Elk hunting in Wyoming

[Muleburger]

My son and I have general Wyoming elk tags. My son has a cow tag. I have e scouted the unit quite a bit near Bondurant WY. I like what I see in terms of good habitat for elk and reasonable accessibility. I like the option to get a ways away from roads to have less pressure, and it seems to have plenty of that.
I have a local guy that is willing to help us pack out elk meat if we kill elk way off the beaten path. I’m also wrestling with the idea of renting llamas, but I’ve never done that before. Any thoughts?

 

[Indian Summer]

I’d rather have horses than llamas. They get a lot more done with less of an attitude.

If I had a guy willing to pack my elk, I would still like to have horses to use while hunting. It’s a game changer. But if I had no experience with livestock at all, I would hunt on foot andlet the guy pack my elk.

 

[Muleburger]

Yeah…. I’ve ridden horses some, but it would be above my skill level to take horses.

 

[Indian Summer]

FYI llamas are not like dogs. I’ve come across several hunters who were spending their hunting time looking for runaway llamas along forest service roads. You still need to know a thing or two about livestock. Some of which is critter psychology. Is the guy with the horses nearby and reliable? If so, he would be my plan A. I might go one step further and see if he would pack me in with some spike camp gear to a higher elevation. Take just enough stuff that you can get it all out in one trip with a big external frame backpack or similar.

 

[Muleburger]

he has horses and seems reliable.
He does offer drop camps too, but I have experience hiking for several days in backcountry. That shouldn’t be a problem for me. Mainly I’m interested in having help getting elk meat out.
I’ve just seen a lot of guys on hunting shows using llamas and I’ve talked to some guys who have used them and liked them. But sounds like they might not be as good as advertised.

 

[wyodan]

I’ve had llamas, donkeys, and now I’m up to mules. While I don’t in particularly want to run into some llamas while I’m out riding, they are probably the easiest to grab and go. Just remember to never let them go or you will be chasing them for the rest of your hunt.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’ve had llamas, donkeys, and now I’m up to mules. While I don’t in particularly want to run into some llamas while I’m out riding, they are probably the easiest to grab and go. Just remember to never let them go or you will be chasing them for the rest of your hunt.

Exactly. Just like you would do with Horses wear a good pair of leather gloves so you can hang onto that lead rope if you end up in a tug of war. And know how to tie a quick release, not at a hitch reel or around a tree. One that will last all day while you’re out hunting, but you can yank loose pretty quick if you need to separate the tree and the lawn off for any reason. Some people are afraid of livestock. They’re not out to hurt you really but they are their own worst enemy.

 

[elkocd]

LLamas are easy. I've used them a bunch. I don't take them out hunting. They stay at camp staked and are there for packing in and out. Super low maintance and can go places that only mt goats might go. They have toed feet not hooves. If you have good trained LLamas you're not going to have tug of wars or need gloves.

With that said, now that live I around Cody I'm spending all summer and the next year getting trained with horses so someday I can use them to pack. Mostly because LLamas are expensive to rent and I'd rather just be able to use a horse or mule to pack as needed and not really to hunt with.

 

[wytx]

Sounds like the guy is licensed to pack in and out hunters?
If he says he does drop camps check into if he is legal. No sense in getting yourself in trouble using an unlicensed outfitter.

Never used lamas but horses can be quite useful especially if he will be taking care of them while in the field.

Hopefully you and the son have a great hunt, best of luck. Allow some extra travel days when you come out, just in case of road closures.

 

[Muleburger]

Short of checking with the Wyoming state board to see if he is licensed. He has a website and was recommended to me by another retired outfitter.
Yeah the llamas are a bit expensive to rent. The pack out help isn’t cheap either. But I would pay either amount to get help if I kill an elk in a tough spot. We will prob just go with the outfitter option. My only worry is that if he gets too busy with guiding, he could potentially say he can’t do it. I guess we would just have to do the hard work ourselves.

 

[Indian Summer]

Unless you have a contract and a deposit with an outfitter, I would not recommend counting on him to get an elk out in a timely manner. Picture yourself on the side of a mountain with an elk cut up into pieces. How long do you want to wait until that elk is at the truck? Basically you should get it out that day or early the next day. Outfitters are running around like mad, dealing with clients and livestock during hunting season.

 

[TaperPin]

When friends start talking about borrowing or renting horses and they aren’t horse people I tell the story of a few summers back when another friend was along for a summer pack trip with his kids and their friends. A tight steep section of trail with a lot of blow down on the steep downhill side, something spooked a horse that was over the ability of its handler. Long story short the horse had a rodeo going down hill off the trail and got itself stuck in the blowdown in really steep section. The kids were so far in over their head all they could do was stare at the horse, unsure what to do, so my friend went down to sort it out. A freaked out horse with little experience in the timber is dangerous for itself and whoever is getting it up the hill. Before long my buddy had the tough job of explaining to the girl that owned it, the horse isn’t going to make it back up and they put it down.

Like Indian Summer said, they are their worst enemy.

