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#14341202 12/05/19
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Anybody of you guys hunt with Llamas? I just got some and could definitely use all the tips and tricks I can get. I ended up buying 4. 1 is trained and 3 of them are about 2 1/2 years old and pretty raw.

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There's a guy here who uses them. Perhaps he'll show.

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Maybe try the Hunters Campfire forum. Has more traffic.

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rock chuck

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I've been using them for 8 or 9 years. What do you need to know?


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Wow, jumping in with both feet. I don’t use them, I use goats, but sure seems like a great way to add some mobility to your hunts.


"For some unfortunates, poisoned by city sidewalks ... the horn of the hunter never winds at all" Robert Ruark, The Horn of the Hunter

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Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
I've been using them for 8 or 9 years. What do you need to know?


Any tips for training especially? What kind of expectations should I have as far as a timeframe to get them ready to pack? Anything else you think may be of value.

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Llamas are the easiest animals to train that I've ever used. If they're halter broke, saddle them. The 3d or 4th time you saddle them, they'll be broke. They do need conditioning. I use sandbags in the panniers and take them on hikes in the hills. A couple 5 milers a week for a few weeks and they'll show considerable improvement. I throw 10 to 20lb in my daypack as I hike so I get in shape, too.

You'll need to teach them to operate in a string. It'll take some trial and error to see which order works best. Some think that you put your best one in front. Wrong. That's where you put the trouble maker so you have him in hand. The best one can go on the rear. Some llamas just don't work in some orders. They'll fight or cause other problems. I used to have a female that HAD to go on the rear. She couldn't stand having anyone behind her, not even her own cria. She would constantly turn to fight whoever was behind her.

You need to learn to string them so you can get them apart in a hurry if you have a train wreck. I use these quick release buckles tied on the back of each saddle and a loop of paracord tied in a Prusik knot on the lead rope. The Prusik can be slid up or down the lead to easily adjust the lead length and is very easy to tie. It won't slip if you do it right. It works very well with these buckles. Google it if you don't know what it is.
They'll be wanting to eat as you go. Be sure the lead isn't so long that they can get a foot over it when they put their heads down to eat or drink.

[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com][Linked Image from trailmeister.com]

Llamas are known for their front feet breaking down. I've had to cull several of them. It's very hard to tell what they'll be like when they're young. The problems don't start until they're 4 or 5 old older. A llama with dropped pasterns will have sore feet and can't carry a load. There are a number of theories about why they break down. My theory is that it's genetic. If both parents have strong pasterns, most like the kid will, too. Buying a young llama without seeing both parents is a crap shoot. I've done it a number of times. I've won some and I've lost some. Right now I have 5 geldings with good feet but it took sometime to get them.
This 1st pic is ready to butcher. The 2d pic has good feet.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

If you do get a bad one, don't just dump it. They're very good eating. They taste like beef but with almost no fat.

Feel free to ask me about anything else.


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Get a copy of 'Packing with Llamas' by Stanlynn Daugherty. It's out of print but used copies are still floating around. Amazon has them but check the other sellers for a used copy rather than the prime price.
She was a profession packer and knew 10x more than I'll ever know.


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Thanks RC. Lots of great info. I'll look for the book ASAP. I've read bits and pieces of some others and have a couple acquaintances that have llamas that I'm sure I could use as resources. Any thoughts on where to get tack? I've heard llamahardware.com is pretty good.

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You've found your expert, ammoman16.

Nice info, Rock Chuck. Now I want llamas.

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Originally Posted by ammoman16
Thanks RC. Lots of great info. I'll look for the book ASAP. I've read bits and pieces of some others and have a couple acquaintances that have llamas that I'm sure I could use as resources. Any thoughts on where to get tack? I've heard llamahardware.com is pretty good.

Amazon sometimes has great deals on used books, right now you can pick up a copy of the book (4th edition too) for $US 3.49

New copies are 27 bucks.

