Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association

Coming Home for Winter

As the temperature cools, the leaves turn to brilliant yellow and orange colors, the days shorten and eventually snow appears on the mountain summer range, the cattle head for home. The cows are just like the deer and antelope. They start migrating to the home ranch as the fall weather start to send reminders ofContinue reading “Coming Home for Winter”

Another Day at the Office

The cows have been up on US Forest grazing allotments for more than a month now. The Upper Green River Cattlemens Association pays riders to stay on the mountain with the cows and move them around to prevent overgrazing, watch for problems, doctor the sick, and keep an eye out for bear and wolf problems. While these ridersContinue reading “Another Day at the Office”

Driving Part VII

Day 7 – June 23, 2010 After a good day yesterday, the cattle got counted onto US Forest today. I know I said we would push the cows up to US Forest land for grazing, but the drive is not over yet; we still have a ways to go. This is the day where weContinue reading “Driving Part VII”

Driving Part V

Day 5 – June 21, 2010 We pushed from what we call Barlow’s Corrals (the end of the driveway) to a place we call Mickey Adam’s today (It’s common practice for ranchers to name our pastures and other places on our ranches. This makes it easier to communicate when we’re conducting business). Not a bad drive,Continue reading “Driving Part V”

Driving Part IV

Day 4 – June 20, 2010 Today was an easy day and it provided a nice break after the last few days gathering off the Mesa. The cattle are contained in a pretty small area at the drift fence, so they can’t wander far unless they go up the river where we want them. SoContinue reading “Driving Part IV”

Driving Part III

Day 3 – June 19, 2010 Things went fairly smooth today. We were a little short on help for such a large area to gather, but things came together in the end. The cows didn’t bother to move forward from where we left them yesterday, they just spread out, so there was a lot ofContinue reading “Driving Part III”

Driving Part II

Day 2 – June 18, 2010 The cattle are starting to come together into one large heard now as we near the end of the gathering process on the Mesa. This year the grass has been good on the Mesa, so the cattle don’t want to leave, but we had plenty of cowboys and cowgirlsContinue reading “Driving Part II”

Driving (Hint: This has nothing to do with cars)

Upper Green River Cattle Drive Day 1 – June 17, 2010 Today we began our yearly cattle drive up the Green River Valley onto U.S. Forest land for summer grazing. Our ranch is part of an association called the Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association. Last year approximately 5,700 head (head=number) of cattle from the UGRCA wereContinue reading “Driving (Hint: This has nothing to do with cars)”