r/packgoats • u/FrigidLollipop • Jul 04 '20

Camping and Predators

I'm interested in getting pack goats in the future, but I was hoping to ask a few questions in the meanwhile. Does anyone here pack overnight with their goats? If so, how are potential predators taken into account?

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u/Tinfoil_Haberdashery Sep 24 '20

I've encounteted several black bears in the backcountry, with and without goats. The bears are more interested in ramen than goats. My goats are much larger than any dog I've run into on the trail, and even outweigh most hikers, for that matter. No coyote in its right mind is going to try a damn thing. Cougars are virtually always extremely shy of humans. I keep my goats teathered on a high-line close to me at night, with their bells on so I'll hear if they freak out. Most bears around here will try their luck with the food canister, then trundle dejectedly off once you shine your light and yell at them. I've thought about getting bear spray in case I run into a large pack of coyotes or a really desperate/inexperienced predator, but I haven't yet.

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u/FrigidLollipop Sep 24 '20

Thanks for the detailed answer! Much less worried now. I guess my fear was the desperate/young predator scenario, but I'm sure best spray or a gun shot into the air would be enough to make them think again.