Who owns and uses pack LLamas

[LJ Buck]

Anyone?

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

I saw a guy on the trail this year with two llamas. It looked like a pretty sweet setup. He said they aren't too expensive, they don't need too much pasture to support them and they eat just about anything. So he said he doesn't bring food, he just stakes them out at camp near a river.

 

[MuleyFever]

I am curious if you need more than one or if they are fine on their own?

 

[Mtnboy]

This is something I'm pretty curious about as well. There is a place locally here where you can rent them.

 

[jwb300]

Are they Llamas of Alpacas? Alpacas would be find on their own. A lot of people here have them to protect their sheep from foxes and dogs.

They are usually on their own or in pairs.

 

[Colo4x4XJ]

I'd like to know too. I've been researching them and from the looks of it they only can carry 80-90 lbs and it has to be balanced really well. But they're supposedly better footed than horses and you can get two or three young llamas for the same price as a 15 year old mule.

 

[hflier]

I am looking at this also.

 

[LJ Buck]

I have been told LLamas need a Llama friend. I have done my research and will be purchasing 2 but wanted to if anyone on this forum has used them and knew of a reputable breeder and trainer to buy them from. I just don’t see too many down sides to them. They only need H2O every 2-3 days, they eat any grass. The cost of feeding them through the year is cheap compared to a mule or horseonly 1.5-2 tons hay. They can hike where you hike; they have soft feet making not much noise.

 

[LaGriz]

MuleyFever,

Have looked into this myself. Been told they don't do well alone....need atleast two. They don't need shoes, are much cheaper to own (lower vet bills) and can get by with out hay and feed being packed into the camp. I would think after a few hard days they might need some grain don't you think? Would still need a horse trailer to transport them and year round care. If one could debone the quarters and balance the loads, I would think 3 lamas (with a load for the hunters back) could recover a bull in one pass. Figure the hunter may have bagged up the meat and returned with a small to medium load after the kill. I would like to try a drop camp useing lamas to get a camp in and the harvest out. Don't know if they must hobbled or corraled in camp. They might not be able to defend themselves from a couger or Griz. I don't know if keeping them in came is recomeded. Cool thread!

 

[MuleyFever]

I read that they travel well in the back of a truck with railings installed. I also read they are good in camp as they dont poop like horses, more like deer. I was wondering if you could have only one because one would be perfect for a deer hunt, if they can carry 80 lbs that is about a boned out deer.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

How picky are they on feed and water. I know pack goats don't require much for feed & water at all.
My buddy has goats, the better ones are good for about 40lbs each. So you need twice as many, but for their size they pencil out pretty well. And considering their modest fee requirement off season, they look pretty attractive. They do however require very good fences. Llamas probably have an edge there.

Me I'm horse & mule guy. But they require a LOT more feed, pasture, equipment, trailers & care.
But you can't ride a goat or a llama.
Hunt'nFish

 

[hobbes]

We rented four llamas back in 2002, so it's been a while, but they worked out great for us. Balancing loads was necessary, but my very minimal experience with horses included balancing loads also. We packed 80+ pounds (40/side) and top loaded small loads, so right at 90ish lbs. However, these were seasoned mature llamas. I think they need several years on them before they can pack that much and need to be in good shape.
They were no trouble to take care of.
They could climb or jump anything we could. I suspect really thick blowdowns could be a problem, at least for a loaded llama.
They don't panick when a squirrel runs across the trail like a horse might. We didn't have any rodeos.
We loaded four of them in the bed of a full size Ford with a long bed. My buddy had built side panes from fence panels ("hog panels"). They layed down during the ride and loaded and unloaded easily.
We had them for 7 days or so. We did not carry any food other than a small bag of sweet feed or corn (I dont' remember which). They ate grasses wherever we staked them out. The place we rented them from said we didn't have to feed the corn but intsead they called it "catch corn". If one of them got away from us and gave us any problems they said that usually you could shake the bag and the sound of that would bring them right to us hoping for a treat. We did eventually feed it to them toward the end of the trip.
They did not want us to stake them next to the water or let them stand in the streams because they said it seemed llamas have a bad habit of taking a crap in the water. I never witnessed this, but we didn't leave them standing in the water either. We took them to water every day, but they seldom took a drink. I supposed they were getting all the water they needed from the grasses they were eating.
We staked them around camp. The guy said they were good guard animals and I know folks place them with sheep sometimes. He claimed that bears didn't care for them and they had never had one harmed by a bear or mountain lion. However, that was CO and not griz country. He also said a llama would run a coyote in their pasture down and kill it and had found several dead coyotes in their pastures that made that mistake. I suspect a pack of wolves, a lion, or a griz could make short work of one. I was more concerned with someone shooting one of them since it was muzzleloader season and one was colored similar to an elk. I would place orange on them if they were mine.
If I had my way and enough money, I'd go with horses just because they are more traditional and I've wanted them for years. (that cold change after taking care of them) However, I can't afford horses right now and am hoping to buy a couple llamas or three in the next couple seasons.

