Moving Bulls on the Miller Ranh
Moving bulls on the Miller Ranch, as with any ranch, means riders, horses, and dogs need to pay special attention to a bowed neck or a sudden halt.
The Miller Ranch had some winter moisture, but hot days and dry winds have seared much of the green. Our cows are calving now, and we are getting ready to drive them to the Lower Pasture. Because of this, bulls that wintered there needed to move.
Rising early . . . feeding horses, eating breakfast and saddling before the heat set in. Deciding which dogs to take.
Ringo, Pica, Faye, and Samuel were our four-footed partners and worked hard keeping the bulls moving and breaking up testosterone-fueled arguments.
The Miller Ranch normally only keeps bulls until they are five to six years old. Older bulls get ornery and are harder to work and move.
These bulls had been together in the same pasture so there wasn’t much drama. Bill’s brother, Walter, changed that as he drove up on a four-wheeler with five bulls that had stayed down in the draw.
The bellowing, posturing and challenges erupted, especially among the older bulls and one little whipper-snapper that had been challenging the dogs every chance
he’d gotten. Thick dust, busy dogs . . . horses and riders paid attention to the bulls.
The Lone Red Ranger decided he didn’t want any part of the new bulls, so he charged through the herd, pushing everything in front of him. So we made good time to the gate into Two, the bulls moved on through and fanned out to enjoy new pasture.
Bill and I jogged back to the trailer. The dogs happily jumped into the water trough to cool off before loading up and driving back to headquarters: another job
done on the Miller Ranch.
