Getting bulls out of a pasture

[Soapweed]

This afternoon we had some hay down, but it was a bit too green to bale. I suggested to Saddletramp that we maybe had time to get a few bulls out before dark. He jumped at the idea, as he'd always rather ride a horse than a tractor. We got in the horses, and picked out our best cutting horses. We loaded up his Chalk-eye and Goose (both are paints) onto the 24' trailer and hauled down to Highway 20 where we are summering quite a few pairs with a neighbor. One pasture right next to the road had five bulls, so we thought we'd be happy to get these out.

As we pulled into a fence corner to park the trailer, we could see that the cattle were just drifting away from the windmill. When we caught up to the vacating bunch, we discovered all five bulls in a fairly close proximity. We headed them back to the windmill, and drove along a few cows and calves to keep them company. At the windmill, we dropped back everything but the five bulls. These we drifted towards the pickup and trailer. We pushed them, but not hard. A couple tried to go back, but with the help of our good horses, we held them. We just pushed easy-like, and didn't make any undue noise. Pretty soon they all wandered between the pickup and the fence, and soon they were all standing in the corner. Saddletramp got off his horse and crawled over the fence, to stand imposing-like in case they tried to jump over. I brought up the rear. Pretty soon the first one jumped onto the trailer, and the rest followed. We shut the gate, grinned at each other, and proclaimed it a successful mission.

The hay was ready to bale when we got back. Saddletramp raked, and I baled. He had time to go unload the bulls and unsaddle the horses while I finished baling about thirty bales. The sun was setting when the last bale was rolled.

View from the porch into our backyard

Saddletramp about to be rescued from tractor duty

King of the Green Machine

Getting the horses in

Shutting the gate

Bulls with very hidden EPDs

Heading towards the pickup

It worked good

The crew

Putting things back together

The end of the day

 

[Hanta Yo]

I'm in awe sometimes at how things work out. Love your PICS!!!

 

[nr]

"Saddletramp got off his horse and crawled over the fence, to stand imposing-like in case they tried to jump over"

From the picture it doesn't look like Saddletramp has any difficulty looking imposing!

As always, wonderful pictures of some beautiful land.

 

[Saddletramp]

Aw shuks nr, I'm just a wee slip of a lad...... You ought to see my kid sister.

 

[Mike]

Good job! Especially if you got those five bulls on the trailer without a catch pen or chute. Goes to show that moving them easy and not getting them excited is the only way to work cattle.

Says a lot about your bulls dispostion too!

 

[sp]

Soapweed - Do you border the Minor Ranch, or are they that far north?

 

[Jinglebob]

It's a tossup between the pic of Saddle Tramp and the last one as to which is best. Great pic's all! I'm sure there are those out there in the world who wouldn't believe it's possible to load bulls that way. 'Course it helps when you've got good hands on good horses! :lol:

 

[Clarence]

Since I know Saddletramp, I am not going to him him one bit of credit. Don't you believe that the pretty clouds helps to make a nice picture?

 

[Silver]

Thanks for posting Soapweed, it sure is nice to see day to day workings of other peoples operations. It was particularily refreshing to see that in fact there is a tree or two in Nebraska. I was beginning to wonder. :wink:

 

[Faster horses]

Awesome! Simply awesome, Soapweed, and I don't mean just the pictures!!

You could probably put together a documentary on handling cattle the proper way and sell it to some of these newcomers that don't have a clue.

Hey, I know. We could get Temple Grandin to design the working facilities and you to demonstrate the range work!!!!
:wink:

Seriously, I bet you both felt a huge amount of satisfaction in the way things went. Teamwork to the MAX!!

Slower is faster most times.

YIPPEE!

 

[George]

I've always said the slower you work livestock the quicker you get done.

I cheat a little to. I have a 37' goose neck trailer with a large escape door. When it is not in use I quite often park it in with the cattle with the rear doors and the side door open and feed a small amount of sweet feed inside. It doesn't take long before the cattle look forward to going in the trailer. It takes a little time to clean the trailer out after a few days in the pen but then it sure makes moving easier.

It seems to take a lot of the stress off of them as well.

 

[Soapweed]

Soapweed - Do you border the Minor Ranch, or are they that far north?

When Mrs. Soapweed and I were first married, we ranched eighteen miles south of town. The south end of our ranch bordered Minors for about four miles. In 1986, we traded that ranch for another ranch northeast of town that bordered my dad's home place. Have lived here ever since, so I suppose Minors are at least thirty miles southwest of us.

 

[Soapweed]

Seriously, I bet you both felt a huge amount of satisfaction in the way things went. Teamwork to the MAX!!

Slower is faster most times.

Yes, Saddletramp and I were rather proud that things went so well in the bull loading. That type of stuff provides our "adrenalin rush" and gives us a modified thrill. We are satisfied enough that we don't feel compelled to ride bucking bulls at the local rodeos. :wink:

Hate to belabor the topic, but we did comment to each other that we wouldn't have been able to pull it off if any cowdogs were present. And I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Even a super good cowdog would have distracted the bulls, or pushed them through the feeble fence. It would have been guaranteed that something would have gone wrong. I appreciate ol' Saddletramp, and the fact that he is one of the few cowboys I've been around who agrees completely with me on this subject.

 

[Faster horses]

Soapweed, I too, hate to belabor the subject too, BUT a REAL GOOD cowdog would have stayed waayyyyyyy back to where he/she was almost invisible, but within hearing in case you called them up.

Our dogs used to be at the top of the hill when we were at the bottom, they would be at the bottom of the hill when we were a long ways across the flat. They would get behind sagebrush and you would never know they were there. Unless you needed them and then they would come up. They never bothered cattle in a situation you were in. Now, we never used a black dog with a bushy high tail. These were blue dogs or yellow ones, bob-tailed or carried their tail low. Perhaps it is just what you are used to, and what your cows are used to.

At any rate, I still admire you and Saddletramp for what you accomplished, dogs or no dogs! :clap: :clap: :clap: :nod: :nod: