Cowboy Poet's Corner: "Welcome Rain" by Stan Tixier

Welcome Rain

By Stan Tixier, SRM Utah Section Member

A cowboy and an eastern dude,

A most unlikely pair,

Were flyin' 'cross the country,

Assigned, by chance to share

The last two seats in tourist class

On some big jet airplane,

The conversation that they had

Was mostly 'bout the RAIN.

It'd been a-pourin' steadily

For several days or so,

Across a bunch of western states,

And in New Mexico,

Where they were headin' on their flight

Most every pond and tank

Was full, the creeks and rivers there

Were runnin' bank to bank.

The dude had come to play some golf

And tennis, don't you know,

The cowboy, to participate

In some big rodeo,

So each one was affected by

Excess precipitation,

And neither of 'em could adjust

A pre-made reservation.

The eastern dude was most perturbed,

And anxious to complain

How his vacation would be spoiled

By that confounded rain,

He fumed and fussed and swore a lot

And said it wasn't fair,

They'd advertised a desert

And now a swamp was there.

The cowboy'd be impacted too

By breaks that he'd been given,

'Cause ropin' in arenas dry

Was how he made his livin',

Yet he seemed sorta' unconcerned,

Not tryin' to be rude,

He set out to explain some facts

To that frustrated dude.

He said, "You ought to understand,

This country's mostly dry,

We need this moisture to survive,

There's lots of reasons why,

So mister, don't get too upset,

Let's try to be more lenient,

'Cause RAIN is always welcome here,

But seldom is convenient!"


From the book:
A Good Lookin' Horse: Cowboy Poetry and Other Verse (1993) by Stan Tixier
_________

Want more cowboy poetry?  Poetry books and CDs by Stan Tixier are available for purchase from Western Heritage Company, 1-800-303-5703.  And don't worry, Cowboy Poet's Corner will continue to post to the SRM blog in coming months.

Maggie's Final Report

By Maggie Haseman, Outreach Intern

Maggie with her boyfriend Reid before seafood dinner in Corpus Christi, Texas

My experience as the Society for Range Management’s first in-office intern was always exciting, interesting, diverse and awesome. I had many goals I hoped to achieve through this internship program. Some of these goals were more personal things I wanted to develop such as communication, my social network, time and project management, and organization. Other goals were direct projects I knew I wanted to help with during the summer like populating the SRM social media, working on streamlining the Annual Meeting planning process, and assisting Aleta Rudeen with outreach efforts.

When I was growing up I was always somewhat shy and soft spoken toward people I did not know and I would cringe at the thought of something as mundane as ordering a pizza if it meant I had to talk to someone on the other end of the phone. It has been a personal goal of mine to improve my communication skills when conversing with people even before applying for this internship. I knew I’d have many opportunities to work on communicating because as the Outreach Intern there is plenty of interfacing with membership and other people. I learned to present myself professionally towards all people I came into contact with during my work hours and noticed myself acting more professionally outside of work hours as well.

Something that really helped me to feel more comfortable communicating with people I don’t know was surprisingly when I was the most uncomfortable: my ranch visits. I was outside of my knowledge base spending all my time with people I just met. Before I left for my first ranch visit I was nervous. My boyfriend told me that the best way to learn is when you put yourself into an uncomfortable situation. Turns out he was right; I guess it’s bound to happen on occasion.

Along with learning better communication skills I hoped to build my social network including professionals in the range community. I know that this goal is a continual process that will last a lifetime, however through this internship I got the opportunity to meet the Board of Directors, communicate with section leadership and heads of SRM committees and converse through email, over the phone and in person with many members whose names and faces I now recognize. I am very excited to practice my communication skills with my new acquaintances at the Annual Meeting in Spokane, WA next year.

One of my goals was to develop time and project management skills in order to complete multiple objectives. This goal was probably the easiest to work on because it was sub-consciously accomplished. Throughout this internship I was sometimes forced to oversee my own time and manage an inbox of projects and email that flowed like Niagara Falls. I quickly built a barrel to help me float above the flow and learned how to compartmentalize these overwhelming circumstances and complete projects in a timely manner. Another goal was to increase my organizational skills in my workspace. Something I discovered about time management is that you can’t get anything done if your workspace is not organized.

