Processing

More pictures from from last week. These cattle traveled a long ways to spend the winter with us. They have been pulled off their mamas, run through a sale barn, then put on a truck and shipped to a vastly different climate. All within a few days. We do every thing we can, in the way of vaccinations and good feed, to get them past this stressful time and get them back out in the pasture and growing again.

The gray mare and I in the tub. She takes a hooking or a kick once in a while, but at least I not in there on foot. It's very important that I don't walk any further than from the back of the trailer to the door of the pick-up. Joe's wife took this picture with her phone.

Jessica keeping the chute loaded.

Joe in the branding smoke. He smelled real good by the end of the day.

Vaccinating.

Pushing cattle

Some pictures Kim Goldsmith sent me that I thought were real good. These were taken when we where shipping cattle this summer.

http://www.westernlifephotosonline.com/   Kim's web site.

Don't forget to look at our sale pictures if you haven't already,  http://www.igbsm.org/

Snaffle

A few under construction, and finished product pictures.
The rings and hinge are stainless steel, the twisted mouth piece is mild steel.

A 3" pipe makes a perfect size ring

Enough for 4 rings

Bit and spur sale

The pictures are up on the web site. Lots of good looking bits and spurs from a lot of talented people.

http://www.igbsm.org/

Back in bidniss

We started receiving some cattle to turn out on wheat this week. Good luck so far on quality and health. Every body is happy to be busy and horse back again, we will see if the elation holds through the first 40 degree day with a 40 mile an hour wind.

Unloading

Processing

Our heifers came out of South Dakota, a better set I've never seen.

Me and the gray mare in the tub, she saves me a lot of steps. 

Going to get us another load!

Knives

I spent a lot more time on this one than I intended.

1084/15n20 damascus, elk handle, and nickel silver fittings. 11.5" cutting edge, 5.5" handle.
This one is headed to a benefit auction in December. I should get some better pictures when I get the stand built.

The next 2 are boning knives, 52100 steel, micarta handles.

I told her to be careful, they are scary sharp. Then was sent this picture a couple of hours later.

Soldier Tom

Soldier Tom sent me this picture from Afghanistan. Notice the knife? I'm just glad I could help in some way.

These aren't the knives that Tom carries, but they are real close. His has an 8" cutting edge, these are 10", but it is otherwise the same. 

Hogs

I know the pork industry in the U.S. is in real trouble, but those of us in the cattle and farming end of the agricultural industry aren't having any trouble at all raising them.

There were 14 in this trap saturday morning. I spend a minimum of 2 hours a day trapping, hunting, and otherwise harassing these destructive critters. That doesn't count the time and cost of fixing the land they have torn up every year. It is not unusual to see 50 hogs in one pasture in the mornings. 

Roper spurs

These have been sitting on a shelf, unfinished for quite a while, and finally took the time to finish them.
1018/nickel damascus, 1" band, 1.5" shank, and an 1 1/8" rowel.
The buttons are liberty dimes.

These spurs are for sale through  http://www.jsartandsoul.com/