Cattle Grazing on public lands….. I am not a fan of cattle grazing on sensitive public lands. However, I have gained a new perspective on it, based on an encounter with this rancher and his family while hiking on the east side of Mt Nebo.

He and 3 generations of his family were on the mountain placing 400+ lbs of salt lick  blocks in the meadows for the health of his cattle.The horses with the rubber tire saddlebags carry 4x 50 lbs blocks of salt The cows are currently grazing lower on the mountain and are gradually grazing there way up to this higher ground. He has lost cows to injury, illness and even wildfires.  The rain storm we had a few weeks back helped to grow the grass on the mountain.  Another big soaking rain storm would further bolster the volume of grass for grazing.    One year, he told me, two of his cows wandered on a narrow hiking trail over a saddle on the Nebo ridge and were found by other rancher in the town of Mona 5,000+ vertical feet down the other side of the mountain.

This modern day cowboy has a second job at a cement plant between Nephi and Delta Utah to augment his ranching income.

I still don’t like cows grazing on public lands! However, I do have a bit more empathy, respect and understanding of those multi-generational ranchers, that have their cattle grazing on our public lands