Horse-less calf lasso

Awnry Abe · #1 06/19/13, 10:28 AM

Is it futile to attempt to lasso a flighty calf whilst standing the ground--i.e. not on a horse? Factor in a high rodeo NUBE quotient, as well.

I have a flighty bull calf that I would like to get tagged and more importantly castrated. I missed him early. He is at that age when tackling will be difficult but not impossible for *this* cowboy. I haven't had any success getting near enough to get a hold of a front leg. He won't be headed toward the working corral for a couple of months (which is a long march from here), and I don't want to wait that long.

oregon woodsmok · #2 06/19/13, 12:40 PM

So, can you hold a flighty heavy calf with a rope? He's not going to want to be led around.

I suggest that you get some portable stock panels and start feeding him inside. A week later, out some hay down and close him in. If he weighs much more than 120 pounds, you aren't going to get him castrated without either a chute and head gate, or a tranquilizer.

Unless he is really tame, you aren't going to lay him down by tying up one back foot, like you can do with a tame horse. Try it and he'll kick your lights out.

Without proper working equipment, your only viable option is a heading roper and a heeler, both with good heavy, well trained horses.

bigbluegrass · #3 06/19/13, 12:48 PM

Depends on the size of the calf. For me, 100lb or lighter calf (2-3 weeks old or less), I can put a rope on and hold on until I can get them down. Anything in the 100 to maybe 250 lbs range and I want a tree or post or something I can let them drag me past and I can tie off to. Anything over 250 lbs I won't mess with on foot unless I have about 3 teenage guys around who want a rodeo - then I let them wear it down.

Wear leather gloves. Be safe. Some of those little guys are stronger than they look.

ksfarmer · #4 06/19/13, 12:59 PM

How good are you with a rope? That's the first question. How close can you get to him?, What's he weigh? I've roped many a under 200 lb calf and usually could handle them. I've also roped from the bed of a pickup truck going full out across the pasture. (not recommended), its hard on the pickup, when a 600 lb steer on a rope slams into the fender. There is a way to throw a large critter with a spare rope if you know the trick but better have 2 or three helpers. We used to put a loop in the middle of the spare rope, put that around the neck and run each end around the rear legs and back through the loop. As the critter backs up you simply pull the ends until his legs are forward to his head and he is pretty much helpless. We castrated up to 500 or 600 pounders that way but its much better to have the proper equipment.

Awnry Abe · #5 06/19/13, 09:50 PM

I'm not sure of his weight, but I've battled heavier and won. I sure am not looking forward to it, though. I really can't handle a rope, like I said, total nube. But I have to start somewhere. But I may be able to get by without in this case.

Funny thing is, I walked right up to him tonight. I didn't have my junk to get rid of of his junk, so I just swatted him on the rump and told him to stop taunting and trash talking. We had a pasture move from short grass to tall seeded grass, and that has him calmed/slowed down a bit. He hasn't been in over his head, yet. If tomorrow is the same, I'll just use my normal nonchalant approach to quickly nab a front leg and go at it from there.

Farmerjonathan · #6 06/21/13, 08:21 AM

Well today being the 21st and not hearing from you, wondering how it went and if you are okay.

Awnry Abe · #7 06/22/13, 07:01 AM

Tried and failed. He is wary of me now. It took a lot of time and patience just to get close. I did manage to at least land rope *against* head once. When I had a cow step through the lasso and snag her hoof, I pulled the plug on the operation. That could have ended badly. I've decided to just grab a stack of panels and make a quick catch pen. Doing so would expend less energy than chasing him in circles. Or I may just wait until the herd moves back to the east a few paddocks, and I will just run him across the street to the working pens.

genebo · #8 06/22/13, 10:27 AM

I bought a 2 month old heifer that escaped as she was being unloaded. Some neighbors and I found her after a week and decided to lasso her. She had been living in a blackberry thicket.

One of my neighbors made a perfect toss, after which she began dragging him through the blackberries. He lasted about 10 feet then let go of the rope.

He said it didn't take him long to get all the blackberries he needed for one day.

He also said, "Good luck with your calf!"

cedarcreekranch · #9 06/24/13, 11:38 AM

My husband ropes critters from the ground all the time and so far, so good. It helps if you have a post or tree you can snub him up to quick! Rus likes to rope them by front feet or back feet so they don't choke down - hate to do that to them. If you get both back feet and have another person to help, you can get a pretty decent sized animal on the ground and bound pretty quick. Easier to stop them, too, than around the neck 'cause a lot of times unless you can get that slack flipped quick the rope settles low on the neck and then you might as well let them go cause even a pretty small animal can pull you wherever they want to go. (like through the blackberries! LOL) Good luck