December 2022 - American Beef Producer Magazine

• Pull on highway at speed limit.

• Fits through any gate your pickup will.

• Stable on uneven terrain.

• Permanent sheeted adjustable alley.

• Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way.

• Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting— saves time.

• Frame gates for sorting.

Black Jersey Snap Duster

Black Suede Mini also available

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'22 Fall Tours - Part Deux

MT Angus Tour

Sidney, MT

“I’m looking For Sara Conner, but we can go to your destination first”... or in other words - a girl in a jeep. with a German Shepherd by her side. I’m sure that will be meaning less to some of you, and that’s OK. Others will get the reference. Our short drive from Dickinson, ND to Sidney, MT (a little over 2 hours at 140 miles) to most would be une ventful. I dislike driving at night. I hate it. But, for some reason, I was in the pilot car, while Derek fol lowed behind me. Probably for the best anyway, I doubt I would have been able to keep up with him. I mainly hate nighttime driving because of deer. Did you know that deer are the most dangerous animal in all of North America?

Depending on which website you read of course. A couple of them waved as I drove by, and two of them tried to crash into me, the last of which was just a baby. Even the young ones are out to get me. But we arrived unscathed, I think around 11. We checked into the motel, and got some rest for tomorrow's activities.

Once again, the Montana Angus tour kicked off with a golf tournament at the Sidney Coun try Club. My teammates and I succeeded at coming in some place after first. Mark Orem from The Oxbow ranch (last year’s tour stop) made the drive over and then drove me around the course as well. I left Frodo in Derek’s hands, and that turned out to be

a big mistake. He’s old, and well, I’ll just say he doesn’t listen, and almost got run over (the dog, not Derek, although sometimes Derek doesn’t listen either). Frodo bit Derek on the hand and stayed in the truck for the rest of the afternoon. Now we should have used that for injury of the month! We tried that in an issue last year, and it seemed like a good idea, maybe that will have to make a reappearance. Dogs (and everybody else) always love Derek, but Frodo was having a panic without. Poor guy. I guess that’s the last time for that. The dinner was held at the Sidney event center later that evening. Aside from “Arnold” telling me to take an unnamed road (which was a little larger than a bike path running through some

Tim McCray Tim@ABPmag.com

all photos & artwork by Derek Sample Derek@ABPmag.com

Grab your boots, your dogs, your cowbell and your Jeep. Let's hit the road.

September 20-22 Featuring Eastern Montana Angus Breeders

Top: Rain clouds form during Russ Thiessen's welcome speech @ Regency Acres. Below left: Chad Denowh welcome with Roger Jacobs. Bottom Left: Aerial view of Gartner-Denowh ranch. Below right: Ryan Large at DeGrand Angus. Bottom right: mixing some fancy (and tasty) Bloody Mary's at Wikktopp's display stop

one’s backyard) I won’t tell you much about that. I had been dealing with a tooth infection since before I left and even though I was on antibiotics to take care of the infection, it was painful this evening. The steak didn’t help either. I only mention that because I was a little out of it from the pain. I know there were a few speakers, and an award too, but I was far more concerned with my toothache. Just as we were leaving, I noticed a younger couple with jackets labeled “Pleasant Valley Angus. Sidney, MT” and I wondered why they weren’t a stop. But, after talking to them for a while, they turned into a great "unoffi cial stop" for us a couple days later.

The frantic pace of the last few days (ND Angus tour), plus golfing, dinner, etc. led to a few too many hits on the snooze button the next morning. So, you guessed it - we’re running behind. That will be prevalent throughout all of the tours this year. But, we some how arrived precisely when we are meant to. Most everyone had gone into the Wibaux fairgrounds building for breakfast, and I managed to catch Jim Bumgarner just as he was looking

someone else to talk to. I’ll tell you the consensus is that no one likes display stops. Especially Derek, since he likes to promote the ranches on the tour with his amazing photos and the display stops don't work. Honestly, every body agrees that we're on these tours so that we can visit their ranch too. This way you can see a bit into their program and maybe even learn something from what you've observed. However, since I was able to get some one-on-one time with Jim, I have a renewed respect for display stops. Not only are you serving (in this case breakfast) meals to guests, and/ or snacks on most stops, you are bringing all of that with you as well as hauling cattle in for display. That's the minimum what you have to do. Then you might need to bring a portable corral too. So, in a sense, it’s twice as much work for the same half hour to an hour you get to host a stop. Kudos to Jim...