I also hoped to improve my writing organization. I have always loved writing; I used to write short stories, and essays and research papers have always been a big help to keep my grades up. However, I sometimes have more thoughts running around my head than I can put into understandable sentences. This internship gave me the opportunity to publish my writing onto the SRM Outreach Blog for anyone to read that just so happens to stumble upon it. This forced me to learn how to think in writing in order to more efficiently get my thoughts onto the page.

I recently took a journalism class at Colorado State University on professional writing so I had the basics on how to write professional letters, emails etc. (I think that’s why Aleta hired me; she didn’t have to teach me much) yet, there is always more to learn on this subject, therefore it was another goal of mine to expand my professional writing abilities in all genres. I accomplished this right off the bat when Aleta asked me to draft a letter on the first day of my internship. Throughout I have written multiple blogs, dozens of letter and about a trillion emails. The tricky part was learning the style of SRM, and writing to a bunch of people with diverse backgrounds who share similar interests in a way that didn’t offend or mislead the audience.

I have not been a member long so my knowledge of the society was limited before starting this internship, I was therefore curious about the internal workings of SRM. This took a little time to work out, like doing a puzzle; every once and a while I would learn something new. At the beginning it was a mess, nothing connected and my perception was all mixed up, as the summer has gone on though, pieces of information have begun to form something like a picture. I don’t think I have the whole picture of a society that has been around for almost 65 years, after only three month, but I’m getting there.

Something that was very important to me to take home from this internship is that I have left my mark on SRM somewhere, somehow. I think that this was accomplished in a couple of ways. I spent a lot of time in the front yard this summer trying to keep all of the plants (or most of them) alive this summer. I hope that when I am gone people will continue to enjoy the beautiful yard. I also hope that when people look at the wonderfully organized archived journals in the back room they will think, “Maggie Haseman organized these for us. She spent a full day in the dust and piles of dead bugs and mouse poop pouring herself into these shelves and enjoying a bit of history.”

Overall this internship has been a really awesome experience in every way I can imagine. I didn’t know what to expect coming in and I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming atmosphere and the respect I received from those I worked with. I felt like people cared about my opinions while I was working here. I believe I was truly lucky to have stumbled onto such a great group of people working together in a fabulous organization.

Report on Arizona Section Society for Range Management, Summer Meeting 2011

Doug Tolleson, Arizona Section President-Elect/Meeting Coordinator

Wednesday August 3

The forecast called for scattered showers as we headed for the high country of Mahan Park on the east end of the University of Arizona’s V Bar V Ranch for the Arizona Section Summer Meeting. Folks started showing up around 1pm as the registration cabin, dining fly, plant ID contest, and shop/classroom were readied for the 3-day event. Across the Verde Valley and the other side of Mingus Mountain, about 35 of us were touring the upper Verde River, led by Al Medina from the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

 

After a membership meeting that evening we were fed hamburgers, hotdogs and all the fixings by the Natural Resource Conservation Workshop for Arizona Youth (NRCWAY) committee. This meal was sponsored by Cargill Animal Nutrition and was a fund raiser to help send students to the national High School Youth Forum. Thunderstorms to the west made for a spectacular sunset, sky-lighting the big Ponderosa Pines near the main cabin in purple, pink, and orange. Bill Inman from the Navajo’s Padre Mesa Demonstration Ranch spoke to us about his ranching educational programs there as the rain came down and we all packed in under the dining fly. You could tell this was a bunch of range and ranch people cause nobody complained about the rain. We scrapped “movie night” though, it would have been too loud in the shop under a tin roof to hear them anyway.

Sunset Behind Pine Trees

Thursday August 4

The Tierra Seca Range Club from University of Arizona served up a great breakfast and got the day started off right. Iric Burden from the Coconino National Forest and George Ruyle from the U of A officially welcomed the group. We stayed right there at the ranch summer headquarters for the morning program. Dave Schafer, Resident Director of the ranch experiment station described the ranch, it’s management and 15 years of animal breeding, animal nutrition, and adaptive grazing research and educational work conducted here. Doug Tolleson, range specialist for the ranch followed up with the range related research and extension programming he has been involved in during his 4 years on staff. High school students (Dan Sullivan, Savannah McReynolds, Garret Fish, and Amber Lee) who have participated in NRCWAY and Range Rocks! told the group about some of the skills they have learned such as: wildlife water tank escape ramp construction and installation; tablet PC, VGS software, and pace quadrat vegetation transects; and real-time grazing animal diet quality assessment using portable near infrared spectroscopy. Jim Sprinkle, U of A Area Livestock Specialist and Bryan McMurray, Beef Marketing Manager with Cargill showed us some innovative research equipment designed to monitor individual animal mineral supplement consumption on rangelands and told us about mineral nutrition for livestock in Arizona and how that is different from surrounding regions.

