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November 2016 -

Western Cowman

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Wagyu Experience

Western Cowman

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2017

2016

Nugget HEREFORD SALE December 3, 2016 at 4 p.m. MST

Celebrity Showroom, Nugget Hotel, Reno, Nevada Featuring 20 Elite Hereford Lots

SCHACHER

AUCTION SERVICES Robert Schacher P.O. Box 33804, Ft. Worth, TX 76162 • 817-219-0102 rob@schacherauction.com • www.schacherauction.com NV Auction Lic# AUCTION-87

Sale will be broadcaSt on:

HOTEL RESERVATIONS:

Reno’s YeaR-Round Casino ResoRt Call 800-648-1177 Mention you are with the Hereford Group (code: GHERFRD) to receive the Nugget Hereford package. November 2016 -

Western Cowman

F E A T U R E S

Karla Schwoerer - Photographing the Things She Loves An interesting visit with longtime photo contest contestant from her ranch in Oakdale, California. By Heather Smith-Thomas

2016 Western Cowman Photo Contest Get to know this year’s panel of judges and see the exciting results! With just over 400 entries, this year brought many high quality images to choose from.

Pausing ~ A Time to Give Thanks Rancher Heather Smith-Thomas shows us that in our busy ranching lives, you can always find something to be thankful for. By Heather Smith-Thomas

A Wonderful Life - Alta Barker, Wyoming Ranch Woman & Photographer Join us in Wyoming where we get to meet another one of our favorite contestants, Alta Barker. By Heather Smith-Thomas

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Trails

Riding the Gap

Ridin’ Drag

The Bull Board

“Thankful Thoughts” By Sherry Danekas

“Picture Perfect” By Tyrell Marchant

Index

Thank you for your great advertising support.

Western Cowman

The World According to Hooter McCormick “Pursed and Pinched” Another fun adventure with Hooter and his Aunt Pinky. By Wes Ishmael

re g u l ars

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“So Long, Herd Expansion” By Wes Ishmael

Inspiration.

COVER

2016 Western Cowman Photo Contest Editor’s Choice Award. “Baby Face” by Carissa Ellyson

BUSINESS&ADVERTISING

TR AILS We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~ Thornton Wilder ~

Editor

Sherry Danekas sherry@jdaonline.com

Associate Editor

Mercedes Danekas-Lohse mercedes@jdaonline.com

Advertising

Mercedes Danekas-Lohse (916) 837-1432 (916) 685-8980

Graphic Artist

Circulation

Hannah Ballard hannah@jdaonline.com Morgan Fryer morgan@jdaonline.com

Mailing Address P.O. Box 8629, Woodland, CA 95776 Office Phone P (530) 668-1224 National Sales Representative. THE POWELL GROUP, INC. 4162-B Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 (334) 271-6100 Attn: Davy Taff

Website www.westerncowman.com

Western Cowman, is owned and published monthly except May/June and July/ August combined by James Danekas & Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 8629, Woodland, CA 95776. Subscriptions are $20.00 per year. Presort Standard U.S. Postage Paid: Tucson, Arizona. Address corrections requested. contributing writers: Sherry Danekas, Heather Smith-Thomas, Wes Ishmael, and Tyrell Marchant.

November is deemed the month of reflection. This is the time in which we should all take a moment to think about what we should be grateful for. At this point in my life, I have many people, moments and tangible items to be thankful for. In the last couple of years my life has changed dramatically; the days I spent with my husband have drifted away, my surroundings of my life have changed and a new family member is about to enter this world. With so many changes constantly happening around me, I have forgotten to stop and take a moment to look back at my life and my experiences. My husband was an amazing individual and the fact that I was able to spend the better part of my life with him has made me who I am and has helped create the life I live today. Even through the headaches of moving, I now live on a piece of property that literally takes my breath away daily with its beauty and for the first time in my life, I am going to call myself a grandmother. Once I take the time, I can go on and on about what I am thankful for. Like many of you, my life has brought many challenges and moments when it feels like nothing in life will be OK, but the good most definitely outweighs the bad and I guess I am more thankful than anything that I can reflect on this thought alone. In this special Thanksgiving issue, Heather Smith-Thomas also reflects on what she is thankful for in Pausing: A Time to Give Thanks. Heather enlightens us on how our way of life holds many reasons to be thankful each and every day. Many of these experiences are captured in this year’s photo contest as so many of you entered incredible photos making this year’s contest as challenging as ever as you will see in the upcoming pages. This issue is packed full of the winning photos and many things regarding photos. We learn more about the folks behind the camera as we have two articles focusing on two long time photo contest contestants; Karla Schwoerer and Alta Barker. Both these amazing women have entered the Western Cowman Photo Contest for many years now and each year they have been very competitive capturing their ranching experience on film. Also, our new contributor, Tyrel, also reflects on photography in his piece Picture Perfect. Hooter once again stops by to put a smile in our face and Wes Ishmael discusses the current air of the cattle industry. As mentioned, I could go on and on about what I am grateful for but there is too much excitement in this issue to not turn to the next page. I do however want to say that I am very thankful for you our readership and all of the supportive advertisers and clients we have had for so many years. New and old, advertisers and readers; we would not be what we are today without you. I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving and start to this holiday season. As I head down to the trail to what is left of this year, I plan on taking the time to reflect on this long ongoing trail ride and all of the experiences that it has thrown my way, both the good and the bad and be thankful for who it has made me today. Until next time, Happy Trails…… Thankful for the progress.

November 2016 -

Western Cowman

By Heather Smith-Thomas

anching near Oakdale, California gives Karla Schwoerer many opportunities for taking beautiful photos. “My husband Marion and I have been married 24 years, and cattle were the reason we met. I was from Nevada and was raising registered Beefmaster cattle. I met Marion when he bought some bulls from me; he also had Beefmaster cattle, so that’s how we got together. We got married and I brought my cows with me to his ranch!” she says. The ranch has been in Marion’s family for several generations. It was originally owned by a relative who had no children, and before he passed away he gave it Marion’s mother when she was a young person. Marion’s parents had the ranch for many years, and they are both gone now. “The ranch we live on has been in the family since 1862, and Marion has been here for nearly 50 years, raising cattle and horses, and hauling cattle as a business. He drove the same cattle truck for 45 years, and just retired from hauling last year. His truck is a 1969 model, and with all the new environmental regulations in California he had to update it or get a new one, so he just

stopped hauling. We still have the truck—it was a really good one and he loved that truck! We have a lot of friends up in the mountains and he hauled cattle for them over the years,” she says “We still raise registered Beefmaster cattle and sell bulls, including some Angus-Beefmaster bulls to a lot of commercial cattlemen, and use some on our commercial cattle which are Beefmaster Angus crosses,” she says. Karla and Marion also have some beautiful Quarter Horses, and use them to work cattle. 6

