MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH. . . on a working ranch, cattle work takes place 365 days a year so anytime you visit us you will experience some aspect of ranch life. Call us to find out our proposed timetable for branding, gathering, sorting and shipping cattle, as well as ‘cattle drive’ weeks. If your vacation dates are flexible, tell us what specific ranch adventure you are most interested in and we will do our best to schedule you for that week.

We have put together a brief description of some of the things that take place during our typical ranch weeks. We invite you to call us to discuss what experiences you would like to have with us and we will share with you the activities that we anticipate will be taking place during that time.

SPRING (April, May and June) - Calving (tending to newborns) and branding as well as gathering, sorting and moving pairs to summer pastures, doctoring cows, heifers and calves, irrigating meadows and mending fences are just a few of the activities. Participating in short drives of a day or less are typical weekly events, when we move the cattle from pasture to pasture. Spring activities are difficult to schedule; weather, calving and feeding all play a part in the daily work.

SUMMER (July, August and early September) - We are moving cattle, scattering bulls among different pastures, checking water, salt and fences, and doctoring calves. We will also be out looking for strays and fence jumpers and moving them back where they belong. Summer is haying season – bring your gloves and get in on the real work on a ranch!

FALL (late September thru October) - You will find us gathering and sorting all the pairs and yearlings, vaccinating and weaning the calves, working cows and bulls. You can participate in short half-day or daylight-to-dusk full day cattle drives as we prepare to ship calves to winter yards. Checking water tanks and laying in hay and feed for the winter will also be part of our week’s work.

EARLY WINTER (late October and early November) – We will be driving cattle down from the high country to our winter pastures at ranch headquarters. We also continue to separate and wean calves, pregnancy check our heifers and cows, and we all get lots of riding in to make sure all the cattle are found and pushed back down to the lower meadows before winter.

In addition to the ranch work activities mentioned above, you will have an opportunity to participate in our other daily events such as trail rides, arena work and other general recreational activities of your choice. We also offer a daily Cowboy School where our cowboys will work with you on your horsemanship and riding skills.

Remember, different ranch activities happen at various times throughout the year, depending on seasonal changes in weather and cattle requirements. Please feel free to discuss your vacation wishes with us, so we can arrange for your stay to coincide with the specific ranch activities you want to participate in.

Natural beauty and personal discovery –
it can still be found out West on a real working cattle ranch.
Find YOUR cowboy potential at the 71 Ranch.

GIVE US A CALL ON OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER AT 866-717-7171