Llamas lovers thread.

[Schleppy]

Dont worry, this isnt a Dateline NBC weirdo trap. I dont actually "love" llamas I just love not having to carry my own gear. It looks like my group is getting 4 llamas this year to haul our gear. We are buying them and bringing them out so not renting them. Any tips or advice would be appreciated. Ive heard that horse guys will HATE us because the horses come unglued when they encounter them. Im also worried about the llamas eating poisonous plants, what should I be looking for in CO that they shouldnt have.

 

[bhylton]

I dont have any stock, but my wife witnessed an encounter working in a wilderness area where a pack string of 1 horse and 8 mules came UNGLUED when a guy came up the trail with 1 llama. idk why that is but thats all i know haha. cool concept though, using llamas.

 

[PWCGray]

Horse/mules dislike llamas because they smell different than other stock. I've had more mules blow up over hikers acting weird (hiding behind trees, etc...) than llamas. Particularly if guys are polite and get a bit off the trail with them.

Learn to identify Larkspur. That is probably the most prevalent poison plant that gets cattle. I'd guess it would get camels too... i mean llamas.

 

[HurricaneHuge]

I'm renting 4 llamas as well. I've horses get anxious easy. Main reason I went with llamas. Heard nothing but good things about llamas


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[Schleppy]

We were going to use goats at first and I even bought 6 of them, but for some reason we switched gears to llamas. Maybe a blend of both. I have 4 llama saddles with panniers and 2 goat saddles with bags. Its gonna look like a petting zoo coming down the mountain.

 

[Idaho Brad]

Since I have delved into the world of goat packing, common thread between goats and Llamas is when on trail, a string of equine has right of way and as long as you can get off trail without much commotion a lot of the problems are mitigated, but yes you will get looked at like a 2nd class packer with Llamas or goats at a trailhead next to equine. I think equine packers are secretly jealous of how low maintenance and inexpensive Lamas and goats are comparatively

 

[PWCGray]

Since I have delved into the world of goat packing, common thread between goats and Llamas is when on trail, a string of equine has right of way and as long as you can get off trail without much commotion a lot of the problems are mitigated, but yes you will get looked at like a 2nd class packer with Llamas or goats at a trailhead next to equine. I think equine packers are secretly jealous of how low maintenance and inexpensive Lamas and goats are comparatively

I think you're spot on! horses/mules are for WORK, not for fun. If I was focused on my own hunting only, their is no doubt in my mind I would at least try the easier/cheaper stock options.

 

[Schleppy]

Boom!

Training up.

 

[theleo91386]

Oh, I'm not jealous of you guys and you have just as much right to be in the mountains as me and my long ears. Yes, equine and lamas can cause some interesting situations but it's much mitigated if you can step off the trail (preferably the down hill side) to let us pass. It's not that we own the trails but that horses and mules have a much greater potential to hurt us and quite possibly you than a lama does. Get a pack string of 5 or 6 mules to blow up and you're not going to be anywhere near all those hooves and commotion. It's just a keep everybody safe and be curteous thing.

The only time a lama person his ticked me off was when they had one get loose and were in no hurry to get it collected. We ran into the lama 5 miles before the camp and the just shrugged it off. When my dad suggested that their lama might get shot between then and the next day when they would break camp they said they'd at least like to get the halter back.

We all share the woods and need to get along. Just realize that the lamas create a situation for things to become dangerous and do what you can to mitigate that danger. Have fun on your trip!

 

[Idaho Brad]

Oh, I'm not jealous of you guys and you have just as much right to be in the mountains as me and my long ears. Yes, equine and lamas can cause some interesting situations but it's much mitigated if you can step off the trail (preferably the down hill side) to let us pass. It's not that we own the trails but that horses and mules have a much greater potential to hurt us and quite possibly you than a lama does. Get a pack string of 5 or 6 mules to blow up and you're not going to be anywhere near all those hooves and commotion. It's just a keep everybody safe and be curteous thing.

The only time a lama person his ticked me off was when they had one get loose and were in no hurry to get it collected. We ran into the lama 5 miles before the camp and the just shrugged it off. When my dad suggested that their lama might get shot between then and the next day when they would break camp they said they'd at least like to get the halter back.

We all share the woods and need to get along. Just realize that the lamas create a situation for things to become dangerous and do what you can to mitigate that danger. Have fun on your trip!

I know you're not jealous, that comment was in jest. Handling any sort of stock and the etiquette associated with each species ultimately falls back on the handler. If you are a mindful person it will carry over into the way you handle stock, but if you are an inconsiderate idiot in life, it will carry over to the way a person behaves on the trail. If I know horses our mules are coming down the trail, I'm getting out of the way as soon as possible. You are 100% correct on the risk factor of equine getting out of control. It could be life or death in some situations for stock and stockmen.

 

[theleo91386]

I know you're not jealous, that comment was in jest. Handling any sort of stock and the etiquette associated with each species ultimately falls back on the handler. If you are a mindful person it will carry over into the way you handle stock, but if you are an inconsiderate idiot in life, it will carry over to the way a person behaves on the trail. If I know horses our mules are coming down the trail, I'm getting out of the way as soon as possible. You are 100% correct on the risk factor of equine getting out of control. It could be life or death in some situations for stock and stockmen.

I know the comment was all in fun, and that's how I took it. Just thought I'd chime in with a different perspective than the title of the thread might suggest.

If I ever meet any of you guys in the mountains and I look down on you, forgive me. My butt is already about 5 1/2 feet in the air on top of my mule.