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“Our stud has good bloodlines, including Colonel Freckles. Marion had an old mare that he used to cowboy on and rodeo with, and she had some really good foals. The last one she had was named Cowboy, that Marion rodeoed with and then I cowboyed on him for 14 years. Cowboy suffered a heart attack about 10 years ago while shipping calves, so we retired him to a small pasture near the house—until he passed away last year. He was the last of her foals, but we still ride some great-grandchildren of that good mare,” she says. “We have some really super nice horses, and our grandson is riding a red roan that Marion cowboys on. He’s a rope horse— a heading horse—so our grandson took him to the high school finals in Wyoming in June and did very well. These horses are great performers and have good minds. But I’m not that great a rider, so I like to wait until the guys get the kinks out of them as colts before I ride them!” The horses are very useful for cattle work around the ranch, but Karla says she and Marion also have some “Japanese” horses to get around quickly for irrigating and other tasks. “When time is short and we have to go do something fast, we use these 4-wheelers, especially for irrigating,” she says. “Years ago Marion was irrigating with an old Willys Jeep that

his dad had given him. I was out checking water in that Jeep and had my dogs with me, and the jeep blew up and wouldn’t run anymore. We tried irrigating with a tractor, and with a horse, but that didn’t work, so he decided to go buy a 4-wheeler. Those are really handy for irrigating!” There are many jobs around the ranch that can be quickly done, getting here and there, with the 4-wheeler. Her passion is cattle. “I truly love my cattle. When I was a little kid in Nevada, my folks had a steer and a heifer and I called them Biggie and Debbie. We had to butcher the steer, but I loved Debbie, and I have a photo that was taken of me standing there in shorts and a pony tail, holding a flake of hay out to Debbie,” she says. In high school she started showing sheep, and taking a few photos. “I got started with Beefmaster cows after my dad bought a bull from the TL Bar Ranch at Pilot Peak, Utah that raised Beefmasters. I decided I wanted some Beefmaster cows so I bought a couple heifers. Then I went to Bruneau, Idaho and bought more heifers from John and Charlene Perkins. Then I bought a heifer from Ron and Linda Richards at Le Grande, California, and that’s how I got my herd started, back in the early 1980’s,” she says. “I am very picky on the bulls I

use, and have sold a lot of Beefmaster bulls. Some of my repeat buyers include Paul Raggio in Merced, California, John Ford in northern California, and the Selmi Brothers in Dayton, Nevada, as well as many local ranchers. In my view it’s getting harder to find the perfect Beefmaster bull, however. I recently had to sell my big herd bull and he was a pet. It was really hard to part with him! I raised him from one of my cows and he weighed 3200 pounds. I brought him to the little quarter-acre pasture here by the house, where I could look at him out the kitchen window and talk to him every day. The day I had to take him to the sale, I cried my eyes out,” says Karla. She gets attached to many of her animals. “I have a cow here right now named Stinky Winky that I raised on a bottle. We didn’t realize that her mother’s bag went bad (mastitis) after weaning off the previous calf. When she calved again I was working in town at that time, and Marion was over on our rented pasture riding and checking cows. He came home with this cow and calf and when I got home from town he told me to go look at that poor old cow in the corral and the calf in the trailer. He was mad at me—and I get the devil for hanging onto these old cows forever!” Karla put the cow in the chute and checked her | CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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Western Cowman

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

ANADA 200-495, Approved by FDA

® Enroflox 100 (enrofloxacin)

100 mg/mL Antimicrobial Injectable Solution

For Subcutaneous Use in Beef Cattle, Non-Lactating Dairy Cattle and Swine Only. Not for Use in Female Dairy Cattle 20 Months of Age or Older Or In Calves To Be Processed For Veal. Brief Summary: Before using Enroflox® 100, consult the product insert, a summary of which follows. CAUTION: Federal (U.S.A.) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Federal (U.S.A.) law prohibits the extra-label use of this drug in food-producing animals. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Each mL of Enroflox 100 contains 100 mg of enrofloxacin. Excipients are L-arginine base 200 mg, n-butyl alcohol 30 mg, benzyl alcohol (as a preservative) 20 mg and water for injection q.s. INDICATIONS: Cattle - Single-Dose Therapy: Enroflox 100 is indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle; and for the control of BRD in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle at high risk of developing BRD associated with M. haemolytica, P. multocida, H. somni and M. bovis. Cattle - Multiple-Day Therapy: Enroflox 100 is indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle. Swine: Enroflox 100 is indicated for the treatment and control of swine respiratory disease (SRD) associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Haemophilus parasuis and Streptococcus suis. RESIDUE WARNINGS: Cattle: Animals intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 28 days from the last treatment. This product is not approved for female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, including dry dairy cows. Use in these cattle may cause drug residues in milk and/or in calves born to these cows. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Swine: Animals intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 5 days of receiving a single-injection dose. HUMAN WARNINGS: For use in animals only. Keep out of the reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes. In case of contact, immediately flush eyes with copious amounts of water for 15 minutes. In case of dermal contact, wash skin with soap and water. Consult a physician if irritation persists following ocular or dermal exposures. Individuals with a history of hypersensitivity to quinolones should avoid this product. In humans, there is a risk of

Western Cowman

user photosensitization within a few hours after excessive exposure to quinolones. If excessive accidental exposure occurs, avoid direct sunlight. For customer service, to obtain a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or to report adverse reactions, call Norbrook at 1-866-591-5777. PRECAUTIONS: The effects of enrofloxacin on cattle or swine reproductive performance, pregnancy and lactation have not been adequately determined. The long-term effects on articular joint cartilage have not been determined in pigs above market weight. Subcutaneous injection can cause a transient local tissue reaction that may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter. Enroflox 100 contains different excipients than other enrofloxacin products. The safety and efficacy of this formulation in species other than cattle and swine have not been determined. Quinolone-class drugs should be used with caution in animals with known or suspected Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders. In such animals, quinolones have, in rare instances, been associated with CNS stimulation which may lead to convulsive seizures. Quinolone-class drugs have been shown to produce erosions of cartilage of weight-bearing joints and other signs of arthropathy in immature animals of various species. See Animal Safety section for additional information. ADVERSE REACTIONS: No adverse reactions were observed during clinical trials. ANIMAL SAFETY: In cattle safety studies, clinical signs of depression, incoordination and muscle fasciculation were observed in calves when doses of 15 or 25 mg/kg were administered for 10 to 15 days. Clinical signs of depression, inappetance and incoordination were observed when a dose of 50 mg/kg was administered for 3 days. An injection site study conducted in feeder calves demonstrated that the formulation may induce a transient reaction in the subcutaneous tissue and underlying muscle. In swine safety studies, incidental lameness of short duration was observed in all groups, including the saline-treated controls. Musculoskeletal stiffness was observed following the 15 and 25 mg/kg treatments with clinical signs appearing during the second week of treatment. Clinical signs of lameness improved after treatment ceased and most animals were clinically normal at necropsy. An injection site study conducted in pigs demonstrated that the formulation may induce a transient reaction in the subcutaneous tissue. Norbrook Laboratories Limited, Newry, BT35 6PU, Co. Down, Northern Ireland I01 March 2015 The Norbrook logos and Enroflox® are registered trademarks of Norbrook Laboratories Limited.

