Uinta Valley Pack Llamas: Jake and Taylor Hicks’ passion for packing sparks unique agribusiness venture

Growing up at the base of the Uinta Mountain Range, just a short drive from the nearest national forest boundary and high-mountain trailhead, makes it easy for residents of the Bridger Valley to take up a passion for the backcountry. 

Like many in the area, Bridger Valley natives Jake and Taylor Hicks grew up around ranching operations and going on hunting expeditions, which have inspired their unique and growing business venture – Uinta Valley Pack Llamas. 

Getting started

The idea for Uinta Valley Pack Llamas came about after Jake started researching llamas to use for his high-country mule deer hunts.

“We have always used horses but some of the places Jake would go were very hard to take them,” says Taylor, who notes horses are also more expensive to feed and care for. “Llamas have a very low impact on the earth and don’t require much. Llamas are relatives to camels so they can retain water which is helpful in the backcountry.” 

In 2019, the Hicks found a pair of llamas on KSL classifieds – one male and one female by the names of Drama and Carl – and drove down to Utah to pick them up. Soon after, they added four more females. 

While doing all of this research, Jake and Taylor came across operations which rent out their llamas to other people. 

“We thought it would be a good way to make a little side money, and it has just continued to grow into what we have now,” explains Taylor. “We feel there is a lot less liability renting out llamas compared to horses or other pack animals.” 

Overcoming obstacles

Establishing and operating any business – especially in the agriculture industry – comes with an obstacle course of hurdles and challenges. 

According to the Hicks, the biggest challenge they have faced in starting their new venture is trying to learn and grow in the llama industry. 

Additionally, in the beginning, the couple learned the hard way not all llamas are meant to use as pack animals.

“We went through a lot of llamas, buying and selling, to find ones that would do a good job packing,” she admits. “We even bought a few proven registered studs to improve our herd genetics. Llamas can range anywhere from $100 to $10,000, and we have paid on both sides for them.” 

Today, the Hicks run 43 females, 14 males and 14 cria – the 2024 babies. Through trial and error, they have grown fond of the guanaco breed, a camelid native to South America and the earliest descendant of llamas. 

According to Taylor, guanacos are in danger of going extinct in several South American countries like Peru and Chile, and few exist in the U.S. This makes them hard to find, and many people who acquire them do so through zoo dispersal sales. 

Jake and Taylor note they came by two weanling male guanacos from an exotic ranch on the Texas coast and an older female from Kansas City, Mo. 

“We crossed our stud guanaco named Ragnar to a few llama females last year and are seeing the genetic benefits with the cria we got this year,” states Taylor. “They are insanely athletic at just one day old!”

Running the ranch

Like other livestock operations, work is seasonal, and daily and weekly tasks change throughout the year.

Taylor explains during the spring, summer and fall, they run their llamas on grassland pastures, then during winter months, they free-feed them a mix of grass and alfalfa in livestock feeders.

“Most of our pastures have running water, even in the winter months,” Taylor says. “For the few that don’t, we haul water or fill up tubs and plug in a heater to keep water from freezing.” 

“In the spring, most of the llamas get a haircut and their nails trimmed, and the males get their fighting teeth cut,” she continues. “We usually check for fighting teeth in our males pretty regularly, as they will fight each other and try to castrate one another. Chasing llamas around is a full-time job!” 

The pack string is made up of herd males, which are halter broke at a year of age. When they turn two, the Hicks add saddles and panniers with no extra weight and start taking their llamas on hikes and occasional overnighters. 

At three years old, the Hicks add half weight during hikes. At four, llamas are added to the pack string full time. 

Females are halter broke, desensitized and added to the breeding program or sold.

“For our commercial packers, we do a few hikes in the spring to tune them up before they go out with other people,” says Taylor. “They run on pretty big pasture year-round, so most of the time our males are in pretty good shape.”

A growing success

As the Hicks have learned and grown, their llama packing business has continued to become a growing success. 

Today, Uinta Valley Pack Llamas offers both llamas for rent, as well as three-day and custom guided packing tours through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. 

A focus on enhanced advertising strategies over the past few years has increased the amount of llamas rented and trips booked, especially in the summer. 

Taylor explains customers usually start booking in July through the month of October, and hunting season is one of their busiest times of the year. 

“Before people can rent out our llamas, we give them a class to show them how to take care of the llamas and use all of the equipment,” Taylor explains. “It’s pretty similar to other pack stock.”

“We also have trailers and stock racks we rent to people, if need be,” she adds. 

The time, effort and hurdles crossed to get to where they are today have no doubt paid off for the Hicks’ unique business venture, and the two note their favorite accomplishment is seeing how much their genetics have improved since they started. 

“We are very much still horse people when it comes to packing into the backcountry, but from a business point of view and with how easy llamas are, they are the perfect pack animal to rent to people who may not have any pack stock experience until they come to our ranch,” says Taylor.

“We have to use our horses because we can’t keep up with the demand for the llamas people want to rent, especially in the fall when we go hunting,” she continues. “Jake still gets to take the younger, less-experienced males for his shed hunting and deer hunt trips.”

“We love hearing all of the stories people tell when they get back from their trips,” concludes Taylor. “So far, the llamas have done their jobs and everyone has come back very surprised with how easy they are to care for and the benefits they get by having our llamas pack all of the weight for them.”

For more information on Uinta Valley Pack Llamas, visit uintavalleypackllamas.com or @uintavalleypackllamas on Facebook and Instagram.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.