I never thought I'd say I'm happy about the bug goo on my windshield. I am actually so deeply grateful. There are some nights on the Salmon River Road when the mayfly hatch makes it almost impossible to see anything in the glare of oncoming headlights. The average summer day is not much better. One …
Classy Coats on the Leaves of Grass
As I was crawling up Larkspur Canyon in my non-late model Chevy pickup, I kept my eyes peeled for the huge rocks that would roll down on to the densely vegetated two-track from the steep walls that soared above me. Only we drive this remote jeep trail smack dab in the middle of our wild grazing …
Comatose Cow Crew
The large lean-to tarp flapped in the cool night air and the Coleman lantern cast a warm orb over the cook tent. I eyed my crew as we sat quietly eating supper off the camp stove and grill. They were catatonic as they chewed dinner, and looking slightly stupefied. It was near midnight, and I've seen …
When Typical Tests
With the rain increasing in intensity, I gave my mare, Natalie, her head as she picked her way across the steep, slick and rocky mountainside, bent on catching 25 recalcitrant cattle that clambered high above us near the peak of the volcanic dome. They had cut from the main herd, in search of what …
The Summer Walk in the Wild Begins
The final sort is done, and now we are staged for the long walk to the mountain grasslands. We have 300 head in the low meadow; they've all been health screened, tag identified and weighed. We'll let them eat their fills for a few days, meeting early spring grazing objectives on our home Pahsimeroi …
Junior Takes the Bus
The May sun was already down; it was going to be dark soon. We were running out of time. As Josh and I meandered and bounced the old pickup through the 200-acre hay meadow, our eyes scanned the verdant shag carpet of spring grass that was coming up with abandon. I was thankful it was early spring; …