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Rest Easy Healthy Cattle At Work Protecting your cattle investment requires strong, BRD treatment and control.

Enroflox® 100 Injection V V

Single-Dose BRD Treatment & Control

(enrof loxacin 100 mg/mL)

Available in 100 mL and 250 mL Bottles

Same Active Ingredient & Dosing Regimen as Baytril®100 Injection in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle

Enroflox 100 (enrofloxacin) ®

www.norbrookinc.com Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Federal law prohibits the extra-label use of this drug in food-producing animals. Cattle intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 28 days from the last treatment. This product is not approved for female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, including dry dairy cows. Use in these cattle may cause drug residues in milk and/or calves born to these cows. A withdrawal period has not been established in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Use with caution in animals with known or suspected CNS disorders. Observe label directions and withdrawal times. See product labeling for full product information. The Norbrook logos and Enroflox are registered trademarks of Norbrook Laboratories Limited. Baytril is a registered trademark of Bayer Animal Health. 0816-495-I01A

FOR VETERINARY USE ONLY

November 2016 -

Western Cowman

udder and it was hard from the mastitis, with no milk. “How Stinky got enough colostrum to survive on, I’ll never know. She’d gotten some, however, because her butt was covered with stinky yellow poo, and that’s how she got her name. I raised her on a bottle and she became one of my favorite cows. I talk to her when I drive by the pasture and she’ll wiggle her ears and look at me. When I do take time to stop and see her, I can sit on her, and scratch her all over. She will stay here on the ranch. I’m in the dog house for keeping some of these old cows forever, but they are worth it,” Karla says. The cattle are her life, and she’s happiest when she is out with her two dogs Sadie and Maddie checking cattle. She started taking photos many years ago, and eventually entered

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Western Cowman

the Western Cowman photo contest. “Marion and I had been friends of Jim and Sherry Danekas for a long time, even before they started their magazine. I can’t remember which year I started entering their photo contest. In 2006 my first Corgi dog Roxie was diagnosed with cancer and was going through chemo and I took a photo of her and sent it to Sherry. She put that picture in her magazine. I told her when I sent the photo that I just wanted people to see what a beautiful little dog I had, but in her editorial Sherry wrote that Roxie was having chemo and doing well. She said, ‘Hang in there, Roxie.’ But a month later I lost that great little dog,” says Karla. The magazine and the photo contest inspired her to take more photos. “I just do it for fun, as a hobby. Even though I sometimes go to brandings to take pictures, I

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actually don’t take very many photos at our brandings because I’m usually the one who lines out the shots and give the shots to the cattle—too busy to take any pictures!” Ranch life gives perfect opportunity, however, to see a lot of good photo possibilities. “When I am out here in the fields, the sunsets are gorgeous, and in the springtime there is nothing prettier than this green grass.” To a rancher, green is a beautiful color. One year she sent in a photo of one of their mares with a foal, and it won the equine division, and was also used on the front cover. “It was a pretty picture, with the green grass, and the mare’s tail flying in the breeze, with the foal walking beside her. I really enjoy taking pictures on the ranch, and sometimes I get some pretty wild ones. I’d love to someday take a photography class, but I do have a good time just snapping photos out here. Sometimes I get the right moment, and a lot of times I don’t. I don’t always have my camera with me, so I learned how to use the camera on my phone.” She says that if it hadn’t been for Western Cowman magazine she probably wouldn’t have been taking photos. “When I lost Roxie I didn’t feel like taking photos for a while, and sometimes we are really busy, but I do enjoy entering the contest. They get some really beautiful, awesome pictures and I’d sure hate to be a judge!” She feels very fortunate to be able to pursue her childhood dream of raising cattle, ranching, and being able to capture all of this in her photos. “They say a person is lucky to have a good horse and dog in their lifetime and I am fortunate to have both—more than once. I’ve had more than one good horse and more than one great dog. Today as I ride to check my cows, I gather my Corgi Sadie and border collie Maddie and off we go for an adventure together.”

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Western Cowman

Picture Perfect In my office hangs a photo my wife took a few years back of me, my two brothers and a brother-in-law. Our backs are to the camera, and we’re striding across a corral with what appears to be some genuine purpose, as if we’re on some grand, near-impossible mission to save the world. The lighting isn’t great, and it was just taken with a little pointand-shoot camera. But with a little imagination and a bit of Photoshop magic, the picture could conceivably be turned into a movie poster for a mash-up of Con Air and The Magnificent Seven. It’s that cool. Truth be told, though, the reality behind the picture is a little less glamorous. It was branding day on the Marchant outfit, so there was indeed a little excitement in the air. But our mission at that particular moment consisted of walking out to the corral and pulling a few troughs that were being used to feed the show steers out of the way before the mama cows were run in with the

calves. Two of us are wearing ball caps; one cowboy hat is a $40 palmleaf, the other a slightly misshapen felt hand-me-down that one can only assume was white when it was purchased 30 years ago. One pair of jeans is even held up with a blackand-white pleather Volcom belt. Hardly the kind of garb Tim Cox or David Stoecklein would approve of on their subjects.

Yet, the photo resonates, at least with me. I think a lot of my love for the picture stems from the sheer lack pretense. There was no setting up for the shot, just four guys trudging across the hard dirt to do a very un-fun chore before the day’s real fun could begin. We’re not walking into the sunrise or sunset, because it was 8:30 in the morning in late May. The ground is littered with cowpies and rocks, and one fence pole can be spotted in the corner of the frame being held up by orange baling twine. Reb, one of my favorite dogs we’ve ever had on the place, is cutting in front of me; if the shutter had closed a second later, it would have caught me tripping over him. We didn’t get dressed that morning worrying about how we’d look in the inevitable photos. We were simply there, doing a job. The imagery of four cowboys walking abreast of one another is

fun, but it’s the candid authenticity, the realness of the photo that makes it stick with me. The aesthetics alone make it a pretty cool picture, but it’s the simple memory that makes it matter. I recently watched an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, Psych, wherein one character advises another in regard to her upcoming trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, “Take lots of pictures—not of sights; don’t take pictures of buildings. Take pictures of moments, because that’s

what matters.” I’m a sucker for great photography, I really am. But no matter how great somebody else may think a bunch of pixels look together, the best photos mean a lot more than simple optical beauty to both photographer and the photographee. The best photos, the ones that really matter, tell a story. The picture I’ve been referencing represents the unique bond I have with my brothers. It’s a reminder of the only branding day so far for which my brother-in-law has been able to

join us. It’s probably the last photo in which Reb made an appearance, as he was killed a couple months later when the neighbor’s much bigger dog shoved him into the road and under a moving pickup. And it proudly proclaims to anyone who walks into the room, “This man is a cowboy.” Yes, when you’re playing cowboy photojournalist, you want that picture to look as good as those fiveweight weaners did when you loaded them onto the truck last week. If it ends up feeling as good as shipping off those calves did, well, a thousand words wouldn’t begin to pay for it.