BUMGARNER ANGUS Wibaux, MT bumgarnerangus@gmailcom

Jim & his wife Hilda operate a commercial and registered seed stock operation. Jim moved from the Fargo area in the '70s and started with commercial Angus, purchasing registered Angus in the early ’90s. Jim mentioned that he’d “never seen it so green here this time of year” and “that he never would have thought they’d be growing corn” in this part of the state either. I had to remind myself we were in Montana. Jim & Hilda have worked hard to produce cows with longevity, exceptional maternal sense, calm and quiet dispositions, structured udders and four nurse-able teats, sound feet, and reliable genetics that will work for both commercial and registered programs alike. Sires they have

Above: Jay Meyer with new friend B Bar Black Mass 3045 at Lunds B Bar Angus. Left top: calves at DeGrand Angus. Left middle: Betsy and Roger Indre land checking out Angus at Gartner-Denowh. Middle: welcome speech at Lunds B Bar. Bottom: checking out the cattle at the DeGrand Angus display

19-Dec Elshere Herefords Faith, SD

19-Dec McMurphy Farms online

19-Dec Premier Angus Frozen Genetics Johnson City, TN

20-Dec Calvo Red Angus Bassett, NE

20-Dec Mitchell Hereford bred cow & heifer Mitchell, SD

20-Dec Valley Oaks/ Premier Genetics Oak Grove, MO

27-Dec Origen Genetic Exchange online

29-Dec Jensen Bros. Frozen Genetics online

30-Dec Robert’s Angus Dispersion Mandan, ND

31-Dec The Source Sessions Invatational Scottsdale, AZ

1-Jan Registered 4 Success online

2-Jan Genetics on Ice benefit Oklahoma City, OK

2-Jan National Limousin Oklahoma City, OK

3-Jan Bases Loaded Oklahoma City, OK

3-Jan Lawrence Family Limousin online

4-Jan Denim & Diamonds Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City, OK 5-Jan Angus at the Congress Oklahoma City, OK 5-Jan Black Knight Cattle Co. online 5-Jan Greater Midwest Hereford-Influnced Carthage, IL 5-Jan Hereford Eve frozen genetics Oklahoma City, OK 5-Jan Ogallala Livestock Ogallala, NE 6-Jan Hereford Night in OKC Oklahoma City, OK 6-Jan National Angus Bull Sale Oklahoma City, OK 7-Jan Adams Angus Farm Union Springs, AL 7-Jan Genetic Excellence Cookeville, TN 7-Jan North Dakota Select Angus Mandan, ND 7-Jan Royal Classic Female Ames, IA 8-Jan Bricktown National Simmental Sale Oklahoma City, OK 8-Jan National Shorthorn Sale Oklahoma City, OK 8-Jan Ressler Land & Cattle Cooperstown, ND 9-Jan National Salers Oklahoma City, OK 9-Jan Dikoff Angus Ranch Onaka, SD 9-Jan Macdonald Ranches Genetic Partners Napoleon, ND

4-Jan GMC in the OKC

9-Jan The Diamond Ring Billings, MT 10-Feb Lemke Cattle Lawrence, NE 10-Jan Magness Land & Cattle Mile High elite online 12-Jan Derflinger’s D Lazy T Ranch Faith, SD 12-Jan Foundation Angus @ NWSS Denver, CO 12-Jan Math Farms Whitewater, MT 12-Jan Stockyards Beef Festival Denver, CO 12-Jan Un. Of Tennessee Bull Test Spring Hill, TN 13-Jan Hereford in the Yards & NWSS Denver, CO 14-Jan Carl Dethlefs & Sons Rockville, NE 14-Jan Dixie Valley Angus Montague, CA 14-Jan National Charolais @NWSS Denver, CO 14-Jan Orton Ranch Red Angus Bassett, NE 14-Jan Rafter T Angus Buffalo, WY 14-Jan Red Land Cattle/ Woodland Ag Bagwell, TX 14-Jan Thames-Kea Brookhaven, MS 14-Jan Univ. Of Florida Bull Test Marianna, FL 15-Jan Jallo Angus Ranch (see back cover) Fordville, ND

