Dear Shepherdess,
When you think of a hunting companion, a goat probably isn’t the first animal that comes to mind. But for my partner and me, our goat Gavin is the perfect adventure buddy. It all began when we stumbled across a YouTube video of a guy in the United States using a line of more than ten goats to pack gear deep into the backcountry for elk hunting. These goats carried everything – 20–30 kilograms each, depending on their size – and they followed him in a neat line without ropes or leads. Intrigued, we did more research and learned how versatile an trainable goats can be. So, I said to my partner, “Let’s get a goat and try this ourselves.” The idea of having a goat to help carry supplies into the mountains or meat out of the bush sounded incredible. My partner just smiled and said, “If anyone can do it, Alesha, it’s you.”
I’ve always had a knack for getting animals to bond with me, so we dove into research and eventually found the right breed on Trade Me. That’s how Gavin entered our lives – a tiny baby kid who still needed bottle feeding. From the start, we made sure he was comfortable around hunting gear. On one of his first outings, we took him along while sighting in the rifle. While I bottle-fed him, my partner let off shots and Gavin didn’t even flinch.
As Gavin grew, we started taking him on short walks – down the beach, through the bush and alongside our dogs. He followed us everywhere. Gradually, the walks got longer, and soon enough he was coming along on our hunting trips. Gavin loves exploring new places and being part of the adventure. He always stays close, walking just behind the person with the rifle, never darting ahead. Occasionally, he’ll nibble on some crunchy leaves or bush along the way, but he quickly catches up – he hates being left behind.
Now that Gavin is about a year and-a-half old, he’s ready to start carrying a pack. In New Zealand, pack goats aren’t really a thing, so getting a saddle shipped from the United States was incredibly expensive. Luckily, a goat-pack maker from the States shared his sewing plans with us, and we got to work making one ourselves. The result turned out even better than we expected, and now we’re focused on training Gavin to carry light loads.
One surprising benefit of hunting with Gavin is how the deer react to him. They don’t spook the same way they do when they see people. Instead, they seem confused by this happy goat munching away on snacks. That extra moment of hesitation often gives us a better chance to line up a shot. But honestly, the best part of hunting with Gavin is the pure joy he brings to the experience. Watching him live his best life – exploring, snacking and following us on the trail – makes every trip more memorable.
Alesha Tomasi
@alesha_tomasi
Hokitika, Te Tai Poutini West Coast
This letter appeared in our Ngahuru Autumn 2025 Edition.
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