Curlews, Ranching, and Reconsideration

A Wyoming rancher discusses the surprising benefits of an alternative form of grazing.
Long-billed Curlew flapping its wings.

鈥淚t took him a while to get me on board. I鈥檒l tell you the truth, I balked at this grazing stuff. I thought he was loony bins鈥ut I've been to the places he uses this kind of grazing and鈥here is something to it鈥e鈥檚 convinced me...鈥

Those are the words of Perry Askin of Askin Land and Livestock. He said them during a tour of an 探花精选-certified ranch as part of the Ranching for Profit grazing workshop hosted by 探花精选 Rockies in Lusk, Wyoming, on June 29, 2021. Askin was commenting on how his son, Sage, has convinced him to try a different form of grazing that can help improve grassland resilience and bird habitat. (Don鈥檛 miss his full interview below).

The West is in a historic drought and ranchers are reeling from the effects. They鈥檙e seeing range conditions decline and birds become scarce in these open spaces. 探花精选 recognized this threat to ranchlands and the birds that need them to survive. So in June, along with , we hosted a series of workshops facilitated by that were geared towards helping producers improve rangeland conditions and productivity even in times of drought.

Taught by Dallas Mount, the owner of Ranch Management Consultants, the Ranching for Profit workshops helped participants gain a better understanding of how to manage their land during difficult times. These premiere workshops are considered by many to be the epitome of ranch management, and we were proud to help bring them to Wyoming producers for free. With an eye on increasing rangeland resiliency through a deep dive into rangeland ecology, grazing management, and pasture recovery, more than 70 participants in three counties learned, discussed, and formulated strategies to deal with this historic drought.

We鈥檙e excited to see grazing practices adapting to meet today鈥檚 challenges, one rancher at a time.