Llamas and predators

Curious if anyone has heard of it happening too. Im renting some for my elk hunt this year for the first time
 
I did a week-long archery hunt with my son several years ago in an area in the Sawtooths known to have a substantial wolf population. We left the animals tied up in camp with access to food and water and were virtually away from them from daylight to dark for several days before we needed them to pack a bull. We never had a problem with predators.

As a side note, years before that we came upon a llama packer in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and had two German shorthairs with us. The dogs were well behaved and were previously running around off-leash. When we saw this guy with his llamas, we got off the trail on the uphill side and held the dogs' collars until the packer got to us. We had a nice conversation with him and talked about llama packing for ten minutes or so. We were intrigued by the llamas and we asked the packer if the llamas were alright around dogs. He said they'd be fine and he invited us to put hands on the llamas and get an appreciation for them, which we did. In retrospect, I kind of sensed something wasn't right because one of the llamas was watching our older shorthair like a hawk. The dog was a really gentle and calm old girl (like 10 or so at the time). As soon as that dog got within striking distance, a different llama kicked that dog in the head with a front foot strike that reminded me of a pro boxer's jab. Knocked the dog cold as a cucumber and my son and I through she was dead. I said something to the packer like, "I thought you said your llamas were alright with dogs." to which he (correctly) responded, "You asked if they were alright with dogs - you didn't ask if you're dogs would be alright with them." I was not happy or pleased - I though he had an obligation to tell us if the llamas were going to harm a dog. It all ended well when the dog came to in a minute or two. I let the packer know, however, that if that dog had died, he and I would both have spilled blood on that trail.

Moral of the old-guy story: llamas are formidable adversaries to canids. I'm fairly convinced a llama could fend off a single wolf - not more than one, however. A lion or bear could likely kill one, but they are impressive when they decide to strike.
 
Last edited:
Curious if anyone has heard of it happening too. Im renting some for my elk hunt this year for the first time.
 
7mm-08 said:
I did a week-long archery hunt with my son several years ago in an area in the Sawtooths known to have a substantial wolf population. We left the animals tied up in camp with access to food and water and were virtually away from them from daylight to dark for several days before we needed them to pack a bull. We never had a problem with predators.

As a side note, years before that we came upon a llama packer in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and had two German shorthairs with us. The dogs were well behaved and were previously running around off-leash. When we saw this guy with his llamas, we got off the trail on the uphill side and held the dogs' collars until the packer got to us. We had a nice conversation with him and talked about llama packing for ten minutes or so. We were intrigued by the llamas and we asked the packer if the llamas were alright around dogs. He said they'd be fine and he invited us to put hands on the llamas and get an appreciation for them, which we did. In retrospect, I kind of sensed something wasn't right because one of the llamas was watching our older shorthair like a hawk. The dog was a really gentle and calm old girl (like 10 or so at the time). As soon as that dog got within striking distance, a different llama kicked that dog in the head with a front foot strike that reminded me of a pro boxer's jab. Knocked the dog cold as a cucumber and my son and I through she was dead. I said something to the packer like, "I thought you said your llamas were alright with dogs." to which he (correctly) responded, "You asked if they were alright with dogs - you didn't ask if you're dogs would be alright with them." I was not happy or pleased - I though he had an obligation to tell us if the llamas were going to harm a dog. It all ended well when the dog came to in a minute or two. I let the packer know, however, that if that dog had died, he and I would both have spilled blood on that trail.

Moral of the old-guy story: llamas are formidable adversaries to canids. I'm fairly convinced a llama could fend off a single wolf - not more than one, however. A lion or bear could likely kill one, but they are impressive when they decide to strike.
Click to expand...
Im well aware of their behavior with dogs so that makes sense that happened unfortunately. The people im renting from said absolutely no dogs can come along on the trip. My friend has a few and they did not like my big black german shepherd one bit, the feeling was mutual for sure!

Im just hoping i dont leave them unattended and some predator attacks them as I'm sure I'd be on the hook for the llamas financially, plus thats just a shitty situation all around that I'd feel bad about personally
 
Bringing 4 of them into the most grizzly and wolf infested drainage in Wyoming this September. I'll report back.

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Excited for this thread!! I have BIG llama plans in my future when we move out to the farm.


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I had a llama for 14 years. He would be annoyed by a strange horse but my dogs chased his ass whenever they felt like it. Quite variable reaction from llamas.
 
I've never had a llama attacked, but one time (not at band camp), my llama started making it's alarm call so I streaked out of the tent with pistol and headlamp to see a black bear sitting on his butt about 30 yards from said llama sizing her up. That was almost 10 years ago.
Now this fall, I had gone just a little ways off of an established trail, tied off my two llamas to two different deadfall and went ahead to look for a level-ish spot to setup camp for the evening. I then proceeded to get into elk and came back for my llamas after dark. While i was still a ways off I shined my light up ahead and saw 3 sets of eyes staring back at me where my 2 llamas were. As i got closer I could tell the third set was further away. Going past the llamas to investigate revealed a mountain lion crouched down watching my llamas. The next morning, I rangefound the spot at 60yds from the llamas.
Knock on wood, still no Llama blood has been shed on any of my trips.
 
7mm-08 said:
I did a week-long archery hunt with my son several years ago in an area in the Sawtooths known to have a substantial wolf population. We left the animals tied up in camp with access to food and water and were virtually away from them from daylight to dark for several days before we needed them to pack a bull. We never had a problem with predators.

As a side note, years before that we came upon a llama packer in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and had two German shorthairs with us. The dogs were well behaved and were previously running around off-leash. When we saw this guy with his llamas, we got off the trail on the uphill side and held the dogs' collars until the packer got to us. We had a nice conversation with him and talked about llama packing for ten minutes or so. We were intrigued by the llamas and we asked the packer if the llamas were alright around dogs. He said they'd be fine and he invited us to put hands on the llamas and get an appreciation for them, which we did. In retrospect, I kind of sensed something wasn't right because one of the llamas was watching our older shorthair like a hawk. The dog was a really gentle and calm old girl (like 10 or so at the time). As soon as that dog got within striking distance, a different llama kicked that dog in the head with a front foot strike that reminded me of a pro boxer's jab. Knocked the dog cold as a cucumber and my son and I through she was dead. I said something to the packer like, "I thought you said your llamas were alright with dogs." to which he (correctly) responded, "You asked if they were alright with dogs - you didn't ask if you're dogs would be alright with them." I was not happy or pleased - I though he had an obligation to tell us if the llamas were going to harm a dog. It all ended well when the dog came to in a minute or two. I let the packer know, however, that if that dog had died, he and I would both have spilled blood on that trail.

Moral of the old-guy story: llamas are formidable adversaries to canids. I'm fairly convinced a llama could fend off a single wolf - not more than one, however. A lion or bear could likely kill one, but they are impressive when they decide to strike.
Click to expand...
I know this is an older reply, but I think there has been a llama running loose above Fairfield for 2 seasons. I seen it popped back up on one of the Idaho FB hunting pages.
 
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