Sale Calendar

email Tim@ABPmag.com for updates f = female sale

16-Jan Joseph Angus Ranch Winner, SD

16-Jan Spur M Consignment Bowman, ND

16-Jan Van Newkirk Herefords Oshkosh, NE

17-Jan Becky Craig online

17-Jan Kern Cattle (Visalia, CA) online

17-Jan Powerline Genetics Arapahoe, NE

17-Jan Sand Dune Cattle LLC online

18-Jan Lau Angus Armour, SD

19-Jan Diamond Lazy J Valentine, NE

19-Jan Linz Angus @ Blue Branch Ranch Byars, OK

19-Jan Thomas Angus (WY Division) Cheyenne, WY

20-Jan Texas Angus Assoc Best Of The West Fort Worth, TX

21-Jan Anita Livestock Hereford infl. feed Anita, IA

21-Jan Louisiana Angus Assoc. Kinder, LA

21-Jan Oesterling Angus Batesville, IN

21-Jan Redland Angus Buffalo, WY

21-Jan Rohrich’s Cutting Edge Ranch Mandan, ND

21-Jan Texas Angus Assoc. Stars of Texas Fort Worth, TX

22-Jan Kansas Jr. Angus Futurity Hutchinson, KS

22-Jan Rolling B Ranch Yatesville, GA

23-Jan Delaney Herefords/Atkins Herefords Lake Benton, MN

23-Jan Edgar Bros. Rockham, SD

23-Jan Gardiner Angus Ranch Ashland, KS

23-Jan Hunt Ranch Millburn, NE

24-Jan Churchill Cattle Co. Manhattan, MT

24-Jan Huwa Cattle Co. Roggen, CO

24-Jan Mohnen Angus White Lake, SD

24-Jan Wiegel Angus Kintyre, ND

25-Jan Bear Mtn Angus Palisade, NE

25-Jan Sioux Empire Show & Sale Sioux Falls, SD

26-Jan Flesch Angus Shelby, MT

Lucas, Stephanie, John, and Owen Niebur N2315 140th Street, Plum City, WI 54761

28-Jan Nichols Farms

Lucas cell: 715-307-2229

BULLS FOR RENT

We believe in raising Reliable, Dependable, Performance-Driven Bulls to support your operation.

