Saturday, October 17, 2026 · Montana

Markets Feeder Cattle $3.38/lb ▲ +0.1% Live Cattle $2.28/lb ▲ +0.5% Wheat (HRW) $7.04/bu ▼ -1.3% Diesel (ULSD) $4.72/gal ▲ +1.5% as of Oct 17, 04:00 MT

Tag: summer storms

A lone cottonwood tree and barbed wire fence in an open Montana pasture under a dark, building thunderstorm with cattle grazing in the distance

Montana Ranching

Lightning Kills the Cows Bunched Under the Lone Cottonwood, and the Wire Fence Carries the Charge to Ones That Weren’t Even Close

Summer thunderstorms roll across Montana fast in June and July, and a single strike on the wrong tree or fence line can…

Harry Ward · August 28, 2026

A lone cottonwood tree on an open Montana pasture flat beneath a dark summer thunderstorm, with a barbed wire fence running across the foreground

Montana Ranching

Summer Lightning Kills Cattle Bunched Under a Lone Tree, and the Fenceline It Runs Down Takes the Ones Standing Near the Wire

June and July thunderstorms drop cattle in bunches, often under the one shade tree in the pasture or along a wire fence.…

Harry Ward · August 20, 2026

A lone cottonwood tree in an open Montana pasture with storm clouds clearing overhead and a barbed-wire fence running to the horizon

Montana Ranching

Lightning Drops a Bunch of Cows Under the Lone Tree in a June Storm, and You Find Them the Next Morning

Summer thunderstorms kill cattle in bunches, usually against a wire fence or under the only tree in the pasture. Here's how it…

Harry Ward · August 5, 2026