Notes From The Ranch: Never A Dull Moment

Interesting and unpredictable things often happen on a ranch. I had just fixed an electric fence for a pasture where we were going to move cows. I was headed in to saddle up so we could gather and move the cows when I spotted what I thought were cows in a place where there should not be cows.

Upon investigation it turns out the distant figures were in fact cows --bison cows, with their calves. About 140 head had come over from our neighbor to the south. They had climbed the mountain to the west through the recent burn area and dropped down to pay us a visit.  

I contacted our neighbor, Jim, about the situation and he immediately started our way on his four-wheeler. Bison are very aggressive by nature and cannot be worked on horseback or with dogs. The bison were about three miles from their home, with six different pastures and challenging terrain lying between.

So, it was with great patience that Angela, Jim, and I on slowly moving machines worked the bison back to their own home. It was critical to let the bison move, not force them; let the move be their idea.

By the time the bison made their way through the gates of their home pasture, the sun was down. It was not the day’s work we had planned, but all's well that ends well.

-Chet Vogt

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