The Idaho Rancher's Wife

The Ranch From the Wife's Perspective

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Workshop
  • About
    • About the Rancher’s Wife
    • The Ranch
  • Contact

A Drive Through the Buffalo

December 16, 2014 by Allison

My family loves to work together.  Is that weird?  For family reunions we have cut a horse (castrated him),  built fence, and put up drywall.  Everyone does stuff like that, right?!  Someone once told me that so long as you are doing something you enjoy, you can consider it recreation.  We like to recreate by working, sweating, stinking…  Ok, maybe not everyone and not all of the time… there are times we like to sit and do nothing.  But that doesn’t last long at all.  
So whenever my older brother announces that he has big work days like preg checking the buffalo, we all (those within a reasonable distance) head out there.
The kids and I showed up the night before the big day, not long before The Lemhi Rancher (my brother) walked in the house.  He sat down with a sigh and said, “All the buffalo are in the corrals… what a relief!”  You could see that he REALLY was relieved.  Working buffalo carries a little more anxiety than working cows.  There is nothing really domestic about these animals.  They are still so primeval that whenever they encounter anything that stresses them out they go fight or flight.   Hard core fight or flight.  So for the work to go well, for the buffalo to get in the corral without any intense effort, IS relieving. 

We had one long day of work (more about that later…), like so long that at the end we had a few phones out to shed some light on the work.  Working hard all day meant that I didn’t have anytime for pictures.  Which was just fine… That meant I had to take a drive the next day to satisfy the photographer in me!

I loaded up my kids and the cousins (to open the gates of course!) and we drove through the buffalo.  This was a first for us in a sorts.  We are usually up in the spring and summer, so to see the buffalo not losing their hair and in the snowy fields was a fun change.  I’m awed to watch the buffalo and like to imagine what it might have been when they roamed for hundreds of miles on end.  They are constantly moving, almost like they still have that instinct to migrate.  Good thing The Lemhi Rancher has some big pasture!

Like I said, primal… not domestic…  Certainly interesting, entertaining and always making a fun shot for this Rancher’s Wife.

Share this:

  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Related

«
»

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Other Ranchers, Our Winter Coat, Play Time, Ranching Generations

Newsletter

Enter your email to hear tidbits from The Rancher's Wife!

Sign up!

Leave us your email to receive news from The Idaho Rancher's Wife and what's happening on the ranch!

Thanks!

About Allison

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Follow by Email

Recent Posts

Don’t Call Your Wife a Cow

From first-calf heifers to … [Read More...]

Apparently There was a Road

The Rancher told me to head up … [Read More...]

She’s Got One More Good Year in Her

The decisions behind who stays … [Read More...]

The Ranch Wife’s Job Description

I never received an official … [Read More...]

More to a Cattle Tag Than Meets the Eye

Numbers, letters, colors, and … [Read More...]

Categories

Newsletter

Leave us your email to more from your favorite ranch family!

Follow Allison Eliason's board The Rancher's wife on Pinterest.

Archives

About Me

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

instagram

theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Real ranch life, stories & a side of dirt.
⬇️ More tales from the ranch

There are some things you should never say to your There are some things you should never say to your wife.

Comparing her to a cow is probably near the top of the list. 😂

Unfortunately, The Rancher has never been particularly good at following that rule. Especially when I was having babies.

From first-calf heifers to zipper cows, he’s had plenty of observations over the years. And somehow, even my doctor got in on it.

The whole story is on the blog. Link in bio!

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchwife #ranchhumor #ranchlife
Not stock photos and not AI. They are real moments Not stock photos and not AI. They are real moments we have lived and loved on the ranch. And I was lucky enough to capture them as they happened. 

The 2027 Cowboy Calendar is now available. Link in bio.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cowboycalendar 
#ranchphotography
#rurallife
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

They look a little different for every American. For our family, they look a lot like wide-open spaces, cattle, horses, hard work, and raising our kids in a place we love.

Today, we’re grateful for the men and women who have served our country and helped protect the freedoms that make this life possible.

To our veterans, thank you. 🇺🇸

#VeteransDay #ThankYouVeterans #AmericanFreedom #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
Apparently, grass wasn’t on the menu today. 💀🐮 Be Apparently, grass wasn’t on the menu today. 💀🐮

Believe it or not, cows sometimes chew on old bones! It’s a behavior called osteophagia, and it’s often associated with a mineral deficiency, particularly phosphorus.