 

[gwl79902]

My brother has two and the only two problem I have with them is that they walk very slow. I mean slow. Also his do not like heat. Ihad them lay down on
hot days and they are a pain to get going. I like them beause they dont realy like people so they just do there work and do not want much from you but to
be lef alone. I think 80 lbs on most llamas is a bit much I would say 60 would be my upper limit. I have heard kids get them for 4 H them after high school the
parents are stuck with them and cn be had cheap. 4H ones are trined to be lead.

 

[craitchky]

I have been using llamas for the past 6 seasons. I rent them out of Livermore CO. We rent 3, along with the stock trailer, panniers, and other nesseities. They will carry about 60-80 pounds per animal, they can go places horses and mules can't, and require no food/grain or water to brought with. You stake them out in some grass, and move them every few days, and water once a day, which in most days, they will refuse.
They make a great early warning system for predators.
They are well behaved animals, and will usually follow without protest. If they are overloaded, they will simply lay down and rest until they are ready to move again.
There a a few concerns, horses seem to have a problem with them, so when there is an encounter with horses on a trail, it is best to move the llamas off and lower, until the horses pass, there was almost a small rodeo once. Llamas also do not like moose, they get very jumpy around them.

 

[craitchky]

I read that they travel well in the back of a truck with railings installed. I also read they are good in camp as they dont poop like horses, more like deer. I was wondering if you could have only one because one would be perfect for a deer hunt, if they can carry 80 lbs that is about a boned out deer.

You heard right about the pooping!
I don't know about just one though, they seem more comfortable with a least one other llama in sight.

 

[craitchky]

How picky are they on feed and water. I know pack goats don't require much for feed & water at all.
My buddy has goats, the better ones are good for about 40lbs each. So you need twice as many, but for their size they pencil out pretty well. And considering their modest fee requirement off season, they look pretty attractive. They do however require very good fences. Llamas probably have an edge there.

Me I'm horse & mule guy. But they require a LOT more feed, pasture, equipment, trailers & care.
But you can't ride a goat or a llama.
Hunt'nFish

They are not picky at all, they will eat anything growing, and they get most of their water from the grazing they do. Unless it was extra hot, they usually refused their daily water.

 

[craitchky]

I have been told LLamas need a Llama friend. I have done my research and will be purchasing 2 but wanted to if anyone on this forum has used them and knew of a reputable breeder and trainer to buy them from. I just don’t see too many down sides to them. They only need H2O every 2-3 days, they eat any grass. The cost of feeding them through the year is cheap compared to a mule or horseonly 1.5-2 tons hay. They can hike where you hike; they have soft feet making not much noise.

Check out Northern Colorado Llamas out of Livermore, CO 970-484-7209

 

[mtman]

I borrowed a friend's llama for the summer/fall to do a mtn goat hunt. Everything mentioned above is correct. Although, This one did just fine alone. The one drawback is the llama didn't have as fast a pace as i do. It was steady, but he didn't walk as fast as i would have preferred to. I wonder if burros would fill the same niche with a faster gate?

 

[Vance in AK]

I had just starded using them in montana before i moved back to alaska. Had 4 of them & the gear to pack with them. They are great. In the high country they are content on pine needles & bear grass. They can comfortably carry 1/4 to 1/3 (depending on terrain, temp, & their physical condigion) of their body weight all day. With mine that meant 80 to 130# in normal Montana mountain country. Much cheaper to feed & keep (vet) than horses, mules, etc.
Wish i had them here in alaska.

 

[Colo4x4XJ]

Is it mandatory to bone elk out in order to put them on llamas or can they pack an intact quarter weigh pending?