Late
spring marks branding time for country folk and
because it is labor intensive, neighbors help
neighbors. If you do not lend a hand, the volunteers
at your branding will dwindle until your crew
becomes you, your trophy wife and a calf table.
Branding then takes most of May. Unless you have a
trophy-trophy wife, plan on pushing calves into the
calf-table yourself, so it is far easier to help
others.
Even though the specific procedures varies between
brandings, most crowd the herd into a small corral
before cutting nearly all cows back out to pasture.
Several mommas are left with the calves to calm
those frightened by all the odd sights and new
sounds. Also, trying to rope the very last of 250
calves makes for great television, but it is not
particularly beneficial for the calf. Leaving a
dozen or so cows in the pen provides the cover for a
good cowboy to ease behind the last calf, toss a
loop and jerk his slack before the calf sees it is
coming.
Regardless our best efforts, branding is stressful
to the calf. Since the break of dawn they have been
chased by strange cowboys wearing new hats and shiny
belt buckles. Once corralled, they mill around
confused by the stench of burning hair and bloody
disinfectant. Their fear builds as they watch herd
mates being roped and dragged through the smoke. You
would think rather than just wait their turn, a
freedom loving group of calves would charge the
branding pot. After all, humans and horses also fear
fire, so the panic created by a tumbling propane
tank just might allow an escape. They never do,
instead choosing to cower amongst the remaining cows
hoping they are roped last and this brings me to my
point.
Attention Democrat and progressive Republican
landowners: What in the world were you thinking? In
spite of repeated warnings from people like me, you
voted for massive government; apparently fooled by
the illusion of utopia’s unlimited freebies.
Figuratively, after being corralled you blatantly
ignored the early warning signs of the momma cows
being cut from the herd. The roar of smoking
branding pot did not scare you, because you elected
this ruling class, so these are your guys. Surprise!
On Wednesday, May 27th, 2015, White House rancher
Barack Obama used the EPA to hand down a decree
assuming federal control of all surface waters.
Quicker than an emasculator slicing through a
spermatic cord, every landowner’s water rights were
revoked and here is how it looks in feedlot USA.
Thursday morning I was fertility testing bulls in
the mud; the blessings of a recent rain. There
floating in a puddle in front of the squeeze chute
were six aged fly tags. As these tags contain
insecticide residue and are immersed in water which
could flow downstream to the High Ditch leading to
the Yellowstone River, this is a violation of this
new Clean Water Rule. Should the ruling class decide
this particular landowner needs re-education, fines
could be levied based upon said landowner’s
religious or political beliefs. I am so disgusted.
If there ever was a group of calves worthy of being
roped, dragged and branded, it is the folks who
voted for the progressive agenda, but unfortunately,
we are all in the same corral and will suffer the
same fate. If you wheat farmers on the arid plains
do not see how this affects you, smile and say,
“sage grouse.” You are next! Americans should be
alarmed when a single citizen loses a property
right, but patriots should panic and crash the
branding pot when it happens to millions in a single
blow. Had enough yet?
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