So while she might look like she’s developing a taste for beef, she’s probably just looking for a few extra minerals. 😂

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #cattlebehavior #ranchhumor #cattleranching
So glad he was brave enough to ask his boss for my So glad he was brave enough to ask his boss for my number. Big brothers are scary 😉. 

#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#ranchcouple 
#ranchmarriage 
#cowboylove
We had a plan… we had a list… cows don’t care! Can We had a plan… we had a list… cows don’t care! Can we still get it all done??

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#ranchwife 
#cattleranching
Who needs a white noise machine when you’ve got a Who needs a white noise machine when you’ve got a cattle ranch?

Some sounds are more relaxing than others. 😂

Which one are you picking?

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#ranchsounds 
#cattleranching
Mission of the day: drive em in, load up and haul Mission of the day: drive em in, load up and haul em out. 🫡

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#ranchwife 
#haulingcattle
It’s easy to make assumptions. But don’t. There’ It’s easy to make assumptions. 
But don’t. 
There’s so much more beneath the surface. 

#ranchlife 
#raisingthebar 
#lookdeeper 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
“Why didn’t you take the road?” Well, that would “Why didn’t you take the road?”

Well, that would have been a lovely option if someone had mentioned there WAS a road. 😂

Just another day of learning to ranch alongside The Rancher. The full story is on the blog!

Link in bio.

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchwife #ranchhumor #ranchlife
Sorted, weighed, and shipped out. 2026 calf crop Sorted, weighed, and shipped out. 

2026 calf crop is in the books. Sayonara!

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#raisingcattle 
#calfcrop
“It’s a long 45 days.” That’s what The Rancher sa “It’s a long 45 days.”

That’s what The Rancher said the other day.

He’s talking about the 45 days between weaning our calves and shipping them.

We’re doing everything we can to keep them healthy and putting on weight. We’ve had years battling sickness, throughout the six weeks or sometimes at the very end. 

We ship Monday. And until those calves are on the truck, there’s still plenty that can go wrong. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#calfcrop 
#raisingcattle
The nice thing about decorating for Halloween in a The nice thing about decorating for Halloween in a ranch house is that half the work is already done for you. 🕸️😂

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchwife 
#ranchhumor 
#countryliving
B-Team getting it done! #lifeonacattleranch #mar B-Team getting it done! 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#feedingcattle 
#ranchkids
No joke, they begged to go straight to work. Didn’ No joke, they begged to go straight to work. Didn’t even need a snack. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchkids 
#buildingfence 
#capablekids
One more good year? She’s old, but she’s bred, but One more good year? She’s old, but she’s bred, but then there are those bad marks against her…

Some cows make the culling decision for us. The rest leave us standing there looking at a list of numbers, trying to decide just how much another year is worth To keep a cow on. 

A little about the decisions behind our fall cull list in my latest blog post. Link in bio!

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cattleranching 
#ranchlife 
cowcalfm
Doctoring a calf from the comfort of the warm side Doctoring a calf from the comfort of the warm side x side. 

We came up on this calf that looked a little sick. When he started walking we realized he really didn’t feel good. The @pneudart gun was already on board so it wasn’t but a minute before he was on his way to feeling better. 

@pneudart 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#doctoringcalves 
#ranchlife 
#ranching
If only the rain meant a day off #lifeonacattler If only the rain meant a day off 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#rainydays 
#ranchkids
School dance chaperones have nothing on us 🤣 #lif School dance chaperones have nothing on us 🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#sortingcattle 
#whitechristmas
The 2027 Idaho Rancher’s Wife calendar is headed t The 2027 Idaho Rancher’s Wife calendar is headed to the printer. 🎉🎉
#lifeonacattleranch 
#cowboylife 
#2027calendar 
#westerncalendar 
#marriedtoarancher
Follow on Instagram

Recent post

  • Don’t Call Your Wife a Cow
  • Apparently There was a Road
  • She’s Got One More Good Year in Her
  • The Ranch Wife’s Job Description

Copyright © 2026 · Marion theme by Lovely Confetti DMCA.com Protection Status

Copyright © 2026 · Marion Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in