September 2024 - Note From the Saddle Bench

Photo Courtesy of Molly Jo Evans

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a good August and everything's looking good for September. A lot of West Texas had some good rains in September, but was still really spotty. Heard of report 5 inches down below Marfa quite a ways. it's been a couple of weeks since the rain and they say the Rio Grande still running pretty good from it. People still had cows, but a lot of them sold their calves in August to try and save what grass they have for the cows. Some places look like are set pretty good and there's still quite a few places that are bone dry. 

There was really big turnout for the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo. It was the best attended in several years. It was won by the Lochhead Cattle Co. who had already qualified so the Pettigrew/White Ranches from New Mexico will be representing the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo this November. Hope to see a lot of you there!

The elk hunters started showing up last week and I've seen a couple of pictures of some really nice bulls leaving the country. We heard they're doing some studies on the aoudad population. Sure glad to hear it. They are just about to take over West Texas. Talked to one rancher doing a deer survey in a helicopter whose part of the job was to count the aoudad. He said he quit counting at 2500 and knows he saw another 800 or 1000 after he quit counting. That was just on one Ranch. That will get in your pocketbook if you're a cow man. 

Several big ranches have sold in the last month. We heard the state of Texas bought several hundred sections up off the Rio Grande below Sanderson. 

We were sad to hear about Billy Klapper passing. He was a legendary bit and spur maker, but more than that he was one heck of a good guy. I understand at some point parts of Billy's shop will be preserved in the new Red Steagall Heritage Center at the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech.

Y'all don't forget Christmas is right around the corner so if you need any special projects made up, it's better to get the orders in sooner than later.

Hope you have a good month.

Gary Dunshee