llamafitter
YouTube: First Lite

Video: Meet Beau, the Llamafitter

As one who raises llamas, Beau isn't your typical outfitter.

Beau Baty, fifth-generation, Rocky Mountain hunting outfitter had a well-paying job in the oil industry. When he realized he wanted to take his passion of outfitting to the next level, he quit.

He wasn't just looking to be another guide, though. No, he was looking to do something much, much different.

What started as inspiration from a backcountry experience in Argentina eventually came his own business, called Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas in eastern Idaho.

He became fascinated with the use of Ccara llamas as work animals and wanted to find a way to implement them into backcountry hunting. So, he did.

He and his wife started with just a few, and now have hundreds, which they use to pack out elk and deer on guided backcountry hunts.

Watch the video below:

Like many outdoor brands, First Lite has really jumped into YouTube as a branding tool. Its videos boast such high-quality production, but also captivating content anyone would find interesting.

However, this video is one of a kind. I'd honestly never even heard of someone using llamas to pack out game meat, let alone someone who raises them exclusively for hunting.

I can't say it doesn't sound fun, though, and every time I see a llama now, I'm going to think about what it would look like on a big-game hunt.

What catches my attention more than anything else, though, is the consistent interest he generates in the United States for such a niche business concept. How many people think about hunting with pack llamas?

Here's a tip of the cap to Baty for building a business from the ground up, and also to the future of such a unique idea.

NEXT: FLUSHING AND FALLING: AN UPLAND SEASON OF UPS AND DOWNS

WATCH