lamas for packing ?
 

I,m thinking about getting a pair of lamas for pack animals. Each can carry 100lbs.
They can get further into thick timber than mules, and can be trained to load up in the back of a truck. They also eat very little compared to mules, and no pricey vet bills or shoeing .
Any one know what exactly what the annual cost of horses or mules are.
If anyone has used lamas what are the disavantages other than not being able to ride them. I usually dont have to hunt more than 2 miles from the truck for elk so walking is not a hassle.

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

I hate them camels. They can carry a whoppin' 60 lbs, max. They walk slower than a human, an' have to stop every 45 minutes or they simply plop down on the trail blockin' everybody on the back trail. Horses an' mules hate their smell, an' often won' t pass ' em. Sometimes throwin' a dangerous fit or jumpin' over a cliff. Never seen a llama carry much of an' elk. I do wonder if they wouldn' t be good eatin' . You will do two or three times the distance easily with horses an' mules, carryin' three times the load. Sure beats makin' several trips at a snails pace to git yer game an' camp out.

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

Save your money! I had one and he weren' t worth a sh!+!

He spits and mouths everthang he can get his lips to. Always spittin at you. Ate every water hose I had. The wires on the tractor. He even ate the hose on the sprayer. I thought there was enough poisin left in the sprayer to kill him, but it didn' t. Was bent over trimmin Rosco' s hooves and the bastard came up behind and bit me on the thigh. I tried to stick that hammer right thru his skull and he went crazy. Ran all over the farm. Took 6 shots with the 30-06 to finally stop him.

Met a vanquero down in Patigonia on a pack trip and he had his trained right. but mine weren' t worth a flip.

PS BJ they taste just like they smell. Can' t even make decent sausage with them.

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

Damn filthy no-account creatures. Outta be outlawed from the Rocky (by God) mountins!


Save the elk! Open llama meat feed grounds for the wolves!

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

I would rather have horses or mules but where I hunt you would have to cut a trail 3/4 of a mile. as for the ones that lay down and block the trails I would have clubbed the owner not lama. Theres no excuse for blocking the trail any aninmal can be moved with the right persuation.
Sound like Im gona have to go packing with some one who knows how to handle them this summer to figure out if there worth haveing .
If I get some Ill make damb sure the there trained to get the hell out of the way for you Beaver Jack!;)

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

You say you' re only hunting 2 miles or less from your truck. In my experience, you could easily have the meat out at those distances by packing it out on your back. (and a buddy) By the time you get back to camp and load animals and stuff, then get back to hunting spot and unload animals and get them ready to pack out elk meat you' ve lost half a day. This doen' t include having to break trail for the critters either. This goes for horses, mules, llamas, or any critters. We have 3 horses in camp for packing meat, and I can honestly say they have been rarley used in the last 12 yrs. It' s not because we don' t kill anything, it' s because of the hassle. But once you get beyond the 3 1/2 mile range horses and mules are invaluable. elknut1

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

BeaverJack - CAPT BRAD ; You guys must be outfitters ??

Llamas are absoltuely fantastic animals to pack with. They will carry 100 pounds for a few miles of good trail, 75 pounds all day in rough country. The ones I use walk my ass off staying on my heels the whole trip. They have NEVER spit nor kicked at me in 4 years os using them. Very easy to care for, on the trail and at home from what I know about keeping them (I rent mine every fall) As for being tasty - I at a llama roast one fall and found it every bit as good as venison - kinda had a lamb taste.

So WESTANER - these negative things being said about llamas are FAR from the truth. Like everything in this world you can get good ones and bad ones, but the good, well trained llamas are worth their weight in gold and much better than horses or mules IMO. I walked out two years ago with each llamas having 100 pounds or better on their back, in a literal downpour of rain and the trail was very rough, maybe a 8-10 % grade, muddy and slick - I fell 2 or 3 times and the llamas very rarely even slipped. Amazing how they can traverse tough ground.

I' m renting 4 llamas for 4 guys this fall again - wouldn' t do it any other way (have used horses - hated them)

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

I doubt they are better than Horses or Mules for packing in fact I am sure they are not. There is good and bad in every animal especially pack animals. There are plenty of misbehavers out there Horse,Mule,Llama. Llamas if they are well trained and experienced make excellent pack animals for a small hunting operation, and if the terrain is extra steep and the owner is on foot.

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

I aint no outfitter. I take a few guys huntin every year, some from this board. It' s all in fun and fellowship. Like the guy that started this thread, we rarly get more than 2 miles from the truck. The biggest animal we might get would be a bear of 400 lbs. I know there' s bigger ones out there, but 400 would be the exception, not the rule. Were not alowed to quarter anything but elk. and were a little short on elks around here. I think there was 5 killed in the state last year.

We drag our deer and bears out as they must be intact when checked.(except they can be feild dressed). We don' t pack them.

I drug a deer about 5 miles when i was about 17. It wasnt fun. A mule will do 10 times a lama and is really no harder to maintain. And he don' t eat any less than a lama especially if part of the lama' s diet consist of your equipment.

RE: lamas for packing ?
 

Damn hippie goat packers.