Pack Stock For The Dedicated Mule Deer Hunter

[wyodan]

I guess I left out pack Burro's/donkeys haha. Do you have riding mules or do you lead them? Good point I'd agree makes sense.That's where I landed at with my goats 4 was just enough more of a hassle and it didn't help I had one that was an asshole. I haven't gotten to really test it out with horses/mules but would think a guy would either want 3 or more or just one haven't done it a tone but I could see leading 2 loaded down causing problems but maybe guys do it?

I have riding mules, one is very well trained, or at least she was when I bought her. She happens to be the funnest adventure I have owned. I only have 2 right now, that was plenty of investment for the time being. As long as they are trained up, I don't see any problem with leading 2 loaded animals. I have some friends that do that with horses when there is too many people to ride and pack camp.

Here's the thought process on the 3 pack. After you get to camp and get set up, if you choose to take an animal with you, you still have two at camp to keep each other company. When you only have 2 animals, it is probably wise to take both. But full disclosure, I have only had mules for about 9 months now. But I used the same thoughts with llamas and donkeys, I just never actually picked up the 3rd one.

 

[bmart2622]

If you have 3 or more you can get an elk out in 1 trip and still ride out. Horses and mules have to learn to be led especially when they are in the back, they need tk learn how to follow the animal in front of them, be aware of the packs they are carrying, go around obstacles the right way....same can be said for the guy leading them on horseback, theres more to it than just riding with a lead rope in your hand

 

[Travis Hobbs]

Horses and mules are for sure a lifestyle if you want to get the best out of them. Drives me crazy when someone buys stock and lets them sit 10 or 11 months out of the year and then expects them to work great during hunting season

100% agree!!! Great post!

 

[Travis Hobbs]

I am curious in your experience how mule's tend to behave as far as herd dynamic, do they tend to do better alone or being separated from the rest of the string than maybe a typical horse? I know it definitely seems less common that people ride a single horse out. I know there are allot of factors and a horse can be worked with in training to not be herd sour but it seems to me the temperament of Mules might just be better suited.
Also wondered if the whole self preservation thing has ever truly been an issue for you cuz I have heard that allot? I would assume that with a well trained mule they would do anything you asked of them up and to getting themselves into trouble which is obviously a really good thing.

I think a big part of an animals temperament comes from how it was raised. From herd bound, to its ability to function alone, trust etc starts really early and can be very hard to remedy later, this is especially true with mules.

For example, my best mule I own came green broke at the age of 3. She had a calm demeanor and was kept alone in a corral separate from other animals before I got her (this has all kinds of benefits imo) I rode her 3-4 times a week in mule deer country, most of the time alone, scouting. On a somewhat regular occasion I would lead another animal to make her comfortable being followed and having a rope under her tail etc, or id ride my other mule, leading her to make her comfortable packing. She could literally care less about being alone for weeks, or doesn’t mind being lead or leading others. She will leave the group and could literally care less. I hunt weeks at a time on her, just me and her. She’s my favorite hunting partner and I truly hate going without her, even if don’t even probably need her.

I have another mule that came from an outfitter in Wyoming that did nothing but follow behind other animals. It’s all she knows. I have tried over and over and have given into the fact I’m not changing her. She’s great, but She couldn’t be separated from another mule in the backcountry for a second, herd bound as can be. However, this has advantages as I can basically lead her through the gates of hell and she would be content as can be as long as she’s following. This has its advantages as new riders have absolutely nothing to worry about on her, she’s right behind me through anything, never missing a beat. Packing her is the exact same, a lot of times I don’t even have a lead rope on her. She’s by my side always. Never further than an arms reach behind me following along.

I think every animal has a personality, but I do think it’s developed from a young age.

On the self preservation, trust is a big deal. When a mule begins to trust you, they will do just about whatever. However I do try to take care not to get them in a mess when they do start to trust you, I feel like it goes both ways.

Occasionally ill come across a sketchy messed up bridge, or maybe it’s a mud bog…or maybe it’s just something completely new to them like a big shiny 40” culvert that just got installed with 5” of gravel over the middle of it and the ends poking out (this just happened the other day) if I get off and lead them across or through it, they usually don’t bat an eye and follow right over, and once we do it once they generally never worry again.

Sometimes however, they were right, they will hesitate so I’ll jump off and start across and sink to my knees in the mud bog, and when I do I always giggle to myself thinking damn these mules just know what not to do and I’ll find a better place to cross.

