ScottAdams

This is a velvet photo of a buck I killed that scored 124. I'm thinking high 120's is a pretty good guess.

It's got that nice ripstop nylon that they use on ultralites and hang gliders. I don't think I have any holes in mine but only used it maybe 10 times max. I slept in it in a rainstorm ones without any leaks. That tipi stove will run you out of the tipi if you stoke it up good. I remember a backpack hunt with a buddy and my packgoats once. It was in the 20's outside and we were in the tipi with the stove going laying on top of our sleeping bags in our underwear. It must have been 85 in there. I honestly don't know if you can get 300 to 450 days of use out of it, that's a lot for any type of tent other than maybe a high quality canvas wall tent. I've been really happy with it and have no regrets on any of the Kifaru stuff I own. I've met Patrick Smith that owns Kifaru and the guy has a great mind and loves to build stuff that's light and durable. I actually bought Longhunter serial #9 back in the 90's. I wore that one out in about 10 years and they replaced it for free. they told me congratulations, you're the first one to ever wear out one of our packs. I understand they don't have a lifetime warranty now that will cover your average wear and tear. Packing out a boned out 123 inch buck with the Longhunter Packing out field dressed Coues bucks with the Longhunter. I hope this helps you out some.

Wow losing the '57 vette would break my heart. I hate thieves.

I have one of their Long Hunter packs, 4 man tipi and tipi stove. Each of my sons also have the Day Stalker packs. I love their gear. I've had my pack since the mid 90's and have never regretted buying it. The most comfortable pack I've ever carried.

Thank you for the great info Aaron, you saved me a phone call to you. I know you didn't have to come on here and explain your reasoning but I'm glad you did. Keep up the good work.

Great job boys!!! It don't look like you need my help anymore, you 're doing just fine on your own!!! Way to wack 'em and stack 'em!!

I love the Promaster tripod I got from Amanda! The carbon fiber is definitely the way to go. I glassed from it on two hunts and we made a 454 yard shot off of it to boot. Very sturdy, lightweight, and just plain handsome! Once you hold it in your hands you'll have to have it!

Did you even see this buck Tommy? That's a very nice Coues buck.

Here's a few more photos I dug up.

Post it when you get back Tony. I'd like to read it again.

Ok, You might have to help me convince Ronda.

