Pack out service vs Llamas

[Coveyleader]

For you guys that have had someone come in an pack an elk out with stock, what kind of prices where you paying? I'm in a unit this year with very limited access points, and very rough and after being in it, I'm seriously looking at getting some horses lined up. After a few calls, there seems to be only one outfitter who provides pack our services, and they wanted $1500.00 to do so. It got me thinking, what the cost of renting llamas for a week or so would run?

Anyways, the price seems high to me, I assume due to they, the outfitter being the only entity that can pack into this area so they'd just assume have a guy pay for a hunt vs packing. I don't really have a problem paying that, but it seems high to me and wanted to know what others had paid in recent years.

 

[Bachto]

Rent Llamas - Pricing - Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas

Llamas are often called the Beast of Burden. With Pack Llamas, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and Hunt Harder!

wildernessridgetrailllamas.com

depending on how long you are going for 2 llamas for 6 days is going to run you about $1200.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Most outfitters will either charge a high price cause they are busy and have their drop camp guided hunters list priority. Or they will just tell you no.

If you let me know before hand where you might be hunting and a time frame you are there atleast I have an idea, but it’s expensive to have a packer on hand for “what ifs”. If I get a call morning of, it’s hard to get in there sometimes. I’ve had guys get to deep or to far and their emergency has to become my priority. But I have a schedule for all my other hunters, that had scheduled many months in advance.

I also get the calls with a gps coordinate thinking that just because you hiked in there I can get horses in, that’s not the case sometimes. So my rule is a horse accessible trail, if I have to go out of my way or pack the meat or wait for meat to get to the spot I can access it’s $75/hr/employee extra.

As far as getting llamas they are pretty easy to deal with until they’re not, I’ve seen guys leave them pitched out for a whole week with just water, and the feed in that circle. Check weight limits for packing gear and meat on them, some guys won’t allow you to pack antlers on their llamas. You also technically have to pick up the llamas from the person and bring them
To the trailhead. In CO you can’t lease animals and deliver them to a trailhead cause it is considered illegal outfitting.


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[Poser]

I looked into it once as an option. An outfitter in one of the units I hunt charges $400 per horse, 3 horse minimum. If you want guarantee of packout availability, you put down a non refundable deposit. Problem is, I've never killed an elk in a place where you could get horses to, so there would still be a healthy pack out involved just to get the meat to a trail.

From what I've seen on llama rentals, $60-$80 a day per llama.

 

[Coveyleader]

There is surely more to it than " I killed an elk come get it". The outfitter in particular said he woudln't be on call/stand-by which is understrandable. I would need to check in with him while I'm hunting to coordinate possible times etc. I would still think the altitude I'm hunting, packing the elk on my back to a good horse accessible area, and hang it where the sun never hits it, possibly by a creek at 12k, it would last close to a week easy before any concerns.

 

[wind gypsy]

Packing service would be a pretty spotty and unreliable business to get into, i wouldn't want it! Doesn't seem like there is good options available in many places that you could rely on to get an animal out timely. I do have a little experience with a horse packout service and renting llamas though.

2018 i rented llamas from Wilderness ridge for a WY tag and I think it was just over a $1k back then for 2 llamas for a week with a stock trailer rental as well. I rented 2 llamas for a week with a buddy in '23 again from Beau (wilderness ridge) and I'm pretty sure it was a little over $2k with a stock trailer.

In 2018 I shot another bull solo in MT and was a little tight on time for getting back to work so I paid a horse packing service to get the rest of him out after I took the first load. I want to say they charged $600 back then.

The nice thing about having llamas for the whole hunt is you can pack in a comfortable camp, good food, and more gear a little deeper for the hunt without having to carry it all. Llamas are a minor inconvenience to care for.

 

[wind gypsy]

Rent Llamas - Pricing - Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas

Llamas are often called the Beast of Burden. With Pack Llamas, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and Hunt Harder!

wildernessridgetrailllamas.com

depending on how long you are going for 2 llamas for 6 days is going to run you about $1200.

Plus $75/day for trailer, plus $65 per person in group to take online packing course, and probably some additional taxes/fees.

 

[taskswap]

Suggestion: reach out to your local 4H and/or local stables near where you live, not where you're hunting. The stable our daughter rides at has one horse and one mule available for rent at really reasonable rates.

It's a private-deal thing, not something you'll ever see listed on a Web site. But a lot of times, owners are stabling their animals and paying hundreds per month (or even way more for full-care) and not riding them as often as they thought they would. To a lot of folks, horses are like campers. They figure they'll use them way more than they actually do, or the horse/mule is just older and while still capable of working, not being ridden as much in the arena or whatever they were originally doing. A horse or mule can pack twice what a llama can do and they don't need "friends" so one is usually enough.

I think llamas are great, just throwing out an option I think a lot of folks don't consider. Be careful though. If you spend much time around stables, your kids are going to want to take up riding, and your $600 cost savings will turn into $10,000 in expenses pretty quick!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I looked at llamas 2-3 years ago with the thought of taking some on a WY hunt. By the time you rented the trailer and everything, it was well north of 2K, maybe close to 3k, can’t remember. Then you add in messing with them, just seemed like a lot, especially without guys to split it with.
I passed two guys frantically looking for a llama while I was packing my bull out, one had gotten loose. Think it showed up a week later, they were freaking out. I can’t imagine what they signed in the contract as to replacement cost….

 

[wind gypsy]

I looked at llamas 2-3 years ago with the thought of taking some on a WY hunt. By the time you rented the trailer and everything, it was well north of 2K, maybe close to 3k, can’t remember. Then you add in messing with them, just seemed like a lot, especially without guys to split it with.
I passed two guys frantically looking for a llama while I was packing my bull out, one had gotten loose. Think it showed up a week later, they were freaking out. I can’t imagine what they signed in the contract as to replacement cost….

In a somewhat related story - My best bull is a skull plate mount rather than a euro because skull was broken from bouncing/dragging alongside a running llama during a rodeo on the packout.