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10/23/06 Monday
Three on the crew this week. Brian is here for his second week this visit and we have two new guys, Peter and Mike from Il.
I did the Albq. run this weekend while Nate, Jay and Brian spent the weekend sorting the traps so when they were done the North trap held just pairs and the south trap had dry cows and heifers.
Today we went out into the North trap and gathered everything in to the shipping pens. We got it all in about noon, took lunch and then started sorting. We first wanted the big steers that are to go on the semi Wednesday to the sale.
It took along time sorting. Those big steers just don’t really care much about mom except when their belly is growling for milk. Other wise life is just a lot of fun wandering around with your buddies and picking on the little cry baby calves.
We put Peter and Mike controlling the gates while Jay and Brian were swing men as Nate and I found our pairs and eased them out of the bunch. Everything started clicking along well.
We spent six hours in the pens and as the sun went down we had the steer calves sorted for the truck and the heifer pairs and little pairs went back out into the north trap.
The day was pretty good, it looked like rain at times but it was pretty mild.
Hi 53 low 24
10/24/06 Tuesday
We headed out into the north trap looking for old cows to fill out the rest of the sale truck.
Most were down near the T Gates about 100. We bunched them along the fence then spent about an hour cutting out cows to cull from the herd. Our decision to cull a cow is based on several factors. First age, all the heifers I have kept since ’99 have a year brand so anything that isn’t wearing one is one to look close at.
Once an older cow is spotted you questimate an age. Many of them I know when they last calved. If they are old and dry for two years they go. Any that are old and heavy bred go. I can’t keep an old cow raising a calf through the winter. Especially when I think it will be as hard a winter as this one coming. Once those were cut out we looked at the over all condition of younger cows, weight, and udder form.
There were a couple 7-8 year olds that were heavy bred that I went ahead and culled. I just don’t want too many calves born this winter.
Next we looked over all that remained, checking for horns that need trimming or any other doctoring. We cut two bad horned cows out. These we will take in the corrals and doctor them but not sell them.
When we were all done we had about 20 head to go back to the corrals.
Once in the corrals we took a lunch break. After lunch we sorted the cull cows to sell into a pen then branded five calves. When the week is all over I want every calf we have on the ground wearing a brand.
The late afternoon was spent shuffling a few cows around and getting everything set to load the truck early in the morning.
Jay went to haul a neighbors bull home to them and Nate took Peter and Mike to move a feeder from 7HL to the North trap. While Jay was driving through the north trap he found a fresh killed calf, hit by a car. It happens every year. Nate and his crew loaded it up and took it a few miles south and dumped it in the burn area.
The day was a nice once, not much wind, plenty of sun with a few clouds drifting around. Hi was 52 low was 22.
10/25/06 Wednesday
We were up early this morning expecting the cattle truck here before daylight.
Jay, Brian, Peter and Mike saddled up and gathered in from the lower lots the cattle we were shipping.
The sun broke the valley and no truck.
We sorted the cows and got them set. No truck.
About 9am he finally rolled in. We set to cutting our calves from the moms and loading them all up in groups of 12, 8, 5, 16, 22 depending on what compartment in the cattle trailer they had a ticket for. Then we loaded the cull cows the same way, 4, 8, 11,6,5.
All in all it was a usual loading. Brian got chased up a fence, the truck driver got knocked down and run over, one gate was smashed and needed replacing half way through. But no one was seriously hurt and I was one happy guy as that truck pulled out about 11am.
After a lunch break we loaded up gear and horses and headed out to Canyon creek cabin.
At the salt lick we dropped off Jay, Brian, Peter and Mike. Their job was to find two trailer loads of little calves.
Nate and I drove on to the cabin where we set to unloading gear then he took off on the four wheeler to do some big fast loops reconning for cattle.
I stayed at camp and swapped trailers to different trucks and moved all the tack from one trailer to the other. So we could haul cattle in the easier to clean trailers.
For the past several weeks we had been leaving the little pairs behind in the basin every gather. The riders had easy pickings as they did a quick sweep and came up with 13 pairs. They pushed these to the cabin corrals. Nate showed up about this time and we split the riders up each pair taking turns sorting the cows from the calves then when a truck was in place they all worked together first loading the cows in the front of the trailer and the calves in the back. It was a bit touch and go with the first bunch. None of the riders had loaded like this before and the best Nate and I could do was yell directions. It’s easier said than done. Just about dark we had the two trailers loaded.
Jay drove one and I the other while the rest of the guys called it a day and headed to the cabin for dinner and a well deserved rest.
When Jay and I pulled into the H.Q. it was total chaos. The 55 just weaned cows had jumped the fence and were all over the place. As we were backing up our trailers with no lights the sound of the bawling calves in the trailer brought them all running and crowding around. We got them unloaded into the corrals losing two calves out in the frenzy of weaned cows. Jay eased around and with luck and patience he was quickly able to get them back in the corrals before they took off in confusion.
Poor Jay had to drive back to the cabin while I stayed here to clean up the wreak in the morning, he got to bed about 11pm.
The day was a nice one again, sunny hi about 50 with a bit of a breeze.
