Introducing African Game in the US

[Will Bison]

OK gang, I have some questions. I live in Storey County, Nevada.  We have a Wild Horse population of about 1,000 - 1,200 horses. We have a major problem with "noxious weeds", not noxious in the sense that they are poisonous but that they take over in wetland areas. Fire control and weed control are my issues. The Horses are great about eating some of the grass but they won't eat the ladder fuels/weeds.

I want to introduce some species that keep our ladder fuels at bay, eat some of the "noxious weeds" and not try to migrate out of the area.

I'd also like to introduce some special hunts if/when the animal over populates.

Ideas please.

Bill

[Beers]

Well.... um. Hm. Have you taken a look at the history of introduced species? The european starling, jack rabbit, nutria and the gypsy moth come to mind...  Not that I'd mind being able to hunt kudu without blowing my kids' college fund. 

Aside from that, I'm pretty sure you'd have to go pretty high up the totem pole to get clearance to do that sorta thing...

(before anyone points it out, the history of introduced species has quite a few more success stories than it does failures, it's just that trial and error is a hell of a way to figure that kind of thing out.)

[Don Fischer]

Have you tried goat's?

[JJHACK]

Goats like my pack stock will eat anything and are originally desert dwelling animals. They will eliminate anything regardless of thorn content. However not much for hunting or eating

[Will Bison]

I'M just exploring potential questions from the general population.

This is new territory for  me, I'm looking at solutions, not new problems.

[Graybeard]

I have absolutely no clue which animals will or will not eat the grasses you want to be rid of. But one I think would go over well and isn't commonly available in TX is the impala I'm guessing it could do well. The one thing I'm not so sure about is your winters there and how well the game might survive it. Do you often have really cold winters and heavy snow cover? If so you should try to find animals that are adapted to that rather than hoping desert game can deal with it.

NM has aoudad, gemsbok and Ibex, they do well there and in west TX. How closely does your area compare? I'm sure those plus impala would go well with hunters if they are suited to your area.

[Siskiyou]

https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/Management/Fire_Goats.htm

http://www.luresext.edu/goats/training/vegetation.pdf

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040416/news_1n16goats.html

EXOTIC & WILDLIFE:  Call the Nevada Department of Agriculture for health entry requirements: (775 688-1180, extension 230) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (775 688-1500) for importation permit requirements


A lot of people would make you think that the goat was invented a few years ago, but it is like an old wheel that keeps on turning and when it gets to the top somebody thinks they found something new.  I say that because some people would tell you that it is a new idea, but it has been around for many years. 

A friend of mine you is now a retired was a Fire Management Officer who bought five acres on the Westside of the Serria.  The property was fenced in and was covered with heavy vegetation.  There was some pines, a lot of poison oak, and impenetrable Black Berry bushes.  A lot of the property was on a steep slope and he was looking for an easy way to reduce the fuel loading and protect his home.  He bought a couple of domestic goats at a low price and put them out to pasture.  The goats did a great job for him.  Another friend has tried the goats with success but fencing became a critical issue.  His goats did not care about who property they were on.  Another issue came in the character of a mountain lion.  He needed to put them in a lion proof shelter at night.  One night his son for got to put the goats up, and the next morning they were short a couple.  A pasture fence will not keep a lion out.

When you import non-domestic critters you run into all kinds of problems and State Wildlife agencies do not like them.

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/gtrs.shtml
GTR-59
Using Goats to Control Brush Regrowth on Fuelbreaks (front matter) [PDF, 4.4 MB]
Lisle R. Green, Leonard A. Newell



I recall a couple location years back where people moved out and left there free-ranging goats behind because they could not catch them.  One was near the confluence of the Shasta River and Klamath rivers.  Remember seeing the goats up in the rocks.  I heard that they were hunted out, as unwelcome guest.

[Will Bison]

I thank all of you for the comments.

Looks like I must come up with some new ideas.

[bja105]

Sounds like a great idea!  You could cross breed some African bees with honey bees, and release them....wait, someone already did that.

Seriously, import some wildebeasts and zebra's to eat the grass.  If they get out of control, just bring over a few lions, leopards, cheetah, and crocodiles.  If any die, we'll go fetch some hyenas, jackals, and vultures.  If the predators get ahead of the wildebeasts and zebra, we'll go back and get some Tommys, impalas, cape buffalo, elephant, and kudu.  If we get enough game, we can bring in some people to eat them.  If the people get out of hand, back to Africa for a bit of AIDS, Ebola, Malaria, sleeping sickness, famine, and war.

Sounds easy enough to me!

[shotgun31]

I've lived in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, for the past 3 years and they have hundreds of african goats (the little brown goats) all over here.  I can attest that they are masters at keeping the weeds down and eat almost anything.  I wish I'd known about goats and what they do when I was growing up on the farm.  We'd have put them in the grove to take care of the weeds and undergrowth.

There aren't any zoning restrictions concerning goats in Jamaica, so you have expensive houses in residental neighborhoods that have a herd of goats in the yard.  The locals let their goats out running loose at sunup and the goats go running down the residental streets toward their favorite forage areas.  At sundown, the goats come back to their yards, this big movement of goats walking back to their home yards.   

They seem to be relatively intelligent animals, but I haven't had any discussions with them.   

There's wild goats too and the locals hunt them. 

Curried goat is popular, almost the national dish here in Jamaica, and I got to tell you it's delicious--I was sceptical when I was first exposed to it;  but curried goat is really good.    Let me know when you need to reduce your goat population, and I'll be right out, I tell ya!

I expect a mountain lion would enjoy your goats too.
JMHO
Shotgunman   

[Will Bison]

We got a fix on our critters, Mountain Goats. The first herd was just released. I take no credit in the project. I was hoping for some really cool African critters but these Goats seem to be working well. I have not spotted the herd yet but have seen the work they do cleaning up ladder fuel.

Between wild horses and the goats I bet we reduce our fire problem by twenty percent in the next few years.

[Siskiyou]

After watching the hot burn fire out of Reno the other day on TV it looks like first season in the West is two months early.  I share your concerns.

[silver surfer]

I have a little place in Mississippi that I use goats to control the vegetation's growth.  They are masters at keeping the place cleaned up.  Over the years I've experimented with different breeds to milk, eat, graze down grass, what have you, and I think they are one of the most economical and eco-friendly lawn mowers ever made.  I have a small barn that they sleep in at night and every few weeks I'll clean out the manure and use it for compost.  Let me tell you that is some serious fertilizer!   My vegetable garden absolutely loves the stuff.  I grow a wild garlic that will knock your tounge out, potatoes do extremely well too.  I know soil and rain also play a part but the venerable goat is a key player.
  As a food source they are really good.  Of course age, sex, and quality of forage all play a part, but as a whole they are every bit the equal of white tailed deer.  As a curry or stew they are well complimented with a Hot Madras curry powder, or even a spicy Panang during the cold months.  I would whole heartily recommend these eco-friendly epiqurian delights for any overgrown areas.  They also make cute pets.  Just dont let your kids know what their eating , trust me on that .