June 23, 2022
Cattle Drive Courtesy
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The Idaho Enterprise
By Allison Eliason Before the interstate highways crisscrossed the country and before the railroad centers dotted the western territories, cowboys would drive their herds consisting of thousands of cows over hundreds of miles for days on end to reach the stockyards where they would finally sell and ship their cattle. Those cattle drives are an iconic part of the history of the west, and while cattle drives of that same nature and size don’t happen today, cowboys can still be found driving their herds across the range or even your rural back roads. The old cattle drives featured a myriad of challenges, including cattle thieves, natural disasters, stampedes, and treacherous river crossings, just to name a few. While not nearly so intense and potentially devastating, modern day cowboys face their own brand of obstacles as they move their herds along. One obstacle that their forebears likely never imagined would cross the path of a cattle drive is the rural traffic of busy cars and trucks in a hurry to get to where they’re going. The rural traffic jam that happens when cars meet cows can be simple and easy, but also frustrating and lengthy. Like any traffic congestion, there are a few rules of courtesy that will make going a little easier and just might make this country road tie-up a little fun. Here are a handful of cattle drive courtesy tips for when you come across
Courtesy on the roads on all parts is essential for smooth cattle driving
Driving cattle through the canyon
a herd moving down the road this summer. If you find yourself coming up behind a cattle drive, you don’t have to worry about trailing the herd until you part ways. Just go ahead and drive up through the cattle. You may be wary that the cattle won’t move, but they will. You may need to wind your way across the road, taking advantage of the open spaces on both sides of the road. If you feel uneasy about going through by yourself, a rider can help take you through the cows. Keep up close to the cowboy or those cows will get between you and the rider and you will be back to being stuck behind the herd. Just remember, so long as you keep moving ahead, the cows will move out of the way. If you find yourself coming head on to a cattle drive, do your best to
slowly meander your way against the cattle. I say “slowly” because it's important to recognize that if you are going too fast, you might turn the cattle around and cause a lot of unnecessary chaos for yourself and the riders moving the cattle. Once again, taking advantage of the open spaces and following the cues from the cowboys will help you get through the herd in the quickest ways. As you move through the herd, in whichever direction you are moving, remember to be patient. You aren’t going to save anytime if you try to bust your way through the cattle. Your efforts to speed up will be fleeting and followed by some swift stomping on your breaks. (The other option being running into the cows...) Yes, you may need to be somewhat aggressive to keep moving ahead, but
even then, be patient with the cattle and the cowboys that are doing their very best to keep everyone on the move. Despite any good intentions, you should never, in any circumstances, honk your horn. If you want to catch the attention of riders, roll your window down and have a quick conversation. If you want the cattle to move out of the way, just keep rolling forward. Even if you think that it will help move the herd along, honking your horn might cause more harm than good as it could scatter the cattle, push calves through the fences or make them turn back. We try to keep things as calm and easy as we can as we move down the road and adding a honking horn to the mix certainly won’t aid in either of those pursuits. Unfortunately, there
Construction closes 1500 S The ongoing wastewater treatment project undertaken by the city to update its system will result in 1500 S remaining closed other than to some local traffic where it intersects Old Highway 191. Engineers are boring under the railroad tracks and county highway in order to take the pipeline from the lift station at the location of the old lagoons up to the new lagoons farther east. City Superintendent Tyler Webster believes that the project should not take much more than a week. “After the boring, and the line is in, we’ll seal it and then asphalt it.” After the initial boring is done, 1500 S will be reopened, though it will be closed again later in order to be sealed and asphalted. It is hoped that Old Highway 191 will not need to be closed.
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the cowboys and cowgirls moving the cattle. Some may be well experienced in taking the herd down the road and sharing it with the rural traffic, but others are still young and learning. You are of value too and we want to be sure that we all safely enjoy the drive down the road. These few tips of cattle drive courtesy will help you not only navigate the roaming herds that will share your roadways over the next few months, but actually help make it a much less stressful situation for you and the cowboys behind the drive. In fact, coming across a cattle drive is a great opportunity for you to soak up the heritage that this great west was built on. Take the chance to pause, snap a picture or two and tip your hat to the great cattlemen and women that work to feed this great country.
Kickball Tournament Sign-Up! Anyone interested in signing up for the 4th of July kickball tournament, sponsored by the Idaho Enterprise, can do so by calling the Enterprise office at 1 (208) 766-4773, emailing enterprisenews@ atcnet.net, or including
their name on our Facebook page post about the event. The more participants, the better! The tournament will run from 1-3 p.m. on Monday, July 4 at the High School baseball field.
WEDDING
1500 S will be closed to traffic for the next week or so
Recreation Softball and Baseball continue for the third week of the season The Oneida Recreation Softball and Baseball programs continue through their third week of their 2022 summer season. The Softball oldest league had two great games this week. The first game that was held
may be times that you will simply have to wait for the cattle drive before you can be on your way. In times where the cattle are moving into a gate or turning off the road, driving into the herd might just cut off the cows from making that turn or heading through the gate. In those cases where you can see that they aren’t just moving down the road, pause before you go on to make sure you don’t botch things. Usually there will be a cowboy there to turn the cattle and can help you to know whether you can stay or go. We understand your time is precious, but that’s not the only thing of value on the road that day. Our cattle are at the center of our livelihood and without their health and safety, we really have little to show at the end of the day. Of even greater value than the cattle are
on Monday, June 13 ended in a tie with both teams scoring five runs. In the game on Wednesday, June 15 the Blue Jays, coached by Graycee Goddard, Beth McClain, and Hallie Horsley, won 12-4 over The Thunder, coached by Ri-
glee Peterson and Brylee Oglesbee. The Baseball teams played Tuesday, June 14, and Thursday, June 16. The scores from this week were not recorded. The games will continue through the month of June. Girls play on
Monday and Wednesday Nights on the fields behind the Elementary School. Boys playing on Tuesday and Thursday Nights at the Malad City Park.
Sadie Simpson and Colter Mathews
Sadie Simpson and Colter Mathews celebrate wedding Sadie Simpson, daughter of Jared and Tina Simpson, and Colter Mathews, son of Travis and Caroliene Mathews, were married in a small ceremony on February 27, 2022.
A wedding reception with dinner and dancing will be held on Friday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Simpson residence, 4885 East Hwy 36, Malad, Idaho. C Y
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