Home Forums Gear Photography Jack Frost

Nope, no pics of frost on the water or trees. We gave this llamaling the name because when he was born yesterday, it was freezing and windy. If we hadn't been there to get him inside, he likely would have died from the cold. We have them in the garage now with a heater going until the current bad weather blows over in a day or 2.

They are a bit beefier, no pun intended, but I'm amazed at how well cattle do when calving in extreme cold. Our most significant issue if there is packed and frozen snow, is the little guys will freeze to the ground. Not a problem on grass or in powdery snow.

What's the purpose of those beasts?

To spit on ya.

Llamas can't stick their tongues out so they can't lick the baby clean. If they can't get dry, hypothermia is a major problem. The good part is that 99% of them give birth between 11am and 3pm so the cria has some time to dry before dark. Once the cria is dry, though, it can take a lot.This one was pasture bred before we got it and we were told she'd have it mid to late summer. I'm assuming she aborted and was rebred for a later birth.

Their purpose? Moving meat from the gut pile to the truck. A horse is better but llamas work great on small acreages. They're very easy to care for. They sure won't make you any money, though. The llama market is non-existant.


A new mother sure will. They're much more protective than any cow I've ever dealt with. I have to tie them up to work with the crias or they'll be right on top of me.

Over here, a few farmers run them with the sheep flocks to ward off foxes during lambing and stray dogs at anytime...Apparently they get *very* protective of their charges to the point they will attack humans also...

Guard llamas, as they're called here, are getting more popular all the time with sheep and goat farmers. I don't envy a dog or coyote that tries to take a sheep out of a llama's 'flock'. They're no match for a wolf, though. I've read articles by packers saying that at night they'll tie a llama in their kitchen area to keep bears away. A llama couldn't handle a bear but apparently the bears just tend to avoid them.

When my lab goes in a pasture with my llamas, I have 1 female that will run clear across the pasture to chase her out. The others ignore my own dogs as they're used to them. A strange dog is another story.

This re-entry pic always sorta cracked me up...............

Deer look sooo scroungy when they're shedding.

Not as bad as Caribou.

Hint..................

Kinda hard to hit the binders when you're playing Rudolf....

At pixel level,it really is killer................

There's also a little science suggesting that feeding cattle in the mid to late afternoon can push calving times more toward the daylight hours.

Did not know about the tongue thing. Thanks, I learned something today.

That one's new to me. I know that in milder climates, some ranchers have gone to December calving so the calves can take better advantage of the summer grass.
Llamas can breed year round as they don't have heat periods. The act of breeding triggers hormone production in the female so she'll ovulate from a day to maybe a week after breeding. She'll hold the sperm until she ovulates. As a result, AI is impossible because it takes the male to trigger the hormones.

Just curious, but why choose Llamas for packing meat over a Mule?

I'm thinking you would need multiple Llamas to carry the load one Mule could???

A mule definitely can carry more weight plus you can ride one. They're better packers to be sure.

However, llamas are much easier to work with and keep on small acreages. They're much easier to train. For the most part, a lesson given 2 or 3 times is a lesson learned. You can feed 3 or 4 llamas on what 1 mule or horse will eat. They don't need shoes. And, they're far cheaper. Right now the market for llamas is in the basement. With a little looking, you can find some really good ones for under $100. For example, that one in the photo with the saddle I got free as the guy was desperate to get rid of him. He's registered and only 3 years old. He's gelded now, but I have 2 very good babies out of him, including my newborn Jack Frost. He's a little small, but he's shaping up into one of the good ones.
On the trail, you don't have to carry feed. Llamas will eat about anything including pine needles and tree bark. They're very self sufficient.

So, for someone with just a little land and who doesn't have the time or inclination to do extensive training, llamas make excellent pack animals. Not better, just different. They fit in a big gap between backpacking and getting into very expensive animals and gear.

Thanks, very interesting stuff for sure...

So how does the mechanics of hunting with a string work? Do you leave them at a "base camp" and then hunt on your own only fetching them when you have shot something?

Oh, you hit a sore subject there.
I suggest either leaving them all in camp or taking 2. NEVER take just 1. We tried that with a very bad result. The problem is that llamas are herd animals. They hate to be alone. This fall, we took 1 up the mountain elk hunting to carry our day packs & to haul back an initial load of meat if we scored. My wife went along as a llama leader. About 1.5 miles up the mountain, Elaine made an unexpected movement and the llama spooked, pulling the lead out of her hand. Normally he wouldn't go any where but just stay with the other llamas. However, being alone, this time he headed for camp at high speed with the panniers flopping. We followed him all the way down to the road where we found him just standing and looking, totally lost (we'd come up that part in the dark). But, we couldn't catch him. We chased him all over the mountain, finally ending up about 1/2 way back up where we'd been. He'd stay about 10 yards out of our reach. I told Elaine to just sit tight and keep an eye on him while I went down for another llama. So, back down the mountain to camp, and back up with another one. Once we got up there, the culprit just walked right up to me. #$%^ llama. Then we had to go all the way back up the mtn to where my partner was waiting. It was a very tiring morning.

To answer your question, though, taking 2 along is very easy and it's nice to have a pack hauler. They can be staked out up on top rather than leading them all day long if you prefer not having them tagging along. However, llamas are very alert and curious and it can pay to watch their ears. They can spot game long before we can. Just be sure to keep a grip on the lead when you shoot.

I always remember back in Bowhunter Magazine when, I think Dwight Schue(sp?) would travel with his in the back of his full size Blazer on the way the elk hunt. Made me think about it as I already had the rig.....

They normally ride lying down. They can be trained to lie down in the back of a mini-van or whatever. You need to start young, though. Getting a 350 lb llama in a van when he doesn't want to go isn't fun and can be hard on the upholstery.

I can only imagine.....