When it comes to slick trails, mud/snow or navigating a boulder strewn landscape, mules are priceless. For instance, a beat down trail through snow, that’s covered in ice, slick as can be, a lot of horses will skate down the middle of the trail as it’s the path of least resistance, I’ve been in a few wrecks on horses related to this. It’s a bad situation and on a horse it’s best to get off and lead them zigzagging off trail on better footing. When a mule starts to slip, even slightly, they will usually get off the trail and wade through even 20” of snow knowing it’s better traction off trail without me even doing anything. It’s pretty unreal.

I have heard from some experienced mule skinners that a mule thinks about and watches all 4 feet, and a horse only knows where he will place his two front feet, the back feet just follow. I use to think this was a bullshit wives tale. I now think it’s true. Watching a mule and a horse go through a boulder field is pretty amazing. I’ve seen it over and over again. The mule usually steps around and between rocks wherever possible, almost like a cat, the average horse, not so much. You’ll hear nothing but shoes scraping off rocks and notice it’s especially true with the back feet. This fact alone has converted a very close friend of mine to buying mules and selling his horses, this was a die hard horse guy, the guy that use to make fun of me for riding ugly big eared mules

I think this is also the reason when a mule kicks at something, for better or worse they usually don’t miss. (This is another problem with some mules and a mule that ever kicks at me is going down the road)

Some great posts in this thread, I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment that stock animals are a year around commitment and guys that take their animals out once a year expecting perfection are really asking for trouble!

 

[Pony Soldier]

A side note - success on a horse depends heavily on the relationship that is developed over time and trail miles. If you aren't willing to spend the time to develop it, you are likely better off with something mechanical

 

[6.5Express]

I agree with the lifestyle comment as well. It is absolutely a lifestyle that probably isnt for everyone. I truly enjoy the stock as much as any of it. And its only fair to them to be kept in shape and handled regularly.

I usually take all of them with me each day. A string of good mules will snake through a lot of stuff and im always ready to pack meat as opposed to making another trip or walking. Occasionally, ill leave a few at camp but i really prefer not going back for meat especially in bear country and being prepared to pack right from the kill site.

I also have to add that ive never been a part of a goat or llama string other than giving them a lot of room when we meet on the trail.

 

[6.5Express]

A side note - success on a horse depends heavily on the relationship that is developed over time and trail miles. If you aren't willing to spend the time to develop it, you are likely better off with something mechanical

This is very true with all equines ive been around. Not much in my experience beats trail miles.

 

[Procision Arms]

Another vote for mules, and that’s coming from a guy who makes a living in the horse industry. Tons of great points in this thread of why, but if I can add one, it would be feed efficiency. If you’re spending a lot of time in the mountains, mules just seem to hold their weight/fitness better than horses. Mine get fat breathing air; I don’t grain them at all, they live on pasture/grass hay all year, but I’ll switch over to alfalfa if it’s a really hard trip with limited grazing. Other than that, they don’t take too much.

Case in point, my hunting partner and I spent three weeks in a couple different states chasing early season elk this fall, I took two mules and he took a horse. We packed the mules further, with more weight and they got no grain. The horse was grained twice a day, had more rest days, and by the end of the season had lost weight and looked tired. The mules were ready for another hunt, we were just out of tags

To me, pack stock is similar to other forms of gear; some hunts one animal may be better suited than another, but unfortunately keeping a barnyard full of mules, goats and llamas just isnt practical and you have to pick the best one for your hunting style. For me, longears and long range rifles is where it’s at!

 

[Eastman528]

I would not say I’m a dedicated mule deer hunter but they are my favorite deer to hunt and it is primarily what I do. I took my goats on a backcountry hunt this last November, I was solo. We had one water crossing that was about a foot deep and they did fine but yes they would be limited in anything much deeper but most places I hunt this isn’t a worry.
I also had my goats with me when I killed this buck of course. The buck saw them and was staring at them trying to figure out what they were and then he was dead lol. I was able to load a boned out mule deer and almost all of camp on 4 goats.
If I was to do it over I don’t think I would do horses I like being able to take the goats literally anywhere. I have rented llamas before and would look at those pretty heavy. besides having to take my goats everywhere and a few small rodeos (they can’t seem to figure out how a switchback works lol) I like my goats a lot.
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Congrats on the buck and thanks for sharing the pictures, I need to dig up some more of mine and share on here. I haven't found water to be an issue either but I also am planning my hunting around that, although there are some places I wouldn't be able to cross either I have considered rafting across not necessarily with goats though!