Don and Jim sitting in the folding chairs under the dining fly

After lunch, we drove northeast about an hour to hear Duane Coleman, manager of the Hopi 3 Canyon Ranch describe a brush management/grinding project he has ongoing there. A little farther east we stopped to see a pinon/juniper area included in a prescribed fire/grazing project on the Bar T Bar Ranch. Iric Burden of the USForest Service and Bob Prosser of the Bar T Bar described how the project got started, how it has been carried out and what they planned to accomplish in the future. At this location we also learned about two different cattle/elk interaction studies that had been done on pinon/juniper range on the V Bar V and in the pine vegetation near there. Larry Howery, Range Specialist for the U of A and Bill Miller, Wildlife Professor for Arizona State University detailed their work on forage use, techniques to assess potential competition, and management of these sympatric species. Duane Coleman then took us over to look at Clear Creek Canyon before we headed back to the V Bar V. It was definitely worth the trip.

When we arrived back at the ranch headquarters, Bopper Cannon and his crew had one of his classic chuck wagon suppers ready for us. Tri-tip beef, ranch potatoes, dutch-oven biscuits, beans, and salad, topped off with dutch-oven cobbler. We had a short follow-up business meeting and then saw a video of the V Bar V Ranch history created by Deb Pearson, ranch business manager. We also saw a video re-cap of this summers NRCWAY at Mingus Springs Camp. It has become sort of a tradition to have a little live music at our summer meetings with the “band” named after some local place. This year was no exception as the “Happy Jacks” took center stage under the dining fly to wrap up the evening. A couple of rattlesnakes in camp just added to the excitement.

Friday August 5

Coyotes and elk woke us up early and we packed up, left the cool pines and headed down the hill (about 30 miles and 3500 ft in elevation) to the old Beaver Creek Ranger Station. The Range Club from ASU cooked up some wonderful breakfast burritos and we needed them since we had a little hiking to do this morning. Down the road a few miles at Wickiup Draw, we walked in to see the headcuts and erosion which has been a problem there for a number of years. Amina Sena who is the Watershed Specialist for the Coconino on the Red Rock district presented a little history of the draw and outlined the many factors affecting that ecosystem. Then it was back out to the road and a stop at Scared Mountain for some agricultural archaeology presented by Peter Pilles, archaeologist for the Coconino National Forest. He gave a great explanation of how the Sinagua harvested water and farmed the “rangeland” we were standing on. By now it was getting hot so it was good to move on to the V Bar V Heritage Site (former ranch headquarters now a historical site operated by the USFS) to see some of the best petroglyphs in the southwest under some big old shade trees. Ken Zoll and Jerry Ehrhardt, both members of the Arizona Archaeological Society educated the group on the rock art and historical trails used by native and US military people in the area.

Amber and Anastasia holding their prizes for the plant ID contest

Back at the Beaver Creek Station for lunch and we wrapped up with a presentation prepared by Jerry Mundell (USFS retired) on historical grazing in the Beaver Creek Watershed. Verde Natural Resource Conservation District presented information about their projects to provide wildlife escape ramps and “no-trace” fire pits. Doug Tolleson summarized the meeting and challenged the attendees to look at rangelands with new eyes after learning about historical uses of the land and how this will affect what we are able to do management-wise now and in the future. Jamie Wages and Andrew Brischke from the Young Professionals Committee announced the Plant ID contest winners which were: 2nd place Amber Dahlke and 1st place Anastasia Rabin. Prizes awarded were a lighted hand lens and a Trail Boss belt buckle respectively. Some of us hung around and visited after the meeting, some went on a trip to see more archeological sites and some went swimming. The number of attendees each day ranged from 60 to 80. Plans are already underway for the winter meeting, tentatively scheduled for Tucson in mid January.

