March 29 - April 2, 2004: No Guests

Monday, March 29, 2004

I was aching to get horseback and see my cattle so Lyndsey and I headed out about 8am and started gathering the east side of 7HL to get stock moved into Pitchfork pasture. It was a fine, fine day. Sunny with an air temperature of about 55 and a sunfactor of near 70, overnight low of 15. I was comfortable in just a shirt and vest. We started in Ewe canyon and followed the wagon road east. We found a lot more than I had expected and by the time we got to T Bar Valley we had 150 head in front of us. There were lots of small calves so things went slow, as we headed up the valley Lyndsey rode over and said she sure missed having guests along to help. The cattle were strung out for a mile and the drag of the herd was about 300 yards wide making for a lot of work for our horses. I was on Gambler and she rode Chico, I know those two were sure missing the guests as well.

With so many small calves we had to leave behind a couple dozen pairs that couldn’t make the trip. One little calf was moving slow; a yearling heifer went over and was sniffing it along when its mom saw it. That stupid damn cow came charging back to chase off the heifer and ran right over top of her calf breaking its leg.

At the Y feed station I saw two big coyotes run up the hill and then spotted a cow that was big bagged and hunting her calf. I rode a few loops and found what was left of the calf, which had been coyote lunch. Just not a good day was going on.

We finally got to Fence Tank about 3pm and put the cattle through into Pitchfork pasture. At the Tank we found a cow giving birth and let the horses have a break as we watched. Seeing that little black calf slide out and momma clean it up made me feel a bit better.

We headed the ten miles home after we were sure everything was paired up. Chico was exhausted, but Gambler has no end to his energy and stepped right out since we were finally going the right direction. I had to stop and wait on Lyndsey and Chico every fifteen minuets, if I hadn’t I’m sure I would have been home an hour before them. We finally got in a bit after 6pm and I was sure glad to get out of the saddle. We rode about 35 miles taking in all the drag work, doesn’t sound like much for ten hours but it was sure enough a long day. After not having ridden for nearly a month I was some kinda sore, it made me appreciate how some of the guests feel after a long day.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

I was just too dang sore to take on another long day in the saddle so I spent my day cutting lumber for the boardwalk at the guest camp. I am replacing the whole 80 yards of it this year, that and having to replace the entire night lot fence I have a bunch of work to do in the next month before our first guests arrive. I will try to hire some help from town but I’ve found that around here if someone doesn’t have a job there’s a reason for it.

I cut a thousand board feet of lumber before lunch and just plain wore myself out. I tell ya a three-week vacation doesn’t do well for a fella’s stamina. After lunch I fired up the tractor and bladed the driveway. The snowmelt while we were gone sure made it a muddy mess, which had then dried, to a mass of concrete like ruts and ditches. It would jar the filling right out of your teeth driving over it.

Lyndsey spent the day cleaning and repairing saddles and hauling them up to the saddle house. Margaret has barely been seen being hermitted up in her studio trying to catch up on orders.

It was another fine day with a temp. of near 60 and lots of sun, a few clouds drifted in late in the day and spattered some rain that didn’t even settle the dust. Overnight low was 21.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

I got talked into helping Margaret build some new work benches in her studio, as any of you who have been here know I’m no carpenter so it was an all day deal getting them done and a lot of cussing along the way. They turned out to be serviceable and scored me some points with the missus.

Lyndsey was still working the saddle job, having everything just about all moved into the saddle house and organized.

Late in the day I headed out to Pitchfork pasture to fill some feeders and set some traps. As I went passed 7HL tank I found another cow missing its calf, she was hanging placenta and big bagged but no calf around.

I got home about 7pm and called the U.S.D.A. trapper and told him I really needed some help out here. He said he could come Friday with a helicopter and we could shoot some down. It’s not a cheap deal but at the rate I’m losing calves it’s worth it.

Clouds and sprinkles off and on all day but warm, about 50 with and overnight low of 19.

Thursday, April 1, 2004

Gambler and I headed out early and rode the north side of 7HL. Even after all the cattle we moved out the other day I quickly found about 70, most with itty bitty calves. I passed by others, having more than I needed already and cut back a few newborns as I went. It was another slow go getting up and across Telegraph Mesa and down into T Bar Valley. Gambler was working just perfectly and the weather was just fine so other than being a long day there were no complaints coming from me. I’m really happy with the number of calves we already have on the ground. I think this year will be the best calf crop I’ve ever had. If I can just keep the wolves and coyotes off them.

When I got to Fence tank I saw the cow we had watched calve the other day. Her calf was bouncing around and running full steam ahead in circles around her mom, it made me smile.

I rode about 25 slow miles and got home just after 7pm. All the way home Gambler settled into a ground eating trot but as much as I love that horse his trot is just brutal on the body.

I checked my traps while out near Fence tank, had one big male coyote and another trap had been tripped.

I’m sure enjoying the time/light arrangement right now, early morning sun and enough evening sun, makes for just the perfect amount of a working day.

The day was partly cloudy with a high of 50 and a bit too much wind. Overnight low was 18.

Friday, April 2, 2004

I woke last night to the sound of hard rain on the roof, I went back to sleep with a smile on my face. I got out of bed at 5am and looked out the window to a white world. The rain had changed to snow and we had about three inches. The rain gauge recorded almost 3/4 of an inch before it had changed to snow; it’s the perfect time of year for this moisture. We rarely get moisture in the spring and this is just too good to be believed.

I was to meet the helicopter at the top of the drive at 6am but didn’t really expect it to show up. The cloud level was less than a thousand feet so I didn’t figure they would fly the mountains in those conditions but I headed up there just in case. To my surprise I found three U.S.D.A. trucks waiting for me and they said the chopper was on the way. These U.S.D.A. folks are the good guys, they are not Forest Service or Fish and Wildlife and don’t get along with them…so I like them even more.

About that time the snow tapered off and the chopper showed up. We looked over maps and made a plan and headed out. The way it works is there are three guys in the chopper, the pilot and spotter in front and a shooter in back. Then there are three trucks, which are callers and spotters on the ground, they drive along the wagon roads and scare up coyotes. I rode along with the fella who is the new trapper in this area. A nice young man who I found to be an awesome shot.

We headed out into 7HL pasture with the plan to work the area where the cattle were. The chopper lifted off and in less than a minute had a coyote down. When a spotter sees a coyote he radios, “Got some business here” and gives directions to the chopper. When the gunner makes a kill he radios, “Mark one”

Those two words became my new favorites. They could only spend two hours flying due to previous engagements and that’s all I could really afford. The weather kept coming and going and several times the chopper had to set down and wait out a flurry or low cloud back but with the snow on the ground it made it easy to spot. We went east through 7HL and Pitchfork then turned around and came back west to the H.Q. When we were done 21 coyotes had seen their last dawn.

I figure probably half were females who would be pregnant this time of year with at least four pups, so we effectively cut the coyote population by an additional 40.

I know some people will think it cruel to do such a thing but they have never watched a heart broken cow search for her devoured baby or seen coyotes eat a calf as it’s being born when the mother is down and can’t defend it. All the coyotes we got were right in among the cattle, I realistically think I saved myself five to eight thousand dollars in calf losses.

The day continued to be a snowy mud making day getting heavier as the day went along. I spent the afternoon inside working on taxes. I can’t believe the 15 th is here again. I just got done with ’02 taxes!

Hi was 31 lo was 28 stiff wind all day.