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| I had to smile when I saw your question here. I've dealt with landowners that only figure dollar returns on their property. They don't care less about the shape I leave it. I've dropped those acres and renting their farm. I flat out don't want to be the guy that runs it into the dirt and put it to weeds. I had the luxury of my father being a range management specialist for the BLM. That was his whole career in the western states growing up while as a kid. You need to learn textbook, however practical will override it most times. Because so many constraints are involved in management. One constraint I continue to harp on is insect damage to range and also crops. All you farmers know what insects can do to your crops in a couple weeks' time. Yet never in a meeting with federal land mangers do they ever figure insect damage to grass and forbes and brush. Yes, brush gets hit hard with insects!
I've had this discussion many a time about the entomology side of range management from land grant colleges. Colleges have great programs each in both departments, yet they fail to intertwine the programs to enhance range management. Time and time again I see ranges and pastures hit from bugs that never had grazing on it, yet cattle got the blame. The problem I see on the federal lands currently and has been for the past 20+ years is they try to manage for a single species be it brush, mammal, bird that they screw it up. You've got to look at the whole picture, not just one species in management objectives.
Your question was so timed right for me. Just last week on Thursday I spent most of the day with an appraiser riding my father's estate to have an appraisal done to settle estate with family. I showed him with pride places on the range that healed itself with cattle grazing. Livestock not removed after fire, but yet timing and intensity. I showed riparian areas that healed themselves with letting cattle and beavers do their work. We as land managers must know the time to remove those tools so you reach a balance. In our tour of the ranch, I showed places healed from fire, never stopped grazing just deferred use. He made the comment I wouldn't have been a very good witness for him in a few court cases involving damages after fire. I replied your objective was to garner the most money for your client, it wasn't about rangeland health. He didn't disagree with me.
I graze at 7,000' to 4,000' on ranges that are all different. From greasewoods, cheat grass to high mountain grass in aspens, it's not a one size fits all management. With that being said, no way could I step into Puff's area and or into the Sandhills and think I know what I'm doing. All you can do is set a baseline of forage production, then graze it, monitor it. Tweak it to maximize your objectives.
I will tell you about a tenant I've got leasing one of my ranges as I've got enough grass here at home place. The reason he has it leased is because he doesn't over graze, manages for wildlife as well. Wildlife is a big consideration today on paying the bill. He sees the big picture; he's used it to his advantage to add value added programs to his beef herd in marketing. Thus, in turn he's scooped all most all the land that can be rented in the area, he treats it right. All the pastures he took over was because the last tenants knocked them into the dirt every year. He doesn't have a problem with fixing and rebuilding fences and water systems. So, his rent is reflective of that. It's got to be worth his while to rent and improve the land for me. Him knowing in the future we might take it back over. However my sons and I prefer to let him manage it, we take our cattle to him to run on our lands with his. It's all on a handshake deal.
I really had to laugh about the rumors I was going broke when I let him on the place. It was like wildfire the rumors. He and I just chuckled about it. He's helping us and were helping him. So Gonna make it, if you're understocking or overstocking, I would say you're trying to manage it. It's not textbook, and it's not about maximum dollars. I'm betting you're doing it right to the best of your ability at this point in time. One thing that I value is trend analysis over time. Take pictures of range when you lease, before and after. Those pictures prove more to me in management over time. | |
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Raising beef or managing grass
