Calling all llama owners

[Parker173]

So i'm thinking about getting some pack llamas to bring to colorado with us each year to pack in gear and what not. I have plenty of pasture/land for llamas to live on the only thing i wonder about is how well do animals do coming from sea level to like 10,000 ft elevation? anyone have experience with bringing animals to high elevation, acclimation times and stuff? I'm a pretty fit guy and usually it only takes me about a day to get adjusted. are llamas that fast lol?

 

[bsnedeker]

Interesting question! I have no experience with llamas but this is a huge concern with cattle. I've seen bulls die from being transported across MT, going up about 2-3K feet in elevation.

 

[Parker173]

Interesting question! I have no experience with llamas but this is a huge concern with cattle. I've seen bulls die from being transported across MT, going up about 2-3K feet in elevation.

mmm yeah that wouldn't be good. I'd hate to pull up to camp, open my trailer, and find my two trusty pack lamas taking a dirt nap on the floor. I feel like they would do better than cattle since they're indigenous to the mountains but i really just don't know...i'd hate to find out the hard way haha

 

[bsnedeker]

mmm yeah that wouldn't be good. I'd hate to pull up to camp, open my trailer, and find my two trusty pack lamas taking a dirt nap on the floor. I feel like they would do better than cattle since they're indigenous to the mountains but i really just don't know...i'd hate to find out the hard way haha

I tend to agree...never heard of this happening and Wilderness Trail Llamas has guys going all over hell with their animals. Llamas are evolved for the mountains...beef cattle are engineered to get as big as possible as fast as possible so not even remotely the same.

 

[String&stick]

Can't speak to llamas but our pack goats go from 2200 feet to 8-9k in one day and sometimes pack in that same evening if arrival although most of the time we let them sleep at the trail head as the drive can wear them out a bit.

I always look and feel more tired than them when we get to where we are setting up camp!

 

[Parker173]

Can't speak to llamas but our pack goats go from 2200 feet to 8-9k in one day and sometimes pack in that same evening if arrival although most of the time we let them sleep at the trail head as the drive can wear them out a bit.

I always look and feel more tired than them when we get to where we are setting up camp!

Awesome that's good to hear! I've thought about pack goats too! In colorado isn't there something about them potentially transfer some type of disease to bighorns and they don't allow pack goats in certain areas? Not sure on that, i think i read it somewhere though..... Where do you hunt?

 

[oldman]

If it were me I would contact Beau Baty @ Wilderness Trail Llamas . He is a great guy and is very, very knowledgeable. I am sure he would be very helpful. He has tack gear as well as animals for sale.

 

[dieselchessy]

It’s a massive change going from a hunter to a wrangler. It’s similar to hound dog owners being hunters. They are dog owners first and do it for the love of working dogs. Hunting comes second.
It adds an entirely new primary aspect to your hunting and daily life.

 

[Parker173]

It’s a massive change going from a hunter to a wrangler. It’s similar to hound dog owners being hunters. They are dog owners first and do it for the love of working dogs. Hunting comes second.
It adds an entirely new primary aspect to your hunting and daily life.

do you use llamas or goats?

 

[squirrel]

I have seen many times what happens. It aint pretty but I am not sure if it is the elevation or simply a matter of couch potato llamas being asked to become fitness trainers overnight. Quite likely a bit of both. I know folks from hot lands that come to play in CO mountains and now leave their llamas at home and rent mine. That tells you something right there.

I always figured that it is just like humans but without the verbal bitching of a fat flat-lander whining his way up a steep trail. They are soft, not used to the thin air, not used to the steep grades, and generally packed heavier than any make-believe training runs they were asked to do back in flatlanderville, in short a classic whatthefukwereuthinking? situation. It was bound to be a cluster from day 1.

Even when my boys are ignored during summer training runs for any number of different reasons their first trip or two they are noticeably unfit and puffing. My summer runs are light loads as many miles as I can rotate them through for, minimum of 5-6 miles with lots of vertical is ideal. It is all summer to get my 20+ string into a reasonable fitness level taking 5-8/trip. The hard part is convincing my wife that this is "work" and she should pick up the slack at home while I go and take one for the team catching brookies and eating sweet corn out of the fire at tree line. (and having black cherries for desert if in season). This shit is not easy and should not be attempted by any amateurs, it takes decades of practice.

Your mileage may vary, they are all different.

