My Time on The Drift: Starting the 2021 season

If you followed my travels last year, you are in luck! I’ll be doing the same this year and trying to include more videos.

Sunrise over the New Fork

While today wasn’t our first day of riding, it does mark a milestone for us. Our cattle have been gathered, sorted and counted from our BLM permit which is a huge feat in itself. For those of you just joining the blog, this alloted permit is 60,000 acres and we turn out with around 500 head of our neighbors cattle. It’s a big area to cover by horseback, so completing this part is a sigh of relief. After all that, we are now starting our trail north on The Drift. This year has been harder for us. My husband and I, along with my parents, purchased part of a Forest Service permit which will help keep more pasture available in the fall here at home but it also means we have new cattle who have never traveled the Drift, grazed the hot and very dry desert or have been worked so much. They had a pretty easy life till we bought them…poor buggers.

The drought we are experiencing this year has been the hardest part so far. We are learning quickly how important a drought plan can be in situations like this and we have had to adapt to the changing conditions. There is a lot to think about when water is a missing piece to the ranching puzzle. Do we buy hay? If so, what can we afford? Will we need to sell some of our cows to get by? It’s a real concern and one I’m afraid we will have to make. Unfortunately, many others are facing the same issue. Let’s pray we come out on the other side a little wiser and better off.