3R Ranch Visit

By Maggie Haseman, SRM Outreach Intern

3R Ranch is located 22 miles southwest of Pueblo, Colorado. It is 11,000 acres of land partially in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, partially flat plains. The ranch is managed by Reeves and Betsy Brown. Part of my internship program this summer was to visit this ranch, and spend two days learning about the way it is run. After my time at Chico Basin Ranch late last month I thought I was somewhat prepared for another ranch visit. However, these two ranches differ vastly; I was just as inexperienced as I had been two weeks prior when I arrived at Chico Basin Ranch. Reeves would later tell me that I could visit every ranch in the state, and not find two that run things in the same way.

Eating Hay

During my stay, Reeves Brown gave me a detailed description of the management program used on 3R Ranch. They manage using a Holistic Management plan. This grazing plan was developed by Allan Savory who came to America from Zimbabwe to get the idea more recognition. His book about holistic management is called “Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making." Reeves told me that holistic management is all about the connection between the water, energy and nutrient cycles. Plants require water from precipitation, energy from sunlight and nutrients from the soil to grow. When they are synchronized the plants are most productive and in turn animals are too. When animals graze the land they cycle the nutrients back into the soil more quickly than if the land were left alone. The animals eat the above ground plant material before grasses go to seed; the grass then produces more above ground material. If the plant were allowed to go to seed it would then go into a dormant period, adding the grazing cycle into the ecosystem allows the plant to produce more.

Very Dry

He also talked about keeping a balance in finances, happiness, sustainability and productivity in order to meet a set goal. Each decision should be evaluated based on whether it will help them meet their goal. They ask if they have the fiscal ability to do the action, if it will make them and their workers happy so they have the mental and physical ability to do the action, will the action improve productivity, will the action improve the resource. They graze a pasture for a maximum of five to seven days, and then give the land a long rest period. The plan is much more in depth than this, and this is simply my understanding based on what Reeves talked to me about. I think this management plan really makes sense, especially the way Reeves explained it. I haven’t had much experience with herbivory in my classes at Colorado State University yet so I haven’t heard much about grazing plans, I think this specific one is very interesting.

The Ranch

My adventure began on August 1st at 5:00pm, when I pulled up to the building that would be my quarters based on my emails from Betsy Brown and got out to stretch my legs. I walked across an irrigation ditch on a small foot bridge, as instructed in my email, to Betsy and Reeves’ adobe home. When I rang the doorbell I was greeted by the barks and scratching at the door of a small fluffy dog I later learned was named Angel. Then Betsy came to the door and invited me in. We sat on the porch, enjoyed the breeze, chatted and drank lemonade.

These cows thought we brought them food, very disappointing for

them to find out otherwise

That evening, Betsy asked if I would accompany her to check on some cattle. We (including Angel) hopped in the Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) with Angel and head off on a dirt road. The countryside was beautiful; the sun was setting behind the Rocky Mountains. It started to rain but we were comfortable in the UTV. Betsy talked to me about the way they run the ranch and we chatted about other things as well. Betsy recommended a movie called Temple Grandin after hearing about my sister, Erica’s interests. She said between the two of us the movie would be a perfect balance. My sister graduated from CSU with a degree in music therapy and wants to work with autistic children, and I, as you may know by now am currently majoring in rangeland ecology. This movie is about the woman it is named after: she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, she is also autistic. The movie shows the obstacles she overcame to be successful. I haven’t seen it yet but it came highly recommended.

Injured Bull

On the way back to headquarters we collected eggs from the chicken coop. When we got back to the Brown’s house for dinner, Reeves was home. We had tasty taco salads on the side porch followed by homemade peppermint ice cream. Being an ice cream fanatic, as is Reeves, we chatted over a bowl each. I was amazed at how good it tasted, I don't think I've ever had ice cream that tasted so good. They asked what my favorite flavor of ice cream was and I responded cinnamon gelato from Gelazzi, a gelato cafe in Fort Collins, CO.