10/26/06 Thursday
A light dusting of snow over night at the H.Q. but none at the cabin.
The riders were out in good time sweeping the basin and the mesas for little pairs as well as everything else. The pairs they were to bring to the corrals and the other cattle were to be left in the basin to gather in the morning for our last cattle drive of the season tomorrow. Nate went out on the four wheeler to go to the far points of Canyon creek pasture and also to check Loco Mtn. pasture.
I saddled up Gambler and we went about sorting out the mess around the H.Q. There were cattle every where. In the mares pasture, in the colts pasture, in the house lot, all around the shipping pens. It took till noon and even then I still had ten cows running around the house lot like idiots.
I headed out to Canyon creek and got there about 2pm. The crew was still gathering. It was a cold and windy day as a blizzard moved to our north. While I waited, I made a pot of chili for their dinner. I didn’t want to be out in that wind!
They got in about 4pm and from yesterdays lessons it was a slick and easy job of sorting and loading the pairs into the trailers.
Nate and I drove them home and stayed at the H.Q. for the night.
It was not a great riding day, but not the worst. Hi was 39 low was 19.
10/27/06 Friday
Jay and the riders gathered cattle all morning and got a herd together about noon which they started west for the eight hour push home.
Nate and I drove to Canyon Creek, picked up some horses and trucks and gear then drove back to the H.Q.
After a lunch we saddled up and sorted cattle here getting the rest of the wild ones in and then sorting the unbranded little pairs from the branded ones. The branded little pairs we put in the house lot where they will stay a couple weeks. The unbranded ones we will do over the weekend.
After we were done with this Nate headed into the south trap and I into the north trap, just checking things while waiting for the herd to arrive. I found one pair split by the fence and of course they were as far from a gate as they could get so that took about an hour to get them back together. Nate rode out and met the herd at about Elladeane tank. Jay had sorted off the dry cows and heifers once he got into 7HL pasture where they will stay for the winter. When they got to the gate they had 21 pairs. Just about what we had been missing. It was a good find and a good push.
Mikes horse W.C. had given out and he had to walk the last couple miles home. By the time they were all done they were more than ready and deserving of a big steak feed.
The day had been perfect, it started out a bit windy and forebode a nasty drive but it eased off and was a calm sunny after noon with a high near 60! This after a low overnight of only 14.
A good crew to end the season, got a lot done, things are pretty well sorted out for awhile.
Special thanks to Brian as usual for his cooking, cleaning and organizing around the place. More than that he is getting pretty damn knowledgeable about where he is, what cattle he is seeing and how to deal with them. After four weeks a year here for several years Brian has become a damn good hand.
10/28/06 Saturday
Maggie took the van to Albq. with Peter and Mike, Brian drove the F 350 and dropped it off north of Socorro where it is getting a new flat bed put on and a 150 gallon fuel tank put in. I can’t afford to have our big ranch tanks filled any more so we are doing this so we can refuel trucks off that truck.
After they left Nate saddled up Rusty and we headed to the corrals to brand 10 calves. Nate roped off Rusty who did really well for a kid alone in the branding pen. It took about two hours to do ten calves but a lot of that time was spent schooling Rusty.
After lunch I gave the men the rest of the weekend off. They loaded up dirty clothes, flat tires, and fuel cans and headed to town.
10/29/06 Sunday
After chores I did a loop through the north trap hazing out the big wolf the crew had been seeing out there the last week or so. He was up on the mesa stalking a young calf. I chased him out the fence to the north.
In the after noon I went and cut a load of firewood, about a cord of oak. Usually by this time of year I have found someone wanting a young horse in exchange for firewood. Seems I have run out of traders around here and am left to get my own wood.
It was just a perfect fall day. I love cutting wood, I have been doing it since I was a kid. First being the loader then at about 15 I was allowed to use the chainsaw and have cut so many hundreds of cords since. There is just something about being in the woods. The smell of fall, the crunch of the leaves, a chill in the air.
Just after I got done with evening chores Nate and Jay arrived home. They spent the time off visiting Nates brothers hunting camp then driving the two track roads all night doing a little sipping. That’s the way it’s done out here, drive around and drink beer on roads that you know no cop will ever be on.
Hi was 46 low was 19.
10/30/06 Monday
The boys were looking a bit peaked as we headed out to gather the south trap. Our plan was to get everything in and sorted so the south trap will be empty.
The gather went well tho Sombre did try to buck Nate off. We didn’t get to see it but he said that little horse got right down and mean about it but Nate stayed in the saddle.
We spent the afternoon sorting. Little pairs into the house lot, old cows to sell in the corrals and all others we pushed out to 7HL for the winter. Just as we were pushing about 70 head out Wrangler one of the 2 y.o. colts who was following us got caught in some wire and cut the hell out of his pasturn. We got him in a corral and then Nate and Jay pushed the cattle out as I set to Dr. him.
He wasn’t cooperating since he’s not really halter broke and hurting. I had to wait for the guys to get back and give me a hand. I spent the time shutting down and draining the shower house.
When they did get back we worked on Wrangler who now with some help was a perfect patient. |
