First Winter Goat Camp out

[Nanno]

I would be careful of using foam. Some goats love to eat that stuff.

[Mike]

I had not noticed that.  I dont dought it though.  Usually they skip right to my back pack straps.

[Mike]

This is just awesome, I know that Kachess campground it has a boat launch.  Did you have to deal with any snowmobile traffic on that groomed trail? 

I've been thinking of snow camping with the goats but am  unsure about what to take for them to lie on, as a hiker I subscribe to LNT (leave no trace) so no cutting tree branches for me.  I did take them on a day hike with some snow a couple of weeks ago, they were postholing along with me up to their knees, didn't seem to bother them.

I respect the LNT eithos, I really do.  I am all about clean camp sights, packing out what you packed.  I even make my kids pick up other people crap.  I think cutting some branches for your goats to lay on is ok.  Also your goats will eat those branchs all night long which will keep there gut working there fore keepingb them warm from the inside.  I respect your choices though!!

[Kat]

I'd sort of been thinking of the closed cell foam pad too, but d'oh yes I'll bet my one goat would nibble on it, he's terrible about things like that, my Ober I wouldn't have to worry about.  I thought of some heavy duty landscaping fabric but that doesn't have much insulating value if any. Guess I'll wait until spring haha... we did go over to the Olympics for a snow-free camp experience last weekend.

[Mike]

Love it lets see some pics.  I love see other people techniques for camp life with goats!!!

[Kat]

Well I certainly don't want to hijack your wonderful trip report here so I'll be brief, also it was pretty civilized "camping" so not much to share on techniques this time.  Have to give these folks a plug, we stayed at the Layton Hill Horse Camp in Sequim, WA and yes they take goats! 

It is dry camping but they do have outhouses, small clubhouse with wood stove, and campsites in very large field each have picnic table, fire pit, and corrals.  Did not have the goats sleep in the corrals as the grass was very wet, highlined them the first night on dryer ground 2nd night let them sleep in the truck as a too curious coyote was hanging around.

Place has access to lots of DNR land for hikes, but I chose to drive the goats 5 minutes to Miller Peninsula State Park and hike to beach access.  Their first glimpse of salt water was a hoot!  Sammy came to a dead stop, his eyes got big and lit up in a way that I can only interpret as total amazement. They both had to sniff the strange new smell of the rocks.  They got a break this weekend, no saddles.  

   

[Saph]

That's awesome, Kat!  A future Rendezvous site, perhaps?! 

[Nanno]

Beautiful! Good call to put the goats in the truck with a coyote scoping them out. We lost one goat to coyotes years ago, and came very close to losing our big packgoat, Cuzco to coyotes one night. Both incidents happened when we were at home instead of on the trail, but it's given me a new respect for coyotes and what they can do to a goat. Poor Nibbles only had one bite, but it was to her jugular so she bled out immediately. Cuzco fought the coyotes off, but he had some nasty punctures on his neck and hide torn from his back in a couple places. It took us two days before we found him hiding in a woodlot three miles from our house. I don't like coyotes.

Maybe this summer when the weather is hot you can take your goats swimming!

[Kat]

Wow, what a horrible story but thanks for sharing that it is really good to know that my fears and precautions are not unfounded!  

re: swimming - summer before last Sammy (my Ober) actually did jump in a lake to cool off 

[packgoatlarry]

Woke up sometime in September because it sounded like Coffee Bean was tap dancing outside my tent. Shining the light out past him displayed why. A large coyote was moving in for the buffet. Yelling, and/or the light, failed to discourage him, so I had to leave the nice warm bag, grab my lead-based dissuader tool, and head out to do business. Thankfully, he decided that the vittles were probably better elsewhere, and departed. That was both a blessing... and a curse. Was he really gone? Or just biding his time, planning on coming around from another direction. End result, there was no sleep for quite a while, but apparently he was really gone. After having had a nose-to-nose with a cougar in 2017, let's just say that I am a teeny bit antsy about what can happen at night after the activity ceases. After the cougar, I try to get the boys highlined-tied as close as possible in order to hear when things are going south.