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Cattle Branding in Broadwater County - A Tradition
Author: mt43news staff reporter

MT43 News Staff Reporter

While the traditional methods of identifying cattle with an iron brand mark have changed to other methods, the old ways still hold true in Broadwater County. A unique branding gathering took place on Upper Greyson Creek Road this weekend.

It was the usual corralling of cows and calves, the boss giving directions on who does what, with many neighbors and friends standing around waiting for the word. Suddenly, as the boss gave the word, everyone stepped into place, gathered their tools and set to work.

What was unique about this branding was …. the size of the operation. Usually, branding day involves 15 or 20 people who are veterans at the chutes. There are 20 horses, 10 dogs and a bevy of kids. The work consists of branding 200 calves during the day long process. Pure organized chaos.

This branding consisted of branding and vaccinating 7 calves, with a crew of 9 people. Truly different odds. Truly shorter time. The job finished in less than an hour. Then it was off to the house for a feed of fancy lasagna, salads and pie. And visiting. Cattle ranchers were very grateful for the help. Neighbors and friends were grateful for a chance to discuss the signs of the times.

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PhotoCredit: Michael Santi and Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Chute boss Michael Santi and herd owner John Denison talk about corral strategy. Photo Credit:
Image 2 Caption: Bundled up on a cold and windy day, Janet Wagner passes the branding irons. Photo Credit:
Image 3 Caption: Neal Denison helps sort calves from their mothers in preparation for branding. Photo Credit:
Image 4 Caption: Neighbor Tony Wagner pushes calves up the chute. Photo Credit: