Tag Archives: history

Tribe Ranch Beef Wrap Up

When I get to visit the Tribe Ranch I always get to feeling good about sharing how important understanding animal behavior is and the influence of that behavior through proper pressure and release of that pressure. 

The whole crew has been very interested in going about it to improve the way they interact with all animals and humans while working with animals. There have been lots of moments when things were not perfect and the emotions sometimes get pretty elevated, both positive and negative. The important thing to understand is you need to learn from these situations in how to make them better and if they are negative, try to keep them from happening. 

Being the lead in teaching or running a crew with livestock is tricky business. You have to push people, and while learning be willing to let people make mistakes, but still be productive and keep animals and humans safe and improving.  I still overstep and sometimes let my emotions get the best of me but I am getting better at controlling my emotions. 

I find working livestock with family and/or a crew it will cause you to do and say things you never say anywhere else. I find this a fascinating thing and have seen it all my life all over the world. If you want to be an effective leader, it is so important to communicate before and after and during working stock to keep this in check.  If not it will make it very difficult to be effective and not create animosity with working stock and having a crew that works together, rather than fighting stock and fellow workmates. 

The definition of Tribe is this:

a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

This ties in perfectly with working as a group working livestock. The Tribe mentality is a great mindset to make it work. 

Some things to think about to improve stockmanship, and “humanship”

These are some clips of the Tribe working as a tribe!

Tribe Cattle company Introduction

A few years ago I received an email from Robert Tankersley. They had purchased a ranch in Bonnerdale, Arkansas and were having trouble with the handling and working of the cattle they purchased with the ranch.

I was staying at D and H Cattle company near Ardmore, Oklahoma and it was about four hours away, so I said I would come see what we could do.

I didn’t take horses, but did take my good dog Possum. They weren’t cowboy minded at all, but were very into learning about regenerative livestock production and good stockmanship.

They had never been involved in agriculture before and admitted they knew nothing and were eager to learn. The ranch was very well laid out and had great working facilities. As soon as I met them I knew they were my kind of people. They were truly wanting to learn to do things right, and enjoy the new lifestyle they just entered.

The cows were wild and smart. They were very good at escaping and you couldn’t drive them at all. We never did get them in the corral the first time I went if i remember right. They ran right through my dog as well. We worked with them outside and got them to holding up a little.

I went back a few weeks later and took a couple of horses. To make a long story short they saw the value of the horse, and we started making progress with getting the cattle to respond better to pressure.

As you will see in the future videos everything has changed. The cows handle really good and keep getting better. They are a horseback outfit and stockmanship and tradition are the main focus. They have made a good ranch an Incredible property. They understand and are doing things that some people who have done it forever are not accomplishing.

Tribe is often thought of as Native people communities. Another part to the definition is a group of people with common interests or a large family. That is the “Tribe Cattle Company”.

I am so glad I have gotten to be a part of the Tribe journey. My late wife Tammy and myself got so much joy , support and love through our times with the Tankersley family.

Tammy and Vikki had a special relationship, and really understood what it took to support a family in a ranching lifestyle. Vikki is the one that keeps it all together, like so many ranch Moms/Wives do.

As you will see cattle, horses and people can really change through proper training and hard work.

It’s been so satisfying for me to see all the improvements in the land, animals, and people at Tribe Cattle Company.

It’s truly changed my life for the better with their friendship and inspiration.