hunt and fish up in the mountains full time. I run into them occasionally when I'm out in the back country around here.


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

Thats so awesome. How many goat did the fella have? Did he live in the hills in a shelter or log cabin or somthin?


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## rifleman (May 28, 2013)

He only had one goat, which he mentioned that he used for all sorts of stuff- running trap lines, carrying gear, carrying pelts, dragging firewood, carrying extra food and supplies, etc. It sounded like he had a small log cabin way back in the woods somewhere as well as a couple of smaller shelters hidden here and there where he could spend the night if needed.


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

I bet that man has some hairy stories from all the time spent alone and in the high country. Thats pretty much what I plan to use one for and for extra company aside from my mutt. I think your a fortunate soul to meet some of the last few of a different breed. I'm going up toNorth pa for awhile to live out of my subie and out of a lean to in the mountains and be alone for a bit


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## Wordman (Jan 9, 2013)

BUMP: Being a new forum and all. And the kid scared of the donkey on the main page is a lot more startling and mind straining than the work animal itself.


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