I often get some strange looks when I tell people my university degree is in Range Management. I usually follow up by saying, “I majored in cattle grazing.” Most people usually understand then, but I’ve sometimes had to reference the folk song, “Home on the Range” in order to have people understand.
The number one question I get a lot is, “What is Range Management?” I usually break that down into two answers:
1. Range is land that is covered in vegetation (both native or introduced to that area) that either is being grazed or can be grazed by livestock or wildlife.
2. Range Management is the balance all the needs–be it cattle, wildlife, recreation, etc. for that specific piece of land while looking after the needs of the rangeland (soil, water, vegetation).
It seems pretty simple, yet is quite a challenge for many ranch managers. Timing, weather, and type of graziers are just a few of the elements in the equation for figuring out range management. Through this blog, I would like to share with my readers, my experiences on range management; my challenges, successes, tips, and tools for bettering the range out there.