Checkup

The next morning, I woke up in time for 6:30am breakfast at the Brown’s: hot cakes, yummy. On the first day Betsy and I went to give a bull with a bad knee some water and food because he was unable to walk. Reeves, Betsy, two ranch hands Ken and Kenneth and I (Angel too) also put salt, mineral, and hay out in a pasture for the cattle. Another bull was also hurt, probably from jumping over a fence. Marvin, the Brown’s veterinarian, arrived to check on the bull. I watched Betsy and Marvin help the bull into a holding contraption where Marvin conducted the checkup. According to him, the bull was no longer a bull, which was bad news for Betsy and Reeves who were counting on him for breeding. It was also sad for the bull who was now only worth the price of a hamburger patty.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, watching the rain fall and talking while Betsy fixed dinner. I found a recipe for gelato for her to use in her ice cream machine. For dinner we had meatloaf and squash from the garden. Of course there was home-made ice cream for dessert: this time banana nut. Note to self: get an ice cream maker.
After breakfast (hot cakes) the next day, Reeves took me up in the mountain to the place where Reeves and Betsy’s son Kelly is building a hunting facility for them. Reeves showed me around the area and then got to work on the hole he was digging for a water tank. Later, Reeves and I drove around the mountain to check on the herd of cattle they had grazing up there. When we got back, I helped him level the hole using my limited surveying experience from a previous course at CSU.

Beautiful Architecture for Hunting Facility
Built by Kelly Brown

When we’d finished eating lunch from their favorite local pizzeria, Kelly, Reeves and I drove down to Colorado City. They had to meet the truck driver who was delivering the water and septic tanks and show him the way to the hunting facility. Lining up the tanks in the holes took the rest of the afternoon.

Spanish Peaks

I had a wonderful couple of days with Reeves and Betsy Brown. They are very sweet people and I appreciate everything they did for me during my stay. I hope to keep in touch with them and see them again soon. I learned a lot about these two kindly people, holistic management, ice cream, cattle, bull injuries, and myself during my two day adventure in southern Colorado.

Nebraska Youth Range Camp 2011

By Shelly Taylor, Director of the Nebraska Range Camp

The Nebraska SRM Section’s 48th Annual Youth Range Camp was held June 13 – 17, 2011 at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp, located in the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. Range Camp is designed to be a blend of educational, team-building, and recreational activities, with the primary emphasis being on range, livestock, and ranch management. Each Camper received a notebook of reference materials as well as priceless experience coming from both the classroom and the field. Thirty-nine high school students from across Nebraska and eastern Colorado participated in this weeklong educational activity. This premier Section Activity is successful because of the long-term support we have from a wide array of professionals involved in rangeland management.

Ranch Tour at the Reed Hamilton Ranch

Nine adults contributed a week of their time to be crew leaders and Camp support. Crew Bosses included: Ben Beckman (UNL Graduate); Daryl Cisney (Board of Educational Lands and Funds); Karla Jenkins (UNL Assistant Professor and Specialist); Justin Lemmer (Twin Platte NRD Range Technician); Jess Milby (UNL Graduate Student); Casey Lancaster, Lisa McMillan, Jeff Nichols, and Shelly Taylor all of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Shelly served as Director for the Camp.

The financial support of sponsoring ranches is an essential part of Range Camp’s success. Many of these ranches have been supporting this program through ranch crew sponsorship for more than 35 years. Currently, 11 Nebraska Ranches support Range Camp.

Livestock Judging Clinic

Range site portion of the Range Judging contest

Additionally, 13 of Nebraska’s most respected and dedicated leaders, teachers, and professionals from various agencies, colleges, and universities supported Range Camp by leading tours and providing presentations on range related information. They represented: a local ranch, Chadron State College, West Holt High School, Mitchell High School, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Scottsbluff High School, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the US Forest Service.

We provide the top ranch crew or team awards annually. This year’s winning ranch crew was the Steerhead Crew – Kelly Ranch LLC. The Crew Boss or team leader was Justin Lemmer.

We work hard, but we play hard too!

The top individuals are scored on plant identification, range site identification, ranch planning, a comprehensive range exam, notebooks and attitudes. These Campers are offered the opportunity to represent Nebraska at the International SRM Meeting by competing in a range related presentation contest at our Annual Nebraska Section SRM Meeting.

The top two first year campers received belt buckles. The top returning Camper received a plaque that includes the ranch sponsors brands and the SRM medallion. Top First Year Campers received the Weeds of the Great Plains book. Top Returning Campers received the Weeds of the West. There are also awards for placing high on Range Sites, Plant Identification, and the Comprehensive Exam. Those individuals were awarded the Grassland Plants of South Dakota book.

2011 Top First Year Campers

The Sandhills Task Force and the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition continue to be invaluable sponsors and supporters of our Camp.

