Volume 16, Issue 34

Hey Everyone, Chris here.
Load em up and move em out. Cattle season just came to an end here at the ranch with the trucks loaded up and heading down the road. It was all smiles on the last day even though the weather wasn’t exactly short sleeve appropriate, but it’s October in northern Montana so cold and wet is to be expected. The day started out with the wranglers riding through the herd just before sunup to get them moving and watered before driving them to the corrals.

The crew sorting off steers

Once in the corrals they would cut out 10 at a time so Shayne could get them on the scales. Moment of truth…….. how much weight did they put on since April? After each group ran across the scale a weight would be called out, you could tell by the expression on everyone’s faces that it had been a good year. All the work and effort, days in the brush finding those one or two Mavericks so you’d have a full count; hours running fence and checking water; it’s all paid off.

Brand inspector Tom and Ranch hand Chris

The pastures are shut down, water tanks drained, fences turned off, mineral pots stacked ready for another year. That doesn’t mean the work is through though, winter is coming……

Soggy ponies

But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little celebration. Shaynes and Des threw a Fall/Halloween party for everyone at the ranch. That’ll be a story for next weeks high line.

Shayne and Cooley waiting on the 1st batch of steers

Until then, Your pal Chris