Crested Butte Land Trust

anching
Round ‘em up
R
anching is part of our heritage. “It’s part of our history,” says Rudy Rozman, who comes from a family that has been
ranching in the Gunnison Valley for more than 100 years. “Back then, there were only two reasons to come here—mining and
ranching. That was the way of life.”
That way of life paints an image of hay fields, lush,
green pastures, cattle grazing at the base of snow dusted
mountains… a romantic picture, far away from the crowded
feed lots.
Rudy Rozman
“It provides several indirect contributions to the community,” says
Curtis. “These include critical wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing
opportunities, open space with undeveloped view sheds, cultural
heritage, water rights that help keep water in our valley for all users,
and stewardship of grazing lands both private and public.”
Ranchers drive their cattle up and down the valley following the
seasons and the forage growth. Starting in the late spring, cattle are
driven to low altitude pastures that grow sufficient grass early in the
grazing season. They are then gradually driven to higher altitudes as
the season progresses. The herds start moving back down the valley
in the fall as winter approaches and are eventually fed harvested hay
when winter sets in.
There’s the rancher, atop a steed, rounding up herds of healthy
cattle from one pasture to another, whether it be by way of
Highway 135 or a high mountian valley. In the Gunnison
Valley, cattle drives are as much of a tradition as they are a
necessary part of ranching.
“Ranching in the Gunnison Valley has been one of the oldest
and most stable drivers of the local economy and contributes
$35-$40 million dollars annually to the valley,” says Curtis
Allen, a fourth generation rancher. His family has been
ranching here since 1886.
Hedda Peterson
There’s no exact science when it comes to moving cattle. It’s
dependent on weather, forage, and outside factors. “Sometimes we move cattle every few days and in other situations, they
may be moved only once every thirty days,” says Curtis.
“A day planner is good for meetings, not moving cattle,” says Rudy,
who has a few cattle drives under his belt. And, it’s a process that
takes experience to learn. “You learn the characteristics of the herd
and how to round them up.”
Rudy and Curtis, like many ranchers, have seen a great deal of
evolution to cattle driving. One of the largest obstacles is increased
traffic on the road, making the use of trucks an attractive option.
The cattle are gathered into a corral and loaded on to the trucks.
They are then hauled to the new location and unloaded.
Hedda Peterson “You would think it’s the cowboy around the campfire, while one
plays the guitar,” says Rudy, with a laugh. “And not the cowboy
at home watching Monday Night Football.” No matter the method used to move cattle, it’s a process that will continue to
evolve—as ranchers in the Gunnison Valley provide healthy, sustainable food for our country.