Questions best not to ask a Montana Rancher...

Hello Everyone!

Happy Independence Day!

It’s time to get out and celebrate with family and friends. Eat some burgers and dogs, watch the fireworks! And maybe for a few minutes sit back and count our blessings…

The recognition of our country’s birth should never be overlooked or diminished. Our Founding Fathers did an incredible job of building a foundation on which the United States has grown to what it is today.

Let’s not pretend it’s been a smooth ride, though. As a nation we are far from perfect. We’ve made mistakes along the way. At times we’ve wandered from the principles and ideals of the Founding Fathers. Then we rethink, regroup, recover and renew as best as humans can.

The pursuit of the American Dream has been fought for and defended—but not always achieved. Fairness and equality are constantly questioned.

Because of the foundation laid 248 years ago, we as a nation have demonstrated our sustainability—and a resiliency needed to adapt to change and the ability to bend and stretch as human and natural forces swirl around us.

The fact that more people want to come to the United States than leave it for greener pastures is a testament to where we are as country—and the promise of what we can be.

So let’s celebrate how we started as a nation, where we are today, and the pursuit of a better future. It’s within our reach.

Happy 4th of July!

Charley Pike

Anywhere you go in Montana you’re bound to meet a rancher.

More and more, especially as Montana becomes increasingly urbanized and as separation from from our agrarian roots increases, curiosity grows about what happens on a ranch. That curiosity inevitably breeds questions.

It’s human nature to want to learn about each other. As tempted as you may be to ask a rancher details about his or her operation there are a few questions it’s best not to ask:

How many cattle do you run?

This is the question that makes ranchers cringe the most; even though they know it’s coming. Never, ever, ask.

It’s pretty much reserved for the local banker and the county assessor. If the question of how many cows pops up, the most likely response is something like, “Oh, enough to keep us busy.”

Actually, the rancher might feel like answering with, “How much money do you have in the bank?”

How big is your ranch?

This is akin to asking how many cattle a rancher runs. Don’t ask how many acres? Period. And don’t call it a “spread.”

Do you have elk on your place?

What the rancher hears is: “Can I hunt on your place?”

If you want to hunt, just come out and ask. Don’t wait until the day before season opening. If granted permission, don’t bring along a truckload of your buddies without asking.

If you ask to bring your kids fishing, you’d better bring the kids!

Can I pet your dog?

Most ranch dogs are working dogs—not necessarily pets. There’s a difference.

Best to keep your distance. Don’t offer someone else’s cow dog a piece of your sandwich (a story for another day).

And don’t cuddle with a cow dog—you never know what he’s been rolling in…

What kind of horses do you have?

Ranch horses tend to be just horses. Most ranchers will be a bit perplexed when asked the question.

The stock answer will be, “Quarter Horse” even if they’re a mix of Thoroughbred, Arabian, Appaloosa, or a slew of others. Actually, if there’s some Appy blood, you’ll be able to tell not necessarily by their spotted blankets but by the way they switch their tail—if they have a tail!

Oh yes…. Just because he or she may be a rancher, don’t assume they even have any horses!

How’s the weather been?

It’s not really an inappropriate question—just one you don’t need to ask. It can be after 40 days and 40 nights of rain and the answer will still be:

“Awww, it’s been dry.”

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Enjoy Montana Charley in partnership with:

“The Big Sky”

The Big Sky is the first of A.B. Guthrie, Jr’s. six novels chronicling American Westward pioneer expansion. Guthrie's literary works focus on the exploration and development of Montana from the time of the mountain men through the cattle empire days of the 1880s.

Guthrie’s genius goes beyond The Big Sky with his next novel The Way West for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. He also wrote the script for the 1953 film “Shane” starring Alan Ladd.

After The Way West came Guthrie’s third of the initial trilogy— “These Thousand Hills.”

In The Big Sky Guthrie introduces us to Boone Caudill, Jim Deakins, and Dick Summers. These frontiersmen traveled up and down the Missouri River from St. Louis to the Montana Rockies where they lived as explorers, trappers, traders and guides.

Caudill is a young Kentuckian longing for big, wild places. Caught up in the freedom and savagery of the wilderness, he becomes an untamed mountain man, for whom only the beautiful daughter of a Blackfeet chief dares to love.

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