Land & Grazing
The First Week on Summer Range Decides Where Your Cattle Graze All Summer
Turn pairs out on a big allotment and they'll pile into the creek bottoms and shade unless you set them up to…
Land & Grazing
Scout the Grasshoppers While They’re Small, Because You Can’t Spray Your Way Out in August
Grasshopper outbreaks build in the dry corners of Montana rangeland every summer, and the window to do something about it closes fast.…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur Drops Cattle on the Foothill Range Just as the Grass Gets Good
Tall larkspur is most dangerous in June and early July, right when cattle move into the foothill country. Knowing when it's toxic…
Land & Grazing
Spray the Knapweed and Spurge at Bloom, Not After It Goes to Seed
Mid-June is prime time to hit Montana's worst pasture weeds while the chemical still moves into the roots. Wait until seed set…
Land & Grazing
Don’t Graze It to the Dirt in June: Leave Enough Leaf to Get a Second Bite
How you handle pastures in the first few weeks after turnout decides how much grass you'll have in August. Grazing too hard,…
Land & Grazing
Scout the Grasshoppers Now, While They’re Still Nymphs You Can Kill
Grasshoppers hatch on Montana rangeland in June, and the window to do anything about them closes fast. Here's how to scout, count,…
Land & Grazing
Split the Big Pasture With One Hot Wire: Temporary Fence for Summer Grazing
A single strand of poly wire and a few step-in posts can turn a season-long pasture into two or three grazing periods.…
Land & Grazing
Spray the Weeds While They’re Still Green: June Is the Window on Spotted Knapweed and Leafy Spurge
Noxious weeds on Montana rangeland are easiest to kill before they set seed. Here's how to time June herbicide work and biocontrol…
Land & Grazing
Cattle Camp the Creek: Getting Them to Graze the Whole Pasture
Cows will hammer the bottoms and coulees while the ridges and back corners go untouched. A little planning with salt, water, and…
Land & Grazing
Leave Grass Behind on Purpose: Stubble Height Sets Next Year’s Feed
Grazing a pasture into the dirt in June costs you regrowth this fall and vigor next spring. Here's how much to leave…
Land & Grazing
Scout Grasshoppers in June, Before They Eat Your Fall Pasture
Grasshoppers do the most damage as small nymphs in early summer. Counting them now and hitting the hatch beds early is cheaper…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur on the Foothill Pastures: The Plant That Kills Cattle in June
Tall larkspur greens up early on Montana foothill range and is most dangerous right through bud and bloom. Here's how to spot…
Land & Grazing
Get Water to the Back Forty: Developing Springs and Solar Wells for Summer Range
A spring box, a buried pipeline, or a solar well can turn dead corners of summer pasture into grazed ground. Here's how…
Land & Grazing
When Grizzlies and Wolves Share Your Summer Range
Predator pressure on Montana summer pasture is real and growing in many areas. Here's how to ride the country smarter, cut your…
Land & Grazing
Spray the Spurge Now: Timing Your Knapweed and Leafy Spurge Hits Before They Set Seed
Spotted knapweed and leafy spurge are at the stage where a well-timed herbicide pass pays for itself. Here's how to read the…
Land & Grazing
Pull Them Off the Creek: Getting Even Grazing on a Big Summer Pasture
Cattle hammer the bottoms and leave the ridges untouched. Here's how to spread them out with salt, water, and a little riding…
Land & Grazing
Set Your Trigger Date Now: Deciding When to Destock Before the Grass Is Gone
Waiting until the pasture is chewed to the dirt to cut cow numbers costs you twice. Here's how to set a drought…
Land & Grazing
Grasshoppers Are Hatching: Catch Them Young or Watch Your Range Disappear
In a dry Montana summer, grasshoppers can eat as much grass as your cows. The window to do something about it is…
Land & Grazing
Make June Grass Work for You: Pasture Rotation When Growth Peaks
Cool-season grass on Montana range hits its hardest growth in June, and how you move cattle through it now sets up the…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur Season Is Here: Keeping Cattle Alive on Montana’s High Country
Tall larkspur kills more cattle on Montana mountain range than most ranchers want to admit. Here's how to time your grazing and…