By Tyrell Marchant

Western Cowman

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By Heather Smith-Thomas

s a rancher, I am thankful every day for the blessings and gifts that Mother Nature and the Good Lord provide—whether it is grass that grows in the spring, cows giving birth to healthy calves, a rainstorm in mid-summer when we desperately need moisture, or abundant snowfall in the mountains with promise of adequate irrigation next year. Ranchers work hand in hand with nature and we realize that our lives and our livelihoods not only depend on hard work, but also upon the many blessings that are provided to us whether we deserve them or not. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to remember our blessings. It is more than

a national holiday. The very fact that our country celebrates a day of thanksgiving implies a belief in a God who loves and gives gifts to His children, and that we need to pause in our busy lives and be thankful. Sometimes we forget that aspect of the holiday and think only of turkey dinners and family get-togethers. The family gatherings are great, and aptly illustrate part of the way we express our love for one another and our gratitude to our Father who cares for us. But often we forget the gratitude by being so busy and wrapped up in the holiday preparations and meal planning. We need to remember to have an attitude of November 2016 -

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gratitude. This means looking at life and the circumstances it throws at us in terms of the positive instead of the negative (viewing the cup as half full, rather than half empty, so to speak). We can be positive and thankful, rather than complaining. People are generally a lot happier and content when they are positive rather than whining about every little thing that’s gone wrong. And on a ranch, something always goes wrong (at least, in our view of how we want things to be)! The important thing is to realize that we have an option in how we handle the “bad luck”, because we can look at life any way we want to. We can always find things to complain about but we can also find a lot of things to rejoice about and be thankful for—recognizing the many good things that God has done for us. Every day, there are a hundred little things that go right, instead of wrong, and there are always a lot of good things we tend to take for granted. A rancher can list dozens of good things that happen every day that we can be thankful for. The sick calf we doctored yesterday is doing better today. The cow that got out into the alfalfa field didn’t bloat. Our favorite old cow was pregnant again this year. The little orphan calf we fed all summer is doing well and it looks like

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he’ll be big enough to sell with the other steers. That young horse we started training is smart as a whip and coming along great. The tree that blew down in the wind broke a couple wires on the fence but it missed the gate and didn’t smash it. The cows on fall pasture didn’t find the hole in the fence on the hill after the elk went through it, and we didn’t have to ride for days to go find them in the neighbor’s range. The post holes for the new fence on the back pasture were easy to dig. The wind stopped blowing when we were trying to put a tarp over the haystack. The heifer in the fall-calving herd calved nice and easy without any help, and her baby was up and nursing within 20 minutes. Our old dog barked at the rattlesnake we rode past this summer, but didn’t get bitten. The worn leather latigo (that we meant to repair on the spare saddle) broke when we tightened the cinch, rather than while we were galloping around the field sorting out the bulls that broke through the fence in the bull pasture this fall, and into the neighbor’s place. The old horse carrying the youngest grandkid on our cattle drive this summer didn’t fall clear down when he stumbled on the steep hillside. The tree branch that slapped back in our face going through the brush

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after a wayward cow didn’t damage an eye. When the horse hit an icy spot sorting cattle last winter and fell on his side, the rider fell clear and didn’t get smashed—with no broken bones. No one got seriously hurt when the 4-wheeler tipped over last spring, hauling fence posts around the mountain. Ranch life is full of challenges, and also full of incidents to be joyous about, and grateful. There is always lots of good luck along with the bad. Being a thankful, happy person also has very little to do with what we have or what we don’t have; some of the poorest people in economic terms are some of the happiest and most thankful, while some of the richest people are the most unhappy and ungrateful. Gratitude is an attitude of mind, looking at what we have (the gifts we have been given) rather than at what we want but don’t have. Most of us have a lot more than we realize. Like the old song, count your blessings—and you may be pleasantly surprised at all the things God has done for you. As a rancher I am thankful for each new day, each sunrise, and the opportunity to work with the land and animals that I love. I am also thankful for sunset and the opportunity to rest and regain strength after a day’s work. I am grateful for the beauty around me every day on

the ranch—a rich tapestry of color and scenery, a beauty that is everchanging with the weather and the seasons, never the same twice. As a rancher I also enjoy the wildlife that make their home on our place; there are hundreds of God’s creatures that benefit from the habitat we provide for them, and we enjoy watching them. They provide a great deal of entertainment! I am especially thankful for family, which I feel is God’s greatest gift to human beings—to be able to share our lives with the people we love, who are closest to us. I am thankful I have been able to go

through life with a husband who shares my goals and purposes and we can work together as a team. I am thankful for children, and for grandchildren, and being able to interact with them and watch them grow. Having a family to care for teaches us a lot about love, and giving of ourselves, and putting other people first. I am thankful

that God created families, and that I have been blessed to be a part of one. As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I realize that my cup of life is overflowing with God’s love and blessings and my response is humble gratitude. WC

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lta and AJ Barker have a small ranch on Yellow Creek, near Evanston, Wyoming, running 100 mother cows. “My husband AJ took over the ranch from his father, who took it over from his father. AJ is the third generation on this ranch. I was raised on a ranch at Randolph, Utah, just across the state line,” says Alta. “I met AJ at a dance and got to know him at the dances that were held at Randolph. When we were kids, dancing was the big thing. Everyone went to the dances and got together with the other kids in that area. Randolph used to have really big dances and people came from all around us. This is how most of us met our future spouses. AJ and I have now been married 38 years.” She and AJ both enjoy the same things, especially ranching and hunting. “He and our son Kend36

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all and our grandchildren enjoy the horses. We have two children and they both live here, so we get to see our 5 grandchildren often. Our daughter is Chrystal Sims,” says Alta. Chrystal and her husband Steve have three children—Mikilie who is 15, Hunter is 12, and Braunson is 10 years old. “Those kids all love ranching and horses, and hunting. They all go hunting in the fall. Most of them also love roping. Our granddaughter Mikilie just started barrel racing. They all have horses and love to rodeo. The youngest one rides mini bareback and steers, and the middle one rides steers. They have a really good time,” she says. Kendall and his wife Kristi have a boy and a girl--Koy (age 7) and Kamree (age 2). Koy loves to rope and ride horses. “Whenever little Kamree goes outside she heads

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straight to the horses. She loves horses and loves her grandpa; she goes everywhere with her grandpa,” says Alta. She and AJ raise Angus-cross cattle and a few sheep. “His dad had sheep as well as cattle, and always said that if the cattle markets aren’t good, the sheep will carry you through. It doesn’t hurt to have both, because one or the other will usually be worth something, rather than having all your eggs in one basket. Like this year, the sheep are worth a lot more than the cattle,” she says. “AJ’s father had Herefords and we later progressed into the Angus cross, which makes a really good cow. We built our cow herd a little bit at a time; AJ and I both work fulltime in town and do the ranch in addition to our jobs.” Ranch life helps keep a person sane, and connected to reality.

