Rattlesnake Dens & Cattle Upgrades?

We live in a high altitude sagebrush desert. There are lots of interesting wild critters that also call it home. Coyotes, sage rats, rattlesnakes and the list goes on. We have gotten used to most of them except the different families of snakes. Nothing makes us jump more than the movement out of the corner of your eye or the startling sound of a rattle alarm. Our hearts start pumping harder & we are instantly on full alert. We have collected turkeys, guinea hens, barn cats and a Jack Russell terrier to help us deter snakes in our barnyard. So far it has been effective.

Today, my husband Nate, was pushing cows around on our BLM grazing allotment. The cows had congregated along the hay field’s fenceline, just waiting for the chance moment the gate was left open. Nate gathered them up with the help of our ranch dogs, retuning them to the far side of the field. The two little cowboys & I met him there with fresh salt and mineral for the cows. It often helps them utilize the grazing better if the salt is placed strategically throughout the field. On the top of a rock ridge, Nate heard a rattlesnake sound off his warning buzz. As he slowed his horse to pinpoint the snake’s location, the entire area erupted with a rattle chorus. Nate had discovered a rattlesnake den. He then spotted a moving ball that consisted of several rattlers. Thankfully none of the ranch dogs decided to engage in their curious nature. Nate quickly left, urging the dogs along. Needless to say, we will be avoiding that rock point the next time we are checking the cows!

Last fall, we decided to keep three Brahma cross steers. They were slightly smaller than the rest of the calves. Two were from our beef cows, the third was an offspring of our Jersey nurse cow, Inez. The steers were kind of a motley crew. One being red striped, one a creamy brindle and the Jersey resembled some sort of an African wild game animal. We planned to fatten them on grass, eventually marketing them as freezer beef. They were less than “easy to keep around” to put it lightly. All three steers were notorious fence escapees. They would jump, crawl or plow through most forms of animal containment. Once on the “outside”, they would engage in the sneak attack towards a cow nursing her calf. Despite the steers’ size, 700 pounds, they never quite got past the weaning stage. This caused problems for all involved. No calf should have to compete with his much bigger half brother for nourishment.

Still we overlooked and dealt with the steers’ character flaws, counting the days to their fall departure. Last week however, they managed to break the final straw on the camel’s back. Nate has been working the steers with his colts. They help the young horses learn to watch cows, while anticipating the steers’ next move. The steers get a little exercise, slowly making laps around the corral. It worked well for both parties involved. The steers had managed to find a new hole in the pasture fence and escaped. Two were in the next field, the third was missing. Nate saddled up his trusty ranch gelding, Hank, and commenced to searching the outside sagebrush fields. About an hour later, he returned on foot minus his horse.

Nate had spotted the steer mixed in with our yearling heifers. After several attempts to convince him to return home, Nate decided to rope the steer before he ran away forever. After a brief chase, he was able to tie the steer up. Nate planned to bring the pickup and horse trailer back to retrieve him. In the midst of tying the rope, the steer managed to come loose. The steer had lost his sense of humor by this time and decided to unleash his anger on the closest object, Nate. Apparently a 700 pound enraged Brahma steer can outrun a 37 year old cowboy in a rock filled sagebrush pasture. Nate’s saving grace was Hank, the cow pony. Thankfully the one rope was still tied on the saddle horn, stopping the steer after 30 feet of leash. Nate managed to escape with slight injury to his lower back where the steer had made contact. However, the steer would not allow him to get close to Hank again. Thus Nate walked the 1 1/2 miles home to get help. After gathering up the ranch dogs, a second saddle horse, the pickup and horse trailer, we returned to help complete the recovery mission. With all the extra help, we convinced the steer to load in the trailer.

There is a weekly livestock auction about two hours away. The steers recent behavior had completed their reservations for the trip. We try to combine our travels as much as possible, conserving gas and time. When Nate left on Friday for the livestock auction, the horse trailer contained 3 agitated Brahma cross steers along with 5 cull ewe sheep. A slight attempt to improve our livestock herds. When he returned home later that day, the horse trailer was again full. The front compartment contained an assortment of livestock mineral and animal feed. The back compartment was filled with 5 streamline bewildered Corriente heifers. They were no longer top of the line roping cattle, destined to become “real” range cow mothers in the spring. The new girls are kinda cute, in a foreign kind of way. We promptly made sure they were up to date on their vaccinations and identifiable as belonging to us. The Corriente girl gang then trotted out to their new sagebrush home, starting a new chapter. We are chalking this is up as an upgrade to our herd, from Brahma steers and cull ewes. Time will tell when they become moms next spring.