26-Jan

27-Jan Charolais Assoc of Texas Fort Worth, TX

27-Jan Double J Farms Garretson, SD

27-Jan Drake Simmental Centerville, IA

27-Jan Ellingson Simmental Dahlen, ND

27-Jan McConahay Bull & Bred Russell, IA

27-Jan McConnell Angus Dix, NE

27-Jan Ruggles Angus McCook, NE

27-Jan Soreide Charolais Ranch Bowman, ND

27-Jan Woodward’s in the Rockies online

28-Jan 21 Angus Ranch New England, NE

28-Jan ATAK Limousin Avon, IL

28-Jan Baldridge Performance Angus North Platte, NE

28-Jan Decades of Devotion Anita, IA

28-Jan Dennis Charolais Farms Sulphur Springs, TX

28-Jan Hutson Angus Farms Elk City, OK

28-Jan Little Goose Ranch Buffalo, WY

28-Jan Red Bluff @ Tehama Fairgrounds Red Bluff, CA 28-Jan Schriefer Red Angus Golden Valley, ND 28-Jan Thompson Angus Kintyre, ND 30-Jan Apex Cattle Co. Dannebrog, NE 30-Jan Black Hills Stock Show Rapid City, SD 30-Jan Nagel Cattle CO. Springfield, SD 31-Jan Hunt Limousin Ranch Heritage online 1-Feb Begger’s Diamond V Wibaux, MT 1-Feb Black Hills Hereford Show & Sale Rapid City, SD 1-Feb Cline Angus Valentine, NE 1-Feb Ressler Angus Ranch Cooperstown, ND 2-Feb Badlands Angus Alliance Dickinson, ND 2-Feb K2 Red Angus Wheatland, WY 2-Feb Ridder Hereford Ranch Callaway, NE 2-Feb Stavick Simmentals Veblen, SD 2-Feb Stroh Hereford Ranch Killdeer, ND 3-Feb Baumgarten Cattle Co. Belfield, ND 3-Feb Burgess Angus Homedale, ID 3-Feb Cow Camp Ranch Lost Springs, KS 3-Feb Dvorak Herefords Lake Andes, SD 3-Feb Elkington Polled Herefords Idaho Falls, ID 3-Feb Maher Angus Morristown, SD 3-Feb Poss Angus Scotia, NE 3-Feb Spring Valley Ranch Burwell, NE 4-Feb Beartooth Angus Red Lodge, MT 4-Feb Calvo Family Red Angus Bassett, NE 4-Feb Cardinal Cattle Co. Wyoming, IL 4-Feb Clemson Bull Test Clemson, SC 4-Feb Ellingson Angus Saint Anthony, ND 4-Feb Graff Cattle/ Tumbling T Ogallala, NE 4-Feb Horsley Bros. Pleasant Plains, IL 4-Feb JM Cattle Co. Lawrenceburg, TN 4-Feb Klamath Falls Bull Sale Klamath Falls, OR 4-Feb Makovicka Angus Ulysses, NE 4-Feb Messner Ranch Laverne, OK 4-Feb NE AL Performance Breeders Cullman, AL 4-Feb Prairie Creek Angus Pleasant Plains, IL 4-Feb Quaker Hill Angus Louisa, VA 4-Feb Springer Simmentals Cresco, IA 4-Feb Upstream Ranch Taylor, NE 5-Feb Frey Angus Ranch Granville, ND 6-Feb Gateway Simmental Lewiston, MT 6-Feb Long’s Simmentals Creston, IA 6-Feb Mike Sitz / Joel Johnston Angus Burwell, NE 6-Feb Pelton Polled Herefords Halliday, ND 7-Feb Babcock Ranch Long Pine, NE 7-Feb Hoover Angus Creston, IA 7-Feb Jungles Shorthorn Farm Kathryn, ND 7-Feb Twedt Red Angus McHenry, ND

Marcy Livestock Gordon, NE

8-Feb Broberg Charolais Tilden, NE

8-Feb Durbin Creek Ranch Worland, WY

8-Feb Friedt Herefords Dickinson, ND

8-Feb Jindra Angus Clarkson, NE

8-Feb Meadow Acres Stanfield, OR

8-Feb Thomas Charolais Raymondville, TX

8-Feb Traxinger Simmental Claremont, SD

9-Feb Booth Cherry Creek Veteran, WY

9-Feb Bowman Angus Bowman, ND

9-Feb Felt Farms West Point, NE

9-Feb Hoffman Angus Farm Wheatland, ND

9-Feb Lassle Ranch Simmentals Glendive, MT

9-Feb Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Athens, GA

9-Feb Venner Limousin online

9-Feb Watertown Winter Farm Show & Sale Watertown, SD

9-Feb Wittkopp Angus Glasgow, MT

10-Feb Bar KD Ranch/ Lambert Ranch Alturas, CA

10-Feb Bred For Balance Starbuck, MN

10-Feb Dutch Flat Angus & CX Ranch Lewiston, ID

10-Feb Iowa Beef Expo Des Moines, IA

10-Feb Raml Cattle Goodwin, SD

10-Feb Talkington Angus Ranch Belfield, ND

10-Feb TNT Simmentals Lehr, ND

10-Feb Topp Herefords Grace City, ND

10-Feb Vin-Mar Cattle Co. Rushville, NE

11-Feb Big Rok Angus Detroit Lakes, MN

11-Feb Black Crest Farm Sumter, SC

11-Feb Bradley 3 Ranch Estelline, TX

11-Feb Charolais For Profit Columbus, TX

11-Feb Conley Cattle Ada, OK

11-Feb Crooked Creek Angus Clarinda, IA

11-Feb Dixie National Simmental Jackson, MS

11-Feb EZ Angus Madras, OR

11-Feb Fleckvieh Limerock Ranch Brandon, IA

11-Feb Genetic Power Gelbvieh & Balancer Springfield, MO

11-Feb Keyes Angus Ranch Brewster, NE

11-Feb Maus Angus Ranch Golva, ND

11-Feb Mississippi Dixie National Simmental Jackson, MS

11-Feb Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Gladstone, ND

11-Feb RL Fleckvieh Limerock Ranch Brandon, IA

11-Feb Roscoe Valley Cattle Co. Pulaski, IA

11-Feb Rydeen Farms Clearbrook, MN

11-Feb Schaff Angus Valley Saint Anthony, ND

11-Feb Smith Farms Purvis, MS

11-Feb Stewart Charolais & Red Angus Madison, SD

11-Feb Treftz Limousin Wetonka, SD

11-Feb York Farms Palestine, IL

12-Feb Brown’s Angus Ranch Center, ND

12-Feb Mrnak Hereford Ranch Bowman, ND

13-Feb BB Cattle Co. Connell, WA

used include Claymont, Quasay, Quidel, and Banjo all of the famed University of Maryland Wye Plantation. Their cows predominately go back to GDAR Rainmak er 340, Rito 2100, QAS Traveler 23-4, and Candolier Forever 376. All of their cattle are worked and sorted on foot, so that poor, bad, unmanageable dispositions are culled from the herd immediately. “No Exceptions”. On a side note, Jim and Hilda were married in the middle of their branding. They branded for a time and stopped for a break, went back to branding. Pretty neat story! In 2022 they celebrated their 18th anniversary, by brand ing. Coming 2-year-old bulls and occasional heifers are sold by private treaty in the spring.

DEGRAND ANGUS Baker, MT degrandangus.com

Welcome to Big Sky country! You certainly see it at the Degrand stop today, as they are hosting in their pasture. Barely a tree in sight and plenty of range and sky and cattle to see. A family-run operation, they are committed to raising top-quality seed stock. The first registered Angus came in 1974 and they’ve expanded not only the family since then but also the ranch in eastern Montana. They strive for feed-efficient cattle that are moderately framed and

have a quiet disposition. A 1991 ad stated that “nothing gets culled quite as hard as a bad attitude”. That still holds today. The herd is expected to work in any and all conditions. Pairs are run together in the same pasture, and are “always in their work clothes.” Bulls and cows aren’t overfed. They won’t seek creep feed, cover crops, or irrigated pasture because that isn’t an option for them. The family has had to learn to adapt as well, and they all learn different roles at the ranch. One thing that remains is their determination to bring top-end yearling bulls to their customer’s operations. They don’t chase fads, fancy pedigrees, or fictitious numbers. Come sale day the bulls won’t even be clipped, as they want their buyers to see they had a nice winter coat. They also want you to be aware of their foot development, so they won’t be hidden in deep straw either. Their annual sale is April 21, 2023!

LUND'S B BAR ANGUS RANCH Wibaux, MT lundsbbarangus.com

It’s hard to believe, but it’s lunchtime already. I don’t remember much about the actual lunch. What I do recall is that we were encouraged to watch the videos they had put together on the TVs while

DeGrand Angus's entrance

we were eating. I can’t tell you about the videos since they situated the gamut of dessert trays right in front of me. No wonder my blood sugar was high that day! The Lunds’ motto of “Seek The Balance” could have been on a huge neon sign above the dessert trays, and I doubt I would have noticed that either. But that motto reminds them that they are in the cow business. They strive for balanced trait cattle with emphasis on the mothers. That also means balancing the cattle with their range. The Lund’s registered herd began in 1955 and they began performance testing in 1963. They are a family-only run business, that is focused on knowing their approximate ly 200 mother cows personally. Their current manage ment incorporates line breeding to avoid having genetic defects. Because of that, their cattle are more consistent. That consistency, in their opinion, outweighs the EPD profiles. They admit that will not attract EPD buyers, but it does attract buyers looking for consistency. The Lund’s annual sale is held on the fourth Saturday of March in Baker, MT at the Bull Palace.

GARTNER–DENOWH (GDAR) Sidney, MT gdar-angus.com

It was odd to me to go directly from a lunch stop to a dinner stop, so I guess the quick stop at Begger’s paid off as I was starting to feel a little hungry by the time we reached GDAR. The lot of us gathered in the hoop barn/sale facility for dinner, and that proved to be somewhat difficult to find room to sit. We’ve picked up a few more people throughout the

day as I seriously didn’t see this many people at the last stop. Founded in 1957 when Joe Gartner and his son-in-law Russell Denowh bought twenty head from a dispersal sale. Obviously, there’s been changes to the ranch and the herd since then. But the philosophy is still there. To raise functional, efficient cattle bred for the commercial cowherd. This location, just north of Sidney, has been in the family for over 100 years. This is where the bulls are fed and sold, and where the cows are calved. The 850 mother cows calved each year are the result of over 65 years of selection for ever-better females bred for consistency, function, and efficiency. Mick and Chad [Denowh] continue to de liver outstanding cattle for the commercial producer, and they host two sales a year, the second Monday in November, as well as the 4th Thursday in March.

BAR JV ANGUS Fairview, MT barjvangus.com

Our breakfast stop on day two provided us with pitchfork steak fondue and farm fresh eggs plus more to get us going. Another very good turnout for day two. Bar JV was started in 1975 when Loretta (Denowh) married Jim Vitt. With Loretta came her 4-H breeding project, and that cow and calf are the foundation that the ranch was built on. Today, they’re caring for 400 registered cows and 200 commercial cows. The vision to raise cattle that add value to their customer’s operations is the same today as it was then.

Paul Dykstra giving us the lowdown on CAB, great speech!

Brooke Spinner, Addi Foss & Iggy Carter of FFA welcoming tour

The Vitts demand low-mainte nance cows with longevity that produce pounds at weaning. The essentials for longevity are sound structure, good feet and udders, disposition, and maternal instinct. They also breed for a long neck and smooth shoulders, which ensure calving ease. Bar JV has taken their retired implements and made good use of them as land scaping throughout the ranch. I knew Derek would be fascinated with the older barn in our back ground, and since my toothache still isn’t doing any better I opted to provide a self-guided tour of the grounds. Jim & Loretta’s eldest son Dale, and his wife Jill returned to the ranch in 2006 and in 2009 they began having annual production sales, held on the fourth Tuesday in March. I’ll also mention that in 2017 they were joined at the ranch by Cody (Dale and Jill’s son) and his wife Sierra, and their children which represent the 6th genera tion to live and work on the ranch. Their next sale is March 28, 2023, at the ranch.

REGENCY ACRES ANGUS Lambert, MT regencyacres.com

The second breakfast stop turned out to be wetter than expected, but I’m sure no one was complaining about moisture. After a few minutes, it stopped and we returned to cattle viewing, but the barn was rather crowded during those few minutes as we all sought shelter. Today the ranch is run by Russ and Jill Thiessen and their son Tyler. Originally homesteaded by both of Russ’ great-grandfa thers in the 1900’s. Angus was added to the ranch in the early

Left top: DeGrand's cattle walk. Left middle: Brett McRae interviewing Darrell Stevenson at Bar JV Angus

Far Left bottom: aerial view of Big Dry Angus on our last stop. Above: pouring rain during Wikktopp Angus' display stop

Below left: Bumgarner's display at Wibaux Fairgrounds. Below right: Kara & Maria posing with Black Mass 3045 at Lunds B Bar Angus Bottom left: tour of Big Dry Angus corrals. Bottom right: DeGrand welcoming Angus Tour

50s and in 1957 they added the first registered Angus from the Kenneth Gardner herd. Females were added from Stevenson, Harrers Green Meadow, Shipps, and Green Valley. Their mission is to raise as labor free and forage efficient of a cow as possible and for that cow to be a predictable breeder. They breed smart cattle with length, volume, easy fleshing, longevity, and disposition. Structurally sound with volume and girth are a must as their cattle have to travel great distances for food and water. They started performance testing in 1969, carcass ultrasound in 1997, and now genomic testing. Market ing is done by private treaty and an annual production sale in early April. As Russ put it, “Depending on the Midland Bull Test”. This coming sale will be on April 14th, 2023 in Sidney.

WITTKOPP ANGUS

Circle, MT wittkoppangus.com

More rain was waiting for us when we arrived at the fairgrounds in Circle where Wittkopp Angus had set up their display. Shortly after we arrived, we were all under the cover of one of the two tents, thankfully, set up for just such an occasion. The ranch was started as a

sheep operation in 1914 and in the early 1950s turned into Angus cattle. Curt (Wittkopp) had envisioned a registered Angus herd while in high school and started doing just that shortly after college. In 1983, two registered heifers from Thomas Angus in Oregon were given to Sue (now Wittkopp) by her parents as a gift, and that became the start of the registered herd. A year later they started a very strong AI program, to continually improve the genetics that produces high-quality cattle that maintain a moderate frame and high carcass numbers while remaining docile. The first registered Angus bulls were sold in 1988 at the Glasgow Stockyards, where it’s still held on the sec ond Thursday in February. Their next sale will be on February 9th, 2023.

BIG DRY ANGUS

Jordan, MT bigdryangus.com

A busy day already, visiting 4 different locations before our lunch, and final stop on the Montana An gus Tour. The organizers saved the best for last in my opinion, but I’ll admit, I’m biased. Although we’re not directly related, we McRae’s share some sort of com mon ancestry, no matter how it’s spelled. Still, I’ve nev

Aerial view of the DeGrand Angus stop

er met another McCray, MacRae, or in this case McRae that I didn’t like. I introduced myself to Brent & Hillari McRae of the Big Dry Angus ranch at the banquet dinner the first night. I confessed that they had been on my “bucket list” for quite some time and was glad they were included on this tour. I met Brent’s brother, Jack McRae who had brought a few of his sheep for display, as well as his sheep wagon. Brett McRae, who was on the tour from the Northern Ag Network, also isn’t directly related to any of us. Which I was really surprised by, but apparently, it’s a much more common name in this part of Montana.

It seems only natural that Angus cattle be the breed of choice for a family whose roots began in Scotland. – bigdryangus.com

Angus cattle were trailed to the Big Dry in 1963 where they shared the native prairie grass with Targh ee sheep and a small quarter horse herd. Angus were selected for their hardiness, low maintenance, natural maternal qualities, and dark pigmentation as well as for their resistance to eye and udder problems that they had had with some Hereford cattle in the past. Charles

McRae (father of Brent & Jack) recognized the impor tance of performance and enrolled the cowherd with the MT Beef Performance Association in November of 1969. Charles’s motto was “the way to have good bulls for sale is to carry a sharp knife and use it”. Brent attended an AI service class in the spring of 1975, which opened up their herd to sires across America. One sire that had positively impacted the herd was Shoshone Viking GD60. Which was a direct descend ant of Big Dry’s Ranchers Choice 1673 which won Grand Champion at the NWSS in 1994. Ranchers Choice was the product of 7 generations of Big Dry selection and breeding and is found in many of the present-day cowherd pedigrees. Big Dry’s philosophy of not over-managing their herd, and letting their cows be cows has led to over 60 years of a trouble-free herd. Mother nature serves as the midwife and sage brush as the calving shed in a 5,000-acre pasture when calving starts in March & April. Dry Angus cows are required to calve unassisted, get her calf licked off, and nursing. In 1989, Charles (& family) held their first production sale at the Glasgow Stockyards, where it continues to be held on the third Thursday in April.

That was the official end of the Montana Angus Tour 2022! But as I said at the beginning, we’re not happy un less we’re visiting people. So we like to cram in a full day - who needs time to rest anyway. By the time we arrived back in Sidney, it was starting to get dark, and I needed to refill the gas before we could head to our next stop...

Rain clouds form quickly above during the welcome speech at Wikktopp

Angus display stop

THREE MORE TALES

PLEASANT VALLEY ANGUS Sidney, MT

Pleasant Valley Angus

I had noticed the young couple sitting directly in front of me at the pre-tour dinner and was curious as to why they wouldn’t have been included as a stop. Curi osity got the best of me, and since we all seemed to be walking out together, I blatantly asked. Cory Foss, and his wife Sarah, explained to me that they were asked

Sidney, MT

to host, but had declined as they weren’t sure what they would be getting themselves into at the time. But we arranged to make a stop at their place when the tour ended so at least it became a stop for us. Cory & Sarah started with AI’ing their commercial herd, as they had both attended AI school. Sarah proved to be so good at it, that select sires had offered her a position there. With two young kids at home (Addison & Hazen) staying at home was a better option. That experiment with the commercial herd went so well, that others started to approach them to raise some bulls for them too. That’s when Cory decided that if they were going that route, they better do it right. So he purchased some cows from a dispersion in North Dakota which started them into the registered business. As Cory puts it, he “wanted something that didn’t have much expense, and wasn’t very stressful.” Quite the jokester already! Then he pur chased a few more out of Rollin’ Rock before the Davis

family left Sidney and then he added some more genetics. Cory saw a niche for bulls that weren’t over-fed and would hold up a little better. They select carefully on those traits. Fertility isn’t their only focus, but it is their main one. Fleshing abil ity, good feet and disposition are also high up on the list, and anything that doesn’t measure up gets culled. “When you only have 150 registered cows and you breed 40 to one that’s a dud, that’s a big expense they can’t afford. So, they’ve been selecting on what’s been proven to work. Cory also owns a construction business with his dad and manages his cattle around that schedule. “The construction business helps finance the cattle habit” Cory says. Calving begins in February, they finish AI’ing in May, and construction season starts in June. Come out and enjoy Montana’s view, without the moun tains blocking it at their private treaty sale in midMarch.