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“We were both raised on ranches and we both enjoy it; this is a good lifestyle and a wonderful place for kids. I am glad my grandkids can be on a ranch. Our son and his family live on Yellow Creek just a few miles away and help us a lot, and our daughter and her husband live near Evanston on a big sheep and cattle ranch. They are always ready to help, too. We have good help and are fortunate to have them here; they help us a lot,” says Alta. She and AJ enjoy their small rural community and were both on the Evanston Cowboy Days Committee for more than 25 years. The Evanston Cowboy Days PRCA Rodeo just celebrated its 80th year. “We did that for a long time and it was fun, and we met a lot of good people. Our grandkids love the fair and we enjoy helping with the fair. Our kids enjoyed 4-H and showing at the fair and we always helped them. It’s fun to watch the grandkids doing it now. There’s not as much pressure now—we just get to go watch! We totally enjoy the grandkids and they are a lot of fun.” The ranch is a great place to live, but cold in winter—at 7000 feet elevation. “It’s a nice place, out in the boonies. We only have a couple of neighbors, and it’s kind of nice, with peace and quiet. We are right on the Wyoming/Utah border and are fortunate to be able to run our cattle on our own ranch. We don’t have to use public land for grazing; we are fortunate to have enough pasture and can put up enough hay for the cattle right here at home,” she says. It’s a wholesome life, taking care of cattle and doing whatever you have to do, and there is a lot of satisfaction in doing it. “You feel good when you get it done— and know you have accomplished something. I love to hay; putting up hay is one of my favorite things. I wasn’t a big fan | CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 Western Cowman

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38 | of sprinkler pipe, however. My dad had a lot of pipe to move, and I didn’t enjoy that. In that region there were lots of mosquitoes, and that was the worst part. We don’t have as many mosquitoes here,” says Alta. She still enjoys the haying. Ranch life is a team effort. “The two of us pretty much get the haying done. With the machinery nowadays you can do a lot, by yourself.” She started taking photos a few years back, after she was given a camera. “AJ wanted to find me a nice anniversary present and asked our daughter what he should buy. She told him he should buy me a camera. AJ said, ‘She’s already got a camera’ but it was just a little point and shoot, and Chrystal said, ‘No,

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Dad. A real camera!’ “He bought me a Canon Rebel and I started taking pictures. Then he bought me a Nikon and I took more pictures. I just do the photography for fun. I don’t sell pictures; I just take them for fun—lots of action shots and outdoor pictures. I am not a portrait person,” says Alta. Ranch life provides many photo opportunities, but the challenge is finding time to take pictures when you are busy doing the things you’d like to portray. It’s hard to take photos when you are the one with your hands full during branding or calving. “I am there to help, and then wish I had the camera with me!” She started sending some photos to the Western Cowman contest about 6 years ago, after she saw a

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copy of the magazine. “AJ’s father had the magazine and I started reading through it—and it mentioned the photo contest. I thought it would be fun to try, so I sent some photos. I only sent in a few, the first year, and the next couple of years began sending a few more. I really like this kind of contest because the photos in it are the same kind of subjects that I enjoy. It’s western, ranching, and things that I can relate to. I enjoy seeing other people’s pictures and what they do. It’s a great contest, with many beautiful photos. I look at those and gain a lot of inspiration; I’ll look at something and realize I would never have thought of taking a picture like that! It’s really fun to look at and gives me ideas for future photos,” says Alta.

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By Wes Ishmael

Aunt Pinky’s Irish disposition was easily ruffled, but she was harder to scare than a slab of granite. That’s why Hooter was extra shaken when his aunt grabbed his arm with one hand, scratched for the door handle with the other, and commanded him to stop, all at the same time. He did, of course. She scrambled from the pickup before Hooter could ask why, heading for the front doors of the nearest Walmart to Apache Flats— as fast as her squat legs could carry her, shoulders square, eyes fixed and blazing, ignoring the squealing brakes and honking horns left in her wake. It was easy to find her, once Hooter parked and got inside. A crowd was gathering around the checkout lane that Hooter and his aunt recently exited. “What do you mean, it’s not here, we just left,” Aunt Pinky demanded. She was clenching the cashier’s shirt collar. “You tell him sister,” shouted an aging flower child, astride one of the store’s courtesy scooters. A faded Mighty Mouse tattoo danced on her sagging bicep, while an unlit cigarette dangling between her lips twitched in time to her words. There was a 12-pack of High Life in her basket. “I don’t trust anybody younger than 40.” The cashier—a youngish man with earrings and a ponytail—was paler than faded chalk, eyes wide, too scared to speak. Hooter was trying to get to his aunt. “Speak, boy!” shouted the flower child. “Hold on, I got me some of that pepper spray here somewhere.” Her eyes narrowed.

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“Not just pepper spray, it’s ghost pepper.” “I don’t believe that will be necessary,” came a kindly voice that belonged to a security man who had appeared out of the proverbial ether. “You must be part Injun, the way you snuck up,” said the flowerchild. “I like that.” The security man placed a giant and gentle hand on Aunt Pinky’s shoulder. “Ma’am, my name is Eugene Pickett. If you’ll kindly let go of young Alvin here, I’m sure we can sort out whatever’s happened.” Aunt Pinky loosened her grip. She looked at Eugene. “Purse. My purse. It’s gone.” The baggage of progress Hooter was unsure of the females in his own generation and less certain of the ones that came next, but he understood that Aunt Pinky and her peers had anything that anyone could ever need in their purses: bandages and scarves, lipstick and horse liniment, pencils and coins, postage stamps and crackers, checkbook and gum, tape measure and sugar packets, nail file and aspirin, and of course, Kleenex© and a reflecting glass—plus everything in between. Even Nelda Isselfrick—who Aunt Pinky would never count on for anything—had been known to produce a pair of pliers and a derringer pistol from the depths of her saddlebag when the occasion required. So, Hooter understood why his aunt was so upset to discover that her purse was missing. Eugene led Hooter and his

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aunt to a small cubicle. “I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this,” Eugene said. “Can you tell me what your purse looks like and where exactly you remember seeing it last?” “It’s a leather purse—good leather—about yay big,” said Aunt Pinky, indicating with her hands the rough dimensions. “Hooter here made it for me. Some of the lacing was getting frayed in the lower corner.” She cast an accusing eye at her nephew. “You told me you were going to fix it.” “And, what color was it?” It was Eugene’s turn to get the cross look. “What do you mean what color? It’s leather. You do know what leather looks like don’t you?” “Yes, but I was wondering…” “She just means it’s natural leather without any added color,” Hooter tried. “Ruins it,” Pinky snapped. “Why anyone would take leather

