I am getting some new cattle. I've been looking for friends for Momma and Baby this past Fall with no luck. Last week Evan, the guy who sometimes hauls my cattle to the auction, said his father had some cattle he planned on selling. Today Tammy and I drove down to their ranch to take a look.
The drive was a little long at 88 miles and over two hours. But it was nice to go out on a road trip after so much time spent on the ranch. The scenery was very nice and the weather decent for the most part.
I didn't want to pull my stock trailer in darkness, and I am not an early riser, so we didn't leave until 9:30 am. Before we left I drove over to a local gas station to get more gas for the long trip. The very light freezing rain which was changing over to rain. The rain mostly quit by the time we left though the roads were wet and sloppy. The only reason to use the windshield wipers was due to other traffic.
Mt destination was in the Mission Mountains south of Flathead Lake. The routes on the east or west sides of the lake were only .3 mile apart so I went on the east side. This route was flatter and had less traffic. The speed limit was mostly 50 mph versus the 60 to 70 mph on the hilly west side. Both routes around the lake were predominantly two lanes.
My pickup has an undersized 6 cylinder engine. It is good for gas mileage, but not good for quick acceleration or power. There is a tow/haul button for heavy loads. Still steep hills saw my mph drop. On the level ground the most I could do without flooring it was 65 mph. So the 50 mph speed limit was fine with me.
On the curvy 19 mile "do not pass" section of the lake I only had one vehicle behind me. As I went 50 mph - the speed limit - I didn't feel too bad even though he rode my bumper. When he could pass, he didn't. Instead he eased off my bumper. Go figure.
I couldn't go faster if I wanted to as about the time I entered the 19 mile section a van pulled on the road in front of me and they - without exception - went the speed limit or less. Once we stopped at a stop light down the road Tammy and I noticed the sticker in the back window: it was drawings of a mother and a half dozen or more kids. Ah... a day care van.
A short drive on a 70 mph four-lane highway and then we were off. We forgot to bring Tammy's Garmin so we relied on google maps and my map reading skill. Tammy was the navigator but we missed the turn off the highway. I realized it and pulled off on the next intersection. While I felt this intersection would lead us to the next correct road I turned around and found the intersection we had missed.
Tammy said we had to go 5 miles. After 2 miles we came to a T intersection. Hmmm... I turned left. Correct. 3 miles... wait... it really was 1 mile we turned right. Then we were to go straight for 18 miles. Really? The tall mountains ahead of us don't look 18 miles away.
After about 7 miles an intersection. Gravel was ahead and pavement to the left. I kept going as Tammy said 18 miles. A mile later a T intersection. Huh? I turned left as that was the direction of the next turn.
Did I mention that once we left the highway there were no road signs? They probably weren't needed as there also weren't many houses or ranches around.
Another mile and an intersection. I kept going. A half mile later the road "kind of" ended near a ranch house. The road continued but it looked more like a two wheel track dirt road.
This doesn't look right.
I swung around on the rancher's frozen field and went back to the intersection. Right. One mile and we came to the paved road. I took a right.
By now Tammy was trying to get her smart phone mapping function to work but we were in the middle of nowhere and it wouldn't work.
I felt were were on the right track and kept going to Tammy's concern. We went down a big hill, crossed a river, then climbed out of the valley. Must be why the other roads dead ended.
We drove further into nowhere land and the only things to see were the mountains to the south and west of us looking to block our way. On (very) rare occasion we would see a house in the far distance. Otherwise it was just a narrow gravel road and fences.
Tammy thought we should call Evan. I felt were on the right track. Tammy didn't think so. When we finally came to where a small gravel road went to our right I stopped to call Evan. I felt this was the road before the one we wanted, which looked to be a few miles in the distance. Tammy didn't think I knew where we were. She didn't think my answer of "
We're here." was very funny. So I agreed to call Evan. No signal. Yup. We were
way inside the middle of nowhere.
I looked at the google map directions I had printed off earlier. The 5 mile and 18 mile directions? Tammy misread 5 mins and 18 mins for miles.
We drove on. I think Tammy was worried about being lost. We had gas. We had food. We would survive.
At the next intersection (another T intersection) I turned left. Tammy mentioned about me not stopping for directions - the typical complaint about guys. Well.... I would have stopped but there was no place or no one to stop and ask directions other than the occasional hawk or eagle sitting on a fence post.
