Posted by Preston on November 30, 2005, 3:47 pm
10/3/05 Monday
We have seven folks this week, not a veteran in the bunch.
The crew consists of Dave from O.K.C. and his sister Pam from Dallas, and their step dad Bobby from Texahoma, Ok. Some college buddies of Dave’s are here too, Craig from Ca. Ed from Washington state.
Also we have two Canadian cowboys, Rick and R.J.
Today Dave’s crew went out with Lyndsey on a shakedown ride, they are a bit less experienced than most our guests. Nate took the Canadians and did a little work. They pushed the house lot cattle and orphan calves out into the south trap and then rode the north trap fence and checking the yearlings which are in there making sure they still are in there.
I spent the day working on the shipping pens. Putting up new boards on a couple pens and repairing the other pens. Just trying to get it really tight. I don’t want to take a chance on losing the yearlings when we bring them in the pens in the morning. Not after all we went through to find them and get them this far.
Everyone was home about 5pm and enjoyed the day.
We have about ten horses that are missing, some where in the Bearwallow pasture. We haven’t seen them for a week. I’ll have to send Nate out looking again tomorrow. He was out for hours Sunday hunting them.
Hi was about 70 late day clouds. Overnight was 41.
10/4/05 Tuesday
Everyone saddled up and headed out into the North trap to gather the yearlings and bring them in for the truck in the morning. Maggie and I were late getting out there. I had to fill a couple feeders and we put hay in the pens while the others got a start on gathering. When we got out there they were just coming into the tank and it was sure a pretty sight.
It was a bit after noon when we had them settled in the pens. They sure look great.
Nate and the Canadians went horse hunting while everyone else unsaddled and gave me a hand weighing some of the yearlings. They averaged about 960 pounds; last year at this time they averaged 524 pounds. Not a bad gain!
I took the crew out in the truck and we picked up feeders, which I am moving from Negrito pasture out to 7HL pasture so I have more feeders there and will have to refill less often.
Nate came in with his crew and reported no horses found. They put in a long day in the saddle.
Hi was again about 70, a few clouds and a bit breezy at time. Low was a mild 45.
10/5/05 Wednesday
About 10pm last night I heard an engine and got up to see the cattle truck pull up to the gate and shut down for the night. I slept well knowing that it was here already.
Right after breakfast we loaded up our 58 yearling steers and sent them off to the sale. The loading went like clock work and I was sure relieved when that door slammed shut behind them.
Lyndsey and I loaded up a couple trailers of horses, piled the guests in and drove out to camp along with Leasha carrying all the food and luggage.
Nate along with Rick, R.J. Pam and Dave rode out to camp and were to make a long trip around Loco Mtn. looking for some strays we know are out there some where.
Once we got to camp we mounted up and set out on a search for unbranded calves. Late in the day we were back at camp with four to work. About that time Nate called and said he had found the strays right along the way waiting for him at a gate. He was soon in camp and we set to getting the crew broken in the branding pen. They did pretty good and we finished up just as the sun was going down.
Hi was 72 with almost no clods and a slight breeze.
Lo was a nice 44.
10/6/05 Thursday
A big thunderstorm blew in over night. Lots of wind and driving rain along with plenty of flashes and noise. It was my first night sleeping in the cabin and let me tell ya I was glad I was there. The college buddies were all in the old wall tent and yes they got a wee bit wet. Rick and R.J. were in a tent and had some problems with the weather. About 3am I heard Rick move into the kitchen.
Seems the only one to get a good night sleep was Pam.
We had a late start due to wet horses and gear. Once we got going it was still grey and over cast and a light drizzle was coming down. We rode in three groups, Lyndsey went up towards Little Loco tank, Nate and I went out into the Basin country. I had the Canadian with me and we went way up to the north fence. From there we could spot several head out in Pitchfork pasture. So after fixing a little fence we headed out there getting in seven old dry cows and two pairs which we pushed through the Lower Incognito gate. We then started gathering cattle to get them away from the hole in the fence we fixed which is keeping them from a small spring. We didn’t get that great a job fixing it just using what material we had on hand. We had about 35 head by the time we got to Pine Canyon. As we got to the lower end of the canyon near camp we cut out the two pairs we had to brand and got them to camp and penned. The rest of the crew had started branding before we got there and from all reports it was pretty exciting. One wild calf Nate had to rope from Whiskey after it jumped the fence. The crew was clicking and they did a great job of getting 11 calves branded before the sun went down.
The day cleared off about 1 pm ending up being really pretty with everything fresh washed. As we rode through the cedars the aroma was strong, making my nose tingle.
Hi got to about 65 after a rainy low of 45
10/7/05 Friday
We decided to start weaning our calves today. We are doing things a bit different this year. In the past we have gathered all our cattle, moved them across the ranch in the traps near the house. A month long process. Then we would sort through them all and wean here. It seemed almost every year a calf was run over by some dumb ass hunter. The traps would get heavily used leaving not much grass for the spring branding. And the stress on the calves as well as the cows was prolonged due to the fact they could see and hear each other making the bawling and fretting last for several weeks.
So this year we are gathering to our new Canyon Creek corrals, Cutting the calves off there and trucking them back here to the H.Q. leaving the momma cows out there wondering where the heck they went.
Before we could do that we had to get some panels from Snow Lake so I took Bobby, Craig and Ed with me while the rest of the crew gathered with Nate and Lyndsey.
We got the panels back and set up making a small crowding pen inside the branding pen to make loading easier. Just about the time we were done the riders came in with about forty head, A few needed branding which we took care of in quick order and then we sorted off all the momma cows from the calves, backed our trailers up and slick as you please we had two trailers full and we were all headed home. We got home about 6:30pm, the first time we have been home on a Friday with daylight left in over a month.
The day was a copy of yesterday, starting out with grey skies and fog burning off to become a nice afternoon. Fall in New Mexico…heck fall about anywhere I guess. Hi was 65 lo 38
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