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Buckaroos in Paradise: Ranching Culture in Northern Nevada, 1945-1982
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Item Title
Why Rancher Les Stewart Shuns New Technology for Branding
Author/Creator
Narrator: Stewart, Leslie J.
Fleischhauer, Carl
Wilson, William A., interviewers.
Created/Published
May 09,1981
Notes
Les Stewart describes why he prefers traditional methods of cattle ranching on the 96 Ranch rather than using cattle chutes and other mechanical methods of prodding and branding cattle.
I asked Les why the Ninety-Six does not use a system of chutes and a mechanical calf table to brand calves. In his response, Les mentions the chute, the "hot shot" electric cattle prod, and remarks that it is drudgery to "tip that chute [i.e., table] over all day." The phrase is nearly identical to one from Texas cattleman John Erickson: "Running calves through a chute is work, wrestling calves is fun." (Erickson 1981,136)
Les's answer does not dwell on technology or technique, but rather emphasizes values and beliefs. This statement is drawn from a portion of the interview in which he repeatedly invoked ranching traditions to account for his choice of methods. Here he tells us that such traditions are important for their own sake, and says that buckaroos may work harder if there is an element of danger in the job. Just after making this statement, he added the idea that roping was easier on the animals than working them through a chute, but this addition was very much an afterthought.
Subject
Activities
Ranching
Buckarooing
Cattle chutes
Branding
Ethnography
Motion Pictures
Ninety-Six Ranch
Object Type
Medium
3/4 inch video
Language
English
Call Number
NV81-VT4
Digital ID
afc96ran v017
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/afc96ran.v017