Cattle, less cattle and gophers

On Tuesday Dan's cattle left and so did my steer.  There was no extra grass for Dan's cattle so he sent them to the livestock auction.  I sent my steer too, for one less mouth to feed and because he was leaving in the Fall anyway.

The previous weekend Dan brought me a replacement board for the loading corral from back when his cow, "Auntie" broke it.  Monday I nailed the board in the loading corral to finish the repairs from the abuse the cattle made on it this year.

Evan came and got the cattle.  I didn't know when he was going to arrive and had to hang around much of the day as he didn't arrive until 3 pm.

The cattle loading went smooth and Evan was in-and-out in a little over 20 minutes.  I was concerned that "Auntie" would have a fit and not load but, while reluctant to go down the loading corral's runway, she followed the other cattle into the trailer.

Evan's new trailer as the cattle are leaving.

For a few days Buddy would go back and forth between the middle pasture where the cattle were and the south pasture.  Monday morning Buddy and all the cattle were in the middle pasture.  A little over an hour later Buddy and all but five cattle were in the south pasture.   The grass is greener in the south pasture.  I was going to move the cattle in a few days but they took the matter in their own hands.

The other five cattle stood at the fence wondering how the rest of the cattle got into the south pasture.  I went out and opened the gate to let the five cattle join the others.  Some cattle went through the gate right away.  Several didn't.

The red cow was more interested in looking at Daisy than walking through the nearby gate.  Only when Daisy came over to me by the gate did the cow follow, then walk through the gate.

Some pocket gophers have moved onto the ranch.   I trapped all but one in the south pasture.  Once the cattle came into the south pasture that put an end to trapping there.

I have lost two pocket gopher traps.  I suspect coyotes have taken the traps and the caught pocket gophers off to a safe place to sit and work on getting the gopher out of the trap.  That has happened to me in the past.  Often I find the empty traps in trees nearby.  So far I have not found the two missing traps - there are more trees in this area and I haven't had extra time to search for the traps.

I have a number of pocket gophers in the hayfield.  I trapped three so far.  I have four or more left to trap.  It is harder to trap them now.  The ground is hard to dig and the pocket gophers are suspicious of the traps and often fill them with dirt.  That seems to be common this time of year.

I have trapped 23 pocket gophers this year - one more than all of last year.