Partly cloudy and warm today. I moved both groups to next splits. Katie Peters came to re-test the bulls that failed the test earlier. Thankfully they tested positive. Ryan put 2 bulls with the young cows and 3 bulls with the older cows. I left for Helena in the afternoon. There was a fire in Deep Creek and I had to detoured through gravel roads south of the highway through the forest to get to Townsend.
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Cooler today. On the way to move cows at Lackey’s, the Swainson Hawks with their young were all feeding together near the creek crossing. I moved the cows to next splits.
Partly cloudy, breezy and getting warmer. I moved the cows to second split in WL 5, and moved the young cows to next split in WG 1. Dana successfully live-trapped the third pack rat in the house-very cute and very easily drawn to tuna fish. This summer might be titled ‘the reign of the rodents’. A mini-explosion of cottontails, voles and mice, pack rats, and prairie dogs are expanding on the prairie. Cycles. And predators!? Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), Gayfeather (Liatris punctata), Rush Skeleton weed (Lygodesmia juncea) are starting to flower-usually we see them in early August. At a recent CMR meeting, one of the refuge biologists seems to feel everything seems three weeks early. Not much other color in the grasslands except Canadian thistle in some draws and wetlands-not so desired.
Another mild and breezy day. I trailed the cows into WL 5 for first split-more topping of drying alfalfa. Two godwits flew over during the move. Young cows are good. I am starting to see kestrel parents and fledglings feeding together.
Another cool day turning windy and blustery by evening. Pierce returned to Connecticut. Older cows moved to next split in NBW 7 on way to West Lackey to top drying alfalfa. Young cows stayed put after brief escape to the county road. Ryan is off for four days to pick up his granddaughter in Iowa.
Partly cloudy and mild today. Everything stayed put while I traveled to Phillips County to facilitate the CMR Community Working Group’s sage grouse sub-committee. The day finishes with a little unsettled weather-some light sprinkles-and wonderful evening light. The last night of Pierce’s stay at the ranch. We took a walk on west end of Big Wall and saw a number of duck broods and cliff and barn swallows.
Continued mild weather. I moved the cows into NBW 7 first split just south of reservoir. Recently fledged cowbirds lead to large flocks hanging with the cows. Also, rapid moves and cooler weather has the fly populations down. It seems that the smooth brome colonies in the old hay field by the reservoir are growing larger-not a good sign. Smooth brome, while an ok forage, is aggressively rhizomatic leading to little or no stand diversity. I saw a few young sage hens on road to reservoir.
Moderate temperatures today. Received .2 tenths of moisture last night. Loaded 34 open cows and two bulls for the Billings auction. I moved cow pairs (241) onto next split NBW3. I gathered for the move and held them awhile as they entered new grass. Ryan moved the young cows (143) to next split. I prepared for the move to the reservoir tomorrow. Reservoir level is falling-maybe over a foot. Ryan, Dana, and I updated livestock inventory. We are off 2 from the first of year. Still some questions on the calf count and whether we have more opens still running with pairs.
Cool morning turning warm in the afternoon. Fawne, Ryan, and I moved the young cows back over to WG 1 over at Ryan’s. We will keep splitting the alfalfa fields. One bull got in the group the night before. Being a week before the planned turnout, we chose to leave him in. Cows stayed in NBW 3 first split. Hope to move early tomorrow. Brian Johnson from Collaborative Design Architects paid us a visit to begin helping us design a studio-storage project on the footprint of the shop next to the house. The reader may notice that there is not much reporting on new flowers blooming as the summer grows longer. The ranch has still received under 4 inches of moisture for the year, and everywhere except the draws and bottoms, the cover is crunchy dry and no real active growth for some time.
Partly cloudy, mild, and very clear from yesterday’s wind. Clearest day since the smoke came in. Just as I was finishing the breakfast casserole for the actors, I walk out the door and the bulls are strolling to the county road. Temporary panic, but the dogs and I got them captured. Then returning from the Shakespeare breakfast, I noticed the cows had broken out. Long story short got things straightened out over the day, and recognized it was time to shift from opening gates to fresh pasture, as we do during calving, and move the pairs to fresh pasture. Managing branding, moves, and Shakespeare together can lead to a few mistakes.
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Bill Milton
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