Calf milkshakes on ice

People often wonder why ranchers breed their cows to calve at a time when it is so severely cold. The answer may define an old saying, “On the horns of a dilemma.” The pastures grow hay required for winter feeding, so cattle must be moved off it quickly in the spring so it can grow as lush as possible. In June, the new calves, mothers and bulls drift along a historic 70-mile cattle trail — the Green River Drift — running north into the mountain forests to graze on leased allotments. The calves need a good 30 days of conditioning before they can survive such a long journey. Before they head north, they also have to be rounded up and branded, and given other attention as needed. If the ranchers wait until more comfortable weather for calving, they will lose some of both pasture hay and summer feeding time in the forest.

Lastly, the forests are full of hungry grizzly bear and wolf.