# " Best Pack Goat State"



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Heres a way out question for you all, what is in your opinion the best Pack Goat State ?

I have a personal reason for asking, I am in MI now, after being 'back' here for 2 yrs, but planning on doing a bit of looking around going to and coming from the Rendy in June. And making the move sometime this summer. I do have a particular couple of places to look at up close and personal. 

My own 3 leading places are ID, WA, and OR. For great places to hike mainly. I am retired so a job isnot a need. Just a good place to raise a small herd of goats and go out hiking and packing. 

Inquiring mind wants to know what others favorites are. 

A close runner-up is UT, I do love the SE part. 

Thoughts ??


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Not a packer, but I am raising Alpine goats in Idaho and there are a few aspects of the area that I have found really favorable to goats, wonderful hiking and recreation aside. The dry, arid climate and cold winters make worms much less of an issue than the lush, green areas of either coast. A lot of grass and alfalfa hay is grown in Southern Idaho where I am, so hay is well priced and doesn't have to be trucked in. In my area, there are no whitetail deer, only mule deer, so meningeal worm is not a concern.


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## Dodgerdoob (Feb 11, 2014)

I have found out that the state of Indiana does not allow goats on any state property i.e. parks, campgrounds, reservoirs. So I'd have to rule out the Hoosier State as goat friendly.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

*Goat packing friendly states*

Larry Robinson has sent me a number of great pics not all that far from where he lives outside Boise. Crystal Lake is a beautiful place as is the whole Sawtooth Rec area. Right now ID and OR have a lot to offer in what I am looking for.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

I used to live up in Stanley, right next to the Sawtooth Rec area. It is indeed an awesome place with amazing hiking. 

There are a lot more people with goats around the Boise area than where I am and my BIL keeps a small herd of pack goats (and a pak yak, though I don't know if he has actually taken him out at all) in Idaho City, about 1 1/2 hours from Boise. I live 2 1/2 hours south of Boise near the Wood River Valley and Craters of the Moon. Love Idaho, but Oregon is beautiful as well.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

ID is high on my list, but then so is WA and OR. I am going to try hard to visit all three this summer. I have heard some good things also about the Whiteclouds in ID. 

A lot of possibles for ID, but ditto for the other two. :chin:

We shall see.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Good luck! I'm sure you'll find somewhere excellent. The Whiteclouds are gorgeous.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Stanley looks like its smack into great hiking/camping country. The Sawtooths, and White Clouds right handy by. It could be well worth giving serious attention. 

Right now its narrowing down to ID, SE WA and Central OR. We shall see.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

I love Stanley and still own property there, but I will warn you that with a population of 69, the small town politics are crazy and there's no way you would be able to keep goats in the actual town without someone giving you grief. If you could I'd still be living there. 

Nearby places that are probably more goat friendly you might look into are Challis and Salmon.


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## idahonancy (Dec 13, 2008)

Stanley and the surrounding area are stunningly beautiful. The wolf population there is a bit much for me. We never lost a goat but listened to those dogs howl a lot. It made the goats and my self nervous.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Actually, my BIL that now lives in Idaho City used to caretake on a ranch 15 miles or so outside of Stanley and lost some goats to a cougar there. No amount of fencing is going to keep those out.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I have been through all three towns, back when the world and I were younger. I have seen wolves crossing the road, between Salmon and Challis. Quite unconcerned. My dog is an English Shepherd pup, not a great guardian. But good on alerting. He may get a companion. 

At the moment this part of ID is on top of my areas to consider. Small town politics is why I wont live in cities, its the problem magnified. I am strictly for a small place to rent outside of the politics. Once there a year or so will have found a place to buy. The dogs, goats, and me. Any wolves are welcome to saunter on by, and keep moving.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

*Threats*

Yeah, cougars are formidable prey for anything that is deer sized, or smaller. Keeping stock close, with dogs and a serious gun at hand is about the only answer, most of the time. Even then there can be losses.


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## Einhorn (Jan 2, 2014)

I'm in New Mexico, and love it. It's not as cold as other areas, but because of the aridness, we don't have many parasite/bug problems. And it has mountains as well as deserts to hike. 

Goats seem to be welcome most places, I haven't seen anything restricting them that isn't applied to horses and other pack animals.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I like what I am learning about Custer Cnty, ID, also SE WA, I will see both this summer. I have been looking at Craigs List for both areas. I am going to be looking for a small place to rent, and base out of while looking around. Then we shall see. Lots of puter research about to happen. :type:

Right now the rough itinerary is ID, coming down 93 and looking over Custer Cnty then on to Boise to visit, over to Lowell OR to look at some more Kikos and maybe another one, up to SE WA for a looksee and after that we shall see. I strongly believe that a season of living in an area is what is needed . 

