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Best Place to run Cow/calf ranch ?

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efb

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One of the things I always enjoy about the Superior auction is looking at the country at all the different locations. Always makes me think, where is the best place to run cows in this Country and why?
If you could start out new anywhere, where would it be and why? :???:
 
don't think I'd change where the cows are at, only thing we'd do different is....we'da built our house there too. Instead of havin 12 miles seperating the two. Never fails what we need if we are out there, is at the house place, if we are doin somethin here at the house, it's out there. Many trips back and forth that woulda been non existant if the house was there.

As far as the land itself, I have no complaints about how the cows do on it.
It's a lil hot in the summer time, but that's ok, we don't hafta deal with snow and ice in the winter time. Grass grows about 9 months of the year.

And this land has history...been in Mr Lilly's family since 1850.
 
There are some places that I would absolutely love to raise cattle but I can see good and bad anywhere. I loved it out west. Thought it was just great except one significant limiting factor, no rain. Around here the rain is usually great but the grass isn't as powerfull and we don't have the advantage of being able to spread out the cattle nearly as much and the lifestyle of a cattle person around here is a lot different (No long days riding the range) Wish I could buy a couple place but if wishes were....
 
I have to put in a dig for my place. Lots of grass most years, beautiful fall colors and rolling hills.

Tends to get a bit wet in the spring and a touch dry in the early fall but I like it. Not too wide open though.
I've always wanted to try my hand at ranching...not sure me or the cattle could survive out west though. I'll stick to farming I reckon.
013_12A.jpg
 
honestly, I could care less where I was at, as long as I could walk out my door and see my girls grazing, I would be happy. of course if the other door opened to a beach filled with bikini clad babes....even better!
 
jigs said:
honestly, I could care less where I was at, as long as I could walk out my door and see my girls grazing, I would be happy. of course if the other door opened to a beach filled with bikini clad babes....even better!
Click to expand...

AHHH!!! to live in jigs' world 8)
 
cert said:
jigs said:
honestly, I could care less where I was at, as long as I could walk out my door and see my girls grazing, I would be happy. of course if the other door opened to a beach filled with bikini clad babes....even better!
Click to expand...

AHHH!!! to live in jigs' world 8)
Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
sometimes, medication will take care of that!!! :wink: :wink:
J/K, Jigs!!!! :wink:
 
cert said:
jigs said:
honestly, I could care less where I was at, as long as I could walk out my door and see my girls grazing, I would be happy. of course if the other door opened to a beach filled with bikini clad babes....even better!
Click to expand...

AHHH!!! to live in jigs' world 8)
Click to expand...

If you had that, who'd look after the cows. :p
 
That's a tough question. Anyplace that looks good, everyone else has the same idea......... the worst thing is if the new neighbors have no clue to rural life and you have to educate them. Heck I don't even have a problem with that(makes life interesting)unless they think you owe it to them to be their crutch that enables them to live out here.

I think I'll stay where I am at.
 
I've always thought that country around Ranchester Wyo down towards Sheridan looked like great ranch country. And, I don't think the winters are as harsh there as most other places that far north.

I also like the flint hills in Kansas. Maybe because I grew up on the western edge of them. They generally always grow a lot of bluestem grass there and the climate is pretty moderate. However, my college buddies ranching up there tell me that is better stocker country because that grass doesn't stockpile very well and wintering cost for cows is too high.

There is also some country between Ellsworth and Beloit, KS that is great ranch country. A little dryer than the flint hills. I was the County Agent there about a hundred yr's ago :wink: . It looks better to me now that it did then.

We took a little trip up through Wyo, SD and Nebr. last Sept. and that country from Murdo SD down through Mission and Valentine impressed me as far as the grass. I assume some of you'all on this site live close to that area. But, I used to live in Brookings and I remember a terrible blizzard that killed thousands of cattle. It was in January, but I don't remember the year .
 
We'll tell ya, efb. Those blizzards are what keeps the riff-raff out. :wink:

There can be some bad blizzards in the Sheridan, Wyoming country
too. I can remember taking forever to get home to Buffalo from Sheridan during a terrible storm. And I can remember it happening more than
once.

A rancher by Broadus told me once that he thought the only place you could honestly raise 800 lb. calves was in the Sheridan, Wyoming country. It sure is good cattle country. Lots of water and good grass.

Some of the good country around Buffalo has been bought up and
the owners are putting in a Coal Gassification Plant. Or so the story
goes.

:cry2: :cry2: :cry2:
 
efb, you're right about getting west of the flinthills to cow ranch. That country covered by kanopolis resevoir would have been great cow country. That country east of the flinthills has some fescue meadows that sure extend the grazing season to about 9 months. The flinthills are very productive for about 100 days - just right for the steer biz.


The alltime best cow country I've seen is mountains in New Mexico. In the summer you graze up to elevation and in the winter you graze down to milder winters. no balers, no tractors just 7 cows to a section. very few natural pests except for artists.
 
Sandhills of Nebr.-just love that country-oh just like all areas-it would have things that aren't perfect,but all in all that would be it :!: :wink:
 
efb said:
One of the things I always enjoy about the Superior auction is looking at the country at all the different locations. Always makes me think, where is the best place to run cows in this Country and why?
If you could start out new anywhere, where would it be and why? :???:
Click to expand...

I know the answer, but I ain't tellin'. :wink:
 
Soapweed said:
efb said:
One of the things I always enjoy about the Superior auction is looking at the country at all the different locations. Always makes me think, where is the best place to run cows in this Country and why?
If you could start out new anywhere, where would it be and why? :???:
Click to expand...

I know the answer, but I ain't tellin'. :wink:
Click to expand...

LOLs me too!
One thing that amazes me is nobody has mentioned the cost of buying the land. Im thinking the cost per section is what its all about.
There is some great ranch land in Alberta but at $1200 plus an acre forget it as far as cows go.
 
TXTibbs said:
The place where I grew up, my dad grew up, my grandpa grew up and my great-grandpa homesteaded would suit me just fine!!! :cboy:
Click to expand...

Me too Tibbs, and it does suit me. Kind'a would like it if a raned just a wee bit more, tho'. We can't let it get too wet, or all the farmers will move in and go to plowin' it all up tho'.

They did a study at Brookings, some years back and entered all of the info about ranching that they could, like how close to markets, grass quality and quantity, water, etc.. and then punched the computer and the computer said, all things considered that the best cow/calf country around was in a 15 mile circle of a little town, south/southeast of me about 13 miles. I think they were right.

But if it's so good for cow/calf pairs, why am I runnning yearlings? :???: :x

:lol:
 
efb:
I think I would like to set down and talk to you about the pros and cons of ranching in the area from Murdo Sd. to Valentine NE. and in the sandhills. Depending on the time of the year, and the past seasons some areas look good and some not.

I have been through lots of places that I think I would like to see my beef cows grazing on the side hills, but don't know about the year in and year out business there. Maybe if we stay where we are at, and learn to do the best our envirnoment will support is all that is necessary.
 

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