Treed Pastures

We are on the western edge of the Black Hills. This photograph is on a Montana section of the ranch. All of the land in the photo belongs to the ranch and is covered by a rich mix of pines, cedars, sage brush, numerous grasses and other misc. shrubs. This type of environment is good for a summer pasture because the trees provide good shade for the cattle to escape the heat of the day. The pine trees are problematic too because pregnant cows eating pine needles absorb turpentine from them, causing spontanious abortion of the calf. Because of this, treed pastures are useful only in the late spring through late summer. This particular location is about 45 casual ATV ride minutes away from the ranch headquarters. The wild life shares this section with the cattle and is as diverse as you would expect for this part of the country. On a good morning, you might see a pair of Lynx stalking rabbits, coyotes hunting mice and eagles flying overhead. This scenic section has several large dry washes on it. There are actually dozens of large washes on the ranch. Some of these gullys run for miles and are large enough to drive trucks down and infact are sometimes uses as part of the ranch road system. It is usually in these washes where dinosaurs parts and pieces appear to the careful observer. They are not common but they are there.

The picture to the right shows another environment on the ranch. The grassland pastures that are treeless make up a little more than half of the ranch. These are very important sections because they really feed the cattle well. They are not as diverse biologically or botanically as the treed pastures. They are extremely important in the winter when the cattle can't be in the trees. The grassy pastures are wide open to the elements though and can be a windy place without windblocks. This photo was taken during the late summer of 2001 and shows the effect of the 4 year long drought we are in on the color and quality of the grasses.

The photo to the right is of the Williams House located on the Wyoming side of the ranch. It shows that houses are built in sheltered areas. Winds are low enough here to make site selections acceptable. The tree species in this picture are more diverse having both coniferous and deciduous (Box Elder and Cottonwood) varieties that are better watered because of their location in a wash. This photo was taken in the early spring of 2001 and as such shows the trees just sprouting and the grass quite green. Since we live in an arid part of the country, this greeness can be short lived but occasionally, the grass will stay green all summer with good rains.

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