April 18 - Playing Cowboy

The alarm went off at 5 a.m., and I got up, packed, and took a quick shower before driving over to the Hitching Post 101 Ranch.  Lee Ross had invited me (well, I guess I asked him) to help with the branding of 51 calves this morning.

I Saw This sign on all of the Oklahoma Working Ranches that cater to Tourists

I got to the ranch at 7 a.m., just as the crew was coming out from getting a burrito breakfast.  I grabbed a quick burrito and rode with Bobby as he drove the pickup across the highway to call the cattle.  The easiest way to do this is to sound a siren when you feed, so the cattle associate the siren with getting fed, and will follow the truck.

In this way, we led the bulk of the cows & calves toward the gate on the highway.  There are always a few cows that don’t want any part of it, and the cowboys had to ride them back to the herd.  We crossed the road with little effort, and the cowboys got the animals into the corral.

They separated the calves from the cows, to make it easier to work them.

We who were working in the corral set up the propane tank and forge to heat the brands, and got the other gear ready.

I was ‘assigned’ a needle gun, and was vaccinating the calves, after they were thrown, and just before they were cut and branded.

Three different vaccines keep the calves healthy

Owing to the “sensitive nature” of a working ranch, I will pretty much limit my photos to the roping and such.  Ms. Sally, the owner of a neighboring ranch, told me that she wouldn’t allow anyone who was not “country” onto her spread during the branding operation, as she doesn’t want “bad PR” from folks who don’t understand where their food comes from.

Bobby Apple making sure everything is in order

There were three young cowboys with the crew, gathered from among the local ranches, who were pretty good with the riata, and Justin, in particular, was really good with a loop.  LeRoss handled the branding irons, marking each heifer calf with three vertical bars, and each steer with a single.  The cowboys have obviously done this work before!

We Are Ready!

Their sharp eye would pick out a calf and ready their loop.

A few swings, and they'd drop the loop around a heel.

Then they would drag the calf out of the group to where we would 'work' it up, before turning it loose.  This took about 5 minutes for each calf.

As we worked through the herd, it took a bit more time for the rider to find a calf that hadn't been through the process.  This didn't seem to lessen their efficiency.  When the calf is heeled, the roper gets a dally, which is when they take the rope and wrap it around the saddle horn.

You dally because you have a four or five hundred pound steer you are trying to turn for the crew to grab its hind legs.  This allows the horse to do its share of the work.

Getting ready for the vaccines

The cowboys switched off who was riding and roping, and who "got" to sprawl in the dust and work the calves.

Taking his turn

I was greatly impressed with these men, with their smooth efficiency, and their concern for the animals they were handling.

Bobby keeping a sharp eye on the roper

The work was done around 11 a.m., and the calves were turned back into the pen with their mammas, and moved out of the corral.

The cows found their calves almost immediately

Heading back to the range

Then the cowboys took them back across the highway to pasture on their range.

All Done!

When the riders got back, we cleaned up and set to dinner cooked by Jane Apple.  After a blessing of the meal by Bobby, we tucked in to roast beef and mashed potatoes, with Ms. Sally’s cherry pie for dessert.  The rest of the crew took their leave, LeRoss headed out to get a downed cow on her feet.  I thanked the Apples for their hospitality.  These are real, hard-working Americans!!  I headed back to Boise City to gas up, then drove southeast toward the Wichita Mountains NWR.  I drove pretty much straight through, stopping for a short rest break at the William E Schott Memorial in the caprock country of Briscoe County, Texas, where a pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers welcomed me.

William E. Schott Historical Marker

Following four hours on the road, I pulled into Altus, Oklahoma, and checked into the Wyndham Microtel motel.  On the recommendation from Alejandro at the front desk, I went to supper at Fred’s Steakhouse, which serves pretty good food, and a lot of it, for a decent price.  I gassed up at the Conoco station and went to bed.

101 Ranch eBird Checklist is Here

William E Schott Memorial eBird Checklist is Here