I have seen similar reaction from animals when I run into them with goats particularly with does and young deer. I still hunt in a way that I maintain the element of surprise and you have to be ready to keep them behind you or tie them up real quick if you are not wanting to expose yourself on a ridge line for example or they will just keep feeding/screwing around and blow your cover, its not that the animals will spook but then they are aware of the presence of your goats and you.

I think this might be what you are referring to with "rodeos" but the herd dynamic with goats is interesting to figure out they have a definite pecking order like most animals and the more dominate or lead goat does not want the others passing them or in the case of one of my goats he is second in the string but if my 3rd gets anywhere near his hind end he starts a fight and then they are tangled up and its just a pta and makes a bunch of noise. This is something I am just recently dealing with.

A tip to try on the switchback thing as funny as it sounds, they do get confused when you get very far ahead of them and by the time they get to it you are already through the turn and on the top side they will just try to cut it off sometimes taking the path of most resistance haha I learned to just hold up for them then they follow right behind you and eventually figure it out. Sometimes though they just have a mind of their own and its interesting to see how they all approach obstacles differently.

 

[Eastman528]

Another vote for mules, and that’s coming from a guy who makes a living in the horse industry. Tons of great points in this thread of why, but if I can add one, it would be feed efficiency. If you’re spending a lot of time in the mountains, mules just seem to hold their weight/fitness better than horses. Mine get fat breathing air; I don’t grain them at all, they live on pasture/grass hay all year, but I’ll switch over to alfalfa if it’s a really hard trip with limited grazing. Other than that, they don’t take too much.

Case in point, my hunting partner and I spent three weeks in a couple different states chasing early season elk this fall, I took two mules and he took a horse. We packed the mules further, with more weight and they got no grain. The horse was grained twice a day, had more rest days, and by the end of the season had lost weight and looked tired. The mules were ready for another hunt, we were just out of tags

To me, pack stock is similar to other forms of gear; some hunts one animal may be better suited than another, but unfortunately keeping a barnyard full of mules, goats and llamas just isnt practical and you have to pick the best one for your hunting style. For me, longears and long range rifles is where it’s at!

Well said, there are tradeoffs with everything. I have a late season wilderness mule deer hunt I do about every other year on average, its rugged country with few trails and not user friendly even for the most hardcore for traditional pack stock largely due to access. The goats are really the only option and perfect for that hunt. Keeping them around for that very specific use though is becoming less practical.

 

[FYG]

Great perspectives and an informative discussion on various stock options. One consideration I haven't seen brought up with pack goats is the possibility of pneumonia transmission when hunting in areas with wild sheep. I know among my friends and I, our stomachs turn each time we see pack goats used in the Beartooths. I understand transmission rates can be exceedingly low, but I do find it interesting that many of these same areas have an outright ban on domestic sheep for the very reason of avoiding an all age die-off, and yet guys will bring their domestic goats there with them. Llamas, Mules, and Horses have no known instances of transmission to wild populations, whereas domestic sheep and goats are the leading cause of pneumonia transmission to wild sheep.

Perhaps for those of you using goats this is a non-issue depending on your locations, but I would be curious to hear other takes on the issue as well.

 

[BBob]

Hasn’t the goat sheep pneumonia thing been debunked and has no proven connection?

 

[CorbLand]

I think every animal has a personality, but I do think it’s developed from a young age.

I am not a pack stock guy but everyone that I know that owns animals says this same thing and I have seen it.

My wifes grandparents had a couple mules.

One, they should have named him dumbass. He was so stubborn but was a tank. He would go anywhere and most of the time it was places you didnt want him to take you.

The other was the sweetest thing on earth. She would follow you like a dog and all you had to do was open the trailer and she would hop right in. It was to bad she was really small and couldnt carry much weight so they never broke her to ride.


One day I would like to get a couple mules.

