MY FIRST CATTLE BRANDING

LEARNING WITH THE LYMANS

My first big adventure with COTW occurred over Memorial Day weekend in 2023.

While I was up in Northern Idaho, my friends Jamie and Chance Nelson suggested I come out with them while they were helping the Lyman family round up their cattle from their winter grounds. It would be an opportunity for me to document some real cowboying.

I couldn’t turn down an offer like that so I hopped into my Tacoma and cannon balled down from the panhandle of Idaho to Southern Utah.

I was a stranger to everyone except The Nelsons, so when my little black Toyota pulled into camp there were more than a few curious faces amongst the Rams and King Ranches.

“Here comes the city guy,” is what I figured they were all thinking. The truth is though, it took about ten minutes before I was being offered hot coffee, food and a seat amongst everyone. The Lymans and their extended clan were happy to welcome me in. They totally understood that I was there to document and share their story, and pretty soon I was sharing my knowledge with them, as much as they were with me. I knew it was a tough road to walk if you wanted to be a cattle producer, but I didn’t know just how hard it was until I got to sit and talk to everyone over that long weekend.

I ended up camping out in the back of the Tacoma all weekend-about four days and three nights. It had been too long since I’d been a dirt bag living out of the back of a truck so I was happier than a pig in shit when I crawled out of my sleeping bag each morning and a cloud of red dust kicked up as I pulled some stiff 501’s on and slide them over my Ariats.

I’m no cowboy, but damned if I didn’t feel close to it.