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Current, Former Or Never Ranched At All?

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Cody-n-Nancy

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Was just wondering about the members here.

As all of you already know, from my Introduction, wife and I have never ranched. Definitely admire the lifestyle. And, if it weren't for my interest in pro-rodeo, I would have never owned a horse or learned to rope.

Would love to attend another WRCA rodeo.
 
For the current ones, was this ranch a family ranch, handed down from Generation to Generation?

For current and former ranchers, what do you think of todays ranching documentaries that are on some pay networks. We've watched a few that really, really look like the "true to life" type.
 
Former cow-calf operator. 50 years. Hereford to start with, changed to Black Angus in 1979. No cattle now, but we still put up hay. We didn't inherit anything, we did have an opportunity to get started on our own. We started out working on a good ranch and were able to lease it in 1965. Then it sold to Texaco and we had to leave. So we moved to the Powder River in WY, 28,000 acres, grass ranch, then the old guy that owned it passed away. So we found a small place in SW Montana that we were able to purchase. We were in Montana for 40 years. First SW MT, then and then a bigger place in SE Mt. We moved back to where we started from, that's Wyoming. We lived in Montana for 40 years, but our family is in Wyoming. I guess you could say we came home to die. In all our ranching, horses and dogs were of primary importance to our operation.
 
Be a long story with too many twists and turns to put it all here. I started out that way. When I graduated from HS I owned enough cattle to pay for 2 years of college. Then life took a few turns as it does at times. In those turns I worked on a couple ranches, sale barns, and feedlots. I also did other things that paid better. But I always owned cattle to some degree. Not what I would call a ranch. More like a cow farm. But that is the norm in western Washington. Never enough to make a living. I always had a day job. When I retired I sold out on the coast. With that money, some inheritance, and money my new at that time wife had we were able to buy this ranch. Even that is a long story. But I do own a ranch. If you count the acres of BLM allotment and add the deeded it is around 16,000 acres. I do own cattle that have my brand on them. I don't own a horse. A lot of this ground is not for the faint of heart so I leave that to the young guys. When we are moving cows I am the guy on a quad following the herd up a two track. Just lost the good dog a few weeks ago and an about to start a new one.
 
I will always farm my dad raised me up in that life and we raise beef cattle so he told me "never name them cows or you will regret it when you have to get rid of one" and the funny part about that saying is he named one of his heifers and could not get rid of her becuase she was a cool cow and so now he doesn't name his cattle I help my dad rope the calves to tag em and I help clip the cattle's hooves :)
 
I'm a proud fifth generation ranch raised kid in my 50's. Our family ranch is owned by my cousin and her husband. I help as often as possible with them. My wife and I have our own little place and run some cows. I lease grazing ground spring, summer and fall and feed them at home all winter. So I guess I'm a mixture of both. The family ranch my great grandfather started is still in our family and we do our own thing too. My wife and both work full time jobs and I day work for neighbors as often as life will allow. It's a fine life although our definition of vacation differs a lot from the rest of the world. 😁
 
Leilani said:
I will always farm my dad raised me up in that life and we raise beef cattle so he told me "never name them cows or you will regret it when you have to get rid of one" and the funny part about that saying is he named one of his heifers and could not get rid of her becuase she was a cool cow and so now he doesn't name his cattle I help my dad rope the calves to tag em and I help clip the cattle's hooves :)
Click to expand...

Old cowboy told us more than once, "Don't fall in love with something that can't love you back."😊
 
Raised on family cattle ranches in Colorado Rockies and Texas mesquite country. A couple of years in SW Montana living on a ranch and tending cattle and one horse for rent and grazing for a few head I had. Worked for an outfitter teaching wilderness survival to wealthy city folks. Then moved to Oregon mountains where I bought 20 acres bordered on 3 sides by forest service open range and the other by a large ranch. I fenced my place so I could have a few head and worked on a large ranch on the other side of the mountain doing cattle and haying. Many hours on a swather and many mutilated rattlesnakes that insisted the hayfield was home. I took on a fencing contract with the FS that was months long. I also did a lot of equipment operating digging trenches for main irrigation lines. Hours and hours on a Case 780.

I sold that place due to rich folks coming in and buying up small plots the ranch below me had divided up after the old owners died and mass clear-cut logging in forest lands. Once a remote place now with constant traffic on a dusty road and drug growers setting up camp in the forest. Then after evacuating for forest fire #4, that was it. I moved to the outskirts of town and took a 50 hour a week job delivering packages and repair parts to ranches and I got to see ranches I didn't know existed. I took on jobs on some of those ranches on weekends because I loved it plus a few extra bucks plus occasional chuckwagon cookouts and working cattle were real living. I retired 18 years ago and now still live on the edge of town with new developments pushing me in. Due to medical reasons, I can no longer live the remote cattle ranch life I love.

On my daily walks, I walk past the remaining 20 acres of prime irrigated alfalfa. The owner refuses to sell and I love that because sometimes I stop and smash a few leaves and enjoy the smell that brings back memories.

The Colorado ranch I grew up on was 160 alfalfa and 160 irrigated pasture. We could feed 80-100 head year-round without ever overgrazing.
 
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My Mother and I bought 11,bred,registered,Black Angus heifers in 1990 to keep her taxes on her small farm in ag base.It was once all farmland until 1980.She put it in the CRP program. In 90,instead of re-upping into the program,she decided to go to grazing it.I bought her out in 2017 and thru buying and leasing other places have increased my herd size to 78 mommas and 3 bulls.I still have a lot of that 1990 registered blood line from the original cows though.Actually I have never bought any cows other than a handful of registered Brangus cows.Bought them during the drought of 2011.I have gone to a cow that is more of a blend between the 2.Using registered Angus bulls on the Brangus to lower the height of the Brangus,but still keep the heft of their huge bodies.Basically taking the "leg" off them and leaving the "ear".Buyers at the auctions love them.
 

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