Of course guys have borrowed unfamiliar horses and had great times with no problems and you probably wouldn’t either. But you become the first responder and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

I’ve hunted an area around Bondurant that took its toll on a couple of rental pack horses over the years. They make great bear bait.

The weather there is great - one of my favorite parts of the state and not a lot of bears.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Lots or elk
Just cover country around there and don't waste time if you aren't seeing sign because there is a shit ton of elk in western WY

 

[Indian Summer]

I’ve hunted west of Bondurant using lease horses. Over the years I have rolled several over the hill. They were pack horses. Sometimes after the chit hits the fan they won’t go any direction except back down. Horses have their limits too. One place I ride to is so steep I can’t take horses up there two days in a row. Knock on wood I’ve never had one die on me. But if you saw some of the wrecks you’d think it was a miracle they survived. All it takes is one pointy branch on the side of a dead fall sticking out in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing new to me though. I am as cool as a cucumber as I drop the loads and saddles and put everything back together. But it definitely takes some horse psychology to get them to stand still and settle down and trust you.

There is a big trust factor when it comes to spending extended time with an animal. Not only will you get to know them but they will get to know you. Faster than you think. If you are a calm person, they will stay calm. If you are the type to panic, they are more likely to come unglued themselves.

They have a sense of humor too. If they figure out that you’re scared flatlander, they will take advantage of that. They will yank the reins out of your hands and take a bite of grass every three or four steps and laugh at you.

I love jumping on new horses every year and bonding with them. It’s a big part of the enjoyment factor for me. They get me where I need to be on time without being all sweaty and I spoil them rotten. But if they step out of line, I let them know about it immediately. Once they figure that out things are pretty peachy.

 

[Muleburger]

Great comments. Thanks for responding. We will just have to stay realistic about pursuing elk that we might have to pack out ourselves.
I do, however, kind of want to try llamas at some point.. It might end up being a mistake, but I’ve heard a lot of good things… and just a few bad things about them.

 

[wyosteve]

Just my .02, but if you want to try llamas, I'd suggest renting them and do a summer pack/camping trip to familiarize yourself with livestock and packing without the pressure of hunting along with it.

 

[bevance]

Pack llamas are stupid easy to use if you have any common sense to yourself (not much of that these days however). You have to get them from reputable renters. Just never let go of the lead rope or make sure they are always staked and they won’t get away. I think people who have bad experiences with them either a. Don’t have common sense themselves or b. Rented them from the wrong people.

My dad and I rented 4 from Beau Baty a few years back, and the only issue we ever had with them is getting them in the right order on a heavy packout. Lead llama didn’t like the one behind him and was spitting. So my dad and I split them up and went 2 and 2 and had no problems after that. Other than that they were incredible. We would have never been able to get as far back in as we were and hunt like we did without them.

I would take them 10/10 over horses every time. And that is no knock to horses, they have their place. Just as someone who has 0 horse experience other than riding maybe twice in my life, llamas are a lot more realistic to use for a hunt.

 

[cbuck516]

Any animal is going to be extra work for you to handle on your trip and distract you from the hunt. I have hunted around Bondurant for the past 4 seasons and don’t think a pack animal is necessary in many spots, but they are very helpful in some. Having a packer on speed dial is a good plan, but I would not personally plan on taking animals in under most scenarios.

 

[Indian Summer]

Bevance that’s some good advice. Common sense is definitely the most important thing. And also the ability to stay calm in shaky situations. People who panic shouldn’t take livestock into the mountains.

Anybody can learn how to use llamas or horses if they invest a little time. The first time you drove, you probably started in a parking lot before you went out on the open road. Likewise hunting in the mountains is no place to learn how to use livestock. If you’re going to do that, you should find somewhere near where you live and gain at least a little bit of knowledge and hands on experience about it. Learn how to tie a few knots as well as some fundamental dos and don'ts.

Spitting is one thing that bothers me about llamas. If I feed you and water you and make sure you’re safe and you spit on me, we are going to have a problem. Well… you are anyway.

Llamas can typically carry about 60 to 80 pounds. And to my knowledge, you can’t ride them. Horses can carry 80 pounds per side. Or me. I like that. I have a set of riding saddle panniers. When I’m hunting, I’ll pull a single pack horse behind me. More often than not I’m heading uphill. If I kill an elk, I can throw those panniers on my riding horse load my elk and hike downhill back to camp. It sure is nice to ride up the mountain in the morning without getting beat up or sweaty and have your entire elk back in base camp the same day. If I’m going to pay for animals and get up early every day and to bed a little later because I’m taking care of them they better justify the cost and effort. I’ll be damned if I’m going to hike up the mountain every morning on foot getting sweat soaked with my animals hot on my heels. They wouldn’t be worth the trouble to me.

 

[yfarm]

There is a notice posted at the Wetterhorn Basin trailhead in Colorado: Lost Llamas, if you see call #. Two took off with all camping gear.
I’m glassing a high alpine meadow about 13k and see a brown and white animal, initial thought was cow then realized it was a llama without pack. Texted the owner on my InReach. Could still be there.