Another mile or so a pickup was on the side of the road at a mailbox. I stopped and we asked for directions. Lo and behold I was on the right track. We were told Evan's place was down at the end of the road on the left - as I suspected.
Evan came out as I drove up. I had to dodge the dogs and cattle roaming about the road.
I was interested in two to three cattle for company. Evan had four black calves in one weight class, three black little calves, one black with white markings calf, and one Holstein. The Holstein was a non-starter as the time Dan pastured two Holsteins here one Summer they were nothing but trouble.
The three little calves were cute but small. Other than the Holstein all the cattle were born in the Spring.
Why the difference in weight? The three small calves either had mothers that didn't have much milk or were poor mothers and didn't feed the calves. So those calves had to scrounge around for grass and hay on their own and were stunted as a result. 300 elk came out of the trees on high and ate the good grass before the cattle and then the grass dried up by August. One of the small calves was barrel chested like my steer got last Summer. Not good when they look fatter than what they should be.
I went with the four larger calves. Three. Four. What's the difference? I didn't want to break the group up. These four were cattle that were missed during Fall roundup when it was time to bring cattle down from the trees on the tops of the mountains. So they missed out on going to the auction with the others. My gain.
A neighbor had a cattle scale and after getting the four cattle to jump up into my trailer I drove over to weigh them. This meant unloading them, then separating them into boys and girls for weighing.
Separating was a challenge as they would pair up boy/girl and not boy/boy - girl/girl. Finally we got them separated and weighed. The girls averaged 20 lbs heavier than the boys.
Re-loading the cattle in my trailer went smoother this time. The girls went in the front; the middle trailer gate was closed, and then the boys jumped in the trailer with no problem.
Off to see the brand inspector down the road then home.
It was after 1 pm by the time we were back on the road. The traffic was light which lessened the stress of driving. I didn't want to make sudden stops or turns risking a chance any cattle would fall int he trailer and get hurt.
During the drive down when we left Flathead County we left the rain and wet roads behind. And there was no snow. When we went back into Flathead County the rain and wet roads started again.
We got home at 3 pm. Tammy drove the pickup and trailer in the corral as I worked the gates. Due to the snow the four wheel drive came in handy. Momma and Baby were in the field flirting the "boy" across the road. I want the new cattle to stay only in the corral for now until they get used to their new home. Therefore I wanted Momma and Baby in the corral. I called to Momma and Baby. Usually they come when I am out in the corral as they think I am giving them more hay or apples.
Now? Momma and Baby ignored me to flirt with the "boy" next door. Okay... I closed the gate to the hayfield. Tammy and I opened the stock trailer door ,and after a little encouragement, one then the other steer bolted from the trailer. I opened the inside trailer gate and out bolted the two heifers.
Here my rancher girl is getting the steers out of the trailer.
I don't know what it is with cattle, but new cattle - no matter if Spring, Summer, or Winter - always hang around the SW corner of the corral until they get comfortable with their new home.
Momma and Baby - way out in the hayfield - once they saw the new cattle in the corral came running over. They forgot all about the "boy" next door.
Who are these strangers in my home?!
I opened the gate and Momma came into the corral to meet the new cattle. Baby hung out at the fence where the cattle were and would follow the cattle as they moved along the fence.
Momma - once she saw I had closed the gate with her in the corral and Baby outside decided she wanted back into the hayfield to be with Baby. Since I wouldn't let her through the gate she called for Baby but Baby was more interested in meeting the new cattle through the fence. Eventually I had to herd Baby towards the gate as she wouldn't come when I called her.
Once everyone was in the corral it was time to clean the trailer as the four cattle had over two hours to make a mess. And they did. Fortunately the temperature was above freezing and I was able to use a garden hose to wash out the trailer insides and wash off the mud and road grit on the outside.
I had no trailer mishaps this time. No flat tires, no braking problems, no broken handles. Tammy must have been my good luck charm for a mishap free trailer drive.
Everyone is getting used to one another. The new cattle tend to hang out along the west fence but have eaten hay, drank water and licked salt. They seem to gravitate to Baby more than Momma. Of course Baby is interested in these new friends to play with.
Tonight after dark I went out to check on how much hay was eaten. Black cattle in darkness are hard to see even with white snow on the ground. As I rounded around the barn the four new cattle bolted out of the loafing shed across the corral like a flock of birds taking flight. Where did they go? To the west fence of course.