We shall see.


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

I am from Utah. There is a lot of beautiful country in the west deserts. But lots of Cougar in these parts. And lots of mormons.

I am in the process of moving to Oregon myself. To a little town of Nyssa. Not sure what you would do with pack goats in that area? Pretty dry and arid area. I plan on doing some meat goats once I get settled.


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## Deschutes Dawn (Sep 24, 2013)

Jake I hope you make it to Rendy. With the Paulinas, Ochocos, Cascades, Badlands Wilderness (which is accessible year round) high lakes, Three Sisters, Jefferson, Black Canyon, Wildcat, Mt Washington wildernesses all within 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours from Bend it's hard to run out of trails to hike. I know there is more areas to go to like many of the buttes have trails leading up and around them plus hundreds of miles of former logging roads along pretty little creeks with great views. I even enjoy taking the boys out along irrigation ditches that run through BLM lands. Many of the high lakes can only be packed in to for fishing, great for goat packers.
I've been to lots of beautiful places in the NW and I couldn't imagine trying to pick just one place! I love them all, Northern Idaho, the variety of Washington, anywhere in Oregon, geez, good luck with your decision! BTW-I always get called back to central Oregon!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Kinda have to agree. All three states are great. Lower humidity on this side of the US, reasonable summer temps and not a terrible amount of predators. Granted that is changing now mainly in ID and now NE Washington with the introduction of the wolves. I feel so sorry for people in ID. To see their game animals slaughtered in such staggering numbers because some retard environmentalist thought it would be neat to re introduce the wolves... Lambs to the slaughter doesnt even begin to describe it.


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## Bunty (Mar 22, 2014)

*Harness and pack goats in UK.*

Hi folks, :wave:

I'm new and delighted to meet you all, thanks for having me join!

There is a Harness Goat Soc. here in UK. Was a member for some years and was fascinated to learn that you had pack goats in US. One of our member use to dressed as a US army officer with a pack goat used for delivering mail. We attended many shows and did a display of harness and pack goats plus an obstacle race for goats and owners.

There was a lot of info coming over the pond in the 1990's about trail holidays with goats in the US. Sounded great to me! Love the idea of taking a goat into the countryside where motors don't go and camping out.

Interesting to hear about your different states and there reaction to goats. Was under the impression all states welcomed goats and trail hols was good fun in mountain areas of US. Problem is I'm older now and that seems like a while back :roll:! Doesn't time fly :lol:.

Keep Golden Guernsey goats and they can make good pack goats, although small, they are a good dairy goat and great for leading. Plenty of milk for the trip too!

I found this website when looking for info. on a kidding problem, one of my goats had just had a cesarean. Was delighted with the info. I found which was so very helpful!

Guess best go get my goats up and will get back soon to register them. Have about 16 at present with one due to kid today. Seldom count the goats as I notice if one is missing, think you will know what I mean! :lol:

Have a great day! Bunty. :wave:


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

There is a big worry in some states of domesticated goats and sheep passing on a viral form of pneumonia to the wild sheep population. To which they are ill well equipped to fight off. But considering this would take actual physical contact between the two and having the domesticated animal actually sick at that moment in time, its highly unlikely to happen. BUT when you give frantic people something to focus on, there is no convincing them of the actually reality. So instead of doing something reasonable like say requiring vet checks or even assigning areas that can be used, or even requiring a total confinement of a domesticated animal in say a trailer during any hours when they are not within site of their owner, they just decided to keep all domesticated animals outta government and state lands. Kinda falls in line with thinking it was a good idea to bring the wolves back into areas that not seen them in decades and expecting the locale pray animals to stand a chance vs em. Then make it worse by introducing non native wolves that shouldnt even be there anyways.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yeah, I was in Alaska when they were catching those wolves. They killed numerous amounts of Caribou and endangered Sitka deer in the dang wolf traps. It was sad time up there. They were snaring the things and bringing outside the ones who didn't choke themselves to death. They aren't even wild wolves. They are feral wolf cross sled dogs.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Well, I received a notice that Dawn had replied , to my email, followed the link back and replied to her, and others, finished it, and then there was a notice it was stored until I registered/logged in, which I did, still no post. 

Its the 2nd time this has happened, havent seen the first one yet either. Its not logical to respond to a notice to my private email browser that I have a post here to respond to, follow the link back on this browsers link, respond, and then to lose my post . 

Why bother???? :veryangry: :wallbang: 

This format, as the Brits say, is too clever by half.


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