As spring rolled around…we had an offer which simply could not be refused, an opportunity to come and watch the branding of the new calves on a friends ranch in Northern Montana.
A real cowboy event to be sure set in a quintessential wild west big sky landscape…….
The weather was cool but dry…..in many ways a perfect day for it….
A quick trip down to the border, an easy crossing, then sharp right turn heading into the middle of nowhere….this drive in to the ranch is spectacular…….
…a real feeling of isolation and probably not too different to days of old.
On the way in we had to stay well back…as the cowboys on horseback drove the herd in.
Then the emotional part….driving the cows through a chute and separating off the calves. Those moms get pretty upset about where their babies went without them…..
Watching those cowboys work is a real privilege…..the skill and the calmness is impressive. There’s a real sense of carefulness with the animals….
….and a bunch of future cowboys and girls watching the job they will likely be doing in a few years.
Having seen a few rodeos now…watching those guys heel the calves (roping both their back feet from horseback) …takes on a whole different level of purpose.
The next part is a bit hard….as the calf needs to be moved out of the pen….and there is only really one way to do that…
But it becomes abundantly clear why heeling both back feet is so important…..the next bit….the actual branding…
Several sets of irons are heated in a propane ‘stove’….and there are multiple assistants with medications (injections and nasal spray guns).
Two guys on the ground lock the calf…one on the back end, one on the front….to stop it moving while in a matter of seconds it gets branded, vaccinated and medicated nasally…
It looks like a tough job….but important to keep the calf from moving for those few moments. The whole community shows up to help out, and once the work is done there’s a feast.
Occasionally a hoof gets loose…..ouch….
This kid got most of the blood wiped off…then carried on with the job….
Around 400 calves were done while we were there…a pretty efficient operation getting the job done with the minimum of drama…then they released them back to their worried and waiting mommas…….and the whole group wanders back out to the plain..
What an experience…
Extra Pix
OsteoPraxis on the road 