and color it up like a circus is beyond me.” Eugene gave a nod of appreciation to Hooter’s help. “And when exactly did you last see this leather purse.” Aunt Pinky looked like she might cry. “I don’t ever remember not seeing it. I always have it with me.” “I see.” Eugene looked at Hooter. Hooter shrugged. He couldn’t remember ever seeing his aunt with or without her purse. It was like asking the last time you saw your toes. “But you had it with you to pay at checkout?” Eugene asked. “I always do.” Hooter hated to, but knew he had to. “Actually, I paid for the garden hose, remember?” Aunt Pinky thought and then said. “Of course you did, and should have.” She looked at Eugene. “He fairly well shredded the old one. You wouldn’t think it was asking the world for someone to change a coupling.” “So, you can’t say for sure that you had your purse with you?” Eugene asked that softly and without any hint of accusation. “Well, like I said…of course I would have…” Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. “Did you have your cell phone in your purse?” Eugene tried hopefully. “Perhaps we could dial the number and listen for it as we walk through the store.” “The battery went dead last week. I should have known, I bought his old phone off of him.” She stared at Hooter. “It worked fine until you dropped it in the water trough.” “Some technology…” Eugene interjected: “What about the contents? How many credit cards or debit cards?” “None. I don’t believe in using

them. Speaking of which, you people are making it harder to use checks here.” “Drivers license?” “I reckon so, but I don’t know about the expiration date. A person doesn’t forget how to drive, for Heaven’s sake.” Eugene tapped his fingers on his clipboard. “I tell you what, I’m going to make another quick run over to lost and found, just to be sure. And Hooter, perhaps you could try to retrace where you and your aunt were as you shopped.” Hooter nodded. “And the trash cans,” Aunt Pinky shouted after him. “Be sure to check the trash cans in the parking lot. They might have tried to get rid of the evidence.” Digging Up Bones Retracing steps in the store was easy enough. Hooter and his aunt only went as far as the garden center and the sale section. The parking lot, though. You never consider the vastness until you contemplate the number of trashcans. Hooter grabbed a sorting stick from his pickup. Logic said to try the cans nearest the front doors that were closest to where he and Aunt Pinky exited. He’d fan out from there. If the can were more than empty, he figured he could use the sorting stick as a probe. He was at the fourth can when the flower child idled by on the store scooter. “Rock on brother,” she shouted between puffs on her cigarette. She gave no indication that she’d seen Hooter at the checkout melee. “I once found a perfectly good hamster cage in one of those.” It was a good 90 minutes and too many questions later than Hooter satisfied himself that his aunt’s purse was not in a parking lot trashcan. Aunt Pinky’s brief look of hope disappeared when she saw the look of disgust on Hooter’s face.

Finally, Hooter got Aunt Pinky to leave, after thanking Eugene for his hospitality, after getting his assurance that he wouldn’t stop prowling until the purse was found. The trip back to Apache Flats was silent, except for the Willie Nelson music that Aunt Pinky favored when she was blue. Hooter went to unlock the front door for his aunt. There it was, glowing like a beacon, the gnarled, hand-tooled purse, sitting there, right where she’d obviously set it to lock the door as she left. Hooter wanted to scream. “Thank goodness,” Aunt Pinky said. She opened the purse for a quick inspection and then turned to Hooter and glared. “It’s a good thing for you this turned up.” “But…” “Good old Eugene,” Aunt Pinky said. “I knew I could count on him.”

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Even though it seems barely out of its infancy, national herd expansion may be coming to an end. “Expansion has likely not stopped but will prove to be lower than initial forecasts and appears unlikely to continue substantially into 2017,” says Stephen Koontz, an agricultural economist at Colorado State University. “It is clear from the slaughter data trends that the summer of 2016 was the first step in the transition to lower national herd growth rates,” say analysts with the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) in a late-September issue of In the Cattle Markets. “As 2017 unfolds, the yearover-year increase in female slaughter is projected to continue causing a more notable slowdown in cowherd growth as of Jan. 1, 2018.” Economics is the driver, of course. Although retail prices are declining gradually, fed steer prices declined 21% since the beginning of the year and were 25% lower year-to-year in late summer, according to USDA’s Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook (LDPO) in September. Glynn Tonsor, agricultural economist at Kansas State University (KSU) shared LMIC’s most recent price forecasts at the later-September KSU Beef Stocker Field Day. For the third quarter, calf prices (Southern Plains steer 500-600 lbs.) are forecast at $161-$164/cwt. and then $160-$165 in the fourth quarter. LMIC price forecasts for feeder steers (Southern Plains, 700-800 lbs.) are $147-$149 in the third quarter and $146-$150 in the fourth. Spun another way, average cowcalf returns are plummeting from recent historic highs. “Returns this year will not cover the total economic costs for most cowcalf operations,” LMIC analysts say. “While estimated costs of produc-

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tion have decreased slightly in 2016, based on cheaper fuel, feed, and slight drops in pasture cost, it has not been enough to offset declining calf prices.” As of late September, LMIC estimated cow calf returns this year (return over cash costs, plus pasture rent) at about $15 per cow, the lowest since 2009. Estimated cow-calf returns last year were $285 per cow. “Note that these calculated returns do not include all economic costs of production…,” LMIC analysts say. “Every operation has different resources and costs. Year-overyear changes in calculated returns are more insightful than the specific numeric levels.” Demand Determines Industry Size and Fortune Slice it however you want, the reason prices are declining is because supplies are growing faster than demand. Through the first half of this year, beef demand had declined three of the last four quarters, according to the All-Fresh Beef Demand Index (AFBDI) calculated by agricultural Tonsor, at Kansas State University. The decline was marginal in the last quarter of last year (-0.97%) and in the first quarter of this year (-0.49%). In the second quarter, though, it declined 3.07%. Other than a similar decline in the first quarter of 2014, that’s the most significant quarterly decline, year to year, since the first quarter of 2010. Since then, the all-fresh AFBDI declined in only four quarters, counting the last three. Whether the recent decline ends up as blip on the wider screen of history or the beginning of a trend lower, prices are declining amid increased production even while beef production remains less relative to recent history.

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By Wes Ishmael

In 2016, per capita disappearance of red meats and poultry on a retail basis is projected to be 214.8 lbs. per person, according to analysts with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), in the most recent LDPO. For perspective, ERS analysts explain, “Disappearance in 2006 was almost 222 lbs. per person, about 7 lbs. more red meat and poultry per person than is expected to be used in 2016. Most of the difference (almost 11 lbs.) is due to tighter domestic supplies of beef in 2016.” On the upside, international demand continues to pick up steam as U.S. beef prices get more competitive, despite the ongoing challenge borne by the value of the domestic dollar compared to other currencies. U.S. beef exports in August were the strongest in two years, in terms of volume—including record-large monthly volume to South Korea and Taiwan—according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). In terms of value, August beef exports were the highest so far this year. Compared to the previous year, August beef export volume climbed 27% to 106,818 metric tons (mt). For January through August, export volume was up 6% percent to 747,706 mt, while value was down 7% to just over $4 billion. Export value per head of fed slaughter was $256.73 in August, down 4% from a year ago. Value for January through August was $252.50, down 12%. “Currently U.S. beef and pork are very competitive, as the production of our key competitors – Australia and the European Union – has moderated and prices have jumped,”

