Ticks are one of the more unpleasant members of the arachnid (spiders, mites) family. They live on the blood of other animals, cause great discomfort, spread disease, cause anemia and lead to infections.

Colorado rancher Kit Pharo guesses his cow herds have gone at least two decades without fly or worm treatment.

A 10 percent calf crop – just the thought can make even the toughest rancher cringe. Although it sounds like a nightmare or a poorly managed cow herd, it’s actually what some Western ranchers are battling due to a tick-transmitted disease commonly referred to as “foothill abortion” or epizootic bovine abortion.

Ohio producer starts with his cows when making a bull sale After receiving an engineering degree and being in the restaurant business, Bill Roe never thought he would become a cattleman.

For most producers in the West, elk are an expected and accepted nuisance in the winter, but for a neighborhood of ranchers in Montana, elk are a persistent problem all year long.

Most people think of damage as a tornado blowing through or a wildfire spreading across acres of land. Others imagine a wrecking ball tearing down an old building. For people in Texas, damage can be depicted by a group of wild pigs, a thought far more threatening than you would think.

Ticks continually rob profits from beef cattle producers in several ways. Economic losses include reduced weight gain, diminished reproductive efficiency, increased costs for disease treatment and hide damage.

You’ve seen the acronym “AUM.” Do you know what it really means? Let’s guess: Abandoned uranium mine? Air-to-underwater missile? All ungulates meditate?

Grass and grazing animals evolved together. In North America, bison, pronghorn antelope and elk grazed the plains. In mountainous Western areas, elk, deer, bighorns, mountain goats and mountain buffalo grazed the more rugged regions.

Often, the last thing cattlemen care to do is crunch numbers, but arguably this is the most important aspect of managing a successful cattle operation.