Wow what an experience. I spent the last two weeks helping out a cattle rancher. I started out fencing and learned what it takes to build a right proper cattle fence. I have participated in two cattle drives, no three cattle drives and two roundups. It really gets your adrenaline and heart pumping overdrive when a 1000 pound cow decides to go through the space your standing in instead of around, to watch as the massive animals bend steel gates simply by moving. Did you know that it is a requirement of the Cattle Coop out here to brand all cattle involved? Beastly you say? I would agree and having now participated in the activity I am quite qualified to make the opinion. I was stuck branding, but truthfully the other tasks being performed simultaneously are worse. If someone could develop a method of permanently tracking cattle without branding I would be the first to rally the cause but until then disease and crime must be kept in check and branding works.
We rounded up a young moose that was trapped inside the large sheep pasture. I have fixed waterers, run an antique post pounder and cut hay. If only I could work at the job all year round and get benefits, especially health benefits as most of a ranch hands day is spent in hazardous pursuits. I suppose I could get work but most places want you to live onsite and that would defeat our purpose for being here.
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