I can’t remember John Wayne cutting ice or Louis L’amour romanticizing winter chores. Although, besides Elmer Kelton, L’amour came close to true life depictions of cowboy life. Jack Schaefer’s “Monte Walsh” and A.B. Guthrie Jr’s “These Thousand Hills” are for sure top contenders. “Monte Walsh” happens to be my personal favorite with “The Time it Never Rained” by Elmer Kelton a close second.
I am a lover of western stories. However, I am cursed with the inside knowledge of western life. An example of this would be when the episode of Yellowstone aired where Rip and Mr. Dutton rushed into a pasture to pull a newborn calf. We who have pulled calves immediately laughed at the three-month-old calf that jumped up and ran away. We also notice the 2:1 cowboy to cow ratio in movies and tv shows.
Back to the cutting ice comment. A cold front has dipped down across the southern plains and Oklahomans are finally getting to break out the Carharts. Modern ranching has developed science backed management practices to aid in livestock production. A smart phone is as common on the range as the colt six shooter was in 1886. Side note, my phone fell out of my vest pocket this morning and dropped through a hole in the pond ice. I recommend the otter box phone case. After brief elbow deep search in nine-degree weather I recovered my phone unharmed and still playing an audio book.
Technology aside, it still takes a human to take care of cattle. When ponds freeze over and water systems fail a cowboy or cowgirl must take axe in hand. Then chop a hole in the pond or tank ice to ensure cattle have access to water. Springs and flowing creeks are a luxury for the rancher in wintertime.
Compared to those cowhands in the 1880’s I do have a few advantages. For one a feed truck with heater. Another is hay and forage practices that allow me to stockpile feed for the winter. At its basic level, a human is still caring for an animal. As cowboys have always done.