explained Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO. “As U.S. competitiveness continues to improve, we remain optimistic that exports will maintain positive momentum through the end of this year and into 2017.” Although it may be some time until beef heads that direction, China finally lifted its 13-year ban on U.S. beef exports in September. It is already the second largest buyer of beef in the world. That’s why the continued debate surrounding the nation’s beef checkoff is so frustrating. The checkoff remains $1, when it needs to be more, even as some states maintain their own checkoff in order to bolster resources. Yet a vocal minority continues to clamor for getting rid of the checkoff, even though about three-quarters of producers continue to support it. According to a random survey of 1,200 beef and dairy producers nationwide, conducted by the independent firm, Aspen Media & Market Research, late least year and early this year: • 84% of producers say the beef checkoff has helped to contribute to a positive trend in beef demand. • 73% of producers say the beef checkoff contributes to the profitability of their operations. • 76% say the checkoff represents their interests. • 67% of producers believe the checkoff is well-managed. Studies conducted over time continue to quantify multiple dollars worth of value returned for every dollar invested. In September, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board approved a budget of $40.7 million for fiscal year 2017, subject to approval by USDA. The funds will be used for development and implementation of programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications. At a time when more resources are needed, just when beef demand is becoming more challenging, that

budget represents cutting more than $5 million from proposed programs. The new budget is 9% less than the year before. The checkoff is not an industry savior and was never intended to be. But, think for a minute about the many programs enabled by it over time, and ponder whether the industry and beef demand are likely better because of them. Things like:

• National Beef Quality Audits that identify, quantify and benchmark beef ’s performance relative to a host of customer and consumer demands. • Beef Quality Assurance that provides training and documentation of industry practices relative to food safety and animal wellbeing. • Product research and development that has yielded products like the Flat Iron steak. And on and on and on….

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809 N. Main • Colfax, WA 99111 (509) 397-4434 Cell: (509) 989-2855 Email: cartha@colfax.com

Auctioneer

(541) 325-3662 tsauctions@gmail.com

ANGUS

• Bred Ready • Born Proven • • Balanced Genetically •

Ron and Barbara Jones 685 King Ave. Ontario, OR 97914 541/889-4563

P.O. Box 12822 Everett, WA 98206 425-350-1455 rollin_carlson@msn.com

Quality Angus Bulls & Females available at the Ranch

Home of Quality Calving-Ease and Growth Bulls David & Jeanene Dal Porto 694 Bartlett Ct. • Brentwood, CA 94513

925/634-0933

2001 CBCIA Seedstock Producer of the Year

Western Cowman

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6

Sires:

Consensus, Hoover Dam, Brilliance, Mytty in Focus, and New Design 878

WESTERN REGION FIELD REPRESENTATIVE AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA (208) 369-7425 mholt@hereford.org

ANGUS

Ken & Sandy Coleman

7337 Northwest Ryegrass Rd.

Prineville, OR 97739 541/749-8986

the

PROFITABLE WEIGH

is the SILLER WAY…

The Home of Generations of National Champions st

Use Siller Profitable Weigh ANGUS BULLS

Production Sale

1 Saturday in November

Salmon, ID 83467 Clyde Nelson 208/756-2454

Bulls, Project Calves and Females Available

Steve Herbst 208/756-4748

Kay Siller 1453 Bogue Road Yuba City, CA 95993 530/674-7136 • 530/755-7357 kzangus@neteze.com

Beef Up The Range With

WENDELL STARKE, CURTIS GAY & FAMILY

www.pristinespringsangus.com

619 East 400 South • Jerome, Idaho 83338 (208) 308-8220

pristinespringsangus@yahoo.com

Jim Coleman, Owner Doug Worthington, Manager

Brian & Joan, Managers “Angus Cattle With Practical Balanced Genetics”

2702 Scenic Bend • Modesto, CA 95355 209/521-0537 • www.vintageangusranch.com

3623 W. King Road  Kuna, ID 83634 (208) 465-4516  (208) 899-0530

ANGUS BULLS November 19, 2016 Producers Livestock Auction Jerome, Idaho

Tehama Angus Ranch “Generations of Performance” 23820 Tehama Ave. • Gerber, CA 96035 Ranch: 530-385-1570 • Kevin: 530-624-6564 Mike: 530-736-3428 • Bryce: 530-526-9404 • Bill: 530-384-2788 tehamaranch@gmail.com • www.tehamaangus.com

TLC Angus

Willis & Cindy Kinder • Laura Hooper • Roderick Atwood 2225 S. 1200 E., Bliss, ID 83314 • 208.358.2322 Email: tlcangus@hotmail.com

Sugar Top

Doug, Jackie & Jake Kohntopp 1078 Hwy 25, Jerome, ID 83338 • 208.324.5342 Email: j.kohntopp@yahoo.com

November 2016 -

Western Cowman

BR ANGUS

CHAROL AIS

Romans Brangus Production Sale March 14th, 2017

Bulls with Beef.

Bulls available at the ranch Carolyn Belden 1483 Lone Tree Rd. Oroville, CA 95695 530-534-0585

Registered Brangus Bulls and Females Greg Romans Cell: (541) 212-1790 Vale, OR • 541/473-3822

150 Bulls • Westfall, Oregon Ask us about our Bull Buyer Incentive Program with Agri Beef

Bill & Cindy Romans 541-358-2921 Jeff & Julie Romans 541-358-2905

www.romanscharolais.com

MULTI BREEDERS

hereford

Annual Bull Sale

February 11th, 2017 Composite Bulls Make Optimizing Heterosis Easy

Mike, Margo & Crystal Alley Steve & Katey Farley

87925 SW Green Dr., Culver, OR 97734 mike@barckcattle.com • www.barckcattle.com

541-948-3521 FEEDLOT

GELBVIEH

Angus • Sim-Angus • Gelbvieh-Angus Composite Cattle Available Tom Price 541-969-8970 43215 Old Wingville Road, Baker City, OR 97814 Email: interwest@wtechlink.us WAGY U

Customized Feeding Experience Management Modern Facilities • Great Location Satisfied Customers

Snyder Livestock Company, Inc. Lucy Rechel • Eddie Snyder P.O. Box 550 • Yerington, NV 89447 Office (775) 463-2677 Home (775) 463-4924 Fax (775) 463-4319 Web Site: www.slcnv.com

Registered & Commercial

Cattle in Volume

lease program Performance Tested •Bull •Semen and Embryos from birth to plate

•Cow rental

50 Years of working with the

Registered & Commercial Industry

Feeder Contracts available

Dr. Neal Dow•PH/FAX (541) 477-3332 28000 SE Paulina Hwy•Prineville, OR 97754 Contact: R.L. Freeborn•PH (541) 480-2471 RLFreeborn@aol.com

SALE MANAGEMENT

RED ANGUS

Double Eagle Ranch

Livestock Sale Management

The finest in Red Angus genetics.

