Goat Packing is, as it sounds; packing with goats!
Sound a little odd? Maybe so but Im reasonably certain you will get over that feeling the first time you try it. Most packers and outfitters seem to prefer the wether (Castrated male goat) for packing but some do pack with does. Being smaller in stature than the males the doe carries less weight but they are every bit as surefooted on the trail. I started packing with does and have since developed a good string of wethers and that is all I use today. We cannot really talk about goat packing until I making mention of Mr. John Mionczynski considered being the father of modern goat packing and the founder of Wind River Pack goats. We must all give credit to John for developing goat packing into what it is today. Without his pioneering efforts to pave the way for folks like me I would not be offering these services today. Goat packer, Breeder, trainer, author and more I highly recommend a visit to Wind River Pack goats website.

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to try goat packing and we are no different in that regard. My love for the backwoods combined with my bad knees got me to give it a try, and once was all I needed. Whether you’re hunting, fishing or hiking bringing pack goats along with you will make your time in the woods easier and more enjoyable.

Goats are browsers like deer and as such they are able to subsist on native plant life in most any place that deer can survive from high desert terrain to high mountain peaks making them perfectly suitable companions for any trip.

Each goat is fitted with a saddle blanket and crossbuck saddle cinched around the girth goat and fitted snugly with a chest strap and haunch strap you can then secure your gear safely to the packframe in fitted panniers for uphill, downhill ,and sidehill travel. An adult goat in good trail condition can carry 25- 30% of his body weight. Depending upon the terrain a goat is able to travel some 5-15 miles a day loaded with your gear.

On the trail the packgoat travels at human walking speed, He will hang right behind you and stop and browse occasionally if something looks really attractive to him. Primarily he wants to please you and so he will follow you where ever you walk without a lead rope. Just walk off and before he loses site of you he will be running to catch up.