Land & Grazing
Put the Salt Where the Grass Is, Not Where the Cattle Already Stand
Cattle on summer range will hammer the water and the bottoms and leave the ridges untouched. Moving salt and mineral is the…
Montana Ranching
A Rattlesnake Bites a Cow on the Nose in June, and the Swelling Is What Kills Her
Prairie rattlers come off the dens and spread across summer range by mid-June. A bite on the muzzle rarely poisons a cow…
Calves, Cattle, Farming, Livestock Fencing
Ride the Fence and Rebuild the Water Gaps Before Your Pairs Find the Hole for You
Spring runoff pulls out water gaps and drops wire while your cattle are already on grass. Mid-June is the window to walk…
Land & Grazing
Cattle Graze the Bottoms Bare While the Ridges Go Untouched—Move the Salt and Fix It
On big summer country, cattle overuse the creek bottoms and swales while good grass on the ridges and back corners never gets…
Land & Grazing
Trail the Pairs Slow to Summer Range, or You’ll Spend a Week Sorting Mismothered Calves
Moving cow-calf pairs to summer pasture in June is where calves get separated, stressed, and sick. A little patience on the trail…
Calves, Cattle, Farming, Livestock Fencing
Ride the Boundary Fence Before the Cattle Find the Hole—and Your Neighbor Does First
Winter snowload, elk, and spring runoff leave gaps in the summer fence that cattle find fast. A few days of riding wire…
Cattle
A June Thunderhead Builds in an Hour, and a Whole Bunch of Cattle Under One Tree Can Die at Once
Summer lightning kills more range cattle than most producers expect, and the losses come in bunches. Here's what raises the odds and…
Land & Grazing
Cattle Pound the Creek Bottom While the Ridge Grass Goes to Waste—Here’s How to Spread Them Out
On big summer country, cattle bunch in the bottoms and leave half the pasture standing. Salt placement, water, and a little riding…
Montana Ranching
The Calf You Don’t Find on Summer Range: Cutting Predator Losses Without Chasing Ghosts
Coyotes, wolves, and grizzlies all take calves on Montana summer range. A few management calls made in June do more to hold…
Land & Grazing
Graze the Cheatgrass While It’s Still Green, Because the Awns Turn Ugly by July
Cheatgrass is decent feed for a few weeks in June, then it heads out and the seed awns start working their way…
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
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,…
Montana Ranching
Move the Deadstock Before It Draws a Grizzly to the Summer Country
Bears and other predators follow easy food. A dead cow left in the corner of a pasture teaches them where the cattle…
Calves, Cattle, Farming, Livestock Fencing
Ride the Fence Before You Turn Out: Fixing the Wire the Runoff Tore Up
Spring runoff and frost heave wreck more fence than cattle do. Ride it before turnout so you're not chasing pairs down the…
Cattle
Rattlesnake Bites Hit the Nose First: Handling Snakebit Stock on Summer Range
Prairie rattlesnakes get active as the ground warms, and a grazing cow or a curious colt usually takes the strike on the…
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…