TIMBER LAKE, SD - In some parts of KELOLAND getting together with friends means going to a coffee shop. In other parts it means chasing a cow. Many west river ranchers take part in a long standing tradition of branding cattle and look forward to the event every year. If you're not willing to put yourself in the path of a running cow or tackle a calf, branding day on the Gill Red Angus Ranch near Timber Lake isn't one for you. "We've been doing it this way for 40 years here at our place," Larry Gill said. Branding cattle that is. As far as Larry Gill is concerned, it can continue for the next 40 years. The day begins with cowboys on horseback riding out to pasture to gather the cattle. After bringing them into a corral, they separate the cows and calves. Ranchers run the cows through a shoot and give them all shots. Then they rope calves and hold them down to vaccinate and brand them. The process leaves a mark on the calves showing who owns them in case they get out or mix with another rancher's herd. In addition to identifying cattle, branding serves as a way of life in ranch country. "I guess we wouldn't be here if we didn't like what we're doing. We do, we all love what we're doing here," Larry Gill said...more
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