 

[Bachto]

Great perspectives and an informative discussion on various stock options. One consideration I haven't seen brought up with pack goats is the possibility of pneumonia transmission when hunting in areas with wild sheep. I know among my friends and I, our stomachs turn each time we see pack goats used in the Beartooths. I understand transmission rates can be exceedingly low, but I do find it interesting that many of these same areas have an outright ban on domestic sheep for the very reason of avoiding an all age die-off, and yet guys will bring their domestic goats there with them. Llamas, Mules, and Horses have no known instances of transmission to wild populations, whereas domestic sheep and goats are the leading cause of pneumonia transmission to wild sheep.

Perhaps for those of you using goats this is a non-issue depending on your locations, but I would be curious to hear other takes on the issue as well.

Hasn’t the goat sheep pneumonia thing been debunked and has no proven connection?

In domestic goats it is still debated but here is some information. @Ryan Avery might have more information but it's basically that M.Ovi shows up in a such a low percentage of pack goats that it shouldn't be of much concern or make your stomach turn.

https://napga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NAPgAs-response-to-two-common-misunderstood-publications-2.pdf

 

[nickstone]

Excellent post, lots of great perspectives.

I went back and forth a lot before I got wrapped up in llamas. My wife has always owned horses, and I've never really been a fan.

I met a guy who was really into goats one year in Wyoming. His goats are top notch, and very impressive. I stayed away from goats at that time because I didn't want to change all the fences on my property or end up getting LGDs to protect them. I also wasn't a fan how "clingy" they seem to be.

Several years ago I knew people with llamas that enjoyed them, but back then I wasn't in a spot where I was interested in pack animals. When I seriously started looking into pack animals I quickly found out that quality llamas were more money than I wanted to spend not having any experience- if you could even find them. I was on a few "waiting lists" and when animals did come up they were 3-7k

I was on some llama fb page when somebody about an hour away posted an older experienced male packer. I shot him my phone number. He called me and after a short conversation I offered him an addition 50$ to drop it off sight unseen. In the background my wife was giving me an earful about bringing a llama home....My reasoning was this- if he was old and not able to pack anymore he could just live his days out eating weeds around our property. If it worked out with him, 450$ wasn't too much to test the waters on if I wanted to go full blown into llamas.

2 weeks later I dropped 6k on 2 more geldings.
2 months after that I found a feral herd on several hundred acres and caught and kept 2 females out of about 20
1 month later one of the females had a cria
3 months later I drove to Oregon to pick up 2 more females with excellent genetics that had never been bred.....

This type of stuff has gone on for several years. The llamas have truly become a "lifestyle" Every year I make at least 1 big out of state hunt and take a string in the fall. In the spring I do several training and conditioning trips and do some volunteer stuff like hauling water to burn scars that have been replanted.

Since my first animal almost all my weekends have been spent doing things like building shelters (even though they hardly ever use them), hauling hay, doing llama husbandry things, hauling females to get bred or to UC Davis for answers to why they aren't getting bred.

Currently my herd is at 16 animals, with several pregnant. All of them are either registered or listed with the ILR, and the majority are also listed as ccrara on the ILR website.

If I added it all up I'm sure it's an insane amount of time and money I've spent in a few short years, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've made some great friends along the way too.

 

[FYG]

In domestic goats it is still debated but here is some information. @Ryan Avery might have more information but it's basically that M.Ovi shows up in a such a low percentage of pack goats that it shouldn't be of much concern or make your stomach turn.

https://napga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NAPgAs-response-to-two-common-misunderstood-publications-2.pdf

Thanks for sharing! I would be interested in data and rates that are from a source that doesn't stand to benefit in one fashion or the other in regards to packgoats- so not WSF or NAPgA.

I understand rates are low, if not a non-factor, which could be the manner in which pack goats are penned and raised, typically in lower density than sheep or other goats, or the low number of pack goats in the backcountry at any given time, but that doesn't change the perception many hunters, and area biologists have, of them in sheep habitat, at least where I hunt.

Hasn’t the goat sheep pneumonia thing been debunked and has no proven connection?

Seeing as even NAPgA acknowledges M.Ovi in packgoats, let alone USDA, USFS, NIH, the providence of Alberta, WDFW, MTFWP etc., , along with the fact there are several areas where packgoat use is prohibited (Washington, Arizona, Wyoming), I would say it has not been debunked.

Obviously, prudence and good habits trumps all, just as NAPgA points out.

