Pack Llamas, Goats, and E-Bikes for Elk Hunting

Llamas are renowned for their sure footedness in steep terrain and ease of handling by their packers. (Photo by melissamn)

The wide-open ranges and rugged terrain of the American West created a culture of resilience and independence. Early settlers relied on pack strings of horses and mules to deliver essential goods like food, medicine, and supplies across the expansive country. Delivery trucks have mostly replaced all of that today, but pack strings still serve an important role in western hunting. Elk hunters in particular use horses and mules to pack their camps and gear into remote areas, and to get their down elk out of them. In some areas, getting an elk out of the woods before it spoils is all but impossible on foot.

But horses and mules come with plenty of drawbacks. Although riding them can save steps in the backcountry, it can also be extremely dangerous in mountainous terrain, particularly when stubborn or temperamental animals are involved. Horses also require a lot of knowledge and care. Few traveling hunters bring their own horses, yet most outfitters aren’t willing to rent their pack strings out to people lacking extensive equine experience.

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For all of those reasons, many DIY mountain hunters are looking to other pack animals, especially llamas. “Imagine going backpacking and, you know, everybody's taking their gear,” says Dennis Dueñas, owner and operator of Montana Llama Guides, an outfitting company in Bozeman, Montana. “Well, instead of you carrying a 60-pound backpack, the llamas carry the gear for us.” Dueñas started raising alpacas and llamas 20 years ago, and says he was originally interested in alpacas for their fleece.

“My dream was to use alpaca fleece to create base layer products,” Dueñas says. “Over of time, I became interested in llamas, too—especially the pack llamas.”

Elk hunters sometimes use horses and mules to carry their gear into remote areas, and to transport their elk after the hunt. (Photo by Will Brantley)

Pack llamas have a similar history to America’s pack horses, but their origins begin in the Southern Hemisphere. South Americans have been using pack llamas to transport goods across the rugged Andean Mountains for centuries. Llamas are renowned for their sure footedness in steep terrain and ease of handling by their packers.

As pack animals, there are obvious differences between horses and llamas, size disparity being chief among them. Horses and mules weigh roughly 1,000 pounds. Llamas weigh about 350 pounds. A general rule among llama and horse packers is that the animals can carry about 20% of their body weight. Dueñas says he likes to limit his llamas to about 50 or 60 pounds, and that it usually takes about four animals to pack out an elk. Another animal or two is also needed to carry camp.

Sure, the same job can be done with half as many horses, but Dueñas says llamas are far easier for most folks to handle. In fact, there are a growing number of companies that will rent llamas to backcountry, do-it-yourself hunters. Most require that the hunters to take a course in basic llama handling which covers care, feeding, packing, hauling, and more. But after passing the course, hunters can take the llamas into the backcountry. “Today if I show up and there’s a trailer, nine times out of 10 it s a horse trailer,” Dueñas says. “But I expect in the next five, 10 years, I'm going to be seeing a lot more llama trailers.”

Dueñas says that most people not only enjoy the experience of having llamas haul their gear, but they love the llamas’ personalities as well. He says many people have misconceptions about llamas, especially because they’re notorious for spitting. Dueñas says llamas use spitting to communicate with each other about boundaries and attitude. And while it’s rare for llamas to spit on people, it’s not totally out of the question. “When people ask, ‘Are they going to spit on me?’ My response is always, ‘If you deserve it,’” Dueñas says.

E-bikes allow hunters to travel into the backcountry more quickly and efficiently than they can on foot. (Photo by Realtree)

Go Farther With Goats

If llamas or mules aren’t your thing, pack goats are also experiencing a revival among the backcountry camping, fishing, and hunting crowd. Like llamas, goats raised and trained for packing are at home in the steepest terrain. They’re relatively safe to handle, and some can even carry up to 70 pounds. Plus, goats will eat just about anything, so there’s rarely a need to pack in food for them. Investing in a goat pack string is also much more affordable than horses or llamas. An untrained pack goat can cost less than $100, while llamas and horses are typically several thousand dollars each.

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However, there are potential downsides to using goats. Most experienced goat packers discourage hunters from leaving goats alone at camp because they’re known to wander off and attract predators. For this reason, most hunters choose to bring pack goats along with them while they re hunting, which has obvious drawbacks.

With the rise in pack goat popularity, some state and federal agencies are taking a close look at interactions between domestic goats and sheep and wild bighorn sheep. Scientists believe domestic sheep and goats spread Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, or M. ovi for short, which leads to pneumonia in bighorns. This respiratory pneumonia has devastated bighorn sheep populations across the West. In an effort to stop the spread, pack goats are banned on some public lands.

Check the rules for the area you plan to hunt before bringing your e-bike, as the rules vary between states. (Photo by Realtree)

The Ease of E-Bikes

Pack animals can be incredibly useful, but they all come with their own hassles. That’s why some hunters are trading horses for horsepower. Electric bikes are surging in popularity among hunters. Most E-bikes use an electric motor that’s about 1 horsepower, and some can reach speeds of nearly 30 miles per hour. E-bikes allow hunters to cruise smoothly into the backcountry quicker and more efficiently than with just manpower, allowing hunters to go farther, faster. Many are equipped with cargo racks or pull carts and are designed to carry weight through rugged terrain. And, of course, e-bikes don’t have to be fed, and they probably don’t attract many bears.

Still, while mountain biking has long had its place in hunting, e-bikes are creating a new conversation. This transition isn’t a smooth ride for public land regulatory agencies. There’s debate over whether e-bikes should be allowed on roads and trails that are designated as non-motorized. The rules vary between states and areas, and many places are still figuring it out. So, it’s important to check the rules for the area you plan to hunt before bringing an e-bike along.

For most backcountry hunters it’s about the experience, rather than the ultimate success. Whether soaking in the mountains from the back of a horse, leading a string of llamas or goats, or quietly cruising down the trail on the e-bike, backcountry hunters are always looking for new ways to be efficient while also experiencing a new adventure.