Idaho Spring Bear w Llama Advice

[Gooden123]

@GoatPackr haha I can't even remember what made me choose Island Park. Doesn't matter. I wasn't prepared in a lot of ways back then. I don't remember there being so much talk about grizz there 7-8 years ago. I'm sure they were abundant, but maybe not to the extent of people refusing to hunt there like today?

As for multiple trailhead options....that wasn't intended as alternative places if there's no action at the first one. They're in case I can't access one due to snow, too crowded, doesn't look like I expected, too high, too low. If I find an area that has the necessary ingredients, I'm not judging. I'm pretty knowledgeable about bears back east and spend a lot of time around them. My friend was also our state bear biologist so I even am pretty in tune with the science-y stuff too. Could have no relevance to bear hunting in Idaho, but a good background can't hurt!

Anyway, I'm going to shoot you a message instead of replying to multiple posts lol. You're obviously very knowledgeable and I think I planned on sending you a message anyway. Need to check my notes to see why exactly. Truly appreciate all your wisdom on this topic and others!

 

[khunter]

You will likely enjoy working with llamas. I sure did on an elk hunt when I rented a pair for a month.

Ask your outfitter how they perform in the dark in case you find yourself needing to travel in the dark. I had some trouble with that. We bought some llama letts for treats that they absolutely loved. We were thinking insurance incase we dropped the lead rope on one. They come right to you to get the pellets.

 

[Gooden123]

You will likely enjoy working with llamas. I sure did on an elk hunt when I rented a pair for a month.

Ask your outfitter how they perform in the dark in case you find yourself needing to travel in the dark. I had some trouble with that. We bought some llama letts for treats that they absolutely loved. We were thinking insurance incase we dropped the lead rope on one. They come right to you to get the pellets.

Sweet I'll watch that video when I get home from work. Thanks for the reminder on insurance too. That's something I've been meaning to look into. I saw somewhere that a well trained pack llama can go for $10-15k. Insurance is cheap and I'm sure there's some kind of per diem option for stock animals.

 

[khunter]

Sweet I'll watch that video when I get home from work. Thanks for the reminder on insurance too. That's something I've been meaning to look into. I saw somewhere that a well trained pack llama can go for $10-15k. Insurance is cheap and I'm sure there's some kind of per diem option for stock animals.

Yes on the insurance being a good idea as once a llama is loose it really may not ever come back to be caught is what our outfitter told us. But that is not what I really meant. I meant the treats were used and given to them with regularity since they loved them and in the hope if one got loose we might trick it into getting caught again. We never accidentally let one get loose and we were diligent to ensure that did not happen.

 

[jensenj71]

Did you figure out an Idaho spring bear hunt? I am getting into llamas this year and I spring bear hunt in Unit 23 between New Meadows and Riggins. I run some baits down low (5,000ft) and I spot and stock up high (6500ft). I mostly enjoy bear watching, however if a badass 7ft boar shows up.....it becomes a bear hunt.

I am just getting into llamas for spring bear and archery elk after renting llamas last year. I have a couple trail trained llamas and several more needing more trail time. Spring bear is going to be training for me and the llamas.

I can't PM you or reply yet because of the FNG rules. Let me know if you are still looking for something. I have an area accessible from private road that I have hunted for 5-6yrs. The bears are plentiful.

 

[Gooden123]

@jensenj71

To answer your question in RE: to llamas, I ultimately decided not to do it because I was anticipating some degree of snow at the time and didn't want to get myself jammed up in a situation with someone else's animals and trailer on a road I've never been on.

As for the hunt, now that I know snow isn't going to be factor, I'm scrambling on where to even go. All I know at this time is that I'll be landing in Spokane on 5/15 @ 1 p.m. and heading towards Riggins. Well equipped for anything.

I would love to take you up on your offer but obviously I'm stuck with the dates 5/15 - 5/23 (flight out of Spokane is 2:15 p.m. on 5/23). This is generally a bad idea on here due to scammers so I have to spell it out, my cell is: six zero nine-three eight one-three five nine four.

 

[jensenj71]

I am considering the Garmin radio collars for llamas. The collars are used on dogs for bird hunting and sometimes on hounds. The collar sends the GPS coordinates of the animal back to the handset using radio frequency. No cell signal involved. The collar will broadcast for 1wk if the animal gets loose.

The llamas you rent can make a big difference. Most folks renting Llamas want the Llamas to come back and they only rent out Llamas that are trail ready and newbie friendly.

Our first experience with llamas involved rented llamas on a 3 day trip in August. The two llamas road in the back of a short box pickup with a stock rack. We had no issues and we had zero experience with llamas. We did a training trip knowing we were going to have llamas for 10 days in October. Our second trip with rented llamas during elk October rifle went the same. It was like having a couple well trained dogs in camp. Packing out a bull 3 miles was easy-peasy.

The folks renting the llamas knew we were newbies and I am sure they assigned us rock solid animals. Once they know you have been around llamas they might send a less than perfect llama in the string, but they are going to walk you through the issue.

In the end, there are rock solid commercial packers and then there personal pack llamas. You should be perfectly fine with commercial packers assuming you follow the instructions given.

I see llamas as the key to the hunting I want to do. I want to spike camp 3-6 miles in from the trailhead. I want to be comfortable taking a bull elk in September when it is 75F and I am hunting alone. Even if I am hunting with friends, I don't want someone dumping an elk to require everyone to stop hunting for 2 days to get the meat out. Packing a bull out 5 miles slows down even the most well condition hunters. Having 3 or 4 llamas allows one person to walk out with all of the meat, rack and cape.