LINK to Amazon for this book

John (personally I am llama free, but I think they are interesting! smile

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Originally Posted by ammoman16
Thanks RC. Lots of great info. I'll look for the book ASAP. I've read bits and pieces of some others and have a couple acquaintances that have llamas that I'm sure I could use as resources. Any thoughts on where to get tack? I've heard llamahardware.com is pretty good.
Craigslist is your friend. Prices on new stuff are high.

There are 2 basic kinds of saddles, soft and hard. You want hard. They'll have some kind of rigid frame and should have some way to tie stuff to them. Most are a sawbuck of some sort, either wood or aluminum.
Most soft saddles have no way to tie stuff on top. Most panniers I've found for hard saddles have a couple big loops that you just drop over the rigid frame. Most soft saddles have specialized panniers that attach to that particular saddle. They're not versatile at all. It can be a trick to firmly tie antlers on top of a soft saddle. With a hard saddle, you can hang you day pack on one side and your rifle on the other just by looping the rifle sling and pack straps over the saddle's top bows. You can't do that with most soft saddles. You have to tie them on.

When I got started, I got super lucky, for me anyway, not for him. I found a CL ad from Reno for 4 saddles, panniers, etc. In NV, all deer and elk tags are by lottery and they're very hard to draw. This guy was an avid big game hunter but he'd been 10 years without drawing a tag of any kind. He gave up, sold his llamas, put all of his tack on CL, and went with going out of state with outfitters every year. I got in on his closeout sale and I bought everything he had. It's been invaluable. The saddles were a decker type and have been great. I needed a couple more but they aren't made any more so I duplicated them and made 2 more. It was easier than it sounds.


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Here's something I learned the hard way. If you take them out on the trail, never take just 1 llama. Always take 2 or more. They're herd animals and like to be together. If you take 1 and he gets loose, most likely he's heading for the barn to be with his buddies. If you have 2 or more, he'll stick around so you can catch him.
In camp, always keep at least 1 tied up. I have a 3 that I can turn loose dragging 10 or 12' ropes. They won't go anywhere. I also have a couple that go wandering. I'd rather not spend my time looking for them so they don't get turned loose.


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Are they good to eat??


The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
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yes, they are. They were originally raised for meat. We've eaten one. It tastes quite a bit like beef but, like venison, all the fat's on the outside and can be trimmed off. The one we ate was an older female that had been injured. Because she was old and stressed, the meat was really tough but it had great flavor. We ground most of it. Her name was Rosy so we had a year's supply of Rosyburgers. A young, unstressed one will be very good eating.


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Thanks for all the help RC. I ordered the book and the other information you've provided should be very helpful. The less I have to learn the hard way the better.

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When you meet a group of riders on horses or mules, be aware that those animals are scared schtless of lamas. Best to give them a wide bearth. Tight trails, dangerous terrain leave no room for assuming anything. I have had some bad experiences with riders in our group when they met lamas.

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Originally Posted by keith
When you meet a group of riders on horses or mules, be aware that those animals are scared schtless of lamas. Best to give them a wide bearth. Tight trails, dangerous terrain leave no room for assuming anything. I have had some bad experiences with riders in our group when they met lamas.


Roger that. I'm well aware of the challenges they can present with horses. I've heard a number of horror stories with horses bucking or running off.

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I've had some encounters with horses but the biggest problem is riders who think they're tough cowboys. One time I was going through some heavy deadfall when I met some people on horses. I got off the trail as far as I could but it was only about 5 yds. One horse got a bit raunchy and the guy decided to ride it out. His horse was dancing through deadfall and there was a really good chance of a broken leg. Damn fool should have just got off and walked it by. That wasn't any place to play cowboy.
Another time I encountered a couple on horses with their toddler on a big mule he was leading. I got off the trail and asked if his horses knew llamas. He said they'd find out and kept going, with his baby girl on that mule. Luckily it didn't do anything because if the idiot had got that girl hurt, I'm not sure what I'd have done.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
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It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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