An Unchanged Western Tradition

I came across the following passage last week while reading TR’s The Wilderness Hunter.  It’s amazing how little spring cattle round-ups and brandings have changed in the 121+/- years since he wrote these words.  With the exception of a few small details, he could’ve been describing any of the spring roundups that are currently taking place throughout the American West:

“As soon as the herd was worked it was turned loose, while the cows and calves were driven over to a large corral, where the branding was done.  A fire was speedily kindled, and in it were laid the branding irons of the different outfits represented on the round-up.  Then two of the best ropers rode into the corral and began to rope the calves, round the hind legs by preference, but sometimes by the head.  The other men dismounted to “wrestle” and brand them.  Once roped, the calf, bawling and struggling, was swiftly dragged near the fire, where one or two of the calf-wrestlers grappled with and threw the kicking, plunging little beast, and held it while it was branded.  If the calf was large the wrestlers, had hard work; and one or two young maverick bulls, which had been passed by in the roundups of the preceding year-fought viciously, bellowing, and charging, and driving some of the men up the sides of the corral, to the boisterous delight of the others.”  – The Wilderness Hunter by Theodore Roosevelt.