"Prevalence in domestic goats is less understood and studies differ. An unpublished Alaskan study detected M. ovipneumoniae in 4/32 domestic goat premises (12%), and in 12/485 domestic goats (2.5%), while a Washington study sampled 84 goats from 16 premises and detected M. ovipneumoniae in 7/16 (44%) premises (individual animal results not reported). An unpublished study, sampling goats on pack goat premises in 12 states, found M. ovipneumoniae in 14/83 premises (17%) and 46/571 of all goats sampled (8%), with significantly higher prevalence in those less than 1 year of age. An ongoing USDA NAHMS national study will report M. ovipneumoniae prevalence in U.S. domestic goats."
(https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...tion/sheep-goat/movi/mycoplasma-ovipneumoniae)


"These contrasting results have interesting implications about the strain-specific virulence of M. ovipneumoniae and the specific roles of this and other bacterial pathogens in bighorn sheep respiratory disease. They also provide an area for additional research to identify management approaches for preventing new outbreaks of respiratory disease in bighorn sheep.
These results strengthen the previously documented links between exposure to M. ovipneumoniae and development of respiratory disease in bighorn sheep. All bighorn sheep exposed to goats carrying M. ovipneumoniae in experiments 1 and 3 developed signs and lesions of pneumonia, even when they had previously been exposed to the same goats in the absence of M. ovipneumoniae. All bighorn sheep kept in captivity under very similar conditions, but without contact with goats (experiment 1 pen 2) or in contact with M. ovipneumoniae-free goats (experiment 2, pen 1) did not develop signs of pneumonia."
(https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0178707)

 

[GoatPackr]

It's not that MOVi transmission cases to sheep are low. It's that it has Never happened. MOVi has been found in elk, deer, moose ect. The thing about it like many other things of this nature is it is species specific. Each animal has their own kind and doesn't effect the other species. Sheep Movi is not the same as the others. That is why they have never had a case from goats.
In order for it to be transferred from one animal to another they need to basically touch noses. Think about that. Even if a goat was some how carrying sheep Movi it would have to touch noses with a wild sheep. The chances of that happening are far less than a sheep getting hit by a car. Or about the sam as a horse, lama or range cow to transmit it to a wild sheep.
Managing for zero risk is crazy. In order to do that we would have to close down all trails and roads to humans in their ranges so that we have zero chance of impact.

I'm not a dedicated mule deer hunter but do use Goats. They have many advantages and a few disadvantages. For me it's the cost and how easy they are to use. No trailer to deal with on small roads. I don't even use trail heads a lot of times. Cost for 2 well bred goats and top of the line tac is far less than just a small trailer to haul any of the other options. You don’t need to leave them in camp and you can pack with them at age 2 ( lighter loads) and often times until ages 10 or 12. You don't need to own as much real-estate. And they can go days without water in the high country. And you don't need to pack food for them. Wrecks are not as dangerous as the bigger animals and they don't run back to the truck when they get lose. They don't even need a lead rope. They shine at off trail where I prefer to spend my time. For me the only disadvantage is the riding part and the smaller life span. But show me 1 other pack animal that is going to carry my stuff at age 2 for under $1k. Garage sale finds don't count. The learning curve is far smaller and safer than the big packers and possibly similar as a Lamma. Goats do far less trail damage than the big packers also.

I'm not anti horse and actually when I retire I hope to be able to own a Saddle mule to ride in the mountains but it won't be able to go where my goats do.

Kris

 

[Eastman528]

It's not that MOVi transmission cases to sheep are low. It's that it has Never happened. MOVi has been found in elk, deer, moose ect. The thing about it like many other things of this nature is it is species specific. Each animal has their own kind and doesn't effect the other species. Sheep Movi is not the same as the others. That is why they have never had a case from goats.
In order for it to be transferred from one animal to another they need to basically touch noses. Think about that. Even if a goat was some how carrying sheep Movi it would have to touch noses with a wild sheep. The chances of that happening are far less than a sheep getting hit by a car. Or about the sam as a horse, lama or range cow to transmit it to a wild sheep.
Managing for zero risk is crazy. In order to do that we would have to close down all trails and roads to humans in their ranges so that we have zero chance of impact.