The staff or Crew Bosses unanimously decided to offer the opportunity to represent the Nebraska SRM Section at the Spokane, Washington International SRM Meeting to all Campers. We had another year of outstanding young people; our future in natural resources continues to be bright!

Tour of prescribed burn on Forest Service property

The Nebraska Youth Range Camp has a new Facebook page where you can view photos from this year’s Range Camp, find information about upcoming Range Camps and other associated events, and network with past Campers and supporters. Please “Like” us so you can receive our updates!

Range Camp is one of the Nebraska SRM Section’s most important annual activities. Continued success is dependent upon the support, dedication, and active involvement of Section Members. The support of Nebraska ranchers, professionals, and other sponsoring organizations is also essential for a successful Camp. The 2012 Nebraska Youth Range Camp is scheduled for June 11-15, 2012. This will be our 49th Range Camp. Additional information on Range Camp is available by contacting current Director, Shelly Taylor, by visiting the Nebraska SRM website, or by “Liking” the Nebraska Youth Range Camp page on Facebook.

The whole crew

Chico Basin Ranch Visit

By Maggie Haseman, Outreach Intern

Photo by: Maggie Haseman
Chico Basin Ranch Headquarters

Chico Basin Ranch is a working cattle ranch located 35 miles southeast of Colorado Springs. It is 87,000 acres of rangeland owned by the Colorado State Land Board and managed by Duke and Janet Phillips and their family. As part of my internship program with SRM, I spent two full days on the ranch helping out and learning about their operation. I went to Chico Basin Ranch not knowing what to expect and found myself having a very memorable and worthwhile experience. I have always considered myself to be a city girl and I had never even been to a ranch or thought of going to a ranch before the Phillips kindly allowed me to visit theirs. My two full days and two nights on the ranch were packed full with new learning experiences, a few minor bumps in the road, and a new found appreciation for what it means to work a ranch.

When I arrived at the headquarters on July 18th at about 5:30pm, I was greeted by three young women: two interns, Lesley and Kerstin, and the youngest child of Duke and Janet, Gracie. I was then sent in to meet Young Duke, Duke and Janet’s son. He sent me to May Camp, the home he shares with Cooper Hibbard and guests when they come, saying, “It’s very easy to find.” 


Photo by: Maggie Haseman
View of the Ranch Near May Camp



The roads are dirt and they veer off in every direction, luckily May Camp was easy to get to once you’ve already arrived. On the way, I distinctly remember thinking, “I’m lost, I’m lost, I’m lost!” and suddenly the house appeared. The house was very cute and cozy, with blue cabinets in the kitchen and thankfully, running water and electricity. They had made up a bed for me in a room off the dining room and I tried to get settled in. Around six, Cooper came in and introduced himself. We talked and got to know each other a little while he fixed dinner (beans, corn on the cob, and skillet veggies, yum!) After that I just busied myself with reading before bed time. Boy was it hot in that house!

The next day I woke up at 5:50am. Cooper took me around the ranch, to fix things and help me get used to the new setting, and he taught me a lot that day. Like I said, my ranch knowledge bucket was empty before I arrived, I learned a lot but I know my short adventure was not enough to fill it, not even close, there is so much to know. The first thing I learned was that there is something tricky you have to figure out about all vehicles you drive around the ranch, the one we were using didn’t open from the inside, another one didn’t have a windshield or doors, and a third you have to pull the door up and then close it or it will open while you drive.

After we had the truck loaded we drove for ages. 

Photo by: Maggie Haseman
View of the Ranch and Mountains

We had to check water tanks because there was something wrong with the system that Cooper had been working to fix the day before. Luckily, he succeeded, which meant it wasn’t a leak we had to find. I was shocked to find a drowned salamander and frog in one tank and tadpoles in another, it was so dry there, these critters just seemed out of place. We then went to a drained water tank to fix some holes with cement. It was only 9:00am or so and it was already hot, hot, hot! At another tank, we had to pump it dry so that Cooper could replace the water valve. It was so stinky and when Cooper asked me to get in the tank with that gooey greenish-black gunk I was very apprehensive; it turned out to not be that bad. The valve was so stuck we couldn’t get it to budge so Cooper resolved to leave it until he had some better tools.

