We first posted content about pack goats in September 2016. < link > Theresa Miller shares her experience with pack goats and discusses how they carry gear for camping, hunting and trail maintenance into the Rocky Mountains.
Goats are well suited to the high country. Their surefooted nature makes them able to navigate steeper, rougher, and less-maintained trails than other stock animals.
Source: Countryside Daily, December 2017. Link. Pack goat breeds range from Kiko goats to Saanens to Toggenburgs. What you want in a good pack goat breed boils down to five things: size, conformation, personality, conditioning, and training. Of these, conditioning and training are the most important and can make up for deficiencies in size and conformation.
INSIGHTS: The future of packing with goats into the high country is unclear. The Shoshone National Forest is considering changes to its forest management plan aimed at banning pack goats in core bighorn sheep habitat.