I'm not a dedicated mule deer hunter but do use Goats. They have many advantages and a few disadvantages. For me it's the cost and how easy they are to use. No trailer to deal with on small roads. I don't even use trail heads a lot of times. Cost for 2 well bred goats and top of the line tac is far less than just a small trailer to haul any of the other options. You don’t need to leave them in camp and you can pack with them at age 2 ( lighter loads) and often times until ages 10 or 12. You don't need to own as much real-estate. And they can go days without water in the high country. And you don't need to pack food for them. Wrecks are not as dangerous as the bigger animals and they don't run back to the truck when they get lose. They don't even need a lead rope. They shine at off trail where I prefer to spend my time. For me the only disadvantage is the riding part and the smaller life span. But show me 1 other pack animal that is going to carry my stuff at age 2 for under $1k. Garage sale finds don't count. The learning curve is far smaller and safer than the big packers and possibly similar as a Lamma. Goats do far less trail damage than the big packers also.

I'm not anti horse and actually when I retire I hope to be able to own a Saddle mule to ride in the mountains but it won't be able to go where my goats do.

Kris

Good points, you beat me to it but I would echo the same response in regard to the highly unlikely scenario for it to even be possible for a goat to transfer to a sheep let alone even get loose and be able to survive long enough for that to happen.

I'll add from my perspective as someone who works closely with the national forests on land management matters I have a pretty good understanding of how these things go and all of the factors that play in to influencing management decisions. This is just my opinion but I think it has allot more to do with politics and pack goats being the "low hanging fruit" easiest thing for them to control rather than it actually having any real science backed data supporting why they should be restricted. I see it happen across multiple uses and management issues.

As a mule deer hunter and just in general someone who cares about wildlife I have far greater concerns about the impacts from domestic sheep and cattle grazing and that is coming from having a strong ranching history in my family as well as owning cattle myself.

I don't want to derail the thread but not that un like the whole "hunters united not divided" thing we need to be real careful about singling out different user groups and determining why one group is allowed to recreate and another is not. like GoatPackr said managing for zero risk is a dangerous prospect. Nothing drives me more crazy than when a particular user group acts like they are more entitled or riotous than the next. I probably have a different perspective as I am currently on a thread I started about pack stock as a hunter, I own horses, but I also grew up riding/racing dirt bikes and backpacking. When I go into the wilderness I don't want to see motorized vehicles but I also want to maintain the right to utilize them where legal if that makes sense.

Now back to the topic at hand; Good point about the low barrier to entry with cost. My best goat the one pictured in my original post Koda was a $35 dairy wether now I got lucky and got him from a good dairy that wasn't necessarily marketing for pack goats but even those who are its still significantly cheaper even considering all other factors than other pack animals. I will say because the goat tack market is such a niche thing its kind of outrageous what tack costs but I get it sort of like the small cottage manufactures with outdoor gear.

If you do your research you can pick up a good goat with good genetics without paying the price of ones marketed as "pack goats". Good confirmation and breeding that will lend to a taller/larger goat is definitely important but the idea that actual pack goat genetics have been refined to something that is truly a stand alone breed I think is at this point in time bogus. Its not like horses/mules or dogs that we have been refining for thousands of years, they are all in some way shape or form either a dairy or meat goat.

Even as someone who is still undecided about goats as a long term solution for my own personal needs I think they are a great entry level animal for someone even if they think they may eventually want horses/mules or lamas that doesn't have prior animal experience. Get a couple of goats and see how you feel about feeding/acquiring hay, dealing with water in the winter, maintaining fence etc. then go from there.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Not wanting to take this into the weeds but... A number of years ago I came out of nasty creek crossing on my horse only to come nose to nose with a llama. An exciting experience. After that I heard of people buying a llama to put in with their horses to precondition them to the encounters. For the most part the 80s llamas have gone away in my country and we haven't seen any goats yet. Has anyone on horses encountered goats? If so what was the reaction?

 

[coyote_out]

I have llamas and horses. I got into llamas when I was trying to decide between llamas and goats for pack stock. I rented llamas once and was sold. Really enjoy them. I think if I had two llamas I could do a lot of work as a dedicated mule deer hunter. With a rack they can fit in a truck, no trailer. I opted out of horses/mules for the safety reasons previously mentioned.
I got horses to field trial dogs, and have since asked myself if I should pick one or the other. I keep going back to the personal safety component. Also, llamas are pretty dang easy to keep at the house and easy keepers on or off the trail. Obviously you have to change the way you hunt slightly, and I am still learning that, but overall really happy with the llamas. When I am hunting I often just lead the llamas with me, even if I have a base camp. Has not seamed to have an impact on game, and then they are right there with you if you get an animal down.