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North Dakota cowboy ranch
Outdoor Rampage
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Starting out nice and easy on a first ride
through a pasture at Knife River Ranch.
(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JULY/AUGUST 2004)
RANCHER RON WANNER gently nudges his horse, Whisky, toward the steep banks of North Dakota’s Knife River. The sun high above illuminates a vast, scoured landscape of prairie grass, sage, and ancient cow pies so dry and sun-baked they look like moon rocks.
But we’re not here to admire the scenery. Our riding party (which, in addition to Ron and me includes a Norwegian businessman named Stein, his daughter, Tanja, and his father, Leif) is here to drive 150 head of cattle across a river to a far-off pasture on Knife River Ranch in the west-central part of the state. The cows and their calves are taking refuge in the trees along the banks, and they’re far more crafty and agile than you might expect. If we’re not careful, they’ll slip behind our line and get lost in the vast acreage behind us. If we lose them, we’re going to have to redo this morning’s work.
Suddenly, Ron deserts us, leaving Tanja and me alone with 25 head. Behind us, Stein and Leif have a bunch of their own. We hesitate. This is far more realism than we bargained for. We knew that Ron and his wife, Lois, run the spread near the town of Golden Valley as a business first and a vacation destination second. We’re here to get a taste of life as modern cowboys, but it’s also serious work. Any mistake on our part could cost the ranch valuable time.
Ron has placed his confidence in us, and we won't let him down. At least, that’s our plan.
As we approach the cows, most of them break for the other side of the river, just as we wanted, but a handful try to double back. With Tanja riding to my left, I spur my horse, Jupe, to outflank them on the right. Because of the trees, it’s tricky riding, and as Jupe picks up speed, I have to dodge and duck the branches that fly by my head. One cow and her calf are being particularly stubborn, they’re running away, but they won’t cross the river.
Then, I see something that makes my heart sink: A whole other mini herd is crashing wildly through the brush behind us. Apparently, Stein and Leif muffed their assignment. Now, there’s another 30 head of cattle that Tanja and I have to get under control.
If it weren’t for Jupe, we still might be there trying to corral that herd. At a touch of my heels, Jupe explodes into an out-and-out sprint.
Tearing through the trees, he and I ride around the new herd and just cut off the lead cow, as she’s about to make her escape. Tanja brings up the rear, and with a little prodding we’re able to get everyone across. The cows crash and moo down the steep banks, but once the dust settles, we see we’ve got them where we need them.
Just then Ron shows up with Stein and Leif, who are disappointed to have missed out on the fun. Then it’s a leisurely ride to an expansive green pasture, where the cows will graze until the following morning. This, I decide, is what it feels like to be a cowboy.