We weren't ready to leave Sidney, Montana. So we visited some friends at Pleasant Valley Angus, Rambur Charolais & Leland Red Angus by Tim McCray photos by Derek Sample

Rambur Charolais

Having just concluded four full days of Angus tours, I was glad when Howard Rambur made some time for us to stop out and look over his herd of Charo lais (& Angus). Howard, being the son of a sharecrop per says he learned all about cattle from Russ & Mickey Denowh. Mickey and Howard attended high school together and ended up being each other’s best man at their weddings. Russ had offered Howard a few heifers and said he could pay him back with the calves. But he turned him down, a decision he says he regrets today. But, he yearned for something different. There wasn’t a

do a great job at keeping the coyotes out, and they’re also used to halter break the 4H steers for his grand kids. Howard wants all of his cattle to be in the middle of the road. Figuratively of course. “Not too big, not too small, that way, whatever the flavor is, the pendulum will swing by twice. “Tem perament is everything,” Howard says. But it's not, because he’s also known for calving ease, good feet, easy fleshing, and fertility. We really liked Howard and he's definitely an impressive cattleman. This coming year, Rambur Charolais’s 45th Anniversary sale will be on April 8th at the ranch!

Charolais ranch around eastern Montana at the time, and that’s what led him to the breed. At around 15 years old, Howard had secured 2 half-blood cows and a purebred Charolais bull. When he went to the banker to ask for a loan, the banker asked him what he had for collateral. “Two half-bred cows, and a bull” he replied. That was the start of Rambur Charolais. Over the years, Howard has held quite a few other sales at his facility. He also runs a feed yard, and because of feeding so many Angus, he got into the Angus business as well. Today, as we’re touring his pastures of Charolais and Angus, we’re also captivated by his two donkeys. So much so, that Derek and I joke about a donkey maga zine – American Ass. But we figured someone might take that the wrong way- like you just did. The donkeys

Make a U-turn, we’re on a mission very worthy. It seemed fitting for this stop, as we’re not even sure what state we’re in. Even though the address is MT, we’re actually just north of Beach, ND. The sign by the road caught my eye as we drove past a couple of nights ago, and once we were able to stop and plan something for after the tour I knew we should try and get here. The red stone driveway seemed fitting for a Red Angus ranch. It’s also in stark contrast to the green grasses around us. Todd, his wife Carla, and their two kids Trey & Tripp operate Leland Red Angus along with Todd’s parents Melvin & Luella. Melvin’s father homesteaded the ranch in 1911. They’ve been raising Red Angus since the 60s and have utilized some of the top genetics through AI. Extensive DNA testing and accurate data reporting help them predict how their cattle will perform. They’ve also spent decades culling for disposition, fleshing ability, and foot & udder structure. Calving starts in late March with most of them born in April. This past year was a challenge with two major blizzards that lasted 3 days each with over 4 feet of snow. Todd explained they had

to plow their way out during calving, were here about 15 minutes, and again had to plow their way back home. “I couldn’t see where I had been before” Todd announced, and that whole time frame is better left as a memory. The herd grazes all winter and they supplement when weather and condition require them to. But for the most part, they let cows be cows. Their next annual production sale will be Friday, March 10, 2023, at the ranch. In North Dakota. But not too far from Sidney, Montana.

I left Derek behind in Leland’s driveway around 5 or 6 pm flying his drone. I had planned on mak ing it home that night, and I did arrive shortly after 3 am. I was determined plus no deer tried to kill me along the way. This would be a short stop, as in a day and a half, I’ll be heading down to Nebraska to catch up with Derek again for the Nebraska Angus Tour. “Nortana”, Derek and I referred to this trip as. Until we found MonDak to be the more familiar phrase that the locals used describing these "bad lands/wide open spaces with views with no moun tains in the way area" of western North Dakota/ eastern Montana.

This part of the world is truly amazing. The people here are resilient, courageous, charitable, and hon orable. – Lunds B Bar