 

[Parker173]

I have seen many times what happens. It aint pretty but I am not sure if it is the elevation or simply a matter of couch potato llamas being asked to become fitness trainers overnight. Quite likely a bit of both. I know folks from hot lands that come to play in CO mountains and now leave their llamas at home and rent mine. That tells you something right there.

I always figured that it is just like humans but without the verbal bitching of a fat flat-lander whining his way up a steep trail. They are soft, not used to the thin air, not used to the steep grades, and generally packed heavier than any make-believe training runs they were asked to do back in flatlanderville, in short a classic whatthefukwereuthinking? situation. It was bound to be a cluster from day 1.

Even when my boys are ignored during summer training runs for any number of different reasons their first trip or two they are noticeably unfit and puffing. My summer runs are light loads as many miles as I can rotate them through for, minimum of 5-6 miles with lots of vertical is ideal. It is all summer to get my 20+ string into a reasonable fitness level taking 5-8/trip. The hard part is convincing my wife that this is "work" and she should pick up the slack at home while I go and take one for the team catching brookies and eating sweet corn out of the fire at tree line. (and having black cherries for desert if in season). This shit is not easy and should not be attempted by any amateurs, it takes decades of practice.

Your mileage may vary, they are all different.

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Thanks for the feedback! seems like you know your lamas. What does an average llama rental price look like for about a week?

 

[squirrel]

Thanks for the feedback! seems like you know your lamas. What does an average llama rental price look like for about a week?

I don't think that is allowed here.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I would rent them, when you rent from somebody who keeps them trained, uses them int he mountains regularly and takes care of all the vet related stuff you won't have many or probably any issues at all.

 

[gabenzeke]

If it were me I would contact Beau Baty @ Wilderness Trail Llamas . He is a great guy and is very, very knowledgeable. I am sure he would be very helpful. He has tack gear as well as animals for sale.

Is he currently selling? Last time I looked into it he was trying to do sales through an annual auction.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[oldman]

I am not sure. The last I heard his cancer was in remission and he was in business as usual. If you have a sincere interest I would just call him or Kirsten. They are great people.

 

[String&stick]

Awesome that's good to hear! I've thought about pack goats too! In colorado isn't there something about them potentially transfer some type of disease to bighorns and they don't allow pack goats in certain areas? Not sure on that, i think i read it somewhere though..... Where do you hunt?

We have hunted Wyoming and Idaho with the goats. I don't recall if Colorado passed anything or not but it's idiotic to be concerned about pack goats (that legally have to have a vet check to cross state lines) while we graze domestic sheep right up and around big horns!

We haven't hunted to close to sheep country but if your concerned about future legislation I'd go the llama route. A Lamar can carry about 2.5-3 times the average goat load. But goats don't need much feed as they will eat anything.

 

[JoMa]

We have llamas that are used for backpacking trips with the family. We live in Idaho at an elevation of 3.5k and often backpack at 7k-9k. Just like humans, we take them on training trips locally (2-4 miles with some elevation gain) to get them in shape for the mountains. Because of the kids, we normally don't do very long backpacking trips.

 

[dieselchessy]

do you use llamas or goats?

I owned pack goats.
I sold the goats several years back.

 

[Paul M]

I just trailered 6 of my packers from California to Colorado 17.5 hrs
Spent 1 day at the trailhead to acclimate than hiked 14 miles in and camped for 9 days at 10,000'
the llamas did great and didn't notice any problems
they did enjoy the green mountain grass (cali is brown now)
I was nervous about the altitude for them but they handled it better than me
14 miles out in 7 hours ,I was wiped out and they where happy to be done
spent that night at the trailhead then 17.5 hours home
they couldn't wait to get out of the trailer
i do 6 mile training hikes with them a couple times a week so i think that helped
Paul

 

[Parker173]

I just trailered 6 of my packers from California to Colorado 17.5 hrs
Spent 1 day at the trailhead to acclimate than hiked 14 miles in and camped for 9 days at 10,000'
the llamas did great and didn't notice any problems
they did enjoy the green mountain grass (cali is brown now)
I was nervous about the altitude for them but they handled it better than me
14 miles out in 7 hours ,I was wiped out and they where happy to be done
spent that night at the trailhead then 17.5 hours home
they couldn't wait to get out of the trailer
i do 6 mile training hikes with them a couple times a week so i think that helped
Paul

This is awesome