August 24, 2004 Wolf Guardian Field Report

Linda Thurston and Nathan Varley  
Photos by Linda Thurston and Nathan Varley  

A thunderous howl erupted from a tall stand of spruce, as if a large pack of wolves had settled within the stately grove of tall, green conifers for a vocal gathering. In this case, the pack was ours—a collection of our family and friends on the first night of a long-awaited wilderness trip. We were embarking on a weeklong getaway to commune with nature. Our wild brethren did not answer our calls that night, but often they do when they are close by.

“That was amazing,” exclaimed our outfitter, a spry and tough llama packer from the Paradise Valley area. She packed nine llamas, males and females, and even her stud, for our adventure. She was interested in talking with wolves. As a veteran of wilderness travel, she had her own experiences with predators. On one occasion she was awoken in her tent by the howl of a wolf that came to stop and howl in the center of her llama herd. The howl was answered by another wolf in the distance. The llamas were well-dispersed in a grazing meadow, picketed for the night. The outfitter emerged from the tent and yelled at the howler, which then trotted away without incident.

Since this incident left more than a few lasting impressions, she wanted to learn more about the habits of wolves and how they communicate. Her llama ranch is located in the center of the Lone Bear wolf pack territory in the northern reaches of Paradise Valley. The pack has passed through a few times, so far without incident. While llama depredations have occurred in Montana, they are rare since llamas can be very aggressive toward canines. In fact, llamas are often used as guard animals for sheep and are very effective at deterring coyotes and dogs.

“It helps to have a lot of llamas,” she explained. These descendents of South American camelids will herd together and gang up on approaching aggressors. Living in the heart of wolf country, that is a good thing. Despite the location of her llama operation, she was more interested in learning how to grow her business by outfitting in wolf country than preventing depredation. Wolves have enticed people to the wilderness with the hope of seeing some of these elusive creatures. Out on the trail, our llama outfitter wanted to see more wolves, and hoped that her clients would witness a memorable glimpse of them as well.

In the wilderness, her stout packing animals have encountered mountain lions, bears and wolves, each time without incident. A rather comical, whinny-like call is the first indication that a llama has seen a predator. This call is loud enough to alert the entire herd and wake the accompanying humans who may then respond. Our outfitter suggested that we pitch our tents among the herd in order to react quickly in case the llamas signaled the presence of a predator.

We enjoyed our time packing with llamas immeasurably. It was a very fun and comfortable way in which to experience the wilderness. More so, we appreciated the refreshing optimism expressed by a stock grower and outfitter living in the midst of a predator haven. We hoped she would continue her excellent record of preventing incident with each of her predator encounters. Perhaps, someday soon, she will have her own howl answered by the call of the wild.

Photos, From Top: Pack Llamas photo by Nathan Varley; Llamas with Nathan photo by Linda Thurston.