Here's a writeup I did about 8 years ago on packgoats and a some photos from days gone by. "Excuse me, but did you say "Packgoats"?" I slowly worked my way up the trail toward the switchback. Upon arriving, I stopped and looked down the trail behind me. There, coming steadily up the trail in single file were 3 goats loaded down with saddles and panniers. I was on a seven-mile hunting trip into a remote area of SE Arizona. My personal pack weighed in at about 20 lbs. The goats were hauling the rest, Kifaru tipi, sleeping bag, sleeping pads, stove, food, water, tripods, binoculars, coffee pot, folding chair, lantern, etc. Anytime I mention packgoats someone invariably asks; “Did you say pack goats?” Goats have actually been used as beasts of burden for thousands of years, and I’ve been told that in places such as Nepal and Tibet they are still used as such. The domestic goat is about as close to the dog, mans-best-friend, as you can get. They bond to you much in the same way a dog does. Goats are not hard to deal with, especially in comparison to traditional pack animals (i.e. horses, mules). They are small enough that one can "control" them. They have a low impact on the environment, even their tracks and droppings are difficult to tell from the native wildlife. They don't take any special training, and the first time you strap a saddle to them they seem to take to it like a duck to water. I'll load anywhere from 20 to 50 lbs. per goat, depending on the terrain I'll be hiking. They will haul about 25% of their body weight (my three goats all weigh around 200 lbs). Goats don’t require any special feed. I feed mine the “stemmy” type hay that horses don’t care for. I don’t use a trailer to haul them; they just ride in the back of the truck and do just fine. When on a pack trip I don't haul feed or water for the goats. They browse on whatever is available although I may carry them a snack or two. I’ve read that when out hiking a goat's body will shift into a "desert" mode and their bodies will actually recycle their urine. I've never been out more than two nights at a time so far, but have yet to have a goat take more than a sip when on a hike even when I tried to water them. I've read where they can go up to 3 days without drinking depending on the moisture content of their feed. Most of my equipment is homemade. I was given one saddle and two sets of panniers. From that a friend of mine built 9 saddles with pannier sets for all of them. You can buy commercial cross-buck saddles and panniers. A typical equipment setup will run about $150-$250 per goat. What kind of goat should you use for packing? I would avoid the Nubians. While they are personable, they usually don’t make real good packers. But just about any goat will pack including the pygmies. Of course you will want a big strong goat for packing. I have 5 goats and 3 are good packers. The other 2 are really pets, they didn't cut it, and although they will pack they tend to tire easily. Of my three good packers two are LaMancha crosses and one of those is a LaMancha/Sannen cross. My best packer as far as strength, stamina and overall muscle conformation, is a Boer crossed with some Spanish mixture. He's a really strong good-looking goat and a tireless packer. I will be looking for some more of the Boer crosses for my next generation of packers. Goats do well on extended hikes but it does depend on the terrain, weight of the load and the physical condition of the goat. You can't let a goat sit in a corral for six months and then strap a pack to him and expect him to perform like a champ on a 5 or 6 mile hike. They do require some conditioning. I keep my goats over at a friend’s place. He fenced in a cliff behind his house and the goats climb around on the rocks and stay in fair shape although they are a little on the heavy side. I've had my goats on a few long hikes. On the longest we went 7 miles in, hunted deer for 2 days and then hiked 7 miles out. Each goat had about 25 lbs. The goats were tired but they did well. As for handling steep, rocky terrain where no trails exist? That's where the packgoat really excels! Goats are mountain animals and handle the rocks and steepness better than I do with a loaded pack. Several months ago I took the goats on a brutally steep and rough overnight hike. In one area I had to use both hands to climb up a steep slope; the goats with saddles and loaded panniers just dug in bounded up the hill like bighorn sheep, nearly running me over in the process! Rockslides don't seem to bother them a bit, and in areas with big boulders, they just bounce from one to the next. As a general rule if you can hike there with a pack on, so can they. Neutered billies, called wethers, are the preferred sex and with a little searching one should be able to find a mature wether. There are some outfits that specifically breed for packers. I purchased all my goats very young and didn’t pay more than $50 for any of them. One of my better packers was actually given to me and my best packer was purchased for $35. At three years of age the goats can carry full loads and are good for another 8 years or so. An Internet search for “packgoat” will bring up several websites where you can get more information on goats and supplies. As I continue to age it seems the packs get a little heavier and the trails a little longer and steeper. I’m just now starting to feel the effects of years of hunting and hiking on my back and knees. The packgoats are certainly a welcome addition to my "hunting gear", and the more weight the goats carry the less I have to carry. It makes for a much more enjoyable outing, which after all is the real reason we spend time in the outdoors to begin with. Training the young ones. This goat pictured below was my best packer. He was a mixture of Boer and I don't know what else. He was a real beast on the trail. I do have leadropes that I used but they will just naturally follow you without having to be led. I would tie them off at camp and when I would glass. I have soft paniers with plastic inserts (Trash cans). Packgoats.doc

I'm not sure what a 4 door hardtop would go for. My guess is between $1500 and $3000.

I had goats for about 8 years. I got rid of them about 4 years ago when I started building my house and didn't have time to properly take care of them. They were pretty handy to have. They did really well on the trail and were a lot of fun to hike with. I could walk right up on deer with them. The deer would really stare hard at them and didn't seem spooked by me. I got mine from some folks in Demming, NM. You can get goats pretty cheap when they're young but they don't get really strong until they 4 or 5 years old. I used only wethers with horns except one LaMancha that had been polled before I got him. There was a place outside of Tucson that had some LaManchas. I prefered the Boer crosses. Those Boers are stout but short-legged, when crossed with a longer legged goat I got some really good goats. I don't have any photos on this computer but I'll post some tomorrow. Amanda I might have to get some more goats, I still have the crossbuck saddles and paniers.

Is it a 2 door hardtop or convertible?

Try giving a Jim a call. http://www.22reperformance.com/22RE%20Performance%20-%20Rebuilt%20Engines.html

I recently pulled these from a couple of cams above the house.

We never were able to find him. I suspect ole Kong is still roaming those hills. I haven't had a camera in there in quite some time.

This giant smoke plume was visible from the house this afternoon. The fire is probably 25+ miles from the house.

Yes that's the one.

I've used Deer Co Caine Black Magic with some good success. Mix it into the dirt for Coues deer. It works best during the horn growing season.

In unit 27 G&F dropped 175 tags off the November hunt and added the 25 December tags. I'm really excited about this hunt. I certainly don't think 25 tags in Dec. is going to put much of a dent in the 27 mule deer herd. Not all 25 tags will fill and a few will bust younger bucks for one reason or another. My sons and I see some really big bucks in December although the rut in my area really doesn't kick in high gear until January. I'm glad they're offering this hunt and I'm sure it will be a big hit with hunters.

Amazing!!

Thanks for all the nice birthday wishes. I had a great birthday just tinkering around the house and setting up my new air compressor.

Great story!!