Along the way, I was learning how to open and close fences. It seems like that should be an easy task that wouldn’t really take much to learn, but I kept closing the gate with Cooper and the truck on the right side and me stuck on the wrong side. I got a GIANT splinter from one gate and shocked by another, and my goodness did I let out a shriek at that shock. I then learned how to fix a fence and drive a fence post. Later, we drove along the fence to find where the charge was grounded; meaning the electricity of the fence wasn’t shocking at full power. We finally found it, fixed it and headed back to headquarters.


Photo by: Duke Phillips
Pikes Peak behind May Pond



I then met the third Intern, Raphael. Kerstin, Raphael and I ventured to the lake to cool down and play with some puppies (there were so many puppies, four from one mom and about seven from another). I longed to go swimming to cool down but I forgot to follow my mom’s number one packing rule: always bring a swim suit; it was probably for the best though because I would have psyched myself out by the teeny leeches I saw. It was fun to relax in the setting sun and cool my feet in the water. After a while, Cooper and I headed back to May Camp for dinner and bed.

On Wednesday I woke up at 4:00am. Cooper told me we were wrangling cattle and I was supposed to ride a horse but I kept thinking it was a joke. I had not ridden a horse since a birthday party in elementary school and what help would I be gathering cattle? But, it wasn’t a joke, and next thing I knew I stood facing Cricket the horse while she looked disapprovingly down her long nose at me. You have to learn fast once you’re on a horse: sit up straight, don’t be a sack of potatoes, hold the reins here, connect with her, trust her. Cricket had a lot of energy and spunk, and I’m pretty sure she thought she knew what to do better than I did, which is true. Duke sent Gracie, Kate, their guest from Portland, Oregon, and me off in another direction, he and about eight or nine other riders went somewhere else. So Gracie, Kate and I trotted along a fence and found a small herd of cattle coming toward us. We gathered them and followed/herded them toward a central water tank where we were meeting the others. I think they kept saying we were herding 1,500 head but to me it looked like zillions. The noise, the dust, the sun, I will never forget the way it looked. I felt transported to a different time and it was wonderful.

Photo by: Cooper Hibbard
The Dukes, Father and Son

Once the cattle were gathered we started moving them back toward headquarters. Duke showed me how to keep the line moving and we made our steady way into the corrals. In the corrals the cattle were a little scary and there was one point when I thought they were going to stampede over me, though it probably wasn’t as dangerous as it felt. Regardless, I was happy to sit to the side and watch at Duke’s instruction. As I dismounted my foot got stuck in the stirrup and down I went: aside from my bruised ego I was not injured.

Photo by: Michael Moon
Cattle Train

It was so interesting to see the professionals at work herding cattle. From what I understood they were sorting cattle by size to ship. They had so much control over the situation; it was impressive to watch, and cows are just about the funniest animals I’ve ever seen – I wish I had space to write about all the funny things I saw them do while in the corrals.

Photo by: Jonathan Tullar
Bell Park Event Center

After lunch Kerstin and I were sent down to Bell Park, the stage area. Chico Basin has been hosting concerts in the summer since the summer of 2010 and they are hoping to make it an annual event. Our task was to clean up the area for the concert on the 23rd of July. I have never done such hard work in the hot sun as I did that afternoon, but I have also never felt so rewarded by the results as I did that afternoon, when Bell Park looked much cleaner.

On Wednesday evening it was time for me to say goodbye to all the people who were so welcoming and patient with me. My stay at Chico Basin Ranch taught me about the value of a day of hard work, flexibility in new and sometimes uncomfortable situations, and the beauty of the ranching profession.

I would like to send a big thank you to all the people I met at Chico Basin Ranch during my short visit. It was an experience that I cannot compare to any other and that I will never forget.

Photo by: Maggie Haseman
Hello/Goodbye Cowboy sculpture

2011 Summer Board Meeting

By Maggie Haseman, Outreach Intern

It’s mid-summer and we all know what that means: the summer Board meeting! I know you were probably thinking ice cream, but don’t worry there was a little of that too. The Board of Directors traveled to the Society for Range Management headquarters office in Wheat Ridge, Colorado to work through critical SRM operating items. They worked on the budget, discussed updates on projects and committee work and held a special Action Update Call. They also focused on membership member renewals, the website and SRM outreach material and upcoming Annual Meetings. The Board is heading home after two solid days of discussion.

