Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

While I chaffed at not being old enough to get a real job as a roughneck of a drilling rig, I did find a job riding pasture on a nearby ranch.
This is about as boring as anything you can imagine, but it did pay little.

For those of you unfamiliar with this job, or even a little familiar, I will describe what the job entailed. First task was to ride the fence line to make sure it provided a secure enclosure all around the ranch which was probably a little over a thousand acres. In the summertime, I would come in at noon and change horses. The rancher had several and there was no need to ride one all day in the heat of the Texas sun.

Besides checking the fence line, the next and possibly most important job was checking on new baby calves. This job was before there was a universal attempt to eradicate screw worm infestation of any wound on the calves. Upon birth, a calf would have an umbilical cord and it was fresh and bloody, just the site for blow flies to lay their eggs.

If this wasn’t treated as soon as it was spotted, eventually the calf would die!

I rode around the pasture keeping a constant eye on all the pregnant cows so I could doctor their calves as soon as possible. The problem was when a cow was ready to deliver her calf she would often hide out in the trees, away from the rest of the herd.
I had to keep a sharp eye out for any missing pregnant cow.
When I noticed one missing, I would ride in the timber to find her and her calf.

On one occasion after finding a new mother and her calf, they took off running to get away from me. I was in a chase to rope and doctor the calf.

Well, sometime in the past, a farmer, or someone had put up a barbed wire fence, and the later taken it down. That is all except the bottom wire, which since we were running to catch the cow and her calf, my horse tripped up and was going to fall!

My father grew up on horses and before automobiles. He warned me to always keep my boot toes in the stirrups so I could kick out if my mount was about to fall.

This I did just in time to go flying over the horse’s head as she fell. I go hurtling over and then running as fast as possible without falling myself.

I carefully checked the front legs of my mount to see if she had any injuries. We were quite lucky in that she had not been injured at all. I decided to wait a day or two before trying to capture and treat the little fellow.

In another case, or perhaps the same one, I don’t remember, I had roped a calf to treat its naval for screw worms. In case you are wondering, you don’t have all day to accomplish these tasks, but must do your job speedily. I had roped junior and had my eye on his mother because sometimes the mother cow will try to fight you, particularly if this is her first born.
When that happens, you hope there is a tree close by so you can tie her off there before you proceed to doctor junior.

Well, I have quickly ‘hog tied’ the calf and was getting the Dr. LeGears Screw Worm medicine open to doctor his infestation.
Well, he kicked me since I had not done a proper job of tying his legs. In doing so, he caused me to spill Dr. LeGears all over his white belly. So, for the rest of the summer, I could spot him a mile away because all the hair had fallen out. I found that amusing, but it was still work.

In the fall, just before I had to quit and go back to high school, we had a real, honest to goodness roundup! As we rode out to move all the cattle to a large corral, the rancher handed me a pair of spurs! I don’t know what he thought, but I took it to mean that I had earned them and was a real cowboy!
If you will notice, this was just work, but not something you would have done every day. You too can find interesting things in your life that you can offer as stories too. Just Sayin…RJS

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

Good story Robert. Thanks for sharing. When I was a teen working in the city the only rounding up we had was the shopping carts in the parking lot. I was just a bag boy at the Piggly Wiggly Store. LOL

GlsJr40 Loc: Dallas, Tx.

That's an interesting story Mr. Samples. I never was around ranching. In our part of the world where I grew up, and at that time, everything was farming, such as cotton and corn, etc. I got some experience chopping, hoeing, and picking cotton. I can't say that any of that was amusing.

lil mutt Loc: North Texas

Great tail, Mr. Samples. You were lucky to have experienced apart of our heritage. I, too, experience some when I was growing up. I penned this little ditty a few years back. Hope you enjoy it. I call it "Wish'ted I Was an Old Time Cowboy".

Wish'ted I was an old time cowboy
I'd ride my spotted pony every day
Yeah, wish'ted I was an old time cowboy
Why, I'd work fer too little dern pay

Up ever morning long afore dawn
Slide into my jeans and my dirty felt hat
Sound mighty excitin'
I think I'd like something like that

Got no pine for the fire this morning
A plate of cold beans and some beef that's been jerked
I'd saddle the spotted pony
Then cut out them cattle to work

Them calves I be a roping
Heel "em, thro 'em hard to the ground
Bellerin', snortin', cussing
God what an awful sound

Slit their bags, take away their marbles
Thro "em into an old coffee can
I'll save 'em for later
Cook 'em up in my rusty frying pan

Brand them little doggies
Burn 'em real good
Watch fer the hoofs a flying
Passin, right next to me hood