Over 42 Years Experience! Make your next event a JDA sanctioned event. Brown Alliance X7795 Reg# 1384813 Doug, Betty, Dave Dunn

9695 Lowerbridge Way Terrebonne, OR

Western Cowman

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6

541-923-1705 doubleeagle@uci.net

Contact JDA at............. (916) 837-1432

www.jdaonline.com

AUC TION YARD

Competitive Livestock Marketing Weekly Auction Schedule Monday – Beef Wednesday - Dairy Friday - Small Animals

Miguel A. Machado President

Representatives

JAKE PARNELL........................... (916) 662-1298 GEORGE GOOKIN....................... (209) 482-1648 MARK FISHER............................. (209) 768-6522 REX WHITTLE.............................. (209) 996-6994 JOE GATES.................................. (707) 694-3063 ABLE JIMENEZ............................ (209) 401-2515 JASON DAILEY............................ (916) 439-7761

25525 E. Lone Tree Road • Escalon, CA 95320 Office: (209) 838-7011 • Fax (209) 838-1535 Cellular (209) 595-2014

12495 STOCKTON BLVD., GALT, CA 95632 (209) 745-1515 Office • (209) 745-1582 Fax Web: www.clmgalt.com

HEREFORD

INSUR ANCE

Top Quality Hereford Bulls for Sale at Leading Sales and Private Treaty

Livestock Mortality Insurance

Put your trust in this Emblem.

James F Bessler Inc Livestock Mortalit y Insurance

Your American Livestock Insurance Company

321 Brownstone Dr. St. Charles, IL 60174-2843

SHERRY DANEKAS

Carl, Susan & Tracy (530) 846-4354

Steven, Amanda & Joseph (530) 864-2855

P.O. Box 410, Wilton, CA 95693 (916) 685-8980

P.O. Box 391 • Gridley, CA 95948 e-mail: ricencows@schohr.com www.schohrherefords.com

630/945.3483 Office 815/762.2641 Cell 630/945.3584 Fax jim@jamesfbessler.com www.jamesfbessler.com

SUPPLY

SEMEN

FENCING

1 800-207-3115 KLP2@charter.net

SORTING FLAGS

SORTING POLES

(flexible style) 52-inch & 60-inch: $10.25 & $10.75 With print add $1.00 each

$5.20 each per 100 for the 4 1/2 ft. golf grip pole with 8-inch decal. 9 colors to choose from.

Semen & Embryo Sales • AI & ET Equipment Sales • AI Consulting AI/Palpation Clinics • Professional Exporting • Semen & Embryo Warehousing

SORTING PADDLES With print from $8.50 - $10.00.

SEMEN STOR AGE

Certified semen service Approved lab providing semen eligible for domestic or foreign markets. Secure and sheltered sire housing and collection facilities.

Logan • Semen, Storage and shipping • Liquid Nitrogen, tanks and A.I. supplies available • Semen marketing assistance through Hoffman A.I. Breeders sire directory

Doug Coombs 435/245-4325

1950 S. Hwy. 89-91 Logan, UT 84321

435/753-7883 (phone) • 435/753-2951(fax) hoffmanaibreeders@gmail.com

GIF TS

Universal Semen Sales, Inc.

Convenient custom collection in the stud or at the ranch.

• • • • • •

Co mp l e te B re e d L i st i ngs & Pri c e s On l i ne E PD C o m pa ri so ns by B re e d CI DR’s & Suppl i e s Syn chro n i z e d B re e di ng S e r v i c e s Se me n Ta n k s & S t o ra ge A.I . Ce rti fi c a t e s

To Order A Sire Directory, Call: 1-800-227-8774 • 406-453-0374 OR view our Complete Catalog Online!

www.universalsemensales.com November 2016 -

Western Cowman

5J Angus ........................................ 46 A.L. Gilbert Company .................. 45 Bar CK........................................... 48 Bovine Elite LLC .......................... 49 Broken Arrow Angus Ranch ........ 46 Buchanan Angus ........................... 46 Burgess Angus Ranch ................... 35 Callicrate Bander...........................39 Cattle Vision...................................50 Cattlemen’s Livestock Market.......49 C.D. “Butch” Booker..................... 46 Dal Porto Livestock ...................... 46 Dar J EZ Weigh ............................. 43 Double Eagle Ranch...................... 48 DOW Ranches............................... 48 Escalon Livestock Market..............49 Fallon Livestock Exchange, Inc..... 49 Genoa Livestock............................. 48 Heather Smith-Thomas ................ 50 Herd Word .................................... 22 Hoffman AI Breeders.................... 49 James F. Bessler Inc. ..................... 49 JDA Sales Management........... 41, 48 JR Ranch........................................ 13 KC Angus....................................... 47 Kerndt Livestock Products............ 49 Kessler Angus................................ 47 Lewis Livestock.............................. 46 Livestock Mortality Insurance ...... 49 Mark Holt...................................... 46

Horse Tales: True Stories from an Idaho Ranch, is a collection of 22 stories about the horses that helped define the author’s life. “Horse Tales is a unique memoir infused with the brand of wisdom that can be acquired only through an existence built around livestock and the land. Thomas centers each story around a specific animal, sharing lessons on life, family and stockmanship.” (282 pages)

Western Cowman

Cow Tales: More True Stories from an Idaho Ranch (325 pages). “Cow Tales.. entertaining and compelling autobiographical essays detailing her family’s adventures raising cattle in the challenging ranch country outside Salmon, Idaho. In the tradition of James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small), each story centers on a particular animal or aspect of animal husbandry, offering insight into the resourcefulness required to manage a cattle herd, and a heart-warming look at human-animal bonding.”

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6

Mile High Wagyu Experience Sale .2 Nelson Angus Ranch..................... 47 Norbrook .....................................8, 9 Pheasant Trek................................ 47 Prestige Angus............................... 46 Price Cattle Company.................... 48 Pristine Springs Angus.................. 47 Rancher Lives Matter ............. 47, 48 Red Angus Association .................. 39 Reynolds Brothers......................... 47 Romans Brangus............................48 Romans Ranches Charolais............48 Sackmann Cattle Company............13 San Juan Ranch..............................48 Scales Northwest.............................39 Schohr Herefords...........................49 Schacher Auction Services................3 Siller Ponderosa Angus ..................47 Snyder Livestock Company, Inc. ...48 Southwest Fence & Supply ............49 Stoecklein Photography .................23 Tehama Angus Ranch ....................47 TLC - Sugar Top Angus.................47 Trent Stewart..................................46 Tri-State Livestock..........................31 Turlock Livestock Auction..............13 Universal Semen Sales, Inc............49 Vintage Angus Ranch.....................47 Western Cowman Cookbook....49, 52 Wyman Creek.................................48

Ranch Tales: Stories of Dogs, Cats and Other Crazy Critters, the third book in this series (273 pages) consists of stories about the memorable horses, pets, ranch animals and wildlife that populate a working ranch.

November 2016 -

Western Cowman

prst standard u.s. postage paid Tucson, AZ Permit No. 271

c/o James Danekas & Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 8629 Woodland, CA 95776

Western Cowman

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6