During the Action Update Call

Now, we know that you know that we know that you know who is on the BOD but do you really know the BOD? Let’s find out. Here are a few snippets to get to know these individuals:

Dr. Stephanie Larson-Praplan, Director 2010-2012, California-Pacific Section

Stephanie was born in Vancouver, WA. She was raised on a sheep farm in Idaho, which is where her interest in rangelands began. Her mentors Jim Clausen and John Buckhouse guided her to join SRM. According to Stephanie, her colleagues are her favorite part of SRM membership. Get this, in her free time, Stephanie runs half-marathons! Her favorite books are those in The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein and interestingly her favorite ice cream flavor is licorice.

Keith Klement, Director 2010-2012, Wyoming Section
Keith was born in Muenster, TX. He was a student at Texas Tech on the Plant ID team when he decided to join SRM. In his opinion, the best thing about SRM is the chance to interact with diverse individuals who share an interest in rangelands. I bet you didn’t know that he grew up on a dairy farm. Keith’s favorite book is The Bible and he loves vanilla ice cream.

Jack Alexander, President, International Mountain Section
Jack was born in Nashville, TN. He joined SRM so that he could compete in the Undergraduate Rangeland Management Exam at the Annual Meeting. His favorite thing about SRM is the passion he sees that range professionals have for rangelands. Something you might not have known about Jack is that he has a collection of old motorcycles. His favorite book is 1,491 by Charles Mann and his favorite ice cream flavor is mocha almond fudge.

Dr. Val Jo Anderson, Director 2011-2013, Utah Section
Val was born in Ephraim, UT. He was a student when he joined SRM and continued to be involved in the plant ID team, undergraduate papers and the national conclave. He enjoys being a member of SRM because it serves as an outlet for management literature and he has the chance to network, meet and have discussions with experts who manage rangelands in similar ways. Something interesting about Val that you might not have known is that he has done range research on every continent except Antarctica. His favorite book is Roughing It by Mark Twain and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.

Wally Butler, Second Vice President, Idaho Section
Wally was born in Brigham City, UT. He got a bachelors degree in animal science and during the peak of the Vietnam War decided to continue his education and get a masters degree in range management. His major professor joined SRM in its second year (1950!) and encouraged all his students to join. Since joining, the things Wally has enjoyed most about SRM are the networking opportunities and the people he has met. Something you probably didn’t know about Wally is that he raises stock dogs and ships them all over the world. His favorite book is Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose and his favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.

Dr. Charles Hart, Director 2009-2011, Texas Section
Charlie was born in Lubbock, TX. He joined SRM as a student and has been a member ever since. His favorite thing about being a member of SRM is the camaraderie he finds in the people and the friends he has made. You might be surprised to learn that Charlie lived in New York for six years. His favorite book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and he enjoys mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Misty Hays, Director 2011-2013, Wyoming Section
Misty was born in Mission, South Dakota. When she was in college she attended her first Annual Meeting, which led her to join SRM. She loves the fact that through SRM she has a place to talk to her peers who share a common ground. Something you will find interesting about Misty is the fact that she has been involved in range management since she was five years old. She will read anything by Mary Higgins Clark and her favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate.

Gary Frasier, First Vice President, Colorado Section
Gary was born in Imperial, NE. When he was working in Phoenix, AZ a past president came in to talk to him, as he was leaving he handed Gary an SRM member application and told him to fill it out by the next day; that’s when Gary joined SRM. His favorite thing about SRM is the people. You will probably be shocked to find out the Gary has never received an education in range management. He loves to read all science fiction books and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.

Jess Peterson, Executive Vice President
Jess was born in Powell, WY. He joined SRM in order to have access to the scientific applications and get more information about rangeland management. What he enjoys most about SRM are the annual and section meetings and the enthusiasm they generate. You probably didn’t know that he runs cattle on two counties in Montana. His favorite book is John F. Kennedy on Leadership: The Lessons and Legacy of a President by John Barnes, and he loves chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Sandra Wyman, Director 2009-2011, Pacific Northwest Section
Sandy was born in Westby, WI. In college she was studying range management and was in the range club, which was affiliated with SRM, so she joined. Her favorite thing about being an SRM member is the networking opportunities and the exchange of science. You might be surprised to find out the Sandy grew up on a farm where they raised horses and tobacco. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and she enjoys eating chocolate flavored ice cream.

Have questions for the SRM Board of Directors? Comment here, email them individually, and get on the Action Update Call each month to ask them directly. They work for you.