And the fence it needs a fixing
Ya know the pasture down to the east
Of all the jobs on this dern ranch
That's one I like the least

The bob war it'll cut you
All the way down to your mess kit
It'll bleed and it'll gut you
In a flash, in a lickity split

And now a cold north winds a blowing
Blowing rain as cold as hell
Spotted pony he's a dancing
Jumping all around pellmell

Dang cold wind's a blowing
Dripping off my Stetson hat
Running rat down my collar
I weren't a planning for none of that

And you sure woulda knowed it
My slicker's in the barn
Laying on the feed troof
Atop the ponies corn

Now I get to thinkin'
I might not really wanta be
An old time cowboy
Back in 1893

That kinda life was mighty hard
Too difficult and too rough
Naw, give me my new Ram pickup
Cause I'm a powder puff

'lil Mutt' Forester
November 2003

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

Good one Mutt.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Lil Mutt: Excellent poem, I liked it. Just Sayin...RJS

1Oldboat42 Loc: Kearney, Nebraska

I enjoyed your stories Mr. Samples and LilMutt. I too was a city boy but had a friend who had a few cattle. He would ask me to watch after his cattle for a couple of winter months each year. I was fortunate to be young enough to have a Honda 4-wheeler instead of a horse (which were included in the daily chores.). Only one time did we have a bad calfing. Thankfully there was an experienced rancher close by who I could call for help. I think that was the last winter I volunteered my services.

lil mutt Loc: North Texas

It's strange how our desires change over the years. Eddy Ray and I have been friends for over 75 years. We grew up just a few houses apart. We played cowboy and indians together. As we were growing up and in high school, we talked about the time when we could buy a ranch in Colorado and raise Black Angus. For him, part of the dream did come true. He moved to Colorado. But, he became a very successful builder and now lives on the western side of the divide on a golf course in Cedar Ridge. For me it was excavating and law enforcement. Then, three years after my retirement from TxDPS in 2010, Linda and I bought three acres in Decatur. Now, at 79. it's a blessing that I only have the small place because it's all we can take care of. Over the last 10 years Linda and I have commented to each other many time that we don't know how we had time to have a job, because we have so much going on here. Muddy side down.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

My only brother in law grew up in
Decatur. His name was Pounds. In High School he worked part time in a grocery store there.

Once the owner bought some candy the was in clear plastic and the candy looked like Baby Ruth! One day Ken was stocking shelves and a lady and her son came in and were shopping. Upon seeing this candy, the boy said," Look Momma, they are selling turds!" Just Sayin...RJS

Chuckay Loc: Central Florida

Well it's funny y'all are talking about the work of a cowboy 🤠 I've spent all day doing just that fixing fence and keeping an eye on 6 new baby calf's, had two born today and the other was over the last few days, here in Florida the worst things are the buzzards, they will find a cow down having a calf and will attack her and will some time kill and eat the newborn so then when you see that happening you have to take care of things🥴 so I've been busy today and probably the next few days as I have a few more going to be born soon👍
I've got the coyotes under control as of now by shooting them and setting traps from them also have pythons killed within 3-4 miles from me the biggest one was over 16' so far I've never seen one on the ranch yet👍 but in the past I have lost a few calf's with no sign of bones or anything left behind had to be a python,, here's a picture of one of the coyotes which is no longer a threat to my cattle 😂 I would not change a thing about living and working on a farm... y'all have a good night 🙏🙏

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

Most people don't realize that Florida has a lot of cows. My granddaughter is going to vet school at Georgia and is going to specialize in large animals. Cows in peticuler. I looked up different locations that have cows and Florida has over 800,000 beef cows.

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

Good shot of the coyote. In more ways the one.

Chuckay Loc: Central Florida

Gordon, there's going to be lots more now all the orange groves are dying out and they are fencing them and putting cattle on the land, with the price of calf's running around $2.75 to $3.75 per pound @ a 400lb calf bringing around $1200. you can see why....

lil mutt Loc: North Texas

Coyotes have always been fair game. I shot hundreds. Wild hogs are now a problem here. I've never thought of buzzard as a problem though, Chuckey. I know you can't shot them. How do you handle it? Take the calf and it momma under some type of cover? And pythons? Sixteen feet? We a diamond-back rattler now and then and a four/five footer is something to talk about. I've only seen three or four six footers in my life. By the way, NICE looking calves! Was that one a Charlet and did I see a Gert baby? We now raise Zebus after a long bout with Boer goats.

Chuckay Loc: Central Florida

I had Charlotte cattle to start with then I got a Red Angus bull so that's where the red is coming from, and as far as the predator after a baby calf you just do what you got do 😂 here's a picture of the Red Angus