Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
At KenMar Ranch, about 30 head of last year's calves remain trapped in the feedlot. Note the solid white areas are not snow, but snow covered ice. The Homelvigs ensure the young bison have pleny of food by bringing in feed via an access road. For now, the bison are safe, but the ranchers eagerly await for the ground to freeze solid so they can safely move them.
There is no doubt about it, ranching is an unpredictable way of life. Regardless of wind, rain, blizzard, drought or flood the animals have to be cared for and the crops need to be managed.
This year's heavy fall rains followed by the early October blizzard has left farmers and ranchers across the state in a tough situation. As the weeks pass by it has become quite clear that area farmers and ranchers are tougher than anything that has been thrown their way.
Among the tireless efforts to face the unexpected challenges are two bison ranches: KenMar Buffalo Ranch and Steele Family Bison.
Rocky Run meanders through 2 miles of the KenMar Buffalo Ranch south of New Rockford. Rancher Lynn Homelvig says most of the corrals were full of mud after this fall's weather events. Now, they have frozen up rough, making travel difficult but not impassable.
About 30 head of last year's calves remain in the feedlot, trapped first by water and now by ice. Homelvig says they are grateful that they can access an area to feed them from a township road. Therefore, the calves will stay put until the ground is firm enough from frost to bring them home.
"The next year will be better," Homelvig says, adding that they'll simply buy more hay and chop more corn stalks to keep their animals fed this winter.
Homelvig is still hoping for a brown Christmas, acknowledging the fact that a little snow would help fill in the ruts in the soil and make their travel a bit less rough as winter sets in.
Travis and Amy Steele of Steele Family Bison also faced the swells along Rocky Run. This is the first year they placed 19 yearling heifers on a large pasture several miles from home to graze over the summer.
When the fall rains started the creek swelled to levels only seen in the spring. The bison were limited to grazing the sparse high ground. Then came the blizzard.
Amy said in an update to their customers, "We knew they could graze through the snow, but with the rapid melt and rising creek, cooler weather and disappearing grass our nerves grew tense."
Amy explained the extent of the situation, "Since the water extended out past the fence line, movement about the pasture required a swim. There would be no easy way to get them home from the pasture now that the permanent corrals and loadout were unreachable."
On Oct. 31st. Travis was able to bring all of the heifers home for the winter with the help of KenMar Buffalo Ranch. With a bit of homegrown ingenuity, Travis built a small pen and loadout with portable panels. The idea was to coax the bison with hay and grain, and it worked. As Amy says, "These animals are truly made for the plains and we are in constant awe of them and their resilience."
The same can be said for these fine ranchers.
