Post by Lady FeatherScribe on Jan 26, 2013 0:37:53 GMT -6
This thread may help us get to know each other a little better and to see who shares what hobbies and interests. State what hobby or activity you are currently involved with or are having fun with.
_______________________________________________________
Recently I discovered a new hobby/way to hike up mountains and do back packing trips. "Pack Goats!"
Some people will use goats instead of horses or mules to carry the camping gear. (since it can be hard for some horses and other equines to climb rugged mountains, they can't eat enough trail side vegetation like the goats and they are not completely "eco friendly" with their large dung piles and pulling up plants by the root systems, which pretty much slowly destroys the landscape of the forest and mountains via equines. While the "greener" goat only leaves small deer like scat, eats the noxious weeds and woody brush instead of the tender grass, which frees up the plants that find it harder to grow with so much weed and brush surrounding them.)
They are so cute!
Packing Goats was a new mode of transportation invented in the later 70's by a naturalist who needed to keep up with big horned sheep to study them. And his back yard goat "Weathervane" ended up as the Naturalist's mountain climbing companion. Since the guy (John Mionczynski) couldn't carry everything on his back up the mountains with out breaking his spine he was able to share the load with Weathervane who took to carrying the gear with ease up the craggy mountains. Now there is a movement of people who are beginning to follow this interesting hobby and have found goats to be even more preferred and versatile than packing llamas. Especially because the goats are so much more friendly and more eager to climb with their people than other pack animals. It is even said that a few pack goats will sneak up on their sleeping humans and snuggle up to them when in camp.
*heart melting*
If raised and treated right goats are pretty much the vegetarian dog. A super companion with a heart of gold and the sweetest disposition and plenty of playful spunk. (they come when their name is called, and can perform many of the same tricks and obedience abilities that dogs can perform. Who knew?) And when the owners are educated on goats properly and are able to raise the kids right and train them properly, the goats are actually happy and eager to go on hiking trips with their humans. No leads needed. They will follow their human wherever they go.
So, needless to say, after I did quite a bit of research and have traveled to meet some pack goat-ers in person and see the goats face to face ... I am hooked. I do not have any goats yet nor even my own house to keep them at, but when I am all prepared and ready, I shall have my vegetarian, hiking enthusiast companions to love on and go adventuring with.
((a dull voiced beginning fo a documentry))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCztZC0rRZc
((videos of super cute kids))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=78PHmeuNTQc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8dZzw8_Y3I
((pack goats at play/leisure))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Q3G6YdqYE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8bkizPZjkA (I feel like this girl after discovering how awesome goats are.)
Anyway, too much videos. I watch goat videos instead of cat videos now lol.
_______________________________________________________
Recently I discovered a new hobby/way to hike up mountains and do back packing trips. "Pack Goats!"
Some people will use goats instead of horses or mules to carry the camping gear. (since it can be hard for some horses and other equines to climb rugged mountains, they can't eat enough trail side vegetation like the goats and they are not completely "eco friendly" with their large dung piles and pulling up plants by the root systems, which pretty much slowly destroys the landscape of the forest and mountains via equines. While the "greener" goat only leaves small deer like scat, eats the noxious weeds and woody brush instead of the tender grass, which frees up the plants that find it harder to grow with so much weed and brush surrounding them.)
They are so cute!
Packing Goats was a new mode of transportation invented in the later 70's by a naturalist who needed to keep up with big horned sheep to study them. And his back yard goat "Weathervane" ended up as the Naturalist's mountain climbing companion. Since the guy (John Mionczynski) couldn't carry everything on his back up the mountains with out breaking his spine he was able to share the load with Weathervane who took to carrying the gear with ease up the craggy mountains. Now there is a movement of people who are beginning to follow this interesting hobby and have found goats to be even more preferred and versatile than packing llamas. Especially because the goats are so much more friendly and more eager to climb with their people than other pack animals. It is even said that a few pack goats will sneak up on their sleeping humans and snuggle up to them when in camp.
*heart melting*
If raised and treated right goats are pretty much the vegetarian dog. A super companion with a heart of gold and the sweetest disposition and plenty of playful spunk. (they come when their name is called, and can perform many of the same tricks and obedience abilities that dogs can perform. Who knew?) And when the owners are educated on goats properly and are able to raise the kids right and train them properly, the goats are actually happy and eager to go on hiking trips with their humans. No leads needed. They will follow their human wherever they go.
So, needless to say, after I did quite a bit of research and have traveled to meet some pack goat-ers in person and see the goats face to face ... I am hooked. I do not have any goats yet nor even my own house to keep them at, but when I am all prepared and ready, I shall have my vegetarian, hiking enthusiast companions to love on and go adventuring with.
((a dull voiced beginning fo a documentry))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCztZC0rRZc
((videos of super cute kids))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=78PHmeuNTQc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8dZzw8_Y3I
((pack goats at play/leisure))
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Q3G6YdqYE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8bkizPZjkA (I feel like this girl after discovering how awesome goats are.)
Anyway, too much videos. I watch goat videos instead of cat videos now lol.
