What Tenderfoot Said...

M

melbatoast

New member
May 29, 2014
11
Hello I just introduced myself in the \"New Guys\" Tab. So Tenderfoot, myself and another hunter put in for tags in unit 4/5/141 area for archery season. The \"another hunter\" gave our hunt group code to his friends who applied for rifle tags and screwed up our archery draw. Anyway, I had great info and scouting experience in that area and now have to look elsewhere.
I am not looking for someone\'s honey-hole, and would frankly rather put in the time and discover one for myself. I know the Elk Mountain area of unit 18 pretty well, but have never bowhunted there. I would rather go somewhere with more rugged/higher elevation areas that are hard to get to. I have 2 pack goats, and will have OTC either sex tags for both deer and elk. I need opportunity for meat in the freezer, regardless of the species (hopefully both).
So here is my question, which wilderness area would you scout for archery season: West Elk N of Gunnison in unit 53 (I think), or Mt. Zirkel in unit 161? I\'m thinking wilderness areas because I can get away from atv\'s, and I have pack goats. I know wilderness areas can sometimes get crowded with horse camps, so I am trying to avoid that by going to areas where horses/mules would have a hard time.
I am open to other areas, but don\'t want to ask specific open-ended questions like \"what is the best OTC unit to archery hunt in CO?\" As if any smart hunter would say so. So, any advice?
 
Melbatoast, I am not sure if Brad hooked you up or not, but what I am going to say is that just because you have pack goats doesn\'t mean you need to go to a wilderness area. There are many areas that aren\'t necessarily \'wilderness\' areas where you can pack in and get quite a few miles away from the nearest road. Just a thought.

I don\'t know much about Mt. Zirkel, but I can tell you that the trail heads look like the parking lots at a sporting event...lots of action. If you want to stick to the wilderness idea, there is a lot of potential up in Unit 18 where you have been before, both north and east of Granby. One other one that I\'ll throw out there that doesn\'t see as much action is the La Garita Wilderness Area in unit 68.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for the insight fellas! I have never hunted with pack goats, but when I learned that my boss has 2 year and a half old alpine goats that she hikes with I had to ask her if I could work with them. She was so stoked about my excitement that she offered to let let use them as much as I want this summer and during elk season. I\'m gonna start working with them next weekend. She said they don\'t like to cross water, so I now have a mission. I should be able to get them warmed up before Sept.
I have looked into 18 for archery and am not opposed to the area at all. But fate has always rewarded me each time I go to a new area, and I love to explore. I still don\'t feel like I\'ve found my \"honey hole,\" know what I mean? I have plenty of time to scout this summer.
I mentioned Zirkel because it is relatively close to my home in Loveland. Closer to home means more time in the woods scouting this summer. But it\'s all relative.
 
Wait until the hottest day there is in the middle of July to water train those goats. That\'s how I broke one of my horses to it.

I swear, there was no way you could get that ole mare to put her food in the water. So, I lead her to the edge of an irrigation ditch that was about belly deep. Threw a long rope to the other side and tied it to the pickup truck and I drug her in.

Like I said, it was a very hot day. And the water was so cool that she actually enjoyed it. I hopped on her back and rode her up and down the stream for about 30 yards each way before letting her out of the water. Never had a problem with water crossings after that.
 
I hopped on her back and rode her up and down the stream for about 30 yards each way before letting her out of the water. Never had a problem with water crossings after that.[/quote]

where do you find a goat saddle?
 
Good luck with the goats, Melbatoast. A buddy of mine packs with 4 goats, he really loves it. Low maintenance...they will drink at available water sources and graze, so you don\'t have to pack food in for them. And, you can simply stake them out at night.

Secret is apparently buddying up with the \"lead goat\"...and he and the others will follow you around like dogs. It\'s something I\'ve wanted to try someday!

Let us know how the scouting goes.
 
Thanks for the advice WW, that was kinda my idea too. I know a few creeks nearby where I\'ll start. See how they like getting their feet wet first. I suspect that is all they will have to cross where I\'m going. The goats have hiked a lot so, according to their owner, they shouldn\'t need to be tethered on the trail or at camp. I will probably tethered them under an awning inside camp at night to keep them close. From what I\'ve read this should deter any predators. But heck, I think it\'d be quite adventurous to have a bear or lion in camp! We\'ll see how it likes the taste of .357... \"He was coming right for me warden, can I keep it!?\" :p

I\'ll probably get the pack frames and panniers from NW pack goat supply, unless someone has other recommendations. Off topic but putting a saddle on a goat reminded me of this hilarious video for some reason:
<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM&feature=kp\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM&feature=kp</a><!-- m -->
Funniest thing I\'ve ever seen!!! Make sure to watch all 4.
 
GIT OUTTA HERE, LIL KITTY KAT!!-haha awesome videos!

I for one can\'t wait to try these goats out. Does anyone think that we could crouch behind a goat and use it as a moving blind/decoy? ;) The movie Jeremiah Johnson taught me that elk don\'t know how many legs a horse is supposed to have... do you think they are more knowledgeable about goats?? :mock:
 
\"Tenderfoot\" said:
Does anyone think that we could crouch behind a goat and use it as a moving blind/decoy? ;) The movie Jeremiah Johnson taught me that elk don\'t know how many legs a horse is supposed to have... do you think they are more knowledgeable about goats?? :mock:
Click to expand...

My buddy has done this with his goats on elk a few times, he said it worked pretty well !
 
The basic formula I have heard is one fourth of their body weight.

Most packers use wethers (neutered males) because they get bigger and have less stink and attitude. So a big goat could theoretically pack anywhere from 40 to 60 pounds of gear and/or meat.

Four wethers would get your bull out of the canyon easily, if it was boned out.
 
We have two brothers... they are about 200 lbs each and can carry 50 lbs. I will get some pictures up soon. They are a ton